Active roll controling truck stabilizing mechanism

Claim 2

A railway vehicle suspension apparatus comprising a truck having a lower frame which supports the wheel sets, an upper frame mounted on said lower frame for pivotal movement, a roll platform above said truck on which a car body is mounted, roll control mechanism between said upper frame and said platform for forcibly imparting both rolling and inward transverse motions to said car body when traversing a curved section of track above the design speed for said track, said mechanism including rigid leftand right-hand swing arms having pivoted connections at their lower ends with said upper frame and extended upwardly and outwardly and having pivoted connections at their upper ends with said platform, actuating means for imparting said motions to said car body as controlled by said swing arms, and an accelerometer mounted on a part of the vehicle which is affected by lateral accelerations as said vehicle enters and leaves said curved section of track for controlling said actuating means.

Claim 3

A railway vehicle suspension apparatus comprising a truck having a lower frame which supports the wheel sets, an upper frame mounted on said lower frame for pivotal movement, a roll platform above said truck on which a car body is mounted, roll control mechanism between said upper frame and said platform for forcibly imparting both rolling and inward transverse motions to said car body when traversing a curved section of track above the design speed for said track, said mechanism including rigid left-and right-hand swing arms having pivoted connections at their lower ends with said upper frame and extended upwardly and outwardly and having pivoted connections at their upper ends with said platform, actuating means for imparting said motions to said car body as controlled by said swing arms, and an accelerometer mounted on a part of the vehicle which is affected by lateral accelerations as said vehicle enters and leaves said curved section of track for controlling said actuating means.

Claim 4

A railway vehicle suspension apparatus comprising a truck having a lower frame which supports the wheel sets, an upper frame mounted on said lower frame for pivotal movement, a roll platform above said truck on which a car body is mounted, roll control mechanism between said upper frame and said platform for forcibly imparting both rolling and inward transverse motions to said car body when traversing a curved section of track above the design speed for said track, said mechanism including rigid left-and right-hand swing arms having pivoted connections at their lower ends with said upper frame and extended upwardly and outwardly and having pivoted connections at their upper ends with said platform, actuating means for imparting said motions to said car body as controlled by said swing arms, and an accelerometer mounted on a part of the vehicle which is affected by lateral accelerations as said vehicle enters and leaves said curved section of track for controlling said actuating means.

Claim 5

A railway vehicle suspension apparatus comprising a truck adapted to run on parallel rails and having a lower frame which supports the wheel axles, wheels at the ends of said axles, a bolster pivotally mounted on said frame, a roll platform above said bolster which supPorts a car body, means for improving the stability of the vehicle against overturning by maintaining the line of action of the resultant of the weight and centrifugal force vectors between and well away from said rails when the vehicle is negotiating a curve including rigid left- and right-hand swing arms pivotally connected at their lower ends with said bolster and extended upwardly and outwardly and having their upper ends pivotally connected to said platform, actuator means for positively moving said platform as controlled by said swing arms, and control means including an accelerometer for energizing said actuator means both to roll said car body about a fore and aft axis and to bodily translate it laterally inward toward the center of said curve.

Claim 6

A railway vehicle suspension apparatus comprising a truck adapted to run on parallel rails and having a lower frame which supports the wheel axles, wheels at the ends of said axles, a bolster pivotally mounted on said frame, a roll platform above said bolster which supPorts a car body, means for improving the stability of the vehicle against overturning by maintaining the line of action of the resultant of the weight and centrifugal force vectors between and well away from said rails when the vehicle is negotiating a curve including rigid left- and right-hand swing arms pivotally connected at their lower ends with said bolster and extended upwardly and outwardly and having their upper ends pivotally connected to said platform, actuator means for positively moving said platform as controlled by said swing arms, and control means including an accelerometer for energizing said actuator means both to roll said car body about a fore and aft axis and to bodily translate it laterally inward toward the center of said curve.

