GB2283219A

GB2283219A - A railway car for transporting trailers.

Info

Publication number: GB2283219A
Application number: GB9322140A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jaakko Heikkinen; Markku Kauppila; Matti Brostroem; Risto Pramila
Original assignee: TRANSTECH Ltd Oy
Current assignee: TRANSTECH Ltd Oy
Priority date: 1993-10-27
Filing date: 1993-10-27
Publication date: 1995-05-03
Anticipated expiration: 2013-10-27
Also published as: GB9322140D0; GB2283219B; DE4437619A1

Description

1 RAILWAY CAR FOR TRANSPORTING TRA:LERS 2283219 The object of the

inventicn is a railway car for trar-srcr--',--g semi- trailers, trailers and the like, c=prising a frame without side members having an longitudinal loadbearing centre beam, wherein the sides of the railway car are mainly open and non- 1 bogies or sets of wheels with their rail bearing, and wheeAwheels at the ends of the railway car.

is Thus the invention is directed to railway cars which carry semitra,l,=,-s, tra-"--s of the 14ke user.' in rcad transport, or-to whIch the trailers are loaded using a crane, whereupon the trailers are lowered into a loading well in the railway car. Such railway cars are called well wagons. Publications DE-34 36 932 and US-4 456 413 describe railway cars used in this way. These publications describe a construction in which a sufficient bending and torsional rigidity of the railway car frame are achieved by using relatively thick members on the sides of the car. The trailer to be loaded is lowered between these side members. The German publication further discloses a tiny axial beam which serves as additional reinforcement in the middle of the car. However, such construction has the considerable drawback that the thick side members occupy a considerable part of the permitted lateral loading gauge, whereby it is not possible to use such car construction on narrow railway portions. Especially on this type of railway portions, where the outer dimensions of the cross-section of the railway cars used are strictly limited by regulations, while the outer dimensions of the load, in this case the trailer or semi-trailer, are close to the pe--m--tted outer dimensions of the freight wagon, the problem is to make the loadbearing constructions of the freight wagon sufficiently rigid, strong and yet small in crosssectional dimensions. In these circumstances the permitted loading gauges enable the freight wagon to comprise only a thin bottom and relatively narrow sides.

Publication US-4 339 996 describes a construction where the essential, longitudinal, loadbearring beam of the railway car is 2 an longitudinal, heavy double-I-beam in the middle of the car.

Thus tIhe whole transversal, loading gauge can be used for the load aicne because there is no need to use sides in che cc=st::,lct-on outside the!--cwe-7er, this car cannot ne used on railway track portions where the vertical loading gauge is very strictly lilrllted relative to the height of the trailer to be transported because the loading level is situated in the construction above the upper surfaces of the wheels of the railway car, resulting in a considerably high loading height. If the intention is to decrease the loading height by using smaller wheels, the bearing capacity of the car is also decreased. The bear-ing cappaci =v in this construction cannot be improved even by using bogles instead of the sets of wheels disclosed in the publication because the bogies further increase the height of is the construction.

Publication DE-19 42 703 describes a construction including a heavy double-I-beam or an open box beam in the middle of the car and sheet-like portions with thick U-beams on their edges on the sides of the car. The side mem-bers are also in this so-!ut-J'^n unadvantageously thick in view of the best possible utilization of the loading gauge and, in addition, this construction also has to be placed on top of bogies or sets of wheels, whereby the vertical loading height becomes high.

Considerable problems arise when intending to decrease the thickness of the side members as much as possible and trying to decrease the loading height considerably by using the longitudinal centre beam of a railway car constuction according to publication US-4 339 996. First, the highway trailer stands on its rubber wheels on the railway car, whereby the lateral swaying and oscillating of the highway trailer are apt to set the rail-way car, based on a centre beam, to a corresponding oscillating state. Second, placing the highway trailer sufficiently low in order to achieve the required small loading height requIres that this centre beam be placed very low. But because the budEffers for connection with other types of railway cars should always be placed at a standard height, a considerable bending mcment is thus caused to the frame of the 3 car by collision forces occuring when connecting the cars to each other which damaaes the frame cons"-ruction of the car. This type of moment does not occur when the long-4L-udi-nal beams are a= jht bec- 'v cz)rr.p-ess- i.e c:Dnven:-Le--ial buf.-':=-r he- =Use then on., forces are present on the beams.

