AU2007308314B2

AU2007308314B2 - Device for mechanically connecting vehicles

Info

Publication number: AU2007308314B2
Application number: AU2007308314A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Friedrich Vemmer
Original assignee: Siemens AG
Current assignee: Siemens AG
Priority date: 2006-10-23
Filing date: 2007-08-30
Publication date: 2012-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 2027-08-30
Also published as: RU2009119500A; JP2010507522A; RU2437788C2; CN101528526B; DE102006049868B3; AU2007308314A1; EP2084047B1; JP5334853B2; CA2667415C; PL2084047T3; WO2008049674A1; ES2441251T3; CA2667415A1; EP2084047A1; DK2084047T3; CN101528526A

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for mechanically connecting vehicles (1, 2), in particular streetcars, wherein the vehicles (1, 2) are connected by means of an articulated rod (3) as a lower articulated connection. Two articulated wings (4a to 4d) are arranged such that they can pivot around vertical axes (5a to 5d) as a separate upper articulated connection on each of the vehicles (1, 2). In the direction of travel (a), the right articulated wing (4a) of the first vehicle (1) is connected to the right articulated wing (4c) of the second vehicle (2), and the left articulated wing (4b) of the first vehicle (1) is connected to the left articulated wing (4d) of the second vehicle (2) such that they can rotate over unpropped supports (6a, 6b). The four articulated wings (4a to 4d) together form a variable parallelogram.

Description

Device for mechanically connecting vehicles. The invention relates to a device for mechanically connecting vehicles, in particular streetcar vehicles, wherein the vehicles are connected by means of an articulated rod as a lower articulated connection. Many rail networks, in particular for streetcars, have bumps and depressions which require raised ground clearance of the vehicles. Low-floor vehicles cannot be used in such rail networks. On the other hand, low-floor vehicles are appropriate because entry and exiting for the passengers is made easier. If a train composed of at least two vehicles travels over a bump or a depression, an angle, referred to as the pitch angle, is formed at the connection between the two vehicles. It has already been proposed to halve this pitch angle through a suitable connection of the two vehicles.' For this purpose, hitherto a lemniscate link, which is known per se, has been used. Said lemniscate link is rotatably mounted on a portal frame which is permanently connected to the lower articulated rod. Two coupling rods which emerge from the lemniscate link are connected in an articulated fashion to, in each case, one of the adjacent bodies of the connected vehicles. With the lemniscate link arrangement, the pitch angle is divided into two halves, with the first component angle occurring between the first vehicle, and the portal frame, and the second component angle occurring between the portal frame and the second vehicle.

2 Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to substantially overcome or ameliorate one or more of the above disadvantages. Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a device for mechanically connecting vehicles, in particular street car vehicles, wherein the vehicles are connected by means of an articulated rod as a lower articulated connection, and wherein two articulated wings are arranged such that they can pivot about perpendicular axes as a separate upper articulated connection on each of the vehicles, wherein in the direction of travel, the right-hand articulated wing of a first vehicle is rotatably connected to the right-hand articulated wing of a second vehicle, and the left-hand articulated wing of the first vehicle is directly rotatably connected to the left-hand articulated wing of the second vehicle exclusively by means of bearings which are not connected to any other component, with the result that the four articulated wings together form a variable parallelogram. The perpendicular axes of the articulated wings are located here virtually vertically above the joints of the lower articulated rod. The arrangement in the form of a parallelogram has the effect that the angles of aperture of the pairs of articulated wings of the two vehicles are always equal in size. As a result, the unsupported bearings are, when viewed in the direction of travel, always in the center between the vehicles. This brings about a situation in which, similarly to the lemniscate link arrangement, the pitch angle between the two vehicles is respectively divided into halves, specifically between the two connections of the lower articulated rod on the connected vehicles. The advantage is obtained that the pitch angle can be halved with simple, cost-effective means even without a complicated lemniscate link arrangement. It is advantageously possible to dispense with a heavy, complex portion frame which is necessary with the lemniscate link arrangement, and this permits a significant saving in weight. Ialving the pitch angle makes it possible to use low-floor vehicles on stretches with bumps and depressions.

PCT/EP2007/059064 - 2a 2006P21786WO The device according to the invention is particularly advantageously suitable for connecting vehicles of a streetcar train, PCT/EP2007/059064 - 3 2006P21786WO but it can also be used in any other train and even in an articulated bus. For example, the two articulated wings of a vehicle are arranged such that they can pivot about a common perpendicular axis. According to another example, the articulated wings of a vehicle are each arranged such that they can pivot about a separate perpendicular axis. The articulated wings may be embodied, for example, as planar components. Instead of being composed of planar components, at least the articulated wings of a vehicle are respectively composed, for example, of an upper bar and a lower bar which are arranged such that they can pivot about the perpendicular axis. Less material is required for this embodiment, and this reduces the weight further. For example, the upper bar and the lower bar are connected to the perpendicular axis by means of ball-and-socket joints, and the upper bar and the lower bar are connected to one another by means of a hinge joint which is connected to the perpendicular, unsupported bearing. This particular device provides the advantage that twisting of the vehicles with respect to one another can be compensated. The term twisting is meant to refer to the fact that on an elevated part of the track, for example in a bend, the front vehicle is firstly rotated in relation to the rear vehicle about its longitudinal axis. This movement is taken up by the ball-and-socket joints and the hinge joints, with the result that components are not subjected to mechanical loading or even bending. The twisting of the vehicles with respect to one another can advantageously be compensated in a simple way.

