Systems and methods for reducing slack in a linkage chain of a vehicle truck assembly is provided. In one example, a method includes compressing a vehicle suspension by actuating an actuator with a cylinder abutted to a piston rod, the piston rod coupled to the vehicle suspension and, when deactivating the actuator, maintaining at least nominal compression on the vehicle suspension with the piston rod spaced away from a piston of the cylinder via a biasing member, the piston configured to slide within the cylinder along a central axis of the cylinder.

A method for compensating for a loss of traction of a rail vehicle, preferably a freight locomotive, in a track curve, is particularly pertinent when the rail vehicle is starting up and/or is on an incline. Comparably unfavorable frictional conditions between a track and at least one driven track wheel of the rail vehicle are changed into comparably favorable frictional conditions by actively steering the track wheel on the rail.

The present disclosure relates to an actuator for controlling a wheelset of a rail vehicle comprising: an axle casing for fastening to an undercarriage or to a wheelset bearing housing of the rail vehicle; a synchronized cylinder that is provided in the axle casing and that comprises a piston surface that has a piston rod passing through the axle casing at each of its two areal sides; and a housing that is movable in accordance with a movement of the synchronized cylinder with respect to the axle casing, wherein a piston spring element that connects a respective piston rod to the housing is arranged at the end of the respective piston rod remote from the piston surface.

The present invention relates to a hydromechanical wheelset control system for a rail vehicle that comprises a leading wheelset and a trailing wheelset that is arranged behind the leading wheelset in the direction of locomotion, with the trailing wheelset having the property of adopting a favorable position in an arc of an undercarriage frame interacting with it and of a rail pair. The wheelset control system is characterized in that a wheelset control is provided that is connected to the leading wheelset control system and to the trailing wheelset control system and that is adapted to hydraulically deflect the leading wheelset in dependence on a deflection of the trailing wheelset, preferably by the same amount as the trailing wheelset, but in the opposite direction.

Systems and methods for reducing slack in a linkage chain of a vehicle truck assembly is provided. In one example, a method includes compressing a vehicle suspension by actuating an actuator with a cylinder abutted to a piston rod, the piston rod coupled to the vehicle suspension and, when deactivating the actuator, maintaining at least nominal compression on the vehicle suspension with the piston rod spaced away from a piston of the cylinder via a biasing member, the piston configured to slide within the cylinder along a central axis of the cylinder.

A running gear for a rail vehicle includes a front and a rear wheel sets, each provided with left and right wheels. A passive hydraulic wheel set steering system includes a control valve hydraulically connected to hydro-mechanical converters for converting motion of each of the wheels towards and away from the median transverse vertical plane. The control valve is movable between a first position in which the front left and right hydro-mechanical converter assemblies are disconnected from the rear left and right hydro-mechanical converter assemblies, and a second position in which each of the front left and right hydro-mechanical converter assemblies is connected to at least a respective one of the rear left and right hydro-mechanical converter assemblies.

An assembly transmits longitudinal forces in a rail vehicle. The assembly contains a first and second hydraulic axle link bearing, a wheel set, and a rotary frame. Each axle link bearing has a housing element and a first and second chamber filled with a fluid. In the event of a change in the position of the housing elements relative to each other, fluid is exchanged between connected chambers of the axle link bearings. The fluid exchange is produced by a change in the position of the housing elements relative to each other, and the change in position causes the transmission of longitudinal forces which are transmitted between the wheel set and the rotary frame via the axle link bearings. A first chamber of the first axle link bearing is connected to a first chamber of the second axle link bearing via a damping element in order to exchange fluid.

A method for reducing slack in a linkage chain of a vehicle truck assembly is provided. In one example, the method includes responding to a request to de-lift a lift mechanism by reducing pressure in an actuator coupled to the lift mechanism, where the lift mechanism is configured to transfer a load from a first axle to a second axle of the vehicle during the de-lift, and during the de-lift, maintaining the pressure in the actuator at or above a threshold pressure to maintain tension in a weight transfer device of the lift mechanism

A method for compensating for a loss of traction of a rail vehicle, preferably a freight locomotive, in a track curve, is particularly pertinent when the rail vehicle is starting up and/or is on an incline. Comparably unfavorable frictional conditions between a track and at least one driven track wheel of the rail vehicle are changed into comparably favorable frictional conditions by actively steering the track wheel on the rail.

A running gear for a rail vehicle includes first and second independent wheel assemblies on opposite sides of a longitudinal vertical median plane of the running gear, each having an independent wheel and a bearing assembly for guiding the wheel about a revolution axis fixed relative to the bearing assembly. In a reference position of the running gear, the revolution axes of the first and second wheel assemblies are coaxial and perpendicular to the longitudinal vertical median plane. The running gear further includes one or more steering actuators for moving the bearing assembly of at least one of the two wheel assemblies away from the reference position in a longitudinal direction parallel to the longitudinal vertical median plane, a wheel flange contact detection unit for detecting a contact between a flange of the wheel with a rail, and a controller for controlling the one or more steering actuators.