Thus the object of the invention is to provide a railway car for transporting semi- trailers, trailers and the like, such as containers and swap bodies on narrow railway portions where the permitted loading height is so low that the trailers cannct be loaded on the surfaces at the buffer height or in its vicinity, but only in wheel wells are clearly dcwnwards frcm it. The other object of the invention is this type of railway car which is suitable to be used an railway track portions where also the is permitted horizontal transversal loading gauges are very close to the outer dimensions of the trailers. The third object oi the invention is this type of railway car where the buffers are at the standard height, whereby these railway cars can be connected to any other railway car travelling on the same-railway portion.

The fourth object of the invention is this type of railway car which is sufficiently rigid and strong so that the railway car endures all the f orces exerted on it in a way required of a railway car.

Claims

In order to eliminate the above drawbacks and to achieve the above

objects, the railway car according to the invention is characterized by what is defined in the characterizing clause of Claim 1.

The most importtant advantage of the invention is that the railway car according to the invention can be loaded with semitrailers and trailers the width of which is close to and even the same-as the transversal loading gauge of the railway portion and the height of which is considerably higher than the distance between the upper point of the wheels of the railway car and the upper limit of the loading gauge. The other advantage of the invention is that the railway car can employ wheels of the conventional diameter either in wheel pairs or bogies, whereby a good bearing capacity of the car is achieved without decreasing 4 the vertical loading height. The third advantage of the invention is that the construction of the railway car according to the inventicn is relatively so it is easyto The ra---!wa-,.r car to the Invent-on can be manufac4 oused for transporting, in addition to said trailers, also containers and swan bcdies.

In the following the invention is described in more detaill with reference to the appended drawings.

io S Fig. 1 shows the railway car according to the invention as v. e-wed frcm Che side from tIhe 1 ot 1-7-4as. 2 and 4.

Fig. 2 is a tor) view of the railway car of Fig. 1 from direction 11 of Figs 1 and 4.

Fig. 3 shows the construction of the railway car according to the invention against the bogies and in the vicinity of the bogies as viewed from the side of the car along level C-C of 0 Fig. 2.

Figs. 4A and 4B show a cross-section of the car of Figs. 1 and 2 along levels A-A ja B-B, respectively.

The Figs. show railway car 1 for transporting semi-trailers 2, trailers or corresponding loading bodies provided with wheels and used in road transportation. Railway car 1 includes frame 3 with no side members comprising centre beam 5 situated in the longitudinal direction L of the railway car and carrying the weight of trailer 2 which is the load of the railway car. Thus both sides 4a and 4b of railway car 1 are mainly open and nonbearing, as best viewed in Fig. 2. In addition to this, the railway car naturally includes, at both ends of the car, either bogies 6 for each car, as viewed in the Figs. , or alternatively, sets of wheels f or each car at the ends of the car, or wheel bogies in common with the next closest car. The two latter construction alternatives are not shown in the Figs. The bogies or the sets of wheels naturally include car rail wheels 8 the number of which is different for each car, respectively, depending on which of the above strictures is used. The buf feer height H of the railway car according to the invention is normal which, for instance in accordance with the UIC standard, is 1050 mm. It also c=prises normal bcg-4--s with big_ wheels of diamezer - 80-900-. 010- the bul-fer heighz.

D, this diameter thus being aboutt 1 The wheel size of small wheel bogies can be as small as 360 am, i.e., less than 50-'. of the buffer height.

