CN117775060A - Coupler device for a rail vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A coupler device for a rail vehicle comprising a coupler head and a decoupling means having at least one handle which can be rotated manually about a rotational axis in a rotational direction from a first position in which the coupler head is in a coupled or ready-to-couple state with a coupler head of another coupler device, to a second position in which the coupler head is in a decoupled state. In one embodiment, the handle includes a handle arm that is oriented horizontally when the handle is in the first or second position. In another embodiment, the handle can be mechanically locked by moving (preferably shifting or tilting) at least a portion of the handle in a locking direction from the second position into the third position, wherein the locking direction is different from the rotation direction. In a further embodiment, two of the handles are preferably arranged on opposite sides with respect to the coupler head, wherein preferably a rotation of one of the two handles results in a corresponding rotation of the respective other handle.

Description

Coupler device for a rail vehicle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a coupler device for rail vehicles, in particular for an automatic coupling system (AC) in Railway Freight (RFT).

Background

Analysis of global RFT activity by the university of berlin industry, federal transportation and digital infrastructure (BMVI) and published at 6/29 of 2020 as "Development of a concept for the EU-wide migration to a digital automatic coupling system (DAC) for rail freight transportation (development of the concept of digital automatic coupling system for freight to rail (DAC) migration in the european union)" (commonly referred to as technical report "DAC technology"), has shown that the couplers (Janney and SA 3) currently used in RFT only automatically create a mechanical connection between railroad cars (wagons). BMVI suggests an upgrade from Screw Coupler (SC) to DAC type 4 in the european railway freight sector. In addition to the mechanical connection, the DAC type 4 also allows for automatic coupling of compressed air, power and data lines.

One type of DAC is the shafenberg (Scharfenberg) coupler, however, to date it has not been used for RFT, but rather as a standard for european high speed rail transport. A shafenberg coupler may also be used as the DAC 4 row. The coupler heads of the shafen-berg coupler have a coupler contour with a taper and a cup, the taper of one coupler head being guided into the cup of the opposite coupler head and centered during the coupling process, thereby aligning the two coupler heads. Each coupler head contains a rotating metal disc, also referred to as a "hook plate", sometimes also referred to as the core of the coupler head. The plunger is attached to one circumferential side of the disc, also commonly referred to as a "coupling link" or "hoop". On the opposite side, there is a "notch" on the disc. The rotating disc is held in place by a tension spring, in which position the notch is pulled into the coupler head and the collar is pushed out of the coupler head. Typically, two of these tension springs are disposed inside the coupler head. During coupling, when the ferrule of one coupler head presses against the disk of the opposite coupler head, its own disk rotates. Since the coupler heads are identical, this rotation of the discs occurs simultaneously on both coupler heads until the hoops of both coupler heads engage with the notches in the discs of the respective other coupler heads. The disc then automatically returns to its original position due to the spring force and the coupling process is then completed. In this way, each hoop transmits half the pulling force. The decoupling of the coupler heads requires an external force to overcome the spring force to rotate the disc of one of the coupler heads to its decoupled position until the hoops of the coupler heads slide out of the notches in the disc of the other coupler head. Since the disc of the other coupler head follows this movement, the release mechanism of one coupler head is actuated while both coupler heads are unlocked. The invention is particularly applicable to sand-fenberg couplers but is equally applicable to other couplers, particularly those that require a locking force to be overcome in order to release the coupler.

In today's RFT, decoupling is performed manually, at least in europe. The worker climbs under the side bumper to reach the coupler and decouple the connected railroad car. Side bumpers are typically located on each side of the coupler. According to german universal railroads (AEG), the free space between the coupler and the side bumpers at the ends of the vehicle (known as the "berni rectangle") is critical to workers because they must walk between the railroad cars in order to decouple them. Therefore, it is necessary to improve the condition under which the worker performs decoupling. For example, it would be good if the worker did not have to stand between the railroad cars during the decoupling process.

DE 1020100471928 A1 discloses a manual decoupling device comprising a manual lever attached to a pull wire to reduce the force required to decouple a coupler head by pulling the pull wire. The manual lever is located on the lateral side of the railroad car. Thus, the operator can easily access the manual lever without having to enter between the two railroad cars. The manual lever is arranged vertically and inclined outwardly from the railroad car to decouple the coupler head. The manual lever has a plurality of rest positions that indicate respective positions of the coupler head in the coupled state and the uncoupled state. The manual lever may be designed with a removable handle lever such that removal of the handle lever prevents unauthorized operation of the manual decoupling means.

However, the decoupling process has room for improvement.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a coupler arrangement for a rail vehicle, which provides an improved handling during the decoupling process.

The invention therefore relates to a coupler arrangement for a rail vehicle, comprising a coupler head and a decoupling device having at least one handle, which can be rotated manually about a rotational axis in a rotational direction from a first position, in which the coupler head is in its state of coupling with or ready to couple with a coupler head of another coupler arrangement, to a second position, in which the coupler head is in a decoupled state.

Horizontal handle

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the rotation axis is horizontal and one end of the at least one handle forms a handle arm extending in a vertical rotation plane and having a free end that can be gripped by a person such that the at least one handle arm provides leverage for the person, wherein the handle arm is oriented horizontally when the at least one handle is in the first position or in the second position. In this context, "horizontally" also includes positions where the handle is only substantially horizontal, i.e. within +/-10 ° of the exact horizontal position, more preferably within no more than +/-5 ° of the exact horizontal position, where the worker would still consider the handle to be horizontal.

The advantage of the handle arm being oriented horizontally and the axis of rotation also being horizontal is that the worker is able to put his entire weight on the handle, in extreme cases even hanging on the handle, wherein the leverage effect and thus the momentum about the axis of rotation is higher compared to, for example, a vertically arranged lever arm. The advantage of the handle arm being oriented horizontally in the first position (i.e. the coupled state or ready to couple state of the coupler head) or in the second position (i.e. the uncoupled state of the coupler head) is that it can be easily identified from a horizontal or non-horizontal position whether the coupler head is in one state or the other. A further advantage is that the decoupling can be performed faster because the distance from the ground to the free end of the handle is shorter than in an upright vertical orientation of the handle, and the worker does not have to climb so high to reach the free end of the handle. Furthermore, if desired, the extension rod can be easily attached to the handle in order to increase leverage, wherein the free end of the extension rod is still easily accessible to the worker compared to the case where the handle is oriented vertically.

Preferably, rotation of the handle between the first and second positions comprises a starting, intermediate or ending position in which the free end of the handle and the axis of rotation are at the same vertical level. Assuming that the worker will hang on the handle at its free end with his body weight, the lever arm is longest and therefore the momentum created about the axis of rotation is highest when the free end of the handle and the axis of rotation are at the same vertical level. It is therefore advantageous if the movement of the handle between the first and second positions passes this point.

For similar reasons, it is further preferred that the angle of rotation of the handle about the rotation axis between the first and second positions is less than 45 °, preferably about 30 ° or less. The smaller the angle of rotation, the less the lever effect changes during movement of the handle between the two positions.

Most preferably, the handle is mounted on the front, lateral or rear side of the railroad car or carriