Differential axle for railroad car Noise cancellation in railway
cab signal Modified railroad wheel and axle assembly Stationary,
slow speed and uni-directional lockout for differential action
railroad car wheelsets BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wheelsets for
railroad cars are usually comprised of an axle and two wheels.
The wheels are pressed on to the axle shaft and are rigidly
mounted so that both wheels turn exactly the same degree of
rotation during operation. The wheelset assembly may be
supported by journal bearings outboard of each wheel or the
bearings may be located inboard of the wheels. The rigid
assembly of the wheels on the axle and the lack of independent
rotation of the wheels is the cause of slippage on the rail when
the wheelset operates in curved sections of track. This slippage
causes wear on the wheel treads and rails and is a prime cause
of corrective maintenance on both the wheels and the track.
Efforts have been made to overcome the problems associated with
the rigid assembly of conventi