Linear motor driven railway vehicle truck

Claim 2

A suspension for linear induction motor vehicles comprising track supported antifriction support means, spring supporting structure supported on sad antifriction means, said spring supporting structure comprising a central transverse member and a pair of side members supported at their ends on said antifriction means and held against substantial transverse movement with respect to said transverse member, spring means carried by said spring supporting structure and adapted to support vehicle body structure directly and substantially yieldable vertically, transversely and longitudinally for supporting vehicle body structure for vertical, transverse and swivel movements with respect to said spring support structure and linear motor stator structure elongated lengthwise of the track and substantially nonresiliently supported from said spring supporting structure independently of said spring means.

Claim 3

A suspension according to claim 1 wherein said antifriction support means comprise pairs of downwardly acting pneumatic pads spaced apart transversely and longitudinally from each other, an elongated support structure for said stator elements supported from the end portions of said spring supporting structure intermediate its sides, said support structure mounting at its ends pairs of transversely acting pneumatic pads in side-by-side opposing relation for opposite cushioning action against opposite longitudinal vertical surfaces of a central linear induction rotor rail.

Claim 4

A suspension according to claim 1 wherein said track-supported antifriction means comprises a pair of railway wheeled axles.

Claim 5

A suspension according to claim 3 including an elongated frame swivelly supported at one end on the center of said transverse member, means for supporting said stator elements from said elongated frame in longitudinally offset relation to said truck framing, and means for connecting said elongated frame to the supported vehicle body structure whereby to prevent relative longitudinal movements therebetween while accommodating limited transverse and vertical movements of the body structure relative to said elongated frame and said truck framing as are permitted by said spring means.

Claim 6

A suspension according to claim 4 wherein said connecting means comprises a pair of longitudinally extending transversely spaced links connected at one end to said elongated frame and adapted for connection at their other end to said vehicle body structure.

Claim 7

A suspension according to claim 5 in which said transverse member comprises a transverse main frame and said side members comprise a pair of side frames supported at their ends on said wheeled axles, said elongated frame being swivelly supported on the central portion of said main frame, said body support spring means being seated on the side portions of said main frame.

Claim 8

A suspension according to claim 3 wherein transverse elements are mounted on the end portions of said side members and form supports for said linear motor stator structure.

Claim 9

A suspension according to claim 7 wherein said transverse elements comprise beams mounting depending yokes at their centers, said yokes having transversely spaced vertical legs supporting linear motor stator elements in transversely spaced relation with each other.

Claim 10

A suspension according to claim 8 in which said side members are separate side frames, said transverse member comprising a transverse main frame supported on said side frames, said side frames being tiltable longitudinally with respect to said main frame and to each other, said spring means being seated on said main frame, and longitudinal link means for connecting said main frame to the supported body structure.

Claim 11

A suspension according to claim 9 wherein said transverse beams are flexibly mounted on said side frames to accommodate relative tilting movements of said side frames.

Claim 12

A suspension according to claim 9 in which said longitudinal link means is positioned at substantially the same level as said stator elements.

Claim 13

A suspension according to claim 11 in which there are additional longitudinal link means substantially at the same level as said first-named link means connecting said main frame to one of said stator element support yokes for transmitting tractive force from said stator element to said main frame and therefrom through said first-named link means to the supported vehicle body structure.

Claim 14

A suspension according to claim 9 wherein said link means comprises a pair of parallel links spaced apart transversely of the vehicle and each disposed on an opposite side of said stator elements.

Claim 15

A suspension according to claim 13 including a transverse yoke element arranged for pivotal connection to the supported body structure at its center and having depending legs embracing said stator elements between them and being connected to corresponding ends of said links.

Claim 16

A suspension according to claim 14 including an additional pair of parallel transversely spaced longitudinal links at substantially the same level as said first-named link means, said additional pair of links being connected at one end to said main frame and at the other end to one of said stator element supporting yokes.

Claim 17

A suspension according to claim 15 in which said main frame comprises longitudinally extending side members and a transverse transom rigidly connecting said side members, said transverse transom having a pair of legs depending from it and spaced apart transversely of the frame on opposite sides of said stator element, said transom legs providing the main frame connections of said first-named and additional links.

Claim 18

A suspension according to claim 2 wherein the end portions of said stator element support structure are bifurcated and said transversely acting pneumatic pads are supported on the inner opposing faces of the bifurcations.

Claim 19

A suspension according to claim 17 wherein said spring supporting structure includes a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending side frames supported at their ends on said downwardly acting pneumatic pads and a transverse transom connecting said side frames intermediate their ends, transverse beams supported on the ends of said side frames and forming the support from said framing of said elongated stator element support structure.

