Railway truck having ventilated bolster assembly
AssigneeElectro-Motive Diesel, Inc.
InventorDavid J. Goding
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A railway truck is disclosed for use with a locomotive. The railway truck may include a first axle, a second axle, a plurality of wheels connected to each of the first and second axles, a frame connecting the first and second axles, and a plurality of traction motors. The railway truck may also include a bolster assembly pivotally connected to the frame. The bolster assembly may include a hollow bolster having an inlet and a plurality of outlets in communication with the inlet. The plurality of outlets may generally correspond to the locations of each of the plurality of traction motors. The hollow bolster may also include a flexible bellow extending between each of the plurality of outlets and each of the plurality of traction motors.
Claims18
A railway truck, comprising:
- a first axle;
- a second axle;
- a plurality of wheels connected to each of the first and second axles;
- a frame connecting the first and second axles;
- a plurality of traction motors;
- a bolster assembly pivotally connected to the frame, wherein the bolster assembly includes:
- a hollow bolster having an inlet and a plurality of outlets in communication with the inlet and generally corresponding to the locations of each of the plurality of traction motors;
- and
- a flexible bellow extending between each of the plurality of outlets and each of the plurality of traction motors;
- and
- an internal divider plate extending between a first side and an opposing second side of the hollow bolster, wherein the internal divider plate is located at a general lengthwise center of the inlet.
A method of cooling traction motors for a locomotive, comprising:
- pressurizing air;
- directing the pressurized air through a plenum chamber in a base platform of the locomotive into a hollow center of a span bolster;
- distributing the pressurized air from the span bolster through a plurality of outlets to a plurality of traction motors;
- and
- dividing the pressurized air from the base platform into two opposing flows inside the span bolster.
A locomotive, comprising:
- a car body having a base platform configured to support an air source and a plenum chamber formed in the base platform in communication with the air source;
- and
- a truck having a first sub-truck and a second sub-truck pivotally connected to opposing ends of a bolster assembly,
- wherein each of the first and second sub-trucks includes:
- a first axle;
- a second axle;
- a plurality of wheels connected to each of the first and second axles;
- a frame connecting the first and second axles;
- a plurality of traction motors;
- and
- a hollow bolster having an inlet in communication with the plenum chamber and a plurality of outlets generally corresponding to a location of each of the plurality of traction motors, the hollow bolster having an internal divider plate located at a general lengthwise center of the inlet, and wherein each of the plurality of outlets includes a flexible bellow extending between the hollow bolster and each of the plurality of traction motors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.