Roll dampening railway trucks

Claim 2

In a railway car, the combination of a carbody; a truck comprising side frames; means for supporting said carbody on said truck; fore and aft wheel and axle assemblies; means supporting said side frames from said wheel and axle assemblies at locations corresponding generally to the four corners of the truck; and selectively operable means for independently altering the position of either of said side frames relative to the wheel and axle assemblies from which they are supported during curve negotiation to control the roll of the carbody supported from the truck and also adjust the longitudinal spacing between the fore and aft wheels on opposite sides of the truck.

Claim 3

A railway truck or the like, comprising fore and aft wheel and axle assemblies; side frames; means supporting said side frames from said wheel and axle assemblies at locations corresponding generally to the four corners of the truck; and selectively operable means for independently altering the position of either of said side frames relative to the wheel and axle assemblies from which they are supported during curve negotiation to control the relative vertical position of the side frames to thereby adjust the longitudinal spacing between the fore and aft wheels on opposite sides of the truck.

Claim 4

A railway truck or the like, comprising fore and aft wheel and axle assemblies; side frames; means supporting said side frames from said wheel and axle assemblies at locations corresponding generally to the four corners of the truck; and selectively operable means for independently altering the position of either of said side frames relative to the wheel and axle assemblies from which they are supported during curve negotiation to control the relative vertical position of the side frames to thereby adjust the longitudinal spacing between the fore and aft wheels on opposite sides of the truck.

Claim 5

The railway truck of claim 2 in which said means supporting said side frames from said wheel and axle assemblies includes journal arms, one end of each journal arm being pivotally attached to one of said side frames and the other end thereof having journalled thereon the associated one of said wheel and axle assemblies.

Claim 6

The railway truck of claim 3 in which said journal arms are pivotally attached to said side frames for movement about an axis parallel to and below the axis of rotation of the associated wheel and axle assembly.

Claim 7

The railway truck of claim 3 in which said journal arms are the sole means between the side frames and the wheel and axle assemblies for guiding the vertical movement of said side frames with respect to said wheel and axle assemblies.

Claim 8

A railway truck or the like, comprising fore and aft wheel and axle assemblies; side frames; means supporting said side frames from said wheel and axle assemblies comprising journal arms at locations corresponding generally to the four corners of the truck and means attaching each said journal arm at one End thereon to one of said side frames for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of the truck and located below the longitudinal centerlines of the wheel and axle assemblies, said axles being journalled on said journal arms at locations toward the free ends of said arms; and selectively operable means for altering the position of either of said side frames relative to said wheel and axle assemblies during curve negotiation to control the relative vertical position of the side frames to thereby adjust the longitudinal spacing between the fore and aft wheels on opposite sides of the truck, said means comprising an extensible bellows associated with each journal arm, one end of each bellows being mounted on the free end of the respective journal arm and the other end of each bellows supporting the associated side frame; a compressed air source; and means for connecting each said bellows to said compressed air source to extend said bellows and raise the associated side frame and for exhausting air from said bellows to thereby collapse said bellows and lower the associated side frame.

Claim 9

A railway truck or the like, comprising fore and aft wheel and axle assemblies; side frames; means supporting said side frames from said wheel and axle assemblies comprising journal arms at locations corresponding generally to the four corners of the truck and means attaching each said journal arm at one End thereon to one of said side frames for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of the truck and located below the longitudinal centerlines of the wheel and axle assemblies, said axles being journalled on said journal arms at locations toward the free ends of said arms; and selectively operable means for altering the position of either of said side frames relative to said wheel and axle assemblies during curve negotiation to control the relative vertical position of the side frames to thereby adjust the longitudinal spacing between the fore and aft wheels on opposite sides of the truck, said means comprising an extensible bellows associated with each journal arm, one end of each bellows being mounted on the free end of the respective journal arm and the other end of each bellows supporting the associated side frame; a compressed air source; and means for connecting each said bellows to said compressed air source to extend said bellows and raise the associated side frame and for exhausting air from said bellows to thereby collapse said bellows and lower the associated side frame.