According to the invention centre beam 5, which forms frame 3 andcarries the load, is formed into a tubular box beam or a box beam consisting of tubular parts which extends in the longitudinal direction of the railway car and which is essentially solid in its most preferred embodiment. Rather large holes in -..-Le walls c.F the box beam decrease the bending is stiffness and the torsional stiffness of the beam too much. However, smaller holes can be allowed in the wall of the beam for discharging water, for instance. According to the invention the centre beam is situated in area 7 between sets of wheels 6 mainly essentially lower than upper edge 9 of rail wheels 8 and consequently essentially lower than buffer height H. Namely, upper surface 19 of centre beam 5 is preferably situated, throughout the whole above-mentioned length 7, under upper edge 9 of rail wheels 8 and buffer 39 height H, as shown in Fig. 1. Height 26 of centre beam 5 between its lower surface 18 and upper surface 19 defines ground clearance 33 of trailer 2 which is suitable for transportation. When the bottom of wheel wells 27a and 27b which carry wheels 29 of trailer 2 is arranged as low as possible with respect to ground clearance 32 of the railway car, the vertical thickness 26 of the centre beam will be near].y the ground clearance 33 of the trailer, as can clearly be seen in Fig. 4B. When it comes to width 35 of centre beam 5, as large a gauge can be selected as the gap between wheels 29 of trailers. 2 to be transported is at its smallest. It is appropriate to dimension outer boundary surf ace 25 of centre beam 5 in accordance with the most unadvantageous trailers which will be transported so that all potential trailers can be transiDorted. One should also take into account the small margins between the raillway car and the trailer. Thus width 35 of centre beam 5 wil be in the order of 0. 8-1m and vertical thickness 26 i 6 of the centre beam will' be in the order of 30-50cm. When the external boundary surface of the box beam preferably only contains s-L-radaht and convex portions in its cross-section, and L, when a sufficient material thickness is used, suliE--E-4cie.nc bend--ncr stiffness and, at the same time, sufficient torsional stiffness of the one centre beam is achieved so thal- no oscillation induced by the swaying of the trailer is created.

The cross-sectional form of the loadbearing centre beam is thus preferably a parallelogram or semi-parallelog-ram provided with rounded corners 10a-10d, or it is alternatively round or oval.

in all these forms the external boundary surface only cons2is4k-.s of straight and convex portions in the cross-section. It should be appreciated that the cross-sectional form of centre beam 5 could also consist of two or more forms of the above-described type set in parallel, whereby the combination would also comprise other than convex and straight portions of the external boundary surface in the cross-section. When needed, centre beam 5 comprises transversal internal and/or exte=al----reinforcements which join the different points of the cross-sectional form in order to obtain sufficient vertical stiffness and strength and sufficient torsional stiffness. Thus the parallelogram centre beam 5 of Figs. 4A and 4B could comprise internal reinforcements, for instance from upper surface 19 to lower surface 18. These parts, which are set in a parallel way, can also be joined together using external reinforcements in the above-mentioned centre beam formed of several tubular parts. However, it is presumably more preferred to use only one boxlike centre beam 5 and arrange its stiffness and strength sufficiently high on the sufficient wall thickness 24 of the beam material. By arranging, in the above-mentioned way, especially by forming the cross-section, the material of the centre beam to be as close to the outer edges of the available space, good bending stiffness, strength, and torsional stiffness are achieved.

When the centre beam with the parallelogram cross-section which is presented in the Figs. is studied, in particular, the roundings of the corners of the cross-section, i.e., the edges 7 10a-10d of the beams comprise at least a rad.-jus which corresponds to the smallest possible bending of the steel grade used as the construction material which does not cause decrease of st-rength. Thus the size of -, he ii-nternal =unding rad2;..us cf edges 10a-10d is generally approximately the same as material thick-ness 24 and the external rounding radius R is two times the material thickness, respectively.

It has been taken into account according to the invention with -31 respect to t.he construction of centre beam 5 t-at in order to increase the endurance of the beam against dynamic stresses, possible axial welding jcints 11 of the beam are arranged J=. points other than in area 12 of possible edges 10a-10d of the beam. By area 12 of the edges is meant, in this application, all is the points of the cross-sectional form of the centre beam where the radlus of curvature is smaller than in other points of the cross- sectional form. Thus, in the embodiment of the Figs., welding joints 11 are arranged on the straight portions of the sides of beam 5.

