AU737022B2

AU737022B2 - Mounting of an eddy current brake on a bogie of a rail vehicle

Info

Publication number: AU737022B2
Application number: AU28863/97A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Marc Elstorpff; Thomas Graf; Albert Kerscher
Original assignee: Knorr Bremse Systeme fuer Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH
Current assignee: Knorr Bremse Systeme fuer Schienenfahrzeuge GmbH
Priority date: 1996-05-15
Filing date: 1997-04-18
Publication date: 2001-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 2017-04-18
Also published as: CN1194619A; CN1078147C; DE19619578A1; WO1997043160A1; ATE195469T1; KR19990028805A; ES2150247T3; EP0844958B1; AU2886397A; DE59702191D1; EP0844958A1; JPH11509919A; KR100485978B1; JP4090504B2

Abstract

The invention concerns a system for suspending an eddy-current brake on a rail vehicle bogie, longitudinal frame girders being provided on both longitudinal sides of the bogie and extending therefrom. Lifting devices, which each move brake magnets carried by a brake carrier between the lowered braking position at a constant air gap from the rail and the raised releasing position, act on the longitudinal frame girders. At their front ends, the brake carriers (1) are equipped with pivotable arms (9) whose outer ends are guided in a vertically movable manner in housings (7) connected to the axle bearings. In order to minimize wear, the ends located in the housings support bearing elements in the form of rollers (17) or sliding blocks (23) which, in the lowered braking position of the brake carrier, rest on supports (19, 27) at the base of the housing and can be moved relative to these supports.

Description

MOUNTING OF AN EDDY CURRENT BRAKE ON A BOGIE OF A RAIL VEHICLE The invention relates to a mounting for an eddy-current brake for a rail vehicle.

In eddy current brakes of the relevant type (DE OS 26 14 298), each longitudinal frame member of a bogie is provided with a lifting means in the form of actuators for the brake anchor plate located underneath the longitudinal frame members between axle bearings on one side of the rail vehicle. The braking magnets located on the underside of the brake anchor plates are moved between a lowered braking position at a slight and as much as possible constant distance from the rail surface and a free, raised position by means of the brake anchor plates or the lifting means. The forward ends of the brake anchor plates, which extend in parallel to the rails, are formed as sliders and are arranged to be vertically movable in housing-like guide means which are firmly connected to the wheel or axle bearings; in the lowered braking position, the sliders are each flush mounted in a narrow guide section. Due to the relative movement between the axle bearing and the eddy current brake, the sliders are subject to substantial wear; this is further increased by an inevitable canting of the sliders on their bearings which is caused, for example, by axle swing, tolerances etc. In a brake which is meant to be non-wearing this is a serious drawback. In addition, the adjustment of the air gap and readjustment of the brake due to wear of the o wheel is too expensive, because the abutments for the sliders must be provided with S• 20 spacers for fine adjustment.

With these considerations in mind, the object of the present invention is to provide a mounting of this kind in such a manner that a sliding movement between the bearing and the forward end of the arms is, at least in part, reduced. Desirably, the aim is to minimise or substantially avoid wear between these parts, while the wheel sets must remain ooo• 25 substantially unaffected, ie. they must be able to align themselves freely in parallel to the rail. At the same time, adjustment of the air gap in order to compensate for wear on the wheels is preferably made easier by means of simplified constructional means.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided an eddy-current brake for rail vehicles. The eddy-current brake includes a plurality of brake carriers for supporting brake 30 magnets and lifting means to move the brake carriers between a lowered braking position and a raised release position. The brake further includes respective housings for guiding the FHPMLCD\9802000.2 la front ends of the brake carriers and where said front ends of the brake carriers are formed to provide respective support elements having means for reducing wear when the brake carriers are in said braking position.

In the preferred embodiments, rollers or sliders may be arranged at the free end of the arms and adapted bearings in the housing on the side of the axle bearings, the brake anchor plate can be guided substantially *o FHPMELCD\98002000.2 free from wear in its lowered braking position. When rollers are used, the sliding movement occurring when they come to bear on the bearing on the housing side can be reduced to a minimum. Relative movements between the brake and the axle bearing parallel to the rail can occur substantially without friction, since the roller rolls over the plate-shaped bearing. On the side the brake is guided over guide means which are provided on the inside of the housing connected to the axle bearing.

