GB2024129A

GB2024129A - Articulated automotive vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2024129A
Application number: GB7828029A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Leriverend J P; VILLE DE ROUEN
Current assignee: Leriverend J P; VILLE DE ROUEN
Priority date: 1976-12-15
Filing date: 1978-06-27
Publication date: 1980-01-09
Also published as: GB2024129B; FR2374195A1; FR2374195B1

Description

1 GB 2 024 129 A 1

SPECIFICATION

Articulated automotive vehicle 'The present invention relates to articulated automo- 70 tive vehicles.

Generally, in the articulated automotive vehicles that is those formed of a succession of bodies or cases connected to each other, particularly in the existing railroad vehicles, each body is placed either above simple axles fixed to the body or above bogies pivoting about fixed points of the body. As a result, the floor of such vehicles is necessarily rather high.

There exists also railroad vehicles in which the bogie supports the ends of two contiguous vehicles or bodies. In this type of vehicle, the bogie is of the double axle type and the bodies are articulated through a swivel element. The communication be- tween bodies is provided by a gantry pivoting on said swivel which forms also the bogy center.

The orientation of the bogies in the curves does not depend of course on the relative position of the vehicles which they carry since it is caused by the rails. This type of articulation is therefore inapplicable to road vehicles.

The object of the invention is essentially to lower the floor of vehicles of such type and also allow rendering the wheels independent even when they are driving wheels, to position the axles perfectly in the curves and to reduce to the minimum possible the excess widths on the curves.

The vehicle according to the invention is characterised particularly in that the bodies forming the vehicle sit on a single axle arranged between adjacent bodies through a gantry forming a passageway arranged above said axle and on which the bodies are pivotally mounted respective to two pivots connected to said gantry, by being articulated on the same connecting-rod attwo points symmetrically arranged relative to the center of the gantry.

The gantry is therefore linked to the two adjacent bodies through two distinct pivots and positioned by said bodies for instance by two braces of equal length attached to the bodies and connected to each other by the connecting rod.

This device allows positioning the gantry and thereby the axle substantially along the bisectrix of the angle formed by the longitudinal axes of the two bodies it supports.

Due to such a structure, it is the bodies which position the axle and impart to it the ideal position in 1he curves, The assembly formed by the bodies rigidly con- nected to the gantries by vertical pivots would form a non deformable beam in the horizontal plane if no flexibility was imparted at right angles to the gan tries so that the vehicle may be adapted to the profile variations of the rails or of the road.

This flexibility is provided by a wide flexible 125 horizontal plate, made in principle of steel.

The accompanying drawing shows an embodi ment of the vehicle according to the invention which is by no means limitative, drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan diagrammatic view of the vehicle 130 according to the invention, in a-curve, Figure 2 is a plan view from below of a gantry and of the axle mounted between two adjacent bodies of the vehicle, and Figure 3 is a cross-section along line 111-111 of Figure 2.

In the example shown, the gantry 1 is situated between two bodies 2. Each gantry, or connecting passageway, sits on an axle 3 and guides the latter by means of longitudinal girders 4 and cross beams 5 through a suspension 7. The. cross beams 5 are rigid with a steel plate 6. This plate 6 limits, due to its stiffness, the rotation or the unevenness of the cross beams 5. It catches up the various stresses due in particular to the dissymmetrical loads, the cants, the longitudinal section, the traction and the braking and keeps the two cross beams 5 - strictly parallel". It provides thereby the longitudinal stability of the vehicle.

The bodies 2 situated between two gantries 1 comprise a rigid longitudinal beam 8 and sit, through said beam, on each of their ends on one of the cross beams 5 of each of the adjacent gantries, by means of the pivots 9 which only authorize freedom of rotation in the horizontal plane.

Each beam 8 is continued at each end by an arm or "brace" 10 and a short connecting-rod 11 which connects the ends 12 of the two braces 10 which are facing each other of two adjacent bodies, by being articulated to said ends.

Said ends 12 are, when the track is streight, substantially symmetrically disposed relative to the center of the axle. In a curve, the axle positions itself substantially along the bisectrix of the angle formed by the longitudinal beams of the adjacent bodies.

Said connecting-rod 11 positions therefore the gantry and stabilizes it transversely relative to the bodies, the axle axis taking its position according to the radius of the curve followed by the bodies. The length of the braces and the positioning of the axle are a function of the respective lengths of the two adjacent bodies.

When the wheels of the axle are independent, the motorization may be provided by motors 13 con- nected to each wheel.

As is seen in Figure 3, the motors 13 are located between two seats 14 back to back of two adjacent bodies, at right angles to the articulation; said seats move above the wheels in the curves of small radius.

The structure just described allows lowering the floor of the bodies by displacing the axles at right angles to the articulations and placing them under the seats back to back of two adjacent bodies and providing a central circulation for the passengers between the bodies which are at a constant level, above the axle.

Of course, the details shown are given only by way of example. For instance, the axles may be broken, only bearing, and the wheels non independent.

The device described may be used for any railroad or road equipments fortransporting passengers.

Claims

1. An articulated automotive vehicle, wherein the 2 GB 2 024 129 A 2 bodies with which it is formed sit on a gantry, or passageway, arranged between adjacent bodies above a single axle guided by said gantry, said bodies bearing on two pivots of the gantry cross beams and being articulated on the same connecting-rod at two points symmetrically located relative to the gantry center so that the axle always takes a position which is substantially along the bisectrix of the angle formed by the longitudinal axes of the two bodies it supports.

2. The vehicle a, ccording to claim 1, wherein the axle carries the gantry by means of two cross beams connected by a wide horizontal plate, made in principle of steel, which limits, due to its stiffness, the deformation of said gantry and keeps the cross beams "striGtly parallel".

3. An articulated automotive vehicle, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Croydon Printing Company Limited, Croydon Surrey, 1980. Published bythe Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London,WC2A lAY, from which copies may be obtained.

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