Claim 20

A suspension according to claim 18 including longitudinally extending link means connected at one end to said transom and adapted for connection at their other ends to a supported vehicle body structure to transmit tractive forces from the supported transom to said body structure while accommodating swivel, transverse and lateral movements between said framing and the supported body structure.

Claim 21

A suspension according to claim 19 wherein said link means includes a pair of parallel transversely spaced longitudinally extending links individually disposed on opposite sides of said elongated stator elements and substantially at the same level as the latter.

Claim 22

A suspension according to claim 20 including a transverse yoke arranged for pivotal connection on a vertical axis to the supported body structure and having depending legs embracing said elongated stator elements, said links being individually connected at their corresponding ends to said depending legs.

Claim 23

In a guided track-supported vehicle, pairs of antifriction support devices aligned longitudinally and spaced apart transversely of the supporting track, spring supporting structure comprising longitudinally extending transversely spaced side frames substantially nonyieldingly supported on said support devices and a transverse member connecting said side frames intermediate their ends and held against substantial movement transversely of said side frames, springs supported on said spring supporting structure at the sides of said spring supporting structure, a body underframe directly supported on said springs for vertical, transverse and swivel movement with respect to said framing, structure including an elongated linear induction motor part substantially nonyieldingly supported from said spring supporting structures between said side frames, and means connecting said spring supporting structure and said underframe for transmitting longitudinal forces therebetween without impeding lateral, vertical and swivel movements of said underframe and said spring supporting structure with respect to each other.

Claim 24

In a guided track-supported vehicle, pairs of antifriction support devices aligned longitudinally and spaced apart transversely of the supporting track, spring supporting structure comprising longitudinally extending transversely spaced side frames substantially nonyieldingly supported on said support devices and a transverse member connecting said side frames intermediate their ends and held against substantial movement transversely of said side frames, springs supported on said spring supporting structure at the sides of said spring supporting structure, a body underframe directly supported on said springs for vertical, transverse and swivel movement with respect to said framing, structure including an elongated linear induction motor part substantially nonyieldingly supported from said spring supporting structures between said side frames, and means connecting said spring supporting structure and said underframe for transmitting longitudinal forces therebetween without impeding lateral, vertical and swivel movements of said underframe and said spring supporting structure with respect to each other.

Claim 25

In a vehicle according to claim 22, said antifriction support means comprising air cushion elements.

Claim 26

In a vehicle according to claim 22, said transverse member being connected to said side frames to permit limited pivotal movement of the latter about a common transverse member axis with respect to said transom and to each other.

Claim 27

In a vehicle according to claim 24, a pair of said spring supporting structures spaced apart from each other longitudinally of the vehicle, said elongated support structure extending between the transoms of both said spring supporting structures, means supporting the ends of said elongated support structure on said transverse member for pivotal movement about a vertical axis, said longitudinal force transmitting means, said elongated support structure, and longitudinally extending anchor links being pivotally connected at their opposite ends respectively to said elongated support structure and to said underframe.

Claim 28

In a vehicle according to claim 24, rigid transverse beams flexibly connected to said side frames at both ends of the truck, said linear induction motor part support structure being suspended from said transverse beams.

Claim 29

In a vehicle according to claim 26, said longitudinal force transmitting means comprising a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending anchor links pivotally connected at one end to said transverse member structure depending from said underframe, thE other ends of said anchor links being pivotally connected to said depending structure.

Claim 30

In a vehicle according to claim 27, said depending structure comprising an element pivotal about a vertical axis with respect to said underframe.

Claim 31

In a vehicle according to claim 28, said anchor links being at substantially the level of the elongated linear induction motor parts, said depending structure element and said transom both having transversely spaced depending legs for the pivotal connections of said anchor links.

Claim 32

In a vehicle according to claim 26, said antifriction support means comprising downwardly facing air cushion elements, said linear motor support structure mounting longitudinally spaced pairs of transversely oppositely facing air cushion elements for guiding said linear motor parts and said framing longitudinally of the track.

Claim 33

In a vehicle according to claim 30, said transversely oppositely facing air cushion elements facing each other whereby to act against opposite vertical faces of the linear induction motor rotor rail.

Claim 34

In a vehicle according to claim 31, said means connecting said spring supporting structure and said underframe comprising a transverse yoke pivotally connected on a vertical axis at its center to said underframe and having depending extremities embracing said linear induction motor part and a pair of transversely spaced longitudinally extending anchor links pivotally connected at their opposite ends to the extremities of said yoke.