Claim 7

A railway vehicle suspension apparatus for high speed trains comprising a vehicle truck having a lower frame which supports the wheel axles, an upper frame mounted on said lower frame for movement about a vertical axis, a roll platform, a car body mounted on said platform, and active control mechanism mounted between said upper frame and said platform including rigid left-and right-hand swing arms having pivoted connections at their lower ends with said upper frame, said swing arms having their upper ends extended upwardly and outwardly and having pivoted connections at their upper ends with said platform, springs connecting said upper frame and said platform, and left-and right-hand actuators for imparting both rolling and bodily lateral motion to said car body inward toward the center of curvature of a curved section of track, said actuators having pivotal connections at their lower and upper ends with said upper frame and with said platform respectively, an accelerometer mounted on a part of said vehicle which is affected by lateral accelerations as said vehicle enters and leaves said curved section of track, and control means responsive to variations in accelerometer voltage output for controlling said actuators to impart said inward motions to said body.

Claim 8

A railway vehicle suspension apparatus for high speed trains comprising a vehicle truck having a lower frame which supports the wheel axles, an upper frame mounted on said lower frame for movement about a vertical axis, a roll platform, a car body mounted on said platform, and active control mechanism mounted between said upper frame and said platform including rigid left-and right-hand swing arms having pivoted connections at their lower ends with said upper frame, said swing arms having their upper ends extended upwardly and outwardly and having pivoted connections at their upper ends with said platform, springs connecting said upper frame and said platform, and left-and right-hand actuators for imparting both rolling and bodily lateral motion to said car body inward toward the center of curvature of a curved section of track, said actuators having pivotal connections at their lower and upper ends with said upper frame and with said platform respectively, an accelerometer mounted on a part of said vehicle which is affected by lateral accelerations as said vehicle enters and leaves said curved section of track, and control means responsive to variations in accelerometer voltage output for controlling said actuators to impart said inward motions to said body.

Claim 9

The suspension apparatus of claim 3 in which the springs connecting the upper frame and the platform are tension-compression springs capable of returning the car body to its initial position in the event of actuator failure.

Claim 10

The suspension apparatus of claim 2 in which the actuators are hydraulically operated by means of a selector valve.

Claim 11

The suspension apparatus of claim 3 in which the actuators are electrically operated through a reversible electric motor and rack and pinion mechanism.

Claim 12

A railway vehicle suspension apparatus comprising a truck having a lower frame which supports the wheel sets, an upper frame pivotally mounted on said lower frame, a roll platform above said truck on which a car body is mounted, roll control mechanism between said upper frame and said platform for forcibly imparting both rolling and inward transverse motions to said car body as the latter traverses a curved section of track above the design speed for the track, said mechanism including rigid left-and right-hand swing arms having pivoted connections at their lower ends with said upper frame and extended upwardly and outwardly and having pivoted connections at their upper ends with said platform, actuating means for imparting said motions to said body as controlled by said arms, means for energizing said actuators as said vehicle enters or leaves said curved section of track including an accelerometer mounted on said truck and a swing-arm potentiometer for modifying the output signal of said accelerometer which is responsive to changes in the angle between said swing arms and said platform.

Claim 13

A railway vehicle suspension apparatus comprising a truck having a lower frame which supports the wheel sets, an upper frame pivotally mounted on said lower frame, a roll platform above said truck on which a car body is mounted, roll control mechanism between said upper frame and said platform for forcibly imparting both rolling and inward transverse motions to said car body as the latter traverses a curved section of track above the design speed for the track, said mechanism including rigid left-and right-hand swing arms having pivoted connections at their lower ends with said upper frame and extended upwardly and outwardly and having pivoted connections at their upper ends with said platform, actuating means for imparting said motions to said body as controlled by said arms, means for energizing said actuators as said vehicle enters or leaves said curved section of track including an accelerometer mounted on said truck and a swing-arm potentiometer for modifying the output signal of said accelerometer which is responsive to changes in the angle between said swing arms and said platform.