Centre beam 5 and its lower surface 18, in particular, are placed as low as it is possible with respect to ground clearance 32 of the railway car. Thus centre beam 5 is, when using normal size rail wheels 8, approximately on the same height as axles 35 of the rail wheels. In order to connect the centre beam which forms the frame to the wheel bogie or the set of wheels, the end portions 15 of the beam are lifted, on the inclined portion 14 in the longitudinal direction L of the car, to be supported by the bogie centre 16 of the bogies or, in the case of the sets of wheels, to the suspension of the sets of wheels, respectively. This inclined portion 14 begins, at the most, about at distance E corresponding to length 13 of the bogie or the double length of the set of wheels, respectively, from edge 17 of the bogie or the set of wheels which is on the side the car. Inclined portion 14 begins preferably at distance E corresponding to diameter D of rail wheel 8, at the most, from said edge 17 on the side of the car. In the embodiment of the drawings the inclined portion begins approximately at the distance of radius D/2 of wheels 8 from edge 17. The inclined portion extends in longitudinal a is direction L of the railway car to the vicinity of bcgie centre 16 or near the suspension of the set of wheels, i.e., to the -1 of wheels. with the area of length 13 of the bcgis or 1 he se-- L .I- s - L-h- ----d = aid of 1 nclined pcrt-Aon, _nd p=tions 15 of ---he centre beam are supported, in a way kaown per se and thus not described here in more detail, on said bog-Le boss or the suspension of the sets of wheels. With the described construction, upper surface 19 of the centre beam does not rise, in area 7 between the bogies, at least not at a considerable longitudinal distance L, to the height of upper edge 9 of. road wheels 8. Inclined portion 14 can be, of course, formed so that it rises in curving ways.

- ively, In the area of bogies 6 or the set of wheels. respect framing beam members 20 or a cage construction is provided on the top of wheels 8 and/or around them, typically at least at height H of buffers 39. Buffers 39 are supported by the framing beams 20 to receive collision forces. The framing beam members 20 preferably contains, adjacent to or against edge 17 of bogies 6 on the side of the car, beam structure 21 in the transversal direction of the car extending generally across the whole width of railway car 1 and from lower surface 18 of the loadbearing centre beam at least to buffer height H. When centre beam 5 is firmly joined to this transversal beam structure 21, using for instance welded joints, and when the height and the width of the inclined portion 14 of the centre beam are, throughout its length, at least approximately the same as those of the centre beam in area 7 between the bogies, i.e., the distance between lower surf ace 18 and upper surf ace 19 of the centre beam is maintained on its end portions 15 as well, an extremely stiff construction in flexure is achieved. In addition, the centre beam is joined at its end portion 15, i.e., in the area of bogies 13, to said framing members 20 of the bogies using longitudinal supporting beams 22 and transversal supporting beams 23 of the car. With this construction, the bending of car frame 3 caused by collision force exerted to the buffers is made very small by dimensioning, for instance, the centre beam 5 and L-he wall thickness in area 7 between bogies 6 according to the invention.

A 9 - the transported trailers 2 at their wheels In order to support to a point which is near lower surf ace 18 of the centre beam, the railway car prejEerably contalns, in area 26 of wheels 29 of 2 ers, the transccrted trai ransversal crcss beams 30, 3-1 t::

length L of the car, which are joined to the centre beam and which extend therefrom towards both sides 4a and 4b of the car. The railway car according to the invention preferably employs wheel wells 27a, 27b made of thin material such as steel plate which are mlaced an these cross beams 30, 31. In addition, the wheel wells can be su-norted bv '-he above-menticned transversal beam construction 21 of the set of side members. Thus cross beams 30, 31 are cantilever beams projecting f-ram centre bea:n 5. Wheel wells 27a, 27b can further be supported in order to decrease swaying of the tra-nspc-- ted trailer 2 by axial supports is 34 which can be formed from the edges of wheel wells 27a, 27b which are bent upwards and extended to the area of the wheel bogies and joined to the framing beam members 20 which are within the length of the bogies or the sets of wheels, respectively. Alternatively, separate longitudinal thin beams can be used which are attached to the set of side members 20 and to said supports 30, 31 of the wheel wells. Thus the actual wheel wells 27a, 27b can be supported not only by cross beams 30, 31, but also by these longitudinal thin beams which are not th respect to the actual strength and essentially important w. stiffness of the railway car.

