AU676589B2

AU676589B2 - Securing of an air conduit coupling

Info

Publication number: AU676589B2
Application number: AU71635/94A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Walter Kohler
Original assignee: Scharfenbergkupplung GmbH and Co KG
Current assignee: Voith Turbo Scharfenberg GmbH and Co KG
Priority date: 1993-09-03
Filing date: 1994-09-01
Publication date: 1997-03-13
Anticipated expiration: 2014-09-01
Also published as: DE59400351D1; AU7163594A; DE4329764C1; EP0641703A1; ES2091074T3; EP0641703B1

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT .00.

0 .11.

Application Number: Lodged: Invention Title: SECURING OF AN AIR CONDUIT COUPLING The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us

A

SECURING OF AN AIR CONDUIT COUPLING The present invention relates to the securing of an air conduit coupling in accordance with the preamble of the patent claim.

Such air conduit couplings are in use in main air conduit systems and brake air conduit systems of central buffer couplings. During operation couplings have repeatedly fallen from their mountings because of torque and accordingly breakdowns have occurred from the loss of conduit components held together by the coupling in a borehole.

Known security measures for preventing such losses provide for flanges to be screwed over the air conduit couplings or for a groove in the coupling head housing to be blocked by means of screws, washers and specially manufactured threads for introducing projections or cams located on a coupling. The common feature of these known securing methods is that not only do they require additional materials, but also their fastening procedure during assembly and disassembly is time-consuming. Added to this are the costs of any necessary preparations such as S manufacturing threads or, as is necessary during assembly of a flange, assembly of the front surface of the coupling head housing by milling, in order to seat the flange economically.

The object of the present invention is to propose securing against torque or the loss of the air conduit coupling, especially in main air conduits and brake air conduits of a coupling head housing of a central buffer coupling, which requires minimum materials, can be assembled and disassembled quickly and which can be installed without additional manufacturing expense in all new couplings or without any further conversion procedures in all air conduit couplings already in use on coupling head housings of central buffer couplings.

This task is resolved according to the present invention by the characteristics of t atent claim.

The solution according to the present invention offers ple, inexpensive and effective securing against loss of air conduit couplings an er components by restricting torque of the coupling through blocking in the bor e. The spring element used for securing, which is light, easily manufactured and two operating components, is braced on the same groove through which it is i ed into a free space of the borehole. It does not impair the longitudinal ment of the coupling which can still move against, the force of the spring.

la This task is resolved according to one aspect of the present invention by a system of securing an air conduit coupling especially of an air conduit coupling on a main air conduit or a brake air conduit of a central buffer coupling, in which the coupling can be inserted into a borehole from the front side of a coupling head housing and which presents bosses on its external surface for guiding in grooves located in a flange of the borehole set on its front side, and latching occurs by twisting behind the flange in an expanded section of the borehole accommodating a split ring between the coupling head housing and a coil spring located in the borehole, whereby the coupling can be pushed into the interior of the borehole against the force of the spring element and is constantly sealed on a sealing pipe enclosed by the coil spring, wherein a spring element having an S-shape and comprising a longer spring shank and a shorter stop bracket can be threaded through one of grooves in the split ring, is locked 15 partially in a guide section of the coil spring with its spring shank and is tensed immovably with its stop bracket in the groove, through which it can be threaded.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of securing an air conduit coupling especially of an air conduit coupling on a main air conduit or a brake air conduit of a central buffer coupling, in which the coupling is inserted into a borehole from the front side of a coupling head housing and which presents bosses on its external surface for guiding in grooves located in a flange of the borehole set on its front side, and latching occurs by twisting behind the flange in an expanded section of the borahole accommodating a split ring between the coupling head housing and coil 25 spring located in the borehole, whereby the coupling can be pushed into the interior of the borehole against the force of the spring element and is constantly sealed on a sealing pipe enclosed by the coil spring, wherein a spring element having an S-shape and comprising a longer spring shank and a shorter stop bracket is threaded through one of grooves in the split ring, is locked partially in a guide section of the coil spring with its spring shank and is tensed immovably with its stop bracket in the groove, through which it is threaded.

The solution according to the present invention offers simple, inexpensive and effective securing against loss of air conduit couplings and other components by restricting torque of the coupling through blocking in the I lb borehole. The spring element used for securing, which is light, easily manufactured and has two operating components, is braced on the same groove through which it is inserted into a free space of the borehole. It does not impair the longitudinal movement of the coupling which can still move against the force of the spring.

i:: a a *a.

0o** oooo *oo oi •oo *~o The spring element can be installed on new central buffer couplings, as well as on those already in operation, without further trouble, because it matches existing construction attributes.

The operating and functional securing of the whole coupling, especially in brake conduits, are greatly increased.

An embodiment of the invention is represented schematically in the accompanying illustration and is explained in greater detail hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a plan view of an air conduit coupling with securing according to the present invention in a borehole shown in section on a coupling head housing and connecting piece of a central buffer coupling, :Figure 2 is a side view in partial section along line II-II in Figure 1.

Figure 1 illustrates an air conduit coupling 2 secured with a spring element 1, which is situated in a borehole 3 in front of coupling head housing 4. Borehole 3 extends as far as a connecting piece 5 which is fastened by means of bolts 6 and nuts 7 to coupling head housing 4 and accommodates the continuation of air conduit 8. Also located in borehole 3 are a squareprofile coil spring 9 and a double-walled sealing pipe 10 which seals the passage from air conduit 8 to air conduit coupling 2 and is enclosed by coil spring 9, as in Figure 2, which is supported on S] one side in a guidance section 11 set into connecting piece 5 and on the other side presses against air conduit coupling 2 which rests on a flange 13 in partially narrow borehole 3 with two bosses o:ooo or cams 12 and which projects from coupling head housing 4.

Located in a flange 13 are two grooves 14 acting as guide for bosses or cams 12, by way of which air conduit coupling 2 is introduced from outside into the narrow section of borehole 3.

Behind flange 13 bosses or cams 12 pass over into the widened section of borehole 3, such that coupling 2 can be twisted and bosses or cams 12 come to bear on flange 13 by the force of coil spring 9.

Illustrated in Figure 3 is spring element 1 in split 15, annular in shape on account of the borehole diameter, above coupling 2 and coil spring 9. Coupling 2 contains a sealing ring 16 which is laid in the section of coupling 2 located in front of coupling head housing 4 and projects slightly for sealing purposes.

For assembling the securing the section of spring element 1 designed as spring shank la is threaded through a groove 14 from outside borehole 3 into split ring 15 between coil spring 9 and coupling head housing 4. Shorter stop bracket lb of spring element 1 is also pressed into groove 14, where it locks in after being pushed further, after spring shank la has locked in rear guide section 11 of borehole 3. Following assembly of spring element 1 the mobility of coupling 2 in borehole 3 remains assured insofar as coupling 2 can be buffered in freely, though said coupling can be twisted only until bosses or cams 12 come to bear on stop bracket lb of spring element 1.

For disassembling spring element 1 stop bracket lb is pressed further into split ring 15 as far as just behind flange 13,with the help of an appropriate tool, where it can be shoved to the side.

Then coupling 2 can again be twisted until its bosses or cams 12 are opposite grooves 15, so that coupling 2 can be withdrawn from borehole 3. After removal of coupling 2 coil springs 9, sealing pipe 10 and spring element 1 can easily be disassembled.

S°ooo* ooeo 4 Legend 1 spring element la spring shank of the spring element lb stop bracket of the spring element 2 air conduit coupling 3 borehole 4 coupling head housing 5 connecting piece 6 bolts 7 nut 8 air conduit 9 coil spring with square profile 0 Is 10 sealing pipe, double-walled 11 guide section in connecting piece 12 boss or cam of air conduit coupling 2 13 flange of borehole 3 14 groove 15 split ring 16 sealing ring II I I

Claims

1. A system of securing an air conduit coupling especially of an air conduit coupling on a main air conduit or a brake air conduit of a central buffer coupling, in which the coupling can be inserted into a borehole from the front side of a coupling head housing and which presents bosses on its external surface for guiding in grooves located in a flange of the borehole set on its front side, and latching occurs by twisting behind the flange in an expanded section of the borehole accommodating a split ring between the coupling head housing and a coil spring located in the borehole, whereby the coupling can be pushed into the interior of the borehole against the force of the spring element and is constantly sealed on a sealing pipe enclosed by the coil spring, wherein a spring element having an S-shape and comprising a longer spring shank and a shorter stop bracket can be threaded through one of grooves in the split ring, is locked partially in a guide section of the coil spring with its spring shank and is tensed immovably with its stop bracket in the groove, through which it can be threaded.

2. A method of securing an air conduit coupling especially of an air conduit coupling on a main air conduit or a brake air conduit of a central buffer coupling, in which the coupling is inserted into a borehole from the front side of a coupling head housing and which presents bosses on its external surface for guiding in grooves located in a flange of the borehole set on its front side, and latching occurs by twisting behind the flange in an expanded section of the borehole a..oo. accommodating a split ring between the coupling head housing and a coil spring located in the borehole, whereby the coupling can be pushed into the interior of the borehole against the force of the spring element and is constantly sealed on a sealing pipe enclosed by the coil spring, wherein a spring element having an S-shape and comprising a longer spring shank and a snorter stop bracket is threaded through one of grooves in the split ring, is locked partially in a guide section of the coil spring with its spring shank and is tensed immovably with its stop bracket in the groove, through which it is threaded. DATED this 6th day of January, 1997 SCHARFENBERGKUPPLUNG GMBH WATERMARK PATENT TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS 290 BURWOOD ROAD HAWTHORN VICTORIA 3122 AUSTRALIA I 6 Abstract The present invention relates to securing of an air conduit coupling especially of an air conduit coupling on a main air conduit or a brake air conduit of a coupling head of a central buffer coupling. The object of the present invention is to propose securing against torque or loss. This task is resolved by a spring element having an S-shape and comprising a longer spring shank (la) i0 and a shorter stop bracket (lb) being guided through one of grooves (14) in split ring being locked partially in guide section (11) of coil spring with its spring shank (la) and tensed immovably with its stop bracket (Ib) in groove through which it can be threadc(Figure 1) e S *oo