Multi-Part Railway Wheel for a Railway Vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a multi-part railway wheel for a railway vehicle, having a wheel tire, having an inner wheel part, having at least one elastic body arranged between the wheel tire and the inner wheel part, which body acts for electrical insulation, by way of which body the wheel tire is supported on the inner wheel part, and having a current bridge that is mounted on an outside end face of the railway wheel which bridge comprises a first contact element that consists of an electrically conductive material and lies against the wheel tire with a contact surface, a second contact element that consists of an electrically conductive material and lies against the inner wheel part with its contact surface and an electrical conductor that connects the contact elements. The inner wheel part consists of a light-metal material, at least in the region in which the contact element of the current bridge, which is assigned to the inner wheel part, lies against the inner wheel part with its contact surface. In order to prevent the risk of the formation of contact corrosion at a contact location, at which a contact element of the current bridge lies against a section of the inner wheel part that consists of a light-metal material, in the case of such a railway wheel, using simple means, the invention proposes forming the contact surface of the contact element that lies against the inner wheel part on a section of the contact element that consists of corrosion-resistant, electrically conductive steel material.

Claims

1. A multi-part railway wheel for a railway vehicle, having a wheel tire, having an inner wheel part, having at least one elastic body arranged between the wheel tire and the inner wheel part, which body acts for electrical insulation, by way of which body the wheel tire is supported on the inner wheel part and having a current bridge mounted on an outer end face of the railway wheel, which bridge comprises a first contact element that consists of an electrically conductive material and lies against the wheel tire with a contact surface, a second contact element that consists of an electrically conductive material and lies against the inner wheel part its contact surface, and an electrical conductor that connects the contact elements wherein the inner wheel part consists of a light-metal material at least in the region in which the contact element of the current bridge that is assigned to the inner wheel part lies against the inner wheel part with its contact surface wherein the contact surface of the contact element that lies against the inner wheel part is formed on a section of the contact element, which section consists of a corrosion-resistant, electrically conductive steel material.

2. The railway wheel according to claim 1, wherein the contact element that lies against the inner wheel part consists entirely of the corrosion-resistant, electrically conductive steel material.

3. The railway wheel according to claim 1, wherein the contact element that lies against the inner wheel part with its contact surface composed of at least two sections, of which the one section is a connection section, by way of which the contact element is connected with the electrical conductor and of which the other section is a contact section consisting of the corrosion-resistant steel material, which section is connected with the connection section in an electrically conductive manner, and on which section the contact surface that lies against the inner wheel part is formed.

4. The railway wheel according to claim 3, wherein the connection section consists of a material that possesses greater electrical conductivity than the contact section that consists of the corrosion-resistant steel.

5. The railway wheel according to claim 3, wherein the connection section coated with the contact section on a side assigned to the inner wheel part.

6. The railway wheel according to claim 3, where the connection section the contact section are firmly connected with one another by means of shape fit, which is optionally supplemented with force fit.

7. The railway wheel according to claim 3, wherein a passage opening is formed in the connection section, and that the contact section has a sleeve section formed in the manner of a sleeve, which sits in the passage opening of the connection section, through which section a fastening element is passed, for fastening the contact element of the current bridge that is assigned to the inner wheel part to the inner wheel part.

8. The railway wheel according to claim 3, wherein the contact section encases the connection section at least in certain sections.

9. The railway wheel according to claim 3, wherein the connection section consists of a copper material.

10. The railway wheel according to claim 1, wherein the corrosion-resistant steel of which the section of the contact element of the current bridge consists, which section has the contact surface assigned to the inner wheel part, has a Cr content of at least 16.5 wt.-% and a Mo content of at least 2.0 wt.-%.

11. The railway wheel according to claim 1, wherein the contact element that lies against the wheel tire consists, in its entirety, of a material that possesses greater electrical conductivity than the rust-resistant steel of which the section of the contact element assigned to the inner wheel part consists, which section has the contact surface.

12. The railway wheel according to claim 1, wherein at least the contact element that lies against the inner wheel part is coated, at least in the region of its contact surface, with an electrically conductive coating that protects against corrosion.

13. The railway wheel according to claim 12, wherein the coating consists of a metallic material.

14. The railway wheel according to claim 13, wherein the coating formed from a zinc material.

15. The railway wheel according to claim 1, wherein the inner wheel part consists of an aluminum material, a magnesium material or a titanium material in the region in which the assigned contact element of the current bridge against it.

16. The railway wheel according to claim 1, wherein the inner wheel part is composed of multiple parts, of which at least the part at which the assigned contact element of the current bridge lies against the inner wheel part consists of a light-metal material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] In the following, the invention will be explained in greater detail using a drawing that represents an exemplary embodiment. The figures show, schematically in each instance:

[0049] FIG. 1 a cut-out of a multi-part railway wheel in a frontal view;

[0050] FIG. 2 the railway wheel according to FIG. 1 in a section along the section line X-X drawn in FIG. 1;

[0051] FIG. 3 a first variant of a current bridge in the non-installed state, in a side view;

[0052] FIG. 4 a cut-out of the current bridge according to FIG. 3 in an enlarged view, partly in section;

[0053] FIG. 5 the current bridge according to FIGS. 3 and 4 in the state preformed for installation;

[0054] FIG. 6 a second variant of a current bridge in the non-installed state, in a side view;

[0055] FIG. 7 a cut-out of the current bridge according to FIG. 6 in an enlarged view, partly in section;

[0056] FIG. 8 the current bridge according to FIGS. 6 and 7 in a frontal view;

[0057] FIG. 9 a cut-out of an alternative embodiment of a current bridge in a view corresponding to FIG. 7;

[0058] FIG. 10 the current bridge according to FIG. 9 in a frontal view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0059] The railway wheel 1, only a quarter of which is shown in FIG. 1, comprises an inner wheel part 2, which is composed, in a known manner, of a wheel rim 3 and a clamping ring 4. The wheel rim 3 is produced from an aluminum material that is known for this purpose, whereas the clamping ring 4 can consist of material having greater strength, which is also known for this purpose.

[0060] The railway wheel 1 furthermore comprises a ring-shaped elastic body 5, which is arranged on the outside circumference of the wheel rim 3 of the inner wheel part 2, a wheel tire 6 that sits on the elastic body 5 with its inside circumference surface and, in this manner, is elastically supported on the wheel rim 3 of the inner wheel part 2 in the radial direction of the railway wheel 1. In this regard, the clamping ring 4 is braced against the wheel rim 3 of the inner wheel part 2 and the elastic body 5, in the axial direction, from the direction of an end face 7 of the railway wheel 1, by means of tensioning screws. Since the elastic body 5 is simultaneously supported on its side that lies opposite the clamping ring 4, on a circumferential step 3a of the wheel rim 3 of the inner wheel part 2, the pressure between the elastic body 5, on the one hand, and the wheel tire 6 as well as the wheel rim 3 of the inner wheel part 2, on the other hand, increases with increasing axial bracing of the clamping ring 4.

[0061] A current bridge 8 is fastened on at the end face 7 of the railway wheel 1, which bridge electrically connects the wheel tire 6, which consists of a suitable high-strength steel material, with the wheel rim 3 of the inner wheel part 2, which consists of an aluminum material.

[0062] For this purpose, the current bridge 8 comprises a first contact element 9, which consists of a copper material known for this purpose, which element is configured, in a conventional manner, in one piece, in the manner of a standard cable shoe, and has a contact surface 10 on its flat side, with which it lies against the assigned end face of the wheel tire 6. A standard screw is passed through the passage opening introduced into the contact element 9, in a known manner, which screw is screwed into a threaded bore formed in the wheel tire 6, which bore cannot be seen here.

[0063] The first contact element 9 of the current bridge 8 is firmly coupled, in a known manner and in an electrically conductive manner, with the end of a stranded copper wire 12 that serves as an electrical conductor 11 of the current bridge 8, which wire is shielded with regard to the surroundings U of the current bridge 8, with a sufficiently thick insulation layer 13.

[0064] A second contact element 14 is connected at the other end of the stranded copper wire 12 of the electrical conductor 11, by way of which wire the electrical contact to the wheel rim 3 of the inner wheel part 2 is produced. According to the invention, this second contact element 14, which is assigned to the inner wheel part 2, also has a connection section 15 that corresponds to a conventional, standardized cable shoe, in terms of its outer and functional design, which section possesses a connection region 16 against which the assigned end of the stranded copper wire 12 lies, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, a tongue-like projection 17 that is directed away from the stranded copper wire 12. A passage opening that leads from its top side to its underside is formed in this projection, through which opening a fastening screw for fastening the second contact element 14 to the inner wheel part 2 can be passed during use.

[0065] In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the second contact element 14 that is assigned to the inner wheel part 2 is produced in one piece, for example by means of forging, from a rust-resistant steel. In this regard, the projection 17 forms the section that consists of the non-rusting material, with the planar contact surface formed on its underside, on which, according to the invention, the contact surface 17′ is formed, with which the second contact element 14 lies against the assigned surface of the section of the inner wheel part 2 consisting of light-metal material during use.

[0066] In the variants of the current bridge 8 shown in FIGS. 5-10, in contrast, the second contact element 14, which is assigned to the inner wheel part 2, is composed of two sections. Thus, here the projection 17 of the second contact element 14, like the first contact element 9, consists of an electrically highly conductive copper material.

[0067] In the variant shown in FIGS. 5-8, a passage opening 20 is formed in the projection 17 of the second contact element 14, also leading from its top side 18 to its underside 19, which is configured to be planar, which opening widens in funnel shape, proceeding from its mouth region that is assigned to the underside 19, in the direction of the top side 18 of the projection 17.

[0068] A contact section 21, produced separately from the connection section 15, from a rust-resistant steel material, lies against the underside 19. In this regard, the contact section 21 is formed in the manner of a washer disk or washer plate, with a thickness of 1 mm, for example, in such a manner that it completely covers the underside 19 of the projection 17 of the connection section 15, which underside is configured to be planar.

[0069] On its top side assigned to the underside 19 of the connection section 15, the contact section 21 carries a sleeve section 22 produced in one piece with it, which section has been pushed into the passage opening 20 of the connection section 15 and subsequently pressed into the passage opening 20 in such a manner that the passage opening 20 is filled with material of the contact section 21, and only the cylindrical passage opening 23, which is surrounded by the sleeve section 22, remains. Due to the pressing, on the one hand, and the undercut formed in the region of the passage opening 20 of the connection section 15, which widens in funnel shape, on the other hand, the contact section 21 is held firmly on the connection section 15, with shape fit and force fit, so that an electrically perfect connection is produced between the sections 15 and 21 of the contact element 14.

[0070] On the free underside of its contact section 21 that consists of corrosion-resistant steel material, the contact element 14 has a contact surface 24, with which it lies flat, during use, against the assigned end face 7 of the wheel rim 3 of the railway wheel 1, which consists of an aluminum material.

[0071] A conventional, standardized screw is inserted through the passage opening 23 of the contact section 14 in the finished, assembled state, which screw is screwed into a threaded bore provided for fixation of the contact element 14 on the assigned contact surface, on the end face 7 of the wheel rim 3 of the inner wheel part 2, which bore cannot be seen here.

[0072] In the variant shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, in contrast to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-8, a contact section 30 that was also separately prefabricated, but here formed in the manner of a sleeve, has been pushed on around the projection 17 of the second contact element 14 of the current bridge 8 assigned to the wheel rim 3 of the inner wheel part 2, and pressed on in such a manner that during use, on the one hand, a planar contact surface 31 is also present on the underside of the contact element 14, with which the contact element 14 lies flat against the assigned end face 7 of the wheel rim 3 of the railway wheel 1 that consists of aluminum material, and on the other hand the projection 17 is covered by the contact section 30.

[0073] A passage opening 32 passes through the contact section 30 and the projection 17. A conventional, standardized screw is inserted through the passage opening 32, which screw is screwed into a threaded bore provided for fixation of the contact element 14 on the assigned contact surface on the end face 7 of the wheel rim 3 of the inner wheel part 2, which bore cannot be seen here.

[0074] For optimization of the protection against the formation of corrosion in the region in which the corresponding first contact element 9, with its contact surface 10, and the corresponding second contact element 14, with its corresponding contact surface 17′, 24, 31, lies flat against the assigned end face 7, the contact surfaces 10, 17′, 24, 31, as indicated in FIGS. 7 and 8, in each instance, can be covered with a zinc coating Z.

REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0075] 1 railway wheel [0076] 2 inner wheel part [0077] 3 wheel rim (region against which the contact element 14 lies) [0078] 3a circumferential step of the wheel rim 3 [0079] 4 clamping ring [0080] 5 elastic body [0081] 6 wheel tire [0082] 7 end face of the railway wheel 1, of its wheel tire 6, as well as of its wheel rim 3 [0083] 8 current bridge [0084] 9 contact element of the current bridge 8 assigned to the wheel tire 6 [0085] 10 contact surface of the contact element 9 [0086] 11 electrical conductor of the current bridge 8 [0087] 12 stranded copper wire of the electrical conductor 11 [0088] 13 insulation layer of the electrical conductor 11 [0089] 14 second contact element assigned to the wheel rim 3 of the inner wheel part 2 [0090] 15 connection section of the contact element 14 [0091] 16 connector region of the connection section 15 [0092] 17 projection of the connection section 15 [0093] 17′ contact surface of the contact element 14 (FIGS. 3, 4) [0094] 18 top side of the projection 17 [0095] 19 underside of the projection 17 [0096] 20 funnel-shaped passage opening of the projection 17 [0097] 21 contact section of the contact element 14 [0098] 22 sleeve section of the contact section 21 [0099] 23 passage opening of the contact element 14 [0100] 24 contact surface of the contact element 14 (FIGS. 5-8) [0101] 30 contact section [0102] 31 contact surface of the contact section 30 (FIGS. 9, 10) [0103] 32 passage opening [0104] U surroundings of the current bridge 8 [0105] Z zinc coating