PCT/EP2007/059064 - 3a 2006P21786WO In order to damp the twisting of the vehicles, rubber buffers, hydraulic cylinders or mechanical springs may be assigned to the ball-and-socket joints.

PCT/EP2007/059064 - 4 2006P21786WO The device according to the invention provides, in particular, the advantage that compared to a lemniscate link arrangement a portal frame is not necessary. Nevertheless, it is possible to halve the pitch angle. Finally, with one embodiment it is possible to compensate the twisting of the vehicles with respect to one another. With the articulated wings it is advantageously possible to connect cables which have to be laid from one vehicle to the other. Furthermore, it is possible also to attach folding bellows or corrugated bellows to the articulated wings. The device for mechanically connecting vehicles is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing: Figure 1 is a schematic view of two vehicles connected to one another in a side view. Figure 2 is a schematic view of the same two vehicles connected to one another as in figure 1 but in a plan view. Figure 3 shows a variant of the embodiment in f igure 2 in which only the differing part is illustrated. Figure 4 shows a variant of the embodiment in figure 1 in which only the differing part is illustrated. Identical components have the same reference numbers in the figures. According to figure 1, two only partially shown vehicles 1 and 2 are connected at the bottom by means of an articulated rod 3 as a lower articulated connection, which articulated rod 3 permits pitching and twisting of the vehicles 1 and 2. The pitching is a rotational movement of the vehicles 1 and 2 about a virtual horizontal axis which is oriented perpendicularly with respect to the direction of travel a if the vehicles 1 and 2 PCT/EP2007/059064 - 4a 2006P21786WO which are connected to one another travel over a bump or a depression. Instead of the axis which PCT/EP2007/059064 - 5 2006P21786WO extends perpendicularly with respect to the plane of the drawing, a rotational movement of the vehicle 1, which is due to the pitching, about a pitching angle P is shown. The twisting is a rotational movement of the vehicles 1 and 2 about a virtual horizontal axis b which is oriented in the direction of travel and it occurs, for example, if the vehicles 1 and 2 which are connected to one another successively reach an elevated bend in the track. According to figure 2, two articulated wings 4a, 4b and 4c, 4d are arranged in each case such that they can pivot about perpendicular axes 5a and 5b as a separate upper articulated connection on each of the vehicles 1 and 2. In each case, when viewed in the direction of travel a, the right-hand articulated wings 4a and 4c, and correspondingly the left-hand articulated wings 4b and 4d, are rotatably connected to one another by means of unsupported bearings 6a and 6b. As a result, the four articulated wings 4a to 4d form together a variable parallelogram. Since the angle of aperture y of the articulated wings 4a and 4b of the first vehicle 1 and the angle of aperture y of the articulated wings 4c and 4d of the second vehicle 2 are always the same size in this parallelogram, each pitch angle P which occurs between the vehicles 1 and 2 is distributed uniformly between the two joints of the articulated rod 3, with the result that a pitch angle P which is too large for the low-floor vehicle does not occur. For the sake of simplification of the illustration, the articulated wings 4a and 4c are not illustrated with the bearing 6a in figure 1. In figure 2, in each case only one perpendicular axis 5a and 5b is provided for the respective two articulated wings 4a and 4b or 4c and 4d of the two vehicles 1 and 2. According to figure 3, each of the articulated wings 4c and 4d on the second PCT/EP2007/059064 - 5a 2006P21786WO vehicle 2 is arranged such that it can pivot about a separate perpendicular axis 5c and 5d. According to figure 4, the articulated wing 4b of the first vehicle 1 and correspondingly also the articulated wing 4a which is not illustrated is respectively composed of an upper bar 7 and a lower bar 8. These bars 7 and 8 are arranged such that they can pivot about joints which are arranged on the perpendicular axis Sa. These joints are PCT/EP2007/059064 - 6 2006P21786WO ball-and-socket joints 9. Furthermore, the upper bar 7 and the lower bar 8 are connected to one another before the perpendicular, unsupported bearing 6a and respectively 6b by means of a hinge joint 10. The combination of the ball-and socket joints 9 and hinge joints 10 enables the twisting of the vehicles 1 and 2, for example on an elevated bend in the track, to be compensated. By dividing the pitch angle @ into two half angles, the particular advantage is achieved that even low-floor vehicles can be driven over bumps and depressions without a complex lemniscate link arrangement having to be used. Entering and exiting from a low-floor vehicle is made easier. Overall, the traveling comfort is improved.

Claims

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two articulated wings of a vehicle are arranged such that they can pivot about a common perpendicular axis.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the articulated wings of a vehicle are each arranged such that they can pivot about a separate perpendicular axis.
4. The device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least the articulated wings of a vehicle are respectively composed of an upper bar and a lower bar which are arranged such that they can pivot about the perpendicular axis.
5. The device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the upper bar and the lower bar are connected to the perpendicular axis by means of ball-and-socket joints, and wherein the upper bar and the lower bar are connected to one another by means of a hinge joint which is connected to the perpendicular, unsupported bearing.
6. A device for mechanically connecting vehicles substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to any one of the embodiments of the device as that embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings. Dated 15 August 2012 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON & FERGUSON