According to the invention wheel wells 27a, 27b can be either fixed or they can be replaceable so that wheel wells according to the transoorted trailer 2 are changed to the railway car, respectively. Alternatively, the wheel wells can be adjustable in lateral direction W of the car, as illustrated by dashed lines in Figs. 4A and 4B. When needed, the wheel wells can also be adjusable in longitudinal direction L of the car.

It is clear that the above-described railway car according to the invention also contains other components such as the parts required for the attachment of the trailer and the travel of the r'lway car. It is clear that, in practice, the railway car ai should also include all the parts in accordance with the official requirements such as protective longitudinal rods or b(nns in the lower parts of the car which have no practical significance with respect to the strength, stiffness of bearing capacity of the car, however. in principle, the car according to the invention can also employ the previous ly -mentioned small wheels, but using that will presumably bring about no advantages.

i It will of course be understood that the present invention has been described above purely by way of example, and modifications of detail can be made within the scope of the invention.

A ciJAIMS 1. A railway car for transporting semi-trailers trailers and the like, the car comprising a frame without side members having an longitudinal load-bearing centre beam whereby the sides of the railway car are mainly oper. and non-bearing, and wheel bogies or sets of wheels with respective rail wheels at the ends of the car, c h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the load-bearing centre beam is a tubular box beam or a box beam consisting of tubular parts in the longitudinal. direction of the railway car which is mainly situated, in the area. between the wheel bogies or the sets of wheels, respectively, esentially lower than the upper edge. of the rail wheels is 2. A railway car according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e - r i z e d in that the cross-sectional form of the load-bearing.

centre beam is preferably a parallelogram or a semi L'lelog-ram provided with rounded corners paral or alternatively -round or oval, or it consists of at least two parallel, above-mentioned form, and that when required, this centre beam comprises transversal internal and/or external reinforcements which join different points of the cross sectional fa= in order to achieve sufficient vertical stiffness and strength and sufficient torsional stiffness, and that the Dossible longitudinal welded joints are in other points than in the area of the edges., of the centre beam 3. A railway car according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e - r i z e d in that the end portions of the load-bearing axial centre beara are lifted, on the longitudinal inclined portion of the car, to be Supported by the bogie bass of the bogies or by the suspension of the sets of w.heels, respectively, whereby the inclined portion at a distance basins corresponding to about the length of the bogie or the double length of the seet of wheels at the most, and preferably, at the most at a distance the diameter of the road wheel corresponding to about from the edge of 12 1 C.

the bogie or the set of wheels f acing the car, and extends to the area of the length of the bogie or the set of wheels.

4. A railway car according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e - r i z e d in -hat the area of the bogie or, correspondingly, the area of the set of wheels comprises, on top of the wheels and/or around them, framing beam members by which the buffers of the car in the area of the upper edge of the wheels cr above them are supported and which includes, adjacent to the edge of the bogies or the set of wheels, f acing the car, a beam construction in the transversal direction of the car extending from the lower surface of the longitudinal, load-bearing centre beam at least to the bu.F,.'&.er height the centre beam, being firmly is attached to the beam construction.

centre beam S. A railway car according to Claim 4, c h a r a c t a - r z e d in that the end portions, of the longitudinal are firmly attached to the framing beam members of the bogies using support beams in the IcngA-tudinal direction and transversal direction of the car and that the lower surface and the upper surface c.-' the centre beam extend at least at a distance corresponding r-o about the height of the beam from each other, from the middle parts of the car to said transversal bear, construct,on 6. A railway car according to Claim 2, c h a r a c t e - r i z e d in that the roundings of the externalboundary surface of the cross-sectional form of the 'Longitudinal, load-bearing centre beam have radIA the size of which ccrresponds to at least the smallest rounding permitted by the steel grade used as the construction material of the beam and they are advantageously i..,.i the magnitude of two times the material thickness 7. A railway car according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e r i z a cl in that it preferably comprises cross beams in the area of the wheels, of the transported trailers 13 which are joined to the centre beam towards both sides theretrom, and that in order to suspend the trailer.

at its wheels the railway car comprises thin wheel wells ' wade of plate material, for Instance, which extend f rom the centre beam to both sides of the car and which are placed on said cross beams and/or the transversal beam construction 8. A railway car according to claim 7, C h a r a c t e r i z e d in that the wheel wells are replaceable in accordance with the transported trailer or they are alternatively adjustable at least according to the width of the transported trailer.