Also when sliders are used, there can be relative movements parallel to the rail, ie.

movements between the brake and the axle bearing in the guide means on the housing side, because the slider slides in its correspondingly shaped guide means with minimum friction.

When the bogie axle deflects, the slider can adjust itself freely in its profiled guide means in the bearing about an axis in parallel to the rail, so that so-called canting is avoided and wear is minimised. The sliders also provide guiding perpendicularly to the longitudinal rail direction, since the slider and the guide section formed on the bearing are substantially complementary in shape, ie. without the possibility of mutual canting, and have sufficient guiding depth.

Advantageous embodiments and further developments are set out in additional claims.

The invention will be described hereinbelow by means of exemplified embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Figure 1 is a part sectional view of one end of the brake anchor plate having an arm extending from it into a housing connected to the axle bearing, shown in its raised, free position; Figure 2 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the housing connected to the axle bearing and the arm end guided in said housing by means of a roller, shown in the lowered braking position; Figure 3 is a largely simplified sectional side view similar to Figure 1 of a second embodiment of the invention using a slider located at the end of the arm, shown in the lowered braking position; Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line IV-IV in Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a part sectional view of a readjustment means provided in the brake anchor r0Nplate to modify the angle of the arm.

Figure 1 of the drawing shows, in part sectional view, a brake anchor plate 1 of an eddy current brake which can move up and down between a free position and a braking position by means of lifting bellows or similar lifting means provided on a longitudinal frame member (not shown) of a bogie. On the underside of the brake anchor plates on both sides of the eddy current brake there are braking magnets 3, shown schematically in Figure 1, which in the braking position are to be held at a predetermined distance with a constant air gap from the schematically represented rail 5, for example at a distance of 7 mm. In the free position, braking magnets 3 are lifted by the lifting means (not shown) into a raised position (Figure 1) towards the bogie frame.

The axle bearings of the rail vehicle carry downwardly oriented housings 7, in each of which an arm 9 mounted in brake anchor plate 1 is guided so that it can move up and down. The arm 9 can pivot inside the brake anchor plate 1 about an axle 11; on the right-hand side in Figure 1, the arm 9 bears on an inclined support member 13 which will be described below and on the left-hand side in Figure 1 the arm has a roller 17 rotatable about a bolt 15. In the sectional view of Figure 2, roller 17 is supported in a fork of arm 9, with bolt 15 passing through the two halves of the fork. In the lowered braking position, the brake is supported by the brake anchor plate, the arms on each side and rollers 17 on a bearing 19 of housings 7 of the axle bearings (not shown). Relative movements between the eddy current brake and the axle bearing in the X direction are made possible substantially without friction because roller 17 rolls on the plate-shaped bearing 19. In the Y direction, the arm or the fork end supporting the roller is guided through lateral guide means 21; these guide means are preferably made of a low-friction material. The mounting of the roller at the end of arm 9 is not limited to the forked embodiment shown by way of example; the roller can be mounted on bolt 15 in a different manner, for example also be means of anti-friction bearing elements. In Figure 2, roller 17 is shaped spherically on its outer periphery, in order to avoid canting relative to bearing 19.

Figure 3 and 4 show another embodiment of the mounting according to the invention. In Figure 3, a slider 23 is provided at the left-hand side of the arm, ie. inside housing 7 of the axle bearing, said slider 23 being supported on a bolt 25 similar to bolt 15. In the example shown, bolt 25 extends through the two halves of a fork forming the end of the arm. In the braking position, slider 23 located at the end of arm 9 is supported on a bearing 27 matching the shape of the slider. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, bearing 27 has an arcuate recess and terminates freely at the forward ends (Figure Relative movements between the eddy current brake and the axle bearing in the X direction are made possible by sliding of the slider into the guide means formed by the bearing; when the bogie axles deflect, the slider can adjust itself freely about the X axis in bearing 27, since the guide surface, as shown, has an arcuate shape. When the axle bearings of the rail vehicle are rotated about the Y axis, the slider adjusts itself freely pivoting about bolt 35, and therefore in all operational situations a flat support is ensured and thus canting is avoided and wear on the bearing is reduced to a minimum. In the Y direction, the eddy current brake is guided by the contour of bearing 27 in a manner similar to the support by way of guide means 21 of Figure 1.

