US2342724A - Multiple-unit train - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 291944. A. H; cANDl-:E

MULTIPLE UNIT TRAIN.

Filed May 15, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 1 JIA Q INVENToR fn/reh/ fandee.

Feb. 29, 1944.

fA. H. cANDl-:E

MULTIPLE UNIT TRAIN Filed May 15, 1941 2 SheeS-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 29o, 1944 ori-lcs- MULTIPLE-UNIT. TRAINvk Y Andrew H. Cantico; Pittsburgh, Pa., assigner-to Westinghousey Electric & Manufacturi'ng-Com f pany,` EastsPittsburgh,

Paz', ai corporaticmv oi.`

Application May 15, 1941, seria'iN. 393,519v

(Chloe-'4) 4. Claims.

My invention relates, generally, to multipl`e` .unit trains and, morev particularly, to. self-'pro- In a great many cases, the` use of locomotives' for hauling passenger trains. imposes economic handicaps upon a railroad, yet .to electrify the road' to permit the. operation of multiple-unit trains, is not always economically.,feasible.v Con-1 sequently, a great, many'Dieselrpoweredand. gasoline-poweredrail carsv are inoperation in this country and Canadaand some off these. are built for multiple operation. However, trainsr off this type, as ,builtv inthe past'A have certain objectionable features, some of which are: i

The mounting of an engine on a` passenger. car body subjectsthat body and the passengers to continuous vibration, sometimes Very annoying to passengers; f v

Repairing or overhaulingthe vengine requires removing the entire car from service, therebyV losing revenue;

t is diicult-to insulate the passenger` compartment against engine noise;

With an operatorscompartment in the. engine room, passage throughthe engine room next car' is difficult for passengersy The` ratio of .revenue space to engine-room space is small;

to the Accordingly, an object of my invention isto y overcome thev foregoing objectionsto selfepro.- pelled rail cars.

A more general object of my yinvention is to provide a self-propelled rail car which shall be simple and'eiiicient in operation and .which Vmay be economically manufacturedr and. installed."y

Another object of my invention is to provide truck. The'thirdsectionis in most cases, :aidu-A" plicate of the first/section in Aa-reverse position.

The second or middle section carriesvalloftthe power plant; equipment, .which is so arranged that free andsafe. passage is.- allowed between the first. and third sections. In a modified` arrangement .onlyf three trucks vare utilized-and the,z iirst and third body sections4 are articulated on -the center truck. The second body section isv mounted over the .articulating center pin and partly `supported-onthe.` other two sections'.

'For -a fuller understanding o f the nature and obiectsof. my; invention,I reference may be had to the `-following detailed;description; taken. in vv.conjunction with the. accompanying, drawingsn which:

Figure l is a plan view partlyzin sectiongfof a rail carembodying. my invention;

Fig.. 2. is a.view,..in side. elevation, ofthe rail car showninFigl;`

Fig. 3v is;a.` reduced View,y in .sideelevation, of a..1nulti'ple.unit. .trainv composed of railk cars. .of thetype showninlFigs. .l and 2; and

Figs. 4,v 5; and 6. are views-similar:to'Figs;.1, 2

and.3` respectively, of.v a. modiiied. formi. of: the

invention.

kReferring; tothe drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1, .2.1 and: 3 each.. unit ofkk a, multiple-unit v traincomprisesfthree' sections, A, B' and;C which arearticulated and carried-onfour trucks, l, 2, 3 and .4. Asfshown, v-the sectionsare articulated over the trucks 2 and;3-. Thus, the truckzZjointly supports the sectionsv Aand.; B,` and thetruck 3 jointly supports the sections B-'andi C- The jtruckA l supports the front.. endl off ther section Aand :the truck 4 supports-y the Nrear-end vof 'the sectionfC.A

The' section/A maybe utilized for revenue vvpur-- poses and lis providedy with afpassengercomparte mentv 5 and. a controlcompartment 6: locatedv at the frontend of thelcarw Likewise', the sectionfC a self-propelled'railjcar suitable for multipleunit operation.

Other objectsof my inventionwillibe explained fullyl hereinafter or will be apparent.` to (those skilled inthe art.

lnA accordancey with my invention, each unit of a self-propelled'multiple-unit train comprises three or more separate body .sectionsarticulated and carried on three or morev trucks. In. one arrangement, the first section is utilized forV revenue purposes, with. motors on the supporting trucks' and a control' station located at the front` end. The opposite end of this revenue section is articulated with the second section on a single may. @be utilized forv revenue purposes, and is? provided' with-a passenger compartment' T andfa control' compartment; Ili'e'section C isa duplicate of thesectiony A reversedy inl position: A contollerdis provided in each one of the con- .vtrol compartments for controlling the operation of'I the-car.- 'Itwill bfe'understood that onlyvthe controller Whichis located 'at` the head of i the car will beut'ilized; and, `'that when two orimore carsare'being operated in multiple; the'. complete trainzrwillbe controlled 4from/the control compartment at the' head end'` of the train.v

All ofy the power plant equipment, ysuch as an engine and. generatorv ,lll anda control panel vIl,

is locatedfin the. intermediate section B..As

shown, the power plant' equipment kis enclosed by a partition I2, thereby providing a passageway I3 through which passengers may pass :from one of the end sections to the other without coming in contact with the power plant equipment.

In orderto 'propelthe car, motorsl' I4 are provided on the trucks I to 4. The motors may be mounted in the trucks in the usual manner. The power for operating the motors is supplied from the engine-generator unit I and is conducted to the motors through cables I5.. Additional cables I6 are provided for connectingthe con-v .v

the intermediate section B is so constructed that the entire body section and the power plant equipment may be removed from the car by lifting the body B from articulating center pins I 3 and I9 on the trucks 2 and 3, respectively.

` Thus, a spare power plant section may be placed in the car and the car kept in service while the repair work is being done on the power plant equipment. It will be understood that one sparev unit which is interchangeable with the power plan-t units on a number of cars will normally enable all of the cars to be kept in revenue service at all times. In this manner the income derived from a predetermined number of cars may be materially increased without greatly increasing the initial cost.

In the modification of the invention shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the three body sections A, B and C are similar to those hereinbefore described. Thus, the sections `A and C are utilized for revenue purposes andthe section B contains the power plant equipment, as previously explained.

.However, only three trucks 2 I, 22 and 23 are Drovided and the bodies A and C are articulated on the center truck 22. The body B isremovably placed over the articulating center pin 24 and is jointly supported by the bodies A, and C. Centering springs` 25 are provided for retaining the body B in alignment with the bodies A and C `while the car is operating on straight track.

Guiding pins 26 and cooperating slots 2l are 4provided to ,permit the articulated unit topass p around curves.

As explained hereinbefore, the entire body section B, including the power plant equipment, may be readily removed from the car, and a spare unit placed in service, while the equipment is being repaired, thereby avoiding removing the entire car fromservice. motors 28 provided on4 the end trucks' 2I andv 23, no motor being provided on the center truck 22. Control compartments 6 and 8, similar to those previously described, are provided at the ends of the car. The usual controllers 9 are provided for controlling the operation ofthe motors. y

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that I have provided an articulated rail car of the Diesel or other self-propelled type which is particularly suitable for multiple-unit operation, and which has numerous advantages over cars of previously known types. Thus, by locating all of the power plant equipment in a removable body 'section which is entirely independent of the revenue body'sections, the power plant body may be readily removed in case it is necessary The car is propelled by to repair the equipment. Furthermore, the revenue sections are not subjected to noise and vibration from the power plant equipment. Also, a convenient passageway is provided which enables passengers to pass between the passenger compartments.

I do not desire to be restricted to the particular form or arrangement of parts herein shown and described, since it is evident that they may be changed and modified without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as dened K in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An articulated rail car comprising, revenue body sections disposed at the ends thereof, a power generating body section disposed between the revenue sections, an articulated frame for supporting the body sections, a power generating unit disposed in the power generating body section, said power generating body section and said Apower generating unit being jointly removable from the frame, and a longitudinal partition in the power vgenerating body section to provide a free passageway between the revenue body sections.

2. An articulated rail car comprising, revenue body sections disposed at the ends thereof, a power generating body section disposed between the revenue sections, an articulated frame for supporting the body sections, a power generating unit disposed in the power generating body section, said power generating body section and said power generating unit being jointly removable from the frame, a. supporting truck disposed at each end of the car, propelling motors in said trucks, additional trucks for jointly supporting said articulated frame, and a longitudinal partition in the power generating body section to provide a free passageway between the revenue body sections.

3. An articulated rail car comprising, revenue body sections disposed at the ends thereof, a power generating body section disposed between the revenue sections, an articulated frame for supporting the body sections, a power generating unit disposed in the power generating body section, said power generating body section and said power generating unit being jointly removable from the frame, a supporting truck disposed at each end of the car, additional trucks for jointly supporting said articulated frame, propelling motors in said trucks, a control station disposed in each revenue section, and a longitudinal partition in the power generating body section to provide a free passageway between the revenue body sections.

4. An articulated rail car comprising, end sections witli an intermediate section disposed between said end sections, a power generating unit disposed in the intermediate section, an articulated frame for supporting said sections, said intermediate section and said power generating unit being jointly removable from the frame, a truck disposed between each .end section and the intermediate section for jointly supporting said sections, an additional truck under each end section for independently supporting the end section, propelling motors in the independent trucks, and a longitudinal partition in the intermediate section to provide a free passageway between the end sections.

ANDREW H. CANDEE.

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