METHOD FOR RADIALLY ALIGNING WHEELSETS OF RAIL VEHICLES

Abstract

The disclosure relates to a method for radially aligning wheelsets of rail vehicles relative to a coordinate system of a wheelset diagnosis tool and/or wheelset machine tool, which method can be implemented quickly with sufficient precision and comprises the following steps: a) positioning the wheelset at a working position of the tool; b) defining a tool-side coordinate system in an assumed wheel centre point of each wheel, where an X-axis adopts a vertical extent, a Y-axis adopts a horizontal extent and a Z-axis describes the resulting depth extent of the wheel; c) measuring the distance of the wheel backs with respect to one another and defining the Z-position=0 on each wheel back; d) defining a unique Z-position for each measuring point; e) positioning each measuring sensor at the specified Z-position; f) measuring the X-position of each measuring point; g) aligning the wheelset by vertically displacing one of the wheels in order to match the X-positions of the measuring points of two wheels.

Claims

1. A method for radially aligning wheelsets of rail vehicles relative to a coordinate system of a wheelset diagnosis tool and/or wheelset machine tool, wherein one wheelset comprises two wheels which are arranged on a common axis with their wheel backs pointing to one another, characterized by the following steps: a) positioning of the wheelset at a working position of the tool; b) defining a tool-side coordinate system in an assumed wheel centre point of each wheel, wherein an X-axis adopts a vertical extent, a Y-axis adopts a horizontal extent and a Z-axis describes the resulting depth extent of the wheel; c) measuring the distance of the wheel backs with respect to one another and defining the Z-position=0 on the respective wheel back; d) defining a unique Z-position for each measuring point; e) positioning respectively one measuring sensor at the specified Z-position; f) measuring the X-position of the respective measuring point; g) aligning the wheelset by vertically displacing one of the wheels in order to synchronize the X-positions of the measuring points of the two wheels.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the Z-position defines a measuring circle plane for a measuring point.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a vertex of a wheel flange dome is being defined as the Z-position.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the higher standing wheel is being lowered in order to synchronize the X-positions of the measuring points of both wheels.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lower standing wheel is being lifted in order synchronize the X-positions of the measuring points of both wheels.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0035] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0036] More advantages and characteristics of the disclosure become apparent from the following description with the aid of the figure. Herein:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a wheelset for explaining the coordinate systems;

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a representation according to FIG. 1 for explaining the first step of the method according to the disclosure;

[0039] FIG. 3 shows a representation with enlarged wheel areas for explaining the next step of the method according to the disclosure;

[0040] FIG. 4 shows a representation according to FIG. 3 for explaining the measuring procedure;

[0041] FIG. 5 shows a representation according to FIG. 3 for explaining the aligning procedure;

[0042] FIG. 6 shows a schematic representation of a rail system and

[0043] FIG. 7 shows a schematic representation of a wheel in different positions.

[0044] Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0046] According to FIG. 1, a wheelset is shown in a purely stylized manner with a left and a right wheel, which are connected to each other through an axis. In each case, a coordinate system is arranged in the intersection point of the axis with the back of the wheel, whereby the Z1 and Z2-axes each define a horizontal direction, X1 and X2 a vertical direction and Y1 and Y2 define a direction which lies in the origin and is also horizontal. The respective zero-value of the Z-axes lies in the respective back of the wheel. The respective zero-value of the X-axes refers to a machine axis MA and lies in the area of the centre of the wheel. Due to the reference to the machine axis MA, both origins of both coordinate systems lie on a horizontal at least virtual axis. Due to the specification of the zero-value on the one hand and the specification of the X- and Z-axes on the other hand, the Y-axis is also unequivocally defined.

[0047] First of all, in a first step according to FIG. 2, the distance between the wheel backs to one another is being defined. In these positions Z1 as well as Z2 are zero.

[0048] According to FIG. 3, in the shown exemplary embodiment, a measuring point is then being defined on the respective wheel flange dome, wherein Za=Zb. This means that both measuring points lie in Z-direction of the respective coordinate system at the same Z-position, therefore Za lies along the Z1-axis at the same position as Zb along the Z2-axis.

[0049] According to FIG. 4, for each of the two measuring points Za and Zb the X-value is then being measured. Therefore, X1 Mess and X2.sub.Mess are being defined. Then the difference between these two is a ΔX.

[0050] According to FIG. 5, the right wheel in the plane of the image is then exemplarily lifted in the X-direction, until the ΔX=0, so until both wheels of the wheelset are aligned.

[0051] The described exemplary embodiment only serves for explanation and is not limiting.

[0052] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but, where applicable, are inter-changeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are to be regarded as a departure from the disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the disclosure.