The embodiments of the mounting of the eddy current brake as described with reference to Figures 1-4 by guiding through arms extending from the brake anchor plate are particularly advantageous for readjustment of the air gap between braking magnets 3 and rail 5, or for compensating wear of the wheels of the rail vehicle. In Figures 1 and 5, the end of arm 9 which is pivotable about axle 11 and guided inside brake anchor plate 1, is supported on an abutment in the form of an inclined support member 13. Due to changes in position, ie.

displacement of the inclined support member in the X direction, the angular position of arm 9 can be modified. The elevational position of the arm end supporting roller 17 or slider 23 can also or additionally be modified by adjustments to the roller or slider, ie. a roller 17 of larger diameter can be used or a slider 23 having a greater height with regard to bearing 27, such that the desired compensation is achieved.

The inclined support member 13 shown in Figures 1 and 5 together with an adjustment means 29 forms a readjustment device which acts in the X direction, and act on the end of arm 9 by way of the inclined surface of the inclined support member. The adjustment means 29 comprises a spindle 33 bolted to the inclined support member 13, said spindle being unable to move in axial direction and having a polygonal nut 31 at its opposite end.

Spindle 33 causes an axial movement of the inclined support member in the X direction by a rotation of the polygonal nut 31, so that the angular position of the arm is modified as described above. The support point A of the arm on the inclined support member thereby moves upwards or downwards so that, when the inclination of the arm is modified at the same time, the elevation of the braking magnet above the rail can be adjusted, or wear of the wheel can be compensated. Spindle 33 is preferably locked against rotational movement by means of a gearing 35 biased by a cup spring assembly 37.

In the raised position of the braking magnets, the spring element 39 shown in Figures 1 and 5 prevents the arm from rattling, since its swinging movement is resiliently absorbed.

FHPMELCD\98002000.2 List of reference numerals 1 Brake anchor plate 3 Braking magnet 5 Rail 7 Housing 9 Arm 11 Axle 13 Inclined support member 15 Bolt 17 Roller 19 Bearing 21 Guide means 23 Slider 25 Bolt 27 Bearing 29 Adjustment means 31 Polygonal nut 33 Spindle 35 Gearing 37 Cup spring assembly 39 Spring element FHPMELCD98002000.2

Claims

1. An eddy-current brake for rail vehicles including:- a plurality of brake carriers for supporting brake magnets; lifting means to move the brake carriers between a lowered braking position and a raised release position; and respective housings for guiding the front ends of the brake carriers; where said front ends of the brake carriers are formed to provide respective support elements having means for reducing wear when the brake carriers are in said braking position.

2. An eddy-current brake, according to claim 1, where said housings are supported by a rail vehicle bogie having axle bearings that carry said housings.

3. An eddy-current brake according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said 15support elements including a roller respectively mounted on a pin carried by said front end of the brake carriers, and said housing includes a substantially plate-shaped support for the roller.

4. An eddy-current brake according to claims 1, 2 or 3, further including guideways on the inside of said housing to support the sides of the front ends of the brake carriers in the lowered braking position. 20

5. An eddy-current brake according to claims 1 or 2, wherein said support elements include a slide piece hinged at or adjacent said respective front ends of said brake carriers extending into said housing, and a floor of the housing comprises a support provided with a longitudinal guideway for the slide piece.

6. An eddy-current brake according to claim 5, wherein said support CD/00372234.1 8 has a profile which is substantially arcuate in section and is adapted to the contour of the slide piece, so that in the lowered braking position the slide piece is pivotable to a limited degree relatively to the support.

7. An eddy-current brake according to any preceding claim wherein said front ends of said brake carriers include respective arms supported by the brake carriers.

8. An eddy-current brake according to claim 7, wherein said arms extend from both front ends of the brake carriers and are arranged to be pivotable to a limited degree on the brake carrier for adjusting wheel tyre wear or for setting an air gap between said brake magnets and underlying rail.

9. An eddy-current brake according to claim 8, wherein each of said arms is pivotably mounted intermediate its ends on the respective brake carrier, an end of the arm extending into the brake carrier rests on a wedge surface of a supporting wedge, and said supporting wedge is arranged on a spindle whereby the wedge is slidable longitudinally by rotation of the spindle. 0

10. An eddy-current brake according to claim 9, wherein the end of the i arm extending into the brake carrier is captive between said wedge surface of the S•-supporting wedge and a spring element acting on the opposite side.

11. An eddy-current brake substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings. V. 0 Freehills Carter Smith Beadle 28 May 2001 Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: KNORR-BREMSE SYSTEME FOR SCHIENENFAHRZEUGE GmbH