Dampened railway car truck axles

Claim 2

A railway vehicle having frame means providing, at each axle journal, spaced downwardly extending hollow pedestal guide columns between which a saddle structure in which the journal is supported can slide to accommodate vertical suspension movement of the frame means relative to the axle journal, friction damping means for engagement with the saddle structure being mounted in at least one of the guide columns, and a pair of suspension springs each of which is mounted within and surrounded by the associated column so as to bear against an upwardly facing spring seat formed on the saddle structure at a horizontal level lower than the journal axis, said at least one guide column containing spring abutment means in the form of a wedge element having surfaces which are inclined to the horizontal and cooperate with surfaces of the guide column in such manner that the suspension spring force loading the abutment means results in a horizontal force urging the latter towards the saddle, which horizontal force is applied to the damping means in that pedestal guide column so that the frictional damping force rises with the load on the vehicle, the damping means being formed separate from the wedge element and cooperating with means formed by the guide column whereby said damping means is restrained against vertical movement relative to the guide column as a result of suspension movement of the abutment means.

Claim 3

A railway vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the damping means comprises a damper friction pad mounted between portions of a split collet arrangement.

Claim 4

A railway vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the collet arrangement is slidable in an opening in the corresponding pedestal guide column and grips the pad with a wedging action to urge the pad into engagement with the adjacent side of the saddle.

Claim 5

A railway vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the collet arrangement is directly engaged by the spring abutment means.

Claim 6

A railway vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a resilient pad is provided on the upper portion of the saddle above the journal for engagement with an abutment constituted by a part of the frame means.

Claim 7

A railway vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the saddle is arranged with clearance so that it can float, laterally of the vehicle, between the pedestal guide columns.

Claim 8

A railway vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the saddle has projecting flanges which overlap the sides of the pedestal guide columns to limit lateral floating movement of the saddle.

Claim 9

A railway vehicle according to claim 1, wherein each journal is so supported in the associated saddle as to allow limited tilting movement of the axle relative to the saddle.

Claim 10

A railway vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the journal bearings have upper convex surfaces which engage and can rock to a limited degree on cooperating reaction surfaces provided within the saddles.

Claim 11

A railway vehicle having frame means providing, at each axle journal, spaced downwardly extending hollow pedestal guide columns between which a saddle structure in which the journal is supported can slide to accommodate vertical suspension movement of the frame means relative to the axle journal, friction damping means for engagement with the saddle structure being mounted in at least one of the guide columns, which guide column includes a vertical plate containing an opening which receives said damping means with the arrangement such that the damping means is restrained against other than horizontal sliding movement relative to the guide column, and a pair of suspension springs each of which is mounted within and surrounded by the associated column so as to bear against an upwardly facing spring seat formed on the saddle structure at a horizontal level lower than the journal axis, said at least one guide column containing sPring abutment means in the form of a wedge element having surfaces which are situated at a horizontal level higher than the journal axis and are inclined to the horizontal, said surfaces of the wedge element cooperating with surfaces of the guide column in such manner that the suspension spring force loading the wedge element results in a horizontal force urging the latter towards the vertical plate which is situated between the suspension spring and the saddle, which horizontal force is applied to the damping means in that pedestal guide column so that the frictional damping force rises with the load on the vehicle.

Claim 12

A railway vehicle having frame means providing, at each axle journal, spaced downwardly extending hollow pedestal guide columns between which a saddle structure in which the journal is supported can slide to accommodate vertical suspension movement of the frame means relative to the axle journal, friction damping means for engagement with the saddle structure being mounted in at least one of the guide columns, which guide column includes a vertical plate containing an opening which receives said damping means with the arrangement such that the damping means is restrained against other than horizontal sliding movement relative to the guide column, and a pair of suspension springs each of which is mounted within and surrounded by the associated column so as to bear against an upwardly facing spring seat formed on the saddle structure at a horizontal level lower than the journal axis, said at least one guide column containing sPring abutment means in the form of a wedge element having surfaces which are situated at a horizontal level higher than the journal axis and are inclined to the horizontal, said surfaces of the wedge element cooperating with surfaces of the guide column in such manner that the suspension spring force loading the wedge element results in a horizontal force urging the latter towards the vertical plate which is situated between the suspension spring and the saddle, which horizontal force is applied to the damping means in that pedestal guide column so that the frictional damping force rises with the load on the vehicle.