Device for controlling stiffness and damping of locomotive carbodies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9694829-B2
Application number	US-201414575268-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2014
Priority date	Dec 18, 2014
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

A device for damping vibrations between a pair of sub-structural components of a carbody in a locomotive is provided. The sub-structural components are supported on a single undercarriage frame. The device includes a first support bracket affixed to a first sub-structural component, and a second support bracket that is interleaved with the first support bracket and affixed to a second sub-structural component. The device further includes a first stiffening element and a second stiffening element that are disposed on the first support bracket and in opposing relation to each other. The device further includes a reciprocating member that is rigidly connected to the second support bracket. The reciprocating member is movable between the first stiffening element and the second stiffening element to abut against one of the first stiffening element and the second stiffening element in response to a relative movement between the pair of sub-structural components of the carbody.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device for damping vibrations between a pair of sub-structural components of a carbody in a locomotive, the sub-structural components of the carbody being supported on a single undercarriage frame of the locomotive, the device comprising:
a first support bracket rigidly affixed to a first sub-structural component of a carbody;
a second support bracket interleaved with the first support bracket and rigidly connected to a second sub-structural component of the carbody;
a stiffening assembly comprising:
a first stiffening element disposed on the first support bracket;
a second stiffening element disposed on the first support bracket and in opposing relation to the first stiffening element; and
a reciprocating member rigidly connected to the second support bracket, the reciprocating member movable between the first stiffening element and the second stiffening element to abut against one of the first stiffening element and the second stiffening element in response to a relative movement of the pair of sub-structural components of the carbody,
wherein the reciprocating member includes a rod and a plate, wherein the rod is rigidly connected to the second support bracket and threadably engaged with the plate, and wherein the plate is disposed between the first and second stiffening elements.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a biasing member coupled to the rod of the reciprocating member, the biasing member comprising:
a nut threadably engaged partway along the rod;
a spacer element disposed about the rod and extending between the nut and the plate, the spacer element configured to be disposed in rigid abutment with the nut and the plate.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the plate is lesser than a distance between the first and second stiffening elements so as to define an air gap therebetween.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the air gap is in the range of about 0.1 millimeters to 20 millimeters.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second stiffening elements are made up of an elastomeric material.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first stiffening element and a thickness of the second stiffening element are in the range of about 10 millimeters to 200 millimeters.

7. A locomotive comprising:
at least one carbody comprising:
a first sub-structural component;
a second sub-structural component disposed adjacent to the first sub-structural component;

a first support bracket rigidly affixed to the first sub-structural component;
a second support bracket interleaved with the first support bracket and rigidly connected to the second sub-structural component; and
a stiffening assembly comprising:
a first stiffening element disposed on the first support bracket;
a second stiffening element disposed on the first support bracket and in opposing relation to the first stiffening element; and
a reciprocating member rigidly connected to the second support bracket, the reciprocating member movable between the first stiffening element and the second stiffening element to abut against one of the first stiffening element and the second stiffening element in response to relative movement between the first and second sub-structural components of the carbody,
wherein the reciprocating member includes a rod and a plate, wherein the rod is rigidly connected to the second support bracket and threadably engaged with the plate, and wherein the plate is disposed between the first and second stiffening elements.

8. The locomotive of claim 7 , wherein the first sub-structural component and the second sub-structural component are being supported on a single undercarriage frame of the locomotive.

9. The locomotive of claim 7 , wherein the first sub-structural component is one of a generator component and an engine component.

10. The locomotive of claim 7 , wherein the second sub-structural component is one of an engine component and a cooling hood component of the locomotive.

11. The locomotive of claim 7 , further comprising a biasing member coupled to the rod of the reciprocating member, the biasing member comprising:
a nut threadably engaged partway along the rod;
a spacer element disposed about the rod and extending between the nut and the plate, the spacer element configured to be disposed in rigid abutment with the nut and the plate.

12. The locomotive of claim 7 , wherein the plate is disposed between the first and second stiffening elements, and wherein a thickness of the plate is lesser than a distance between the first and second stiffening elements so as to define an air gap therebetween.

13. The locomotive of claim 12 , wherein the air gap is in the range of about 0.1 millimeters to 20 millimeters.

14. The locomotive of claim 7 , wherein a thickness of the first stiffening element and a thickness of the second stiffening element are in the range of about 10 millimeters to 200 millimeters.

15. A method of damping vibrations between a pair of sub-structural component of a carbody in a locomotive, the pair of sub-structural components being supported on a single undercarriage frame of the locomotive, the method comprising:
rigidly affixing a first support bracket to a first sub-structural component of the carbody;
interleaving a second support bracket with the first support bracket and rigidly connecting the second support bracket to a second sub-structural component of the carbody;
providing a first stiffening element disposed on the first support bracket;
providing a second stiffening element disposed on the first support bracket and in opposing relation to the first stiffening element; and
rigidly connecting a reciprocating member to the second support bracket such that the reciprocating member is movable between the first stiffening element and the second stiffening element to abut against one of the first stiffening element and the second stiffening element in response to relative movement between the first sub-structural component and the second sub-structural component of the carbody,
wherein the rigidly connecting the reciprocating member to the second support bracket comprises:
providing a plate between the first and second stiffening elements,
rigidly connecting a first end of a rod to the second support bracket, and
threadably engaging a second end of the rod with the plate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a thickness of the plate is lesser than a distance between the first and second stiffening elements so as to define an air gap of about 0.1 millimeters to 20 millimeters between the plate and at least one of the first and second stiffening elements.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising providing a biasing member coupled to the rod of the reciprocating member, wherein the biasing member comprises:
a nut threadably engaged partway along the rod; and
a spacer element disposed about the rod and extending between the nut and the plate, the spacer element configured to be disposed in rigid abutment with the nut and the plate.

Assignees

• Electro Motive Diesel Inc

Inventors

• Nalluri Butchi Babu
• Mishra Saket Ashokkumar
• Ma Xiaoying

Classifications

• B61D17/00 Primary

  Construction details of vehicle bodies (for tank wagons B61D5/00; for hopper cars B61D7/00; body details specially adapted for tipping wagons B61D9/06; for mine cars B61D11/00) · CPC title

• B61C17/00

  Arrangement or disposition of parts; Details or accessories not otherwise provided for; Use of control gear and control systems · CPC title

• F16F3/0876

  and of the same shape · CPC title

• F16F15/08

  with rubber springs {(grommet- or bushing-type resilient mountings F16F1/3732, F16F1/38); with springs made of rubber and metal (arrangement of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units B60K5/12; mounting of propulsion plants on vessels B63H21/30; mounting of vehicle drivers' cabs B62D33/0604)} · CPC title

• B61D17/043 Primary

  connections between superstructure sub-units (for road vehicles B62D27/00) · CPC title