Side Beam of a Bogie Frame for a Railway Vehicle

Abstract

A side beam of a railway vehicle bogie frame in which two such side beams define respective lateral sides of the bogie frame in relation to a longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle and a crossbeam extends over a transverse direction of the railway vehicle to join the side beams, the bogie frame being configured to carry, in use, front and rear wheelsets. The side beam is formed of discrete structural members comprising an elongate centre plate which extends between first and second end portions thereof in the longitudinal direction between positions occupied, in use, by the wheelsets, a thickness direction of the centre plate being parallel to the transverse direction, and first and second suspension mounts configured for mounting wheelset suspension elements thereto. The first and second suspension mounts are cantilevered from respectively the first and second end portions of the centre plate such that each suspension mount extends upwardly and longitudinally away from a respective junction with its end portion of the centre plate to define a space below the suspension mount for joining the suspension elements to the respective wheelset. At the respective junction each suspension mount has a greater width in the transverse direction than the thickness of the centre plate such that the suspension mounts protrude outwardly in the transverse direction from the centre plate. The discrete structural members are joined together by respective bolt connections.

1 . A side beam of a railway vehicle bogie frame in which two such side beams define respective lateral sides of the bogie frame in relation to a longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle and a crossbeam extends over a transverse direction of the railway vehicle to join the side beams, the bogie frame being configured to carry, in use, front and rear wheelsets;
 wherein the side beam is formed of discrete structural members comprising:   an elongate centre plate which extends between first and second end portions thereof in the longitudinal direction between positions occupied, in use, by the wheelsets, a thickness direction of the centre plate being parallel to the transverse direction, and   first and second suspension mounts configured for mounting wheelset suspension elements thereto, the first and second suspension mounts being cantilevered from respectively the first and second end portions of the centre plate such that each suspension mount extends upwardly and longitudinally away from a respective junction with its end portion of the centre plate to define a space below the suspension mount for joining the suspension elements to the respective wheelset, at the respective junction each suspension mount having a greater width in the transverse direction than the thickness of the centre plate such that the suspension mounts protrude outwardly in the transverse direction from the centre plate; and   wherein the discrete structural members are joined together by respective bolt connections.   
     
     
         2 . The side beam according to  claim 1 , wherein the respective bolt connections transfer substantially all the load between the discrete structural members. 
     
     
         3 . The side beam according to  claim 1 , wherein the centre plate is formed of wrought aluminium alloy, and the suspension mounts are formed of cast aluminium alloy. 
     
     
         4 . The side beam according to  claim 1 , wherein the discrete structural members further comprise one or more reinforcing components at each of the junctions for supporting the greater width of the respective suspension mount relative to the thickness of the centre plate. 
     
     
         5 . The side beam according to  claim 4 , wherein each suspension mount has a base portion that forms the junction with the respective end portion of the centre plate, an inner side of the base portion being joined onto a top surface of the respective end portion by one or more bolt connections which extend through the base portion and the end portion, and wherein the one or more reinforcing components of each junction include a subsidiary plate which extends parallel to the centre plate, an outer side of the base portion being joined onto a top surface of the subsidiary plate by one or more bolt connections which extend through the base portion and the subsidiary plate. 
     
     
         6 . The side beam according to  claim 5 , wherein the one or more reinforcing components of each junction further include an angle brace having first and second walls for bracing the subsidiary plate to the centre plate, the first wall being joined. or joinable in use. to an outer surface of the centre plate by one or more bolt connections which extend through the first wall and the centre plate, and the second wall being joined to a side surface of the subsidiary plate by one or more bolt connections which extend through the second wall and the subsidiary plate. 
     
     
         7 . The side beam according to  claim 1 , wherein at each junction the transverse width of the suspension mount is greater than the transverse thickness of the centre plate by a factor of at least 2. 
     
     
         8 . The side beam according to  claim 1 , wherein the centre plate tapers at its end portions such that the vertical height of the centre plate is greater at its centre than at its ends. 
     
     
         9 . The side beam according to  claim 1 , wherein each bolt connection is formed by a bolt that penetrates a through-hole in at least one of the structural members and is received in a threaded receiving hole in another of the structural members or, in use, the crossbeam. 
     
     
         10 . A bogie frame for a railway vehicle comprising:
 two of the side beams according to  claim 1  defining respective lateral sides of the bogie frame in relation to a longitudinal direction of the railway vehicle, and   a crossbeam extending over a transverse direction of the railway vehicle to join the side beams,   wherein the crossbeam is joined to the centre plate of each side beam by respective bolt connections.   
     
     
         11 . The bogie frame according to  claim 10 , wherein the bolt connections joining the crossbeam to the centre plates transfer substantially all the load between the crossbeam and the centre plates. 
     
     
         12 . The bogie frame according to  claim 10 , wherein each bolt connection joining the crossbeam to one of the centre plates is formed by a bolt that penetrates a through-hole in the centre plate and is received in a threaded receiving hole in the crossbeam. 
     
     
         13 . The bogie frame according to  claim 10 , wherein the bolt connections joining the crossbeam to the centre plates further comprise sensors to measure axial strain in the bolts of the bolt connections. 
     
     
         14 . The bogie frame according to  claim 10 , wherein the bolt connections joining the crossbeam and the centre plates further comprise shims, which are located at the interfaces between the crossbeam and the centre plates. 
     
     
         15 . A railway vehicle comprising one or more bogies, wherein the or each bogie comprises the bogie frame according to  claim 10  and front and rear wheelsets carried by the bogie frame.