Resumen
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a railway axle assembly which can be incorporated in a conventional type transportation bogie vehicle and is provided with an automatic track gauge changing system. SOLUTION: The subject axle assembly is provided with two independent rotary element assemblies 2, each of which is constructed of a wheel, an axle half body, an outside bearing, and an inside bearing, while the inside bearing holds a locking catch provided with two vertical shafts connected together via a bridge, and the bridge is provided with a member which is used for unlocking and for smoothly performing the following lock. The axle assembly is also provided with an axle frame 1, on which the rotary elements 2, their locking systems, a device 3 connecting the rotary elements 2 together, two trusses 4 moving a brake system laterally, an electric connecting system for mutual connection between wheels, and a device 6 detecting heat generation in the inside bearing are mounted.
Reivindicaciones
1. Railway axle assembly furnished with an automatic track gauge change system adapted to be incorporated into conventional freight bogies in substitution for their fixed-gauge mounted axles, said axle assembly comprising two independent rolling element assemblies (2), each composed of a monobloc-type wheel (17) with semiaxle (18) and two bearings, one outer (19) and the other inner (20), of which the inner bearing (20) carries a locking system consisting of a locking catch (28) which has two vertical shafts (28a; 28a') of rectangular section, connected together by a connecting bridge wherein are located the pieces which facilitate its unlocking and subsequent locking, characterized in that it comprises an axle frame (1) on which are mounted the two rolling element assemblies (2) and their locking systems, a device (3) for connecting between the rolling elements (2), two trusses (4) for translating the brake shoes, a system (43) of electrical continuity between the wheels (17), or an electrical shunting system (5), and a device (6) for detecting hot inner bearings (20). 2. Axle assembly according to Claim 1, characterized in that said axle frame (1) consists of a metal truss made from welded steel sheets or from cast semiframes welded together, and which rigidly connects together four cradles (7, 8) for housing the bearings (19, 20) and on which are supported the springs suitable for suspending the bogie by means of corresponding housings (9), the cradles (7) for housing the outer bearings (19) lodging suitably in the housings of their suspension supports on mounting the axle assembly on the bogie. 3. Axle assembly according to Claim 2, characterized in that in their outer vertical faces the cradles (7) incorporate slider plates (10) in order to facilitate the transverse displacement of the rolling element assemblies (2) during the track gauge change operation, whilst the inner faces of said cradles (7) carry inclined planes (11) which act as vertical abutments and on which the bearing (19) is supported and slid transversely during the track gauge change operation, and in that the cradles (8) have upper (12) and lower (13) abutment and guide pieces for the inner bearing (19) and the locking catch (28). 4. Axle assembly according to the preceding claims, characterized in that said axle frame (1) has outer arms with sliding slippers (15) and centring plates (16), with which the bogie is supported, slid and guided transversely over a slideway guide (33) of the fixed installation for track gauge change during the track gauge change operation, the slippers (15) having a baseplate (15b) and a knuckle joint (15a) which transmits the loads to said frame (1) and guarantees good contact with said slideway guide (33). 5. Axle assembly according to Claim 4, characterized in that the baseplate (15b) of the slippers (15) and the centring plates (16) are made of plastic. 6. Axle assembly according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the outer bearing (19) has inclined planes (24) machined in the lower part of its two vertical plane faces (22), which planes act as vertical abutments and are supported on the corresponding abutments (11) of the outer cradle (7) when the wheel (17) is unloaded in the track gauge change operation, the bearing (19) sliding over them on displacing the wheel (17), and in that the inner bearing (20) has a lug (27) machined on each of its two vertical plane faces (26), and which serves for locking and transmission of transverse loads between the rolling element assembly (2) and the axle frame (1), said lug (27) fitting and being compressed between the upper abutment pieces (12) of the cradle (8) of the bearing (20) and the locking catch (28). 7. Axle assembly according to Claim 6, characterized in that the cradle (8) of the inner bearing (20) includes four of said upper abutment pieces (12), each of which has an elastic mounting wedge (12a), a vertical surface (12c) for lateral abutment and another vertical surface (12b) for abutment and guidance of the locking catch (28), the lug (27) of the bearing (20) being heavily compressed in an inclined surface (27a) of same by the wedge (12a) on the side containing said lug and said compressive force being transmitted to the locking catch (28) through a vertical face (27c) of said lug (27), and in that said cradle (8) includes four of said lower abutment pieces (13) which in their upper part have an inclined surface (13a) on which a lower face (27b), likewise inclined, of the lug (27) of the bearing (20) is supported and slid in the track gauge change operation, each of said pieces (13) also having a vertical surface (13b) for guiding the locking catch (28). 8. Axle assembly according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (3) for connecting between the rolling element assemblies (2) comprises two steel bushes (37) each keyed on to the inner end of the semiaxles (18) of the wheels (17) and each furnished with an inner female fluted region of length somewhat greater than the semidifference between track gauges, there being mounted between the bushes (37) a shaft (38) each of whose ends have heads (38a) with male fluting and which are housed in the female fluted regions of the bushes (37) as well as rubber abutments (41) which are lightly compressed against the ends of the semiaxles (18) in the narrow gauge position, there being installed in the end of each bush (37) an abutment hoop (40) formed by two semihoops which retains a rubber abutment (39) on which abuts, the latter being mildly compressed, the head (38a) of the shaft (38) in the wide gauge position and which also fastens with the shaft (38), avoiding the entry of dust or water into the aforesaid flutes. (Figure 12). 9. Axle assembly according to Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the device (3) for connecting between the rolling element assemblies (2) comprises two steel bushes (37) each keyed on to the inner end of the semiaxles (18) of the wheels (17) and each furnished with an inner female fluted region of length somewhat greater than the semidifference between track gauges, there being mounted between the bushes (37) a shaft (38) each of whose ends have heads (38a) with male fluting and which are housed in the female fluted regions of the bushes (37) as well as rubber abutments (38b) which are lightly compressed against the ends of the semiaxles (18) in the narrow gauge position, there being installed in the end of each bush (37) an abutment hoop (39'), formed by two semihoops, by means of another bush (40') threaded externally on to the bush (37), the hoop (39') having a vulcanized rubber region on which abuts, the latter being mildly compressed, the head (38a) of the shaft (38) in the wide gauge position, and the threaded bush (40') carrying retainer rings (42, 43) for fastening with the shaft (38) and with the bush (37), avoiding the entry of dust or water into the aforesaid flutes. (Figure 12a). 10. Axle assembly according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the trusses (4) for translating the brake shoes each consist of two arms (4a) connected together by a bridge (4b) which binds to the outer cover of the inner bearing (20), there being arranged at the end of each of said arms (4a) a fork (4c) with sliding inner plates which clasps the corresponding brake shoe support, so that, on displacing the rolling element assemblies (2) together with the trusses (4) in the track gauge change operation, the brake shoes are compelled also to displace to the position corresponding to the new track gauge. 11. Axle assembly according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the system of electrical continuity between the wheels (17) consists of braids (43) of superflexible cable which are linked up to the bushes (37) keyed to the ends of the semiaxles (18) and which are housed in the hollow interior of the shaft (38) of the device (3) for connecting between the rolling element assemblies (2). (Figure 12b). 12. Axle assembly according to Claims 1 to 7 and 10, characterized in that the system of electrical continuity between the wheels (17) consists of electrical shunting assemblies (5) which are mounted in the outer covers of the outer bearings (19) and which include collectors (43a), with their corresponding brushes, connected to the metal truss of the axle frame (1) by braids (43b) of superflexible cable. (Figures 12c and 12d). 13. Axle assembly according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (6) for detecting hot inner bearings (20) consists of a mechanical-type detector which comprises an expansion thermostat (44) housed in the end of the semiaxle (18) where the inner bearing (20) is keyed, there being housed in the interior of the semiaxle (18) a rod (44b) which has one of its ends almost in contact with the button of the thermostat (44) and which is maintained in its inactive position by means of a spring mounting (45), the rod (44b) carrying at its other end a friction disc gear (44a) intended to rub against the outer cover of the outer bearing (19) when the maximum allowable temperature is reached in the region of the inner bearing (20) and the button of the thermostat (44) displaces outwards and pushes the rod (44b), so that said cover of the outer bearing (19) heats up and this heating is detected by the detectors installed in the track. (Figure 13). 14. Axle assembly according to Claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the device (6) for detecting hot inner bearings (20) consists of a pneumatic-type detector which comprises a thermostat (46) which is mounted in the outer cover of each inner bearing (20) in order to detect its temperature and which, with the reaching of the maximum allowable temperature, actuates a pneumatic valve (47) and produces the emptying of its feed pipe (48), prompting the vanishing of the control pressure in an emergency valve (49) which opens and causes the discharging of the general brake pipe (50), as well as maximum braking of the train, this device (6) carrying a stopcock (51) which makes it possible to restore the brake of the train after actuation of the emergency valve (49). (Figure 14). 15. Axle assembly according to the preceding claims, wherein is used a locking catch (28) whose vertical shafts (28a') are connected together by a transverse connecting bridge (28b'), characterized in that said bridge (28b') is solid and wider than the base of said shafts (28a') and is intended to cooperate, in the fixed installation for changing track gauge, with an unlocking guide (34) whose head (34a) exhibits a hollow profile adapted to receive said bridge (28b'), the latter having a cross-section of rectangular form, the upper and lower faces of said bridge being covered with plastic (28c'), there being welded to each shaft (28a') a platen (28d') displaceable upwards and downwards through a slot made in the upper part of the cradle (8) for housing the inner bearing (20) of the rolling element assemblies (2), and said platen (28d') being connected, at its upper end, to helical springs (29') which tend to maintain the catch (28) in the locked position.