Claim 10

The railway truck or the like of claim 6, together with resilient support means between each of said journal arms and the associated side frame, the resilient support means being positioned at a location between the bellows on the same journal arm and the location at which the journal arm is pivotally fixed to the associated side frame.

Claim 11

A railway truck comprising a first frame section comprising a first side frame and a first transom rigidly fixed to said first side frame and extending laterally therefrom; a second frame section comprising a second side frame and a second transom rigidly fixed to said second side frame and extending laterally therefrom, the transoms of said first and second frame sections being spaced from each other longitudinally of said truck; wheel and axle assemblies journalled in said frame sections at opposite ends of the truck and providing wheels at locations corresponding generally to the four corners of said truck; first and second means for so connecting said first frame section to said second frame section as to permit vertical displacement of any one of said wheels relative to the remaining wheels while maintaining said side frames substantially in rectangular and vertical tram, said first and second connecting means confining the relative movement between said first and second frame sections to an axis extending diagonally across said truck through said connecting means; means supporting said frame sections from said wheel and axle assemblies comprising journal arms at locations corresponding generally to the four corners of the truck and means attaching each said journal arm at one end thereof to one of said side frames for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of the truck and located below the longitudinal centerlines of the wheel and axle assemblies, said axles being journalled in said journal arms at locations toward the free ends of said arms; and selectively operable means for altering the position of either of said side frames relative to said wheel and axle assemblies during curve negotiation to control the relative vertical position of the side frames to thereby adjust the longitudinal spacing between the fore and aft wheels on opposite sides of the truck, said means comprising an extensible bellows associated with each journal arm, one end of each bellows being mounted on the free end of the respective journal arm and the other end of each bellows supporting the associated side frame; a compressed air source; and means for connecting each said bellows to said compressed air source to extend said bellows and raise the associated side frame and for exhausting air from said bellows to thereby collapse said bellows and lower the associated side frame.

Claim 12

A railway truck comprising a first frame section comprising a first side frame and a first transom rigidly fixed to said first side frame and extending laterally therefrom; a second frame section comprising a second side frame and a second transom rigidly fixed to said second side frame and extending laterally therefrom, the transoms of said first and second frame sections being spaced from each other longitudinally of said truck; wheel and axle assemblies journalled in said frame sections at opposite ends of the truck and providing wheels at locations corresponding generally to the four corners of said truck; first and second means for so connecting said first frame section to said second frame section as to permit vertical displacement of any one of said wheels relative to the remaining wheels while maintaining said side frames substantially in rectangular and vertical tram, said first and second connecting means confining the relative movement between said first and second frame sections to an axis extending diagonally across said truck through said connecting means; means supporting said frame sections from said wheel and axle assemblies comprising journal arms at locations corresponding generally to the four corners of the truck and means attaching each said journal arm at one end thereof to one of said side frames for pivotal movement about an axis extending transversely of the truck and located below the longitudinal centerlines of the wheel and axle assemblies, said axles being journalled in said journal arms at locations toward the free ends of said arms; and selectively operable means for altering the position of either of said side frames relative to said wheel and axle assemblies during curve negotiation to control the relative vertical position of the side frames to thereby adjust the longitudinal spacing between the fore and aft wheels on opposite sides of the truck, said means comprising an extensible bellows associated with each journal arm, one end of each bellows being mounted on the free end of the respective journal arm and the other end of each bellows supporting the associated side frame; a compressed air source; and means for connecting each said bellows to said compressed air source to extend said bellows and raise the associated side frame and for exhausting air from said bellows to thereby collapse said bellows and lower the associated side frame.

Claim 13

The railway truck of claim 8, wherein said carbody supporting means includes a transversely extending bolster means and including bolster spring assemblies supporting said bolstEr means from said side frames, the vertical axes of said bolster spring assemblies being disposed transversely of the truck with respect to the longitudinal centerlines of the journal arms supporting the frame sections of the truck from the wheel and axle assemblies.