9. A railway car according to Claim 1, c h a r a c t e - r i z a d in that it comprises longitudinal supports extending, when needed, from the area of the length of the bogies or the length of the sets of wheels, respectively, to the area of the wheel wells the supports supporting the wheel wells and/or said projections. of the wheel wells, or alternatively, the construction of the wheel wells is extended to the area of the bogies and joined to the framing beam members which are within the length of the bogies or the sets of wheels, to form an longitudinal support the wheel wells.

10. A railway car substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

:Cor -.-- 1 4_ ---01 Amendments to the claims have been filed as follows A railway car for transporting semi-trailers, trailers and the like, the car comprising a frame without side members having a longitudinal tubular box beam or a box beam consisting of tubular parts as a load-bearing-centre beam, whereby the sides of the railway car are mainly open and non-bearing, and wheel bogies or sets of wheels with respective rail wheels at the ends of the car, which centre beam is entirely situated in the area between the wheel bogies or the sets of wheels, respectively, essentially lower than the upper edge of the rail wheels, and in the area of the wheel bogie or the set of wheels, respectively, framing beam members on top of the wheels and/or around them, by which the buf f ers of the car in the area of the upper edge of the wheels or above them are supported and which include, adjacent to the edge of the bogies or the set of wheels! facing the car, a beam construction extending transversely from a lower surface of the longitudinal, load- bearing centre beam at least to the buffer height, wherein the end portions of the load-bearing longitudinal centre bean are upwardly inclined so that their uppermost portion is supported by the bogie boss of the bogie or by the suspension of the sets of wheels, respectively, and wherein the upwardly inclined portion begins at or adjacent the transverse edge of the bogie or the set of wheels facing the centre of the car and at the most at a distance from said edge corresponding to no more than about the diameter of the rail wheel, and extends into the area of the length of the bogie or the set of wheels, the centre beam being f irmly attached to the beam construction.

2. A railway car according to claim 1, wherein the crosssectional form of the load-bearing centre beam is a parallelogram or a semi-parallelogram provided with rounded corners or, alternatively, round or oval, or it consists of at least two parallel, above-mentioned forms, and optionally transversal internal and/or external reinforcements which c 91 A 1 - join different Points of the cross-sectional form in order to achieve sufficient vertical stiffness and strength and sufficient torsional stiffness, and wherein any longitudinal welded joints are at locations other than in the area of the edges of the centre beam.

3. A railway car according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the end portions of the longitudinal centre beam are f irmly attached to the framing beam members of the bogies using support beams in the longitudinal direction and transversal direction of the car, and wherein the lower surface and the upper surf ace of the centre beam extend at least at a distance corresponding to about the height of the beam from each other, from the middle parts of the car to said transversal beam construction.

4. A railway car according to claim 2, wherein the rounded corners of the external boundary surf ace of the longitudinal, load-bearing centre beam have radii the size of which corresponds to at least the smallest permitted by the grade of material used as the construction material of the beam, that is approximately two times the material thickness.

5. A railway car according to any one of the preceding claims comprising cross beams in the area of the wheels of the trailers to be transported, which cross beams are joined to the centre beam, and wherein, in order to suspend the trailer at its wheels, the railway car comprises wells, which extend from the centre beam to both sides of the car and which are located on said cross beams and/or on the transversely extending beam construction.

6. A railway car according to claim 5, wherein the wheel wells are replaceable to suit the trailer being transported.

7. A railway car according to claim 5, wherein the wheel wells are adjustable at least according to the width of the 1 (p trailer to be transported.

8. A railway car according to claim 5, 6 or 7, comprising longitudinal supports extending from the area. of the longitudinal extent of the bogies or the sets of wheels, respectively, to the area of the wheel wells to support the wheel wells.

A railway car according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein 10 the wheel wells are extended to the area of the bogies and joined to the framing beam members, which are within the length of the bogies or the sets of wheels, to f orm a longitudinal support for the wheel wells.

10. A railway car substantially as hereinbef ore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.