Adjustable Wheel Block for Railway Car Transport

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing solutions for securing cars on railway wagons, such as wedges and rotary retaining arms, are laborious and expensive, requiring multiple units and lacking in efficient vertical adjustment to accommodate varying ground clearances.

Innovation Solution

A vertically adjustable wheel block with a fixed part having upside-down U cross-section and movable part with pins that fit into V-shaped gouges, allowing horizontal-vertical movement to adjust the position based on car ground clearance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If multiple wedges are used to secure cars on railway wagons, then the securing effectiveness is improved, but the cost and labor requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecuring effectivenessVSAvoidnumber of wedges

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple wedge functions into a single wheel block device that can simultaneously engage with multiple wheels of a car, replacing the need for multiple separate wedges while maintaining securing effectiveness

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The wheel block is designed as a multi-functional device that can secure different types of vehicles with varying ground clearances through vertical adjustment, replacing multiple specialized securing devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If rotary retaining arms are used for securing vehicles, then the securing capability is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecuring capabilityVSAvoidmechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the essential securing function from the complex rotary arm mechanism, creating a simpler wheel block that achieves the same securing capability through a more straightforward design

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using a complex rotary mechanism to achieve adjustment, the patent inverts the approach by using a simple vertical sliding mechanism with pinned connections that allows the block to be positioned at different heights

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

3Ease of manufacture

If fixed-position wheel blocks are used, then the manufacturing simplicity is improved, but the adaptability to different ground clearances deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidadjustability to ground clearance

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the fixed wheel block into a dynamically adjustable device that can change its vertical position through the sliding mechanism with V-shaped gouges and pins, allowing adaptation to different ground clearances while maintaining manufacturing simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3581457B1Vertically adjustable wheel block for car-carrying railway wagons

Publication Date: 2021.01.27 TATRAVAGONKA AS

Figure 1~2

AI summary

The vertically adjustable wheel block for car-carrying railway wagons contains the fixed part (1), which can be attached to wagon loading surface and which has a shape of upside-down letter U, where gouges (2), of up-side down V letter shape with one arm shorter, are created on the side walls of the fixed part (1), whereby a movable part (3) is located on the fixed part (1), where pins (4), which fit into the gouges (2) of the fixed part 1, are located on the corresponding areas of the movable part (3).