A drop-frame urban rapid transit car includes passenger cells and travelling mechanism parts having a running gear, which are connected to one another at end surfaces by joint parts. The travelling mechanism parts disposed at ends of the car receive an engineer's cab. The object of the invention was to develop the drop-frame urban rapid transit car in a way which ensured the best possible utilization of the enveloping space and the best possible utilization of the available base area, a concept which makes it possible to construct a vehicle meeting the requirements of a modern urban rapid transit car, and at the same time with the most advantageous utilization of the necessary production devices, a minimum of different structural parts and a simple assembly. The object was achieved by providing that the passenger cell, the travelling mechanism part, the joint part and the engineer's cab be constructed as modules, and that each respective travelling mechanism module, joint module, passenger module and head module always have the same structure and be interchangeable independently of their location in the car.
A rail vehicle system that has connecting bogies, supply units, control units, and transportation units, which can be placed on said connecting bogies in order to form a train with a modular construction. The connecting bogies contain at least two axles, one of which is equipped with an electrical drive/brake unit, and which are configured so that they can be separated in a clutch-like manner. The supply units may contain vital devices such as current collectors, transformers and power converters for extracting power form a contact line and feeding it back into the contract line or converters of primary energy or electrical energy. The control units can be configured to be independent of current and load. The transportation units may differ according to whether they are for transporting passengers or goods and according to the type of goods being transported. The interfaces of all of the units are uniform and are configured in such a way that the units can be interchanged quickly and easily. The resulting consistent division of train into functional units enables the driving power to be better adapted to the load, creates possibilities for generating and using energy and reduces operating/maintenance costs.
A wheel suspension system including a wheel support pivotally attached to a vehicle frame at two, laterally-spaced locations, the wheel support being pivotal between an uppermost and a lowermost position. The wheel support is biased to a position intermediate of the uppermost and lowermost positions by a spring. The spring urges apart a spring support of the wheel support from the vehicle frame, the spring support being below the rotational axis of the wheel. The pivotal axes of the pivotal attachments are located below the rotational axis of the wheel.
A low profile chassis and suspension system for a road vehicle. The chassis supports a payload section or cargo compartment, such as for a delivery truck, ambulance, or shuttle bus. The chassis includes a largely planar frame having a top surface which is located beneath the rotational axes of the rear wheels. The wheel suspension system is particularly compact and close to the road surface. In some embodiments each wheel is suspended from the vehicle by a pair of pivotal support arms. Preferably, one arm is located above the other arm, and both arms pivot along pivot axes that are generally perpendicular to the rotational axis of the supported wheel. A spring urges one of the arms apart from the frame. In other embodiments, the spring is placed beneath the rotational axis of the wheel. In some embodiments both of the pivoting support arms are located beneath the rotational axis of the wheel.
A low profile chassis and suspension system for a road vehicle. The chassis supports a payload section or cargo compartment, such as for a delivery truck, ambulance, or shuttle bus. The chassis includes a largely planar frame having a top surface which is located beneath the rotational axes of the rear wheels. The wheel suspension system is particularly compact and close to the road surface. A trailing arm-type wheel support supports a stub axle in a cantilevered fashion. A spring urges the wheel support apart from the frame. A planar portion of the wheel support, the wheel support pivot joints, and the spring are located beneath the rotational axis of the wheel. In another embodiment, the frame includes a recessed pocket which facilitates use of ramp for wheel chair access.
A low profile chassis and suspension system for a road vehicle. The chassis supports a payload section or cargo compartment, such as for a delivery truck, ambulance, or shuttle bus. The chassis includes a largely planar frame having a top surface which is located beneath the rotational axes of the rear wheels. The wheel suspension system is particularly compact and close to the road surface. A trailing arm-type wheel support supports a stub axle in a cantilevered fashion. A spring urges the wheel support apart from the frame. A planar portion of the wheel support, the wheel support pivot joints, and the spring are located beneath the rotational axis of the wheel. In another embodiment, the frame includes a recessed pocket which facilitates use of ramp for wheel chair access.
