Europaisches Patentamt | | | | 1 1| | | | | ||| 1 1 1|| 1 1| 1 1 1|

(19) J European Patent Office

Office europeen des brevets (11) EP 0 736 435 A2

(12) E U R O P E A N PATENT A P P L I C A T I O N

(43) Date of publication:

ation: (51) Int. CI.6: B61 D 3/18, B61F1/10
09.10.1996 Bulletin 1996/41

(21) Application number: 96830189.5

(22) Date of filing: 04.04.1996

(84) Designated Contracting States: • Giordani, Claudio

AT CH DE ES FR GB IT LI 001 25 Roma (IT)

(30) Priority: 07.04.1995 IT RM950224 (72) Inventors:

• Gentili, Roberto
(71) Applicants: 001 25 Roma (IT)
• Gentili, Roberto • Giordani, Claudio
001 25 Roma (IT) 001 25 Roma (IT)

(54) Mobile headstock for bi-modal rail/road wagon

(57) The mobile headstock (1) for a bimodal rail and
road vehicle, equipped with rail type draw (4) and buff-
ing (3) gears and with guide slides (5), permitting it to
slide on a horizontal level inside the vehicle frame (7),
make it possible for the vehicle to use, in the rail posi-
tion, the above-mentioned draw and buffing gears. It is
also possible to retract them inside the underframe (7),
in the road position. In order to be locked, in the relative
road and rail positions, the mobile headstock (1) is
equipped with two rear bars (6) which, through the
action of two locking devices (10), make it an integral
part with the frame (7) of the bimodal vehicle.

Fig. 6

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 1 EP 0 736 435 A2
Description
The invention consists of the headstock of a bimo-
dal rail and road vehicle, provided with a rail type draw
and buffing gears, which can retract in the vehicle's s way as an ordinary headstock (which in railway termi-
underframe, and with a device locking the headstock to
the vehicle's underframe.
Nowadays intermodal systems are used for trans-
port of goods by rail and road.
These systems, by means of standard units of load 10 be retractable so that they do not interfere with manoeu-
(containers), ensure efficient performances of the rail
and road vehicles expressly designed for this special
purpose. Research and experiments have been carried
out for some years in order to develop new techniques
with the aim of integrating the railway wagon and the 15 draw end buffing gears, can slide in a horizontal plane,
road vehicle into a single vehicle, so that the transfer of
goods would not be necessary.
These new techniques are well-known as bimodal
techniques or systems and the respective vehicles are
generally defined as bimodal vehicles.
At present there are two bimodal techniques:
1.the ROAD-RAILER system (called after the name
of the firm which developed it in the United States);
2.the attached system which is still in the course of
being developed and for which a patent was applied
for in Italy - application No. RM93 A 000615 Sep-
tember 13 1993.
The ROAD-RAILER system consists of special
semi-trailers (derived from the standard road semi-trail-
ers) whose ends are put on special railway bogies in
order to run on the rails.
To understand the present situation of this tech-
nique, see figures No. 1, a) to e), which illustrate the
sequence of position changes of the ROAD-RAILER
system, that is, from the road position to the rail posi-
tion.
The particular configuration in the railway position
of the ROAD-RAILER system, however, creates an
extremely stiff convoy, both in relation to the capacity to
adapt to dynamic stress, while the train is moving, and
in relation to ordinary shunting works which the railway
vehicles are subjected to.
These reasons, together with others of a technical
and handling nature, are still obstructing the ROAD-
RAILER system from being accepted according to the
opinion of the COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES - Directorate General for Transport in
DOC.EURET-410-94 DG VII-A-4 - September 1994 on
pages 22 - 26.
The other bimodal system, previously mentioned,
consists of a vehicle which can be used either with rail-
way bogies or with road bogies.
Also in this case, for a better understanding of this
system, see figure No. 2, f) to m), which explain the
sequence of position changes from the rail position to
the road position. Note that, unlike the ROAD-RAILER
system, the position of the railway bogies, in compari-
2
son with the underframe, is the typical position of ordi-
nary rolling stocks. This leaves the vehicle ends free. In
this way each of these ends can be equipped with con-
ventional railway draw and buffing gears, in the same
nology is the end of the underframe of rolling stocks).
This vehicle then assumes a form of an ordinary rolling
stock.
The above-mentioned draw and buffing gears must
vrability and the good working order of the vehicle in the
road position.
The present invention, a mobile headstock, fulfills
this necessity. The mobile headstock, provided with
in the vehicle's frame along its longitudinal axle, by
means of special guide bars. In this way the mobile
headstock can assume two different positions:
20 the forward position
the backward position.
When the headstock is in the forward position (in
the railway position) the draw and buffing gears are
25 functional. In the same way when the headstock is in the
backward position (in the road position) the draw and
buffing gears will be kept within the maximum length
allowed for semi-trailers and they will not obstruct the
regular use of the semi-trailer.
30 In both positions, the mobile headstock will be
locked to the vehicle frame by means of two identical
locking devices which will act on the two bars fixed to
the headstock.
Each of these locking devices is composed of a
35 rotary bushing permanently screwed on the inside of a
coupling sleeve, by means of threads. The coupling
sleeve is fixed on the inside of the main cross bearer of
the vehicle frame.
On the inside, the rotary bushing is drilled and
40 threaded lengthwise. The threads, however, are not on
the overall circumference of the bushing's hole, but only
on some land longitudinal sectors which alternate, in
number, with some void longitudinal sectors. The land
longitudinal sectors have the same angular measure as
45 the void longitudinal sectors.
The bar runs through the hole of the bushing. Along
part of its length, congruous with the position ranges of
the mobile headstock, it has a twin thread compared to
the one thread of the bushing's hole.
so A fraction of a turn of the rotary bushing, equal to
the angular measure of the void and land sectors, will
bring the land sectors of the bushing's hole in front of
the land sectors of the bar, thus screwing the respective
threads. In this case the bar will not slide inside the
55 bushing's hole. This will prevent the mobile headstock
from moving away from the vehicle's underframe and
will therefore lock it. On the other hand, when the land
sectors are in front of the void sectors, the bar will be
2
 3 EP 0 736 435 A2
free to slide inside the bushing's hole. Now the head-
stock will be free to slide into the vehicle's underframe.
The necessary force for the sliding of the bars, and
consequently of the headstock, is produced by two
hydraulic rams, one for each bar. The hydraulic ram acts
on the bar by means of a fork which transmitts both a
thrust and draw action on the bar. Moreover, this fork
controls the rotation of the bushing and its safety catch,
by means of poppet balls, in order to prevent accidental
rotations. This fork is provided with an ordinary escape-
ment system, which acts on two fixed points of the vehi-
cle's underframe, and which predisposes the fork's
thrust or draw action on the bar.
Figure 3 represents the mobile headstock seen in
perspective. The mobile headstock (1 ) consists of a par-
allelepiped frame (2) made of the most appropriate
materials and with the most appropriate manufacturing
processes, so that they can take the stress prescribed
by homologation regulations which rolling stocks are
subjected to. On the fore part of the headstock (1) the
buffers (3) and the coupling hook (4) are placed. On the
sides it is equipped with special guide bars (5) which are
interface the grooves (8) on the inner part, of the side
sills of the frame (7). These allow the headstock to slide
lengthwise. On the rear part two bars (6) are fixed,
which permitt the locking of the headstock, either in the
forward position or the backward position. The locking
occurs by means of the locking devices which are inside
the main cross bearer (9) of the frame (7).
Figure 4 represents in perspective the mobile head-
stock (1) in the forward position, in the vehicle's frame
(7). This is the railway position.
Figure 5 represents in perspective the mobile head-
stock (1) in the backward position, in the vehicle's frame
(7). This is the road position.
Figure 6 represents, in the railway position, the
mobile headstock (1), part of the vehicle frame (7), the
hydraulic rams (16), seen in the plane level, the locking
devices in longitudinal section.
Figure 7 represents the same elements as figure 6
in the road position.
Figure 8 represents in longitudinal section the lock-
ing device (10) which is composed of:
the coupling sleeve (11) integral with the
frame.which has a longitudinal threaded hole for
screwing; the body of the coupling sleeve which has
two transversal holes for the passage and move-
ment of the balls (22); and two slots from which the
cylindrical pins (1 3) of the rotary bushing (1 2) come
out. The angular measure of these slots in congru-
ous with the angular measure of the land threaded
sectors of the rotary bushing (12).
The rotary bushing (12) which is threaded on the
outside and screwed to the coupling sleeve (11).
On the inside the bushing is drilled lengthwise and
has longitudinal threaded sectors, so that on the
inner circumference of the bushing's hole.land
threaded sectors alternate with void sectors. The
4
land and void sectors have the same angular meas-
ure. On the outer part of the rotary bushing there
are two opposite cylindrical pins (13) which come
out of the coupling sleeve (1 1), by means of the two
s slots machined in the body of the coupling sleeve.
Moreover, on the outer body of the rotary bushing
there are two hemispheric notches which can hold
part of the balls (22) locking the rotary bushing to
the coupling sleeve (1 1).
u The end of the bar (6) of the mobile headstock (1).
This end of the bar is threaded on the outside, in the
same way as the inner hole of the rotary bushing
(12), for a length congruous with the position
ranges of the mobile headstock. It is splined in this
n
15 hole. The final part of the bar is smooth; on the
inside there is a cylindrical axial blind hole which
contains the clamping and unclamping block (18),
the spring (19), the spring (20) and two cylindrical
transversal holes holding the balls (21) which lock
2t
20 the fork (1 4) to the bar. The axial hole is closed with
a plug (17).
The clamping and unclamping block (18) which is
provided with an appendix. The appendix comes
out at the side of the bar (6) by means of a slot
2t
25 machined in it, and can temporarily buck two juts
(one for each direction of the action) fixed on the
vehicle's frame (7). An ordinary escapement mech-
anism annulls the bucking action between the
appendix and the jut when this bucking action fin-
3<
30 ishes.
In order to avoid an excessive complication in the
drawing, the details relative to the appendix of the block
and to the escapement mechanism have been omitted.
3t
35
the control fork (14) which is splined on the final
smooth part of the bar (6). The two tines (15) of the
fork have a longitudinal spline suitably shaped
lengthwise. These splines receive the ends of the
4t
40 cylindrical pins (13). In the rear part of the fork the
end of a hydraulic ram (16) is splined in a fixed posi-
tion. The other end of the hydraulic ram is fixed to
the frame (7) of the vehicle. Moreover, on the inside
of the fork, in the part which slips on the bar (6),
«
45 there are two hemispheric notches which can hold
part of the balls (21) locking the fork to the bar (6).
Figure 9 represents the cross section (W-W), indi-
cated in figure 8, concerning the locking device (10). In
st this section one can see the land threaded sectors of
50
the rotary bushing (12) which screw to the land
threaded sectors of the bar (6). In this case the bar is
locked. Moreover, in this section it can be seen that the
cylindrical pins (13) of the rotary bushing (12) are inter-
st cepted by the shaped splines on the tines (15) of the
control fork.
From figure 10 to figure 17 the sequence of the
action of the locking device (10) is illustrated.
Figure 10;
3
 5 EP 0 736 35 A2
736 435 6

The headstock (1) is in the forward position. The Figure 17;

bar is integral with the coupling sleeve (11) by
means of the roary bushing (12) whose land
threaded sectors are screwed to the respective land
threaded sectors of the bar. The rotating motion of 5
the bushing is prevented by the balls (22) which are
held inside the hemispheric notches machined in
the bushing, by the tines (15) of the fork (14).
Figure 11;
Operating the hydraulic ram (16) the fork (14)
moves backwards thus freeing the balls (22). Now
the bushing can rotate.
Figure 12;
Still moving backwards, the flow of the shaping of
the splines placed on the tines (15) of the fork (14)
will allow the bushing to rotate by means of the 20 the bushing.
cylindrical pins. Moreover the hemispheric notches
placed in the fork (14) will be in front of the balls
(21), which, when pushed by the inclined planes of
the block (18), which is pushed by the spring (19),
will go into the hemispheric notches. Now the land 25
threaded sectors of the bushing (12) will not be
screwed any longer to the land threaded sectors of
the bar. The bar will no longer be clamped to the
coupling sleeve (11), but it will be clamped to the
fork by means of the balls (21).
Figure 13;
Still moving backwards, the fork (1 4) will draw the
bar (6) and consequently the headstock (1).
Moving the fork a little further backwards, the balls
(22) will be pushed by the tines (15), into the hemi-
spheric notches of the bushing (12) thus locking the
fork to the coupling sleeve (11). At this point the
hydraulic ram (16) has finished its action. The outer
appendix of the block (18), under the action of the
escapement mechanism, will no longer buck the jut
10 of the frame (7). The block pushed by the spring
(20) will be capable of pushing the balls (21) again.
The balls, then, will be able to connect the fork (14)
to the bar (6), this time moving the headstock (1)
forward.
15
Figures 18-19-20 illustrate in cross-section, the
locking device (10) during the rotation of the bushing
(12). The rotation is provoked by the action of the
splines of the tines (15), on the cylindrical pins (13) of
Claims
1. The mobile headstock (1) for a bimodal rail and
road vehicle, is composed of a parallelepiped body
(2), equipped with rail type draw (4) and buffing (3)
gears, in the fore part. The parallelepiped body (2)
is provided with two guide bars (5) at the side,
which allow it to slide along two guide splines (8)
30 which are inside the side sills of the vehicle frame
(7). The sliding occurs in a horizontal plane along
the longitudinal axle of the vehicle. The mobile
headstock (1) is equipped, in the rear part, with two
bars in order to lock the headstock to the vehicle
35 frame (7) by means of two locking devices (10).

Figure 14 and 15;
Still moving backwards, the bar (6), the fork (14),
and the outer appendix of the block (1 8) will buck a 40
jut of the frame (7). Then the block will stop its
stroke. Its minor section will be in front of the balls
(21) which will be pushed inward by the edges of
the hemispheric notches of the fork (14). The fork
will be undamped from the bar (6) which will then 45
stop its stroke. Now the headstock (1) is in the
backward position.
2. The locking device (10) of the mobile headstock (1)
to the vehicle frame (7). The locking device (10) is
composed of a coupling sleeve (11) threaded
inside, which is fixed to the vehicle frame (7); of a
rotary bushing (12) threaded both on the inside and
the outside, coaxial on the inside of the coupling
sleeve (11); of the bar (6) of the headstock (1),
threaded at the end on the outside; of a control fork
(1 4) with tines (1 5) splined on the inside lengthwise;
of a clamping and unclamping block (18); of balls
(21) - (22) and springs (19)-(20).

Figure 16;
50
Still moving backwards, the fork (1 4) by means of
the shaped splines of its tines (15), (which act on
the cylindrical pins of the bushing (1 2)), will provoke
the rotation of the bushing. This will again lock the
bar (6) to the coupling sleeve (11). Then the head- 55
stock (1) will be locked to the frame (7) of the vehi-
cle.

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