Leveling railway vehicle and related systems and methods
AssigneeWabtec Holding Corp.
InventorsJames Franks, Adam W. Kohler
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Leveling railway vehicles, leveling secondary suspension systems, lift-systems for suspension systems, and other related systems and methods are shown and described. In one example, a railway vehicle includes a superstructure, a bogey, and a leveling secondary suspension system. The leveling suspension system includes at least one spring positioned between the superstructure and the bogey, and a secondary suspension-mounting lift system (SMLS) interfaced with coil spring. The SMLS includes a spring-mount (SM) and a piston assembly. In operation, pressurized hydraulic fluid acts on the piston and lifts the superstructure, thereby allowing the superstructure's access to be raised to a desired height, e.g. a platform height.
Claims32
A railway vehicle configured to raise its access floor to platform level, the railway vehicle comprising:
- (a) a superstructure having an access floor on tracks;
- (b) a bogie;
- (c) a coil spring positioned between the superstructure and the bogie,
- the coil spring having an internal diameter (Din) and an external diameter (Dex), the coil spring having a top and a bottom and being configured to maintain, at least in part, the superstructure in a raised coasting configuration (Hc) relative to the bogie;
- and
- (d) a secondary suspension-mounting lift system (SMLS) comprising
- (d.1) a spring-mount (SM) mounted to the bottom of the coil spring comprising
- (d.1.a) a hollow cylinder aligned with the coil spring,
- (d.1.b) a flange connected to the cylinder, the flange extending externally from the coil spring and supporting one end of the coil spring, and
- (d.1.c) an annular-shaped expansion surface defined on the inside of a closed end of the SM, and
- (d.2) a piston assembly comprising
- (d.2.a) a hollow piston positioned within the hollow cylinder, the expansion surface defined between the piston and the hollow cylinder, and
- (d.2.b) a connector for hydraulic interface, the connector being in fluid communication with the piston and the expansion surface, wherein pressurized hydraulic fluid acts on the piston and the expansion surface and lifts the superstructure relative to the bogie to raise the railway vehicle's access door on tracks to the platform level.
A secondary suspension system for a railway vehicle on tracks, the secondary suspension system comprising:
- (a) a coil spring positioned between a superstructure and a bogie, the coil spring having an internal diameter (Din) and an external diameter (Dex), the coil spring having a top and a bottom and being configured to maintain, at least in part, the superstructure in a raised coasting configuration (Hc) relative to the bogie;
- and
- (b) a secondary suspension-mounting lift system (SMLS) comprising
- (b.1) a spring-mount (SM) mounted to the bottom of the coil spring comprising
- (b.1.a) a hollow cylinder aligned with the coil spring,
- (b.1.b) a flange connected to the cylinder, the flange extending externally from the coil spring and supporting one end of the coil spring, and
- (b.1.c) an annular-shaped expansion surface defined on the inside of a closed end of the SM, and
- (b.2) a piston assembly comprising
- (b.2.a) a hollow piston positioned within the hollow cylinder, the expansion surface defined between the piston and the hollow cylinder, and
- (b.2.b) a connector for hydraulic interface, the connector being in fluid communication with the piston, wherein pressurized hydraulic fluid acts on the piston and the expansion surface and lifts the superstructure relative to the bogie to raise the railway vehicle on tracks to a platform level.
A secondary suspension-mounting lift system (SMLS) for mounting to the bottom of a coil spring of a secondary suspension of a railway vehicle on tracks, the SMLS comprising:
- (a) a spring-mount (SM) comprising
- (a.1) a hollow cylinder configured to be aligned with the coil spring,
- (a.2) a flange connected to the cylinder, the flange extending externally from the coil spring and supporting one end of the coil spring, and
- (a.3) an annular-shaped expansion surface defined on the inside of a closed end of the SM, and
- (b.) a piston assembly comprising
- (b.1) a hollow piston positioned within the hollow cylinder, the expansion surface defined between the piston and the hollow cylinder, and
- (b.2) a connector for hydraulic interface, the connector being in fluid communication with the piston, wherein pressurized hydraulic fluid acts on the piston and the expansion surface and lifts the superstructure on tracks to a platform level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.