SPRING DEVICE FOR A SPRING-ELASTIC MOUNTING OF VEHICLE PART STUDS, IN PARTICULAR OF WHEEL AXLES IN TURNTABLES

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a roller spring comprising a spring housing, a spring mandrel and at least one elastomer ring, wherein an annular gap is formed between the spring housing and the spring mandrel, with the gap walls of which a raceway is formed which accommodates the elastomer ring in an axially movable manner.

[0002] Such roller springs are particularly well known in rail vehicle technology, where they are used for the spring-elastic mounting of wheel axles running in bogies, bogies hinged to vehicle frames, or car bodies mounted on vehicle frames. When axial forces are applied to the roller spring, the elastomer ring rolls up and down in its track, with the spring characteristic dependent on the rolling contours formed on the gap walls of the annular gap. Assembly of the roller spring requires a complex process of pressing the elastomer ring into the spring housing. Pressing takes place in special devices designed specifically for this application. As with other springs, the service life of the roller spring is determined by the spring element itself, in this case the elastomer ring. For this reason, the elastomer ring is designed as a replaceable wearing part.Installing a new elastomer ring therefore requires the manufacturer's special equipment. Consequently, the roller spring must be removed and shipped to the manufacturer to have its elastomer ring replaced. After the elastomer ring has been successfully replaced, the roller spring is returned and reinstalled. Due to the high weight of a single roller spring, removal, shipping, and reinstallation represent a disadvantageously large portion of the total cost of replacing the elastomer ring.

[0003] From document EP 0 396 161 A1, rolling springs are also known in which the rubber ring is arranged under prestress between an outer ring and an inner ring, so that these parts form an exchangeable spring element, and in which the outer diameter of the outer ring and the inner diameter of the inner ring are dimensioned such that the spring element is inserted with a clearance, transition or interference fit between the spring housing and the spring mandrel.

[0004] The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a roller spring of the type mentioned at the outset in which the replacement of its elastomer ring is significantly simplified.

[0005] This object is achieved according to the invention by a roller spring having the features of patent claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

[0006] The rolling spring according to the invention is characterized in that the spring housing has a housing base and a housing part that can be removed from the housing base via a detachable connection, and in that at least that end of the track in which the elastomer ring has its stable starting position is located in the housing part. To replace its elastomer ring, the rolling spring according to the invention advantageously allows handling of only a part of the rolling spring, namely the removable housing part that accommodates the elastomer ring when the rolling spring is unloaded. With the exception of that end of the track in which the elastomer ring has its stable starting position, the predominant section of the track is located in the housing base, into which the elastomer ring rolls when the rolling spring is subjected to axial load, where it creates the springing effect.The housing base of the spring housing can advantageously remain installed in its technical structure when replacing the elastomer ring, for example, in a rail vehicle bogie. Consequently, the removable housing section creates a lightweight assembly, significantly simplifying the removal, shipping, and reinstallation required for replacing the elastomer ring.

[0007] According to the invention, only the elastomer ring and the removable housing part are pressed together to form a replaceable unit. The pressing process generates a preload that binds the elastomer ring to a predetermined movement pattern with a predetermined spring core line throughout its entire service life. Within the scope of the invention, the pressing of the removable housing part with the elastomer ring involves connecting these components while maintaining predetermined spatial positions relative to one another.

[0008] Preferably, the detachable connection between the housing base and the removable housing part is a screw connection. However, the detachable connection can also be implemented as a bayonet lock, a clamp lock, a rivet connection, a spring pin connection, or a snap-in connection.

[0009] According to another embodiment of the invention, the spring pin has a stop on the spring housing that limits its spring travel. This stop prevents accidental separation of the spring housing and spring pin, for example, during lifting, particularly when lifting a vehicle with a rolling spring chassis by crane. However, replacing the elastomer ring requires prior removal of the stop.

[0010] The stop preferably has at least one stop surface formed on the housing base. However, it is fundamentally within the scope of the invention to design the stop surface on the removable housing part in such a way that the production and release of the stop is functionally already achieved with the joining and separating of the housing base and the removable housing part. The stop is preferably formed by a housing opening accommodating the spring pin in the removable housing part, from which opening the spring pin can only be moved towards the housing interior when the spring housing is open. In such a design, the stop structure interacting with the removable housing part is formed either by the spring pin or directly by the elastomer ring.

[0011] According to a particularly advantageous development of the invention, the removable housing part has a transport lock that holds the elastomer ring on the exchange unit in its stable starting position. This advantageously prevents the elastomer ring from inadvertently rolling out of the removable housing part over the open end of its track and thus leaving its calibrated starting position.

[0012] An embodiment of the invention, from which further inventive features emerge, is illustrated in the drawing. They show: Figure 1: a side view of the rolling spring according to the invention in full section; and Figure 2: a full section side view of an exchange unit, starting from a rolling spring according to Figure 1 .

[0013] The Figure 1shows the roller spring according to the invention, consisting of a spring housing 1, a spring mandrel 2, and an elastomer ring 3. An annular gap is formed between the spring housing 1 and the spring mandrel 2, with the gap walls 4, 5 of which an axially movable raceway 6 is formed, which receives the elastomer ring 3. The spring housing 1 has a housing base 7 and a housing part 9 that can be removed from the housing base 7 via a screw connection 8, in which the end of the raceway 6 is located, in which the elastomer ring 3 has its stable starting position. The elastomer ring 3 and the removable housing part 9 are pressed together to form a replaceable unit 10.To secure these components in their compression, the spring mandrel 2 has a stop 11 on the spring housing 1 that limits its spring travel. The stop 11 is composed of a conical stop surface 12 on the housing base 7 and a likewise conical stop surface 14 on a spring mandrel attachment 13. To remove the exchange unit, the spring mandrel attachment 13 is releasably held on the freely swinging end of the spring mandrel 2 by a screw connection 15. With its end opposite the freely swinging end, the spring mandrel 2 is firmly connected to a bogie 17 of a rail vehicle via a screw connection 16.

[0014] The Figure 2 shows the coil spring according to Fig. 1 removed exchange unit 10 with its unscrewed housing part 9 and with its elastomer ring 3 pressed into the unscrewed housing part 9.

Claims

1. Roll spring made of a spring housing (1), a spring mandrel (2) and at least one elastomer ring (3), an annular gap being formed between the spring housing (1) and the spring mandrel (2), the gap walls (4, 5) of which form a raceway (6) accommodating the elastomer ring (3) in an axially movable way, and the spring housing (1) having a housing base (7) and a housing part (9) which is removable from the housing base (7) via a detachable connection, wherein at least that track end of the raceway (6) is located in the housing part (9) in which the elastomer ring (3) has its initial stable position, characterized in that only the elastomer ring (3) and the removable housing part (9) are compressed together into an exchangeable unit (10).

2. Roll spring according to claim 1, characterized in that the detachable connection between the housing base (7) and the removable part (9) is designed as a screw connection (8).

3. Roll spring according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that spring mandrel (2) has a stop (11) limiting its travel in the spring housing (1).

4. Roll spring according to claim 3, characterized in that the stop has at least one stop surface (12) formed on the housing base (7).

5. Roll spring according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the removable housing part (9) has a transport securing device holding the elastomer ring (3) on the exchangeable unit (10) in its initial stable position.