Drive arrangement for a track-bound electric self-propelled vehicle

Claim 1

A drive arrangement for a track bound electric self-propelled vehicle having drive wheels comprising: a separate, high-speed electric motor for each of the drive wheels; a planetary gear assembly for transferring the energy developed by the motor to the drive wheel corresponding to said motor; a pinion constituting the sun gear of said planetary gear assembly; said motor including: a stator assembly incorporating a housing, and a rotor rotatably mounted in said housing for driving said pinion; said planetary gear assembly including: a stationary structure connectable to said housing, said stationary structure being the axle of the drive wheel as well as the planet carrier of said gear assembly, a plurality of planet gears each rotatably mounted on said structure and engaging said sun gear, and a ring gear also engaging said planet gears so as to be rotatable with respect to said structure; a hub for supporting thereon the drive wheel corresponding to said motor, said hub being fixedly attached to said ring gear; and, bearing means for bearing said hub on said stationary structure; said rotor having a rotor shaft for driving said pinion; said housing having a removable bearing shield at the end-face thereof facing away from said planetary gear assembly; said motor further including: a first bearing disposed in said bearing shield for accommodating a first end of said rotor shaft, said first bearing being configured as a fixed bearing; a second bearing supporting a second end of said rotor on said stationary structure, said second bearing being a loose bearing having an outer race fixedly connected to said stationary structure and an inner race fixed on said rotor shaft so as to be removable from said outer race when the rotor is axially withdrawn from said housing; and, a pluggable coupling removably interconnecting said pinion and said rotor shaft.