Beugniot lever

Beugniot the lever is a mechanical component, in some engines, which is used to improve the turning performance. It was named after its inventor Edouard Beugniot.

Beugniot developed around the year 1860 as chief engineer at the company Köchlin a system, stored slides sideways at the two axles on the vehicle frame and connected to a lever. These levers are mounted centrally on the frame and allow opposite lateral movements of the associated axes. Thus, despite a fixed frame a lateral mobility of the axes is achieved as with a bogie, but not nearly as pronounced as in this. In rod drive the lateral play of the axes is compensated by longer coupling pin on which the connecting rods are moved laterally.

When driving through a curve to the track curvature evasive first axis, the second axis that is controlled in parallel in the opposite direction until the wheel flanges of both axes lie on the rails. Thus, the executives spread across two axes, thereby reducing the wear of the wheel flanges is achieved in each case. The transverse motion of the wheel sets for locomotives with the otherwise rigid frame for the purpose of zwängungsfreien run in points, curves and tight curves usual flange and back attenuations. The guide length of the locomotive is formed by the distance between the two fixed Beugniothebel pivot points.

In Germany Beugniot lever were mainly used in the mid-20th century. The best known examples are probably the MaK rod locomotives and the BR 105 and 106 of the DR, but also in steam locomotives like the DB Class 82, these levers were used.