The suspension brackets transmit the forces acting on the vehicle body, usually through a chain link, to the springs that rest on the wheel set. The forces acting on the brackets are hence large, especially in tracks where the vehicle body shows a lot of movements relative to the wheel set, like in breaking, acceleration or when driving in irregular or curved tracks. The general problem is to prevent damage and failure of the brackets caused by such forces.

In DE 299 10 309 U1 a suspension bracket is described for suspension of springs on 2 axle rail wagons. The support body of the bracket is a hollow cast body in which the side surfaces are connected by a connecting rib to improve the resistance against the swinging of the vehicle body. The side surfaces of the suspension bracket are the surfaces that face the longitudinal direction of the wagon and connect to the front and back surface that are plan-parallel to the longitudinal direction. The side surface facing the wheel set is referred to as the suspension side or pressure side and the opposite side surface is referred to as the opposite side or tension side.

There is a general desire to improve to improve the resistance of suspension brackets against damages caused by the high forces acting on them. It is hence an object of the invention to provide such an improved suspension bracket having a higher

reliability and safety of railway operations and can be replaced in a simple, cost- effective way. It is a further object of the invention to provide a suspension bracket that is capable of resisting the forces in weighing suspension systems in which the forces FR-acting on the suspension bracket are increased by about 60 % compared to a normal suspension system. In such weighing suspension systems the forces often are not sufficiently controlled when using the prior art suspension brackets, very often leading to damaging distortion of the suspension bracket. A typical standard prior art solution to preventing such distortion is to limit the weight of cargo the rail wagon can hold, which implies an economic loss.

An improved suspension bracket according to the present invention has a lateral stop protruding from the support body at suspension side, which lateral stop comprises an elongated reinforcement member extending the lateral stop into the support body.

The lateral stop extends to engage a stopping surface on the suspension system on one or both lateral sides to limit lateral movements of the vehicle body relative to the wheel set. Preferably, the lateral stop extends to protrude through an opening in the chain link connecting the suspension bracket to the springs. The force transmitted via the lateral stop causes a further increase of stress in the suspension bracket. The stress is transmitted to the elongated reinforcement member extending the lateral stop into the support body. Preferably the elongated reinforcement member extends through the whole support body from the suspension side to the opposite side. In particular when the support body is a hollow body the elongated reinforcement member forms a firm connection with both the suspension side and the opposite side, such that lateral forces acting on the elongated lateral stop are transmitted through the side faces. The elongated reinforcement member can be a single solid member or can comprise two or more symmetrically arranged reinforcement ribs.

The elongated reinforcement member forms a connection with the lateral stop capable of transmitting the forces acting on the lateral stop into the support member.

The connection is rigid in at least the lateral direction. In one embodiment the elongated reinforcement member and the lateral stop are integrated in a single body on one end fitting into an opening of the support body and on the other end forming the lateral stop. In another embodiment the elongated reinforcement member is a separate construction part onto which the lateral stop is mounted.

The suspension brackets preferably has, in a cross section parallel to the front side a triangle like shape with a broad upper end and the lower end comprising the bolt eye inclined towards the suspension side, wherein the pressure side facing the suspension is curved inward above the bolt eye and the opposite tension side is straight. In such shape there is a smallest cross section line above the bolt eye. In view of minimising damage to the support body, the elongated reinforcement member is preferably positioned to cover the smallest cross section line A between the suspension side and the opposite side.

The lateral stop preferably has laterally arranged symmetrical stop surfaces to engage the stop surface of the suspension system for limiting the lateral movement of the vehicle body within desired or required limits.

Preferably the suspension bracket comprises a metal support member, preferably made from steel, comprising an opening in both the suspension side and the opposite side through which the elongated reinforcement member protrudes, whereby preferably the support member is hollow and the elongated reinforcement member is connected, preferably by welding, to both the suspension side and the opposite side.

The invention also relates to a wagon suspension comprising the suspension bracket according to the invention in which a chain link is connected on one end to the bolt eye of the suspension bracket and on another end to the spring, the chain link having

an opening engaging the lateral stop of the suspension bracket and limiting the lateral movement thereof.

In a particular preferred embodiment the wagon suspension comprises a weighing device connected directly or indirectly to the suspension bracket to transmit gravity force acting on the vehicle body to the weighing device. The weighing device can be mounted in a variety of ways. In a preferred way, the gravity force is be transmitted by a connection plate having three connection points in an essentially triangular arrangement, connecting the chain link at a lower left point, the bolt eye of the suspension bracket at a lower right point and the weighing device at a top point. The other end of the weighing device is connected to a rigidly mounted extension of the vehicle body. In this construction the gravity force acting on the vehicle body compresses the weighing device. Because of the levers forces FR acting on the suspension bracket are increased by about 60 % compared to a normal suspension system without weighing device.

The weighing device measures the weight of the wagon, which information can be used for various purposes. The information can for example be used to weigh the content of the wagon or for drive control. In a particularly useful embodiment of the wagon suspension the weighing device comprises a weighing valve that is connected to a braking system of the wagon wherein the gravity force on the car body is transmitted to operate the valve for direct automatic load-dependent brake adjustment of the wagon.

Wagons comprising a suspension bracket according to the invention or a wagon suspension, in particular a weighing suspension system, as described above comprising the suspension bracket have a higher reliability and safety of railway operations and have less down time and maintenance cost relating to damages in the suspension brackets.

The following is a description of certain embodiments of the invention given by way of example only and with reference to the appended drawings in which Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a side view of the suspension bracket; Fig. 2 is a cross section A-A of the suspension bracket of Fig. 1 with single ridge reinforcement, Fig. 3 is a cross section A-A of the suspension bracket of Fig. 1 with double ridge reinforcement, and Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of a wagon wheel set with a weighing suspension system with a suspension bracket according to the inventions.

Figure I shows a suspension bracket (1) for a railway wagon comprises a lateral stop (70) with an elongated reinforcement member (90). The elongated reinforcement member (90) is sized to fit the area of lowest cross section"a"of the suspension bracket. The lateral stop (70) and the elongated reinforcement member (90) can be in one piece or consist of two parts joined together. Openings in the suspension bracket side (80) and suspension bracket side (100) allow the lateral stop (70) with elongated reinforcement member (90) to penetrate the suspension bracket and be affixed. A further embodiment of the invention positions the lateral stop (70) as a separate component on the suspension bracket side (80) and, in extension into the suspension bracket (1) between the suspension bracket sides (80) and (100), connects to the elongated reinforcement member (90) by way of soldering. The lateral stop (70) comprises at the opposite end of the elongated reinforcement member (90) elevated stopping faces (110) arranged symmetrically relative to the suspension bracket's lateral dimension.

In the embodiments shown by Figures 2 and 3, the elongated reinforcement member (90) is incorporated by way of either one or two ridges between the suspension bracket sides (80) and (100). The elongated reinforcement member (90) is designed to fit the area of lowest cross section"a".

Figure 4 shows illustrates a wagon suspension, in particular a wagon weighing suspension comprising the suspension bracket (1) according to the invention. The vehicle body (10) is suspended over a spring (20) onto a wheel set (30) using a suspension bracket according to the invention comprising a support body (40) having an upper end surface (50) connected to the vehicle body and, at a lower end, a bolt eye (60) for connecting to the suspension spring (20). The suspension bracket (1) is connected to the suspension spring (20) over chain link (120) that is connected on one end over connection plate (150) to the bolt eye (60) of the suspension bracket (1) and on another end to the spring (20). The chain link (120) has an opening engaging the lateral stop (70) of the suspension bracket (lj and limiting the lateral movement thereof (not visible). The wagon suspension comprises a weighing device (140) connected by connection plate (150) having three connection points in an essentially triangular arrangement, connecting the chain link (120) at a lower left point, the bolt eye (60) of the suspension bracket (1) at a lower right point and one end of the weighing device (140) at a top point. The other end of the weighing device engages a weighing valve (160) that is mounted on a rigid extension of the vehicle body. The force of gravity pushes the weighing device in essentially horizontal direction towards the weighing valve (160). The weighing valve is connected to a braking system of the wagon (not shown) such that the gravity force on the car body is transmitted to operate the valve for automatic load-dependent brake adjustment of the wagon.