Pneumatic railway center bearing

Claim 2

A bearing for supporting a railway vehicle body on a swivel truck normally longitudinally aligned with the body for tangent track operation and swivelly movable out of such alignment during curved track operation, comprising a truck part having an upwardly facing substantially horizontal surface, a body part having a downwardly facing substantially horizontal surface normally in frictional engagement with said truck part surface, aperture means through one of said surfaces, and normally closed air supply means operable responsive to swivel movements of the truck from its normal tangent track position of longitudinal alignment with the body for introducing compressed air into said aperture means to form an air column therethrough partially supporting said truck part on said body part and thereby reducing friction between said body and truck parts during operation on curved track, said air supply means being closable responsive to longitudinal realignment of the truck and body for terminating the introduction of comprEssed air into said aperture means.

Claim 3

A bearing according to claim 1 including means responsive to longitudinal realignment of the truck and body for exhausting compressed air therefrom.

Claim 4

A bearing according to claim 1 wherein a pad of nonmetallic friction material provides one of said horizontal bearing surfaces, said aperture mean being in said other surface.

Claim 5

A bearing according to claim 1 wherein one of said parts includes a chamber having a wall closely spaced vertically from the respective horizontal bearing surface and communicating with said surface via said aperture means.

Claim 6

A bearing according to claim 4 in which said air source includes a reservoir and means responsive to the vehicle body load for regulating the pressure in said reservoir.

Claim 7

A bearing according to claim 4 wherein said air supply means comprises a source of compressed air, a valve, valve inlet means connected with said source, valve outlet means connected with said chamber, said valve having truck swivel-responsive operating means closing said inlet means during tangent track operation and providing communication between said inlet and outlet means during curved track operation.

Claim 8

A bearing according to claim 6 wherein said valve means includes an exhaust port, said operating means providing communication between said valve outlet means and said exhaust port during tangent track operation and interrupting such communication during curved track operation.

Claim 9

A bearing according to claim 6 wherein said truck part has a vertical central cylindrical recess and said body part has a depending vertical cylindrical spigot pivotally received in said recess, said opposing horizontal surfaces being of annular shape surrounding said recess and spigot, said aperture means comprising a plurality of apertures generally uniformly spaced through the respective surface.

Claim 10

A bearing according to claim 6 wherein a circular pad of nonmetallic friction material forms the horizontal surface of one of said bearing parts.

Claim 11

A bearing according to claim 9 wherein said apertures are through the horizontal surface of said other bearing part and said other bearing part includes said air chamber.

Claim 12

A bearing according to claim 10 wherein said pad has a groove in its surface opposing said other bearing part and said other bearing part has a hole through its surface, said hole being in registry with said groove during tangent track operation and out of registry with said groove during curved track operation, said groove intersecting the periphery of said pad.

Claim 13

In a railway vehicle, a swivel truck, a vehicle body mounted thereon, said truck being in longitudinal alignment with said body for tangent track operation and swivelly movable out of such alignment during operation on curved track, a bearing for supporting said body on said truck comprising a truck part having an upwardly facing substantially horizontal surface, and a body part having a downwardly facing substantially horizontal surface normally in frictional engagement with said upwardly facing surface, aperture means through one of said surfaces, normally closed air supply means openable responsive to swivel movements of said truck away from its normal tangent track position in longitudinal alignment with said body for introducing compressed air into said aperture means to form an air column therethrough partially supporting said body part on said truck part and thereby reducing friction between said parts while said truck is operating on curved track, said air supply means being closable responsive to longitudinal realignment of the truck and body for terminating the introduction of compressed air into said aperture means and exhausting compressed air therefrom.

Claim 14

In a railway vehicle, a swivel truck, a vehicle body mounted thereon, said truck being in longitudinal alignment with said body for tangent track operation and swivelly movable out of such alignment during operation on curved track, a bearing for supporting said body on said truck comprising a truck part having an upwardly facing substantially horizontal surface, and a body part having a downwardly facing substantially horizontal surface normally in frictional engagement with said upwardly facing surface, aperture means through one of said surfaces, normally closed air supply means openable responsive to swivel movements of said truck away from its normal tangent track position in longitudinal alignment with said body for introducing compressed air into said aperture means to form an air column therethrough partially supporting said body part on said truck part and thereby reducing friction between said parts while said truck is operating on curved track, said air supply means being closable responsive to longitudinal realignment of the truck and body for terminating the introduction of compressed air into said aperture means and exhausting compressed air therefrom.

Claim 15

In a railway vehicle according to claim 12, means responsive to longitudinal realignment of the truck and body for exhausting compressed air therefrom.

Claim 16

In a railway vehicle according to claim 13, said air supply means comprising a source of compressed air, A valve, valve inlet means connected with said source, valve outlet means connected with said chamber, said valve having truck swivel-responsive operating means closing said inlet means during tangent track operation and providing communication between said inlet and outlet means during curved track operation.

Claim 17

In a railway vehicle according to claim 14, a transverse bolster structure supporting said body, said body part of said bearing being on said bolster, said truck including wheel-supported structure, said valve operating means comprising a horizontally projecting operating arm, and a generally horizontal pitman connected at its one end to said operating arm and at its other end to the other of said structures.

Claim 18

In a railway vehicle according to claim 15, spring means supported from said truck and supporting said body, said air source comprising an air reservoir, additional valve means connected respectively to said air supply and to said reservoir and responsive to changes in the height of said spring means caused by variations in the body load to introduce additional air into said reservoir when body load increases and remove air from said reservoir when said body load decreases, said valve inlet means being connected to said reservoir whereby air pressure admitted to said bearing apertures is proportional to variations in body load.

Claim 19

In a railway vehicle according to claim 16 wherein said bearing truck part includes a vertical central cylindrical recess in said truck structure and said body part includes a vertical cylindrical spigot depending from said bolster and pivotally received in said truck part recess, said opposing horizontal surfaces being of annular shape surrounding said recess and spigot, there being a plurality of said apertures generally uniformly spaced through the area of the apertured surface.

Claim 20

In a railway vehicle according to claim 17, said spring means being carried by the ends of said bolster, said reservoir being formed in said bolster.

Claim 21

In a railway vehicle according to claim 18, said apertures being through said body part horizontal surface of said bearing, there being a shallow air chamber within said bolster immediately above said downwardly facing surface.

Claim 22

In a railway vehicle according to claim 19 wherein an annular pad of nonmetallic friction material forms the horizontal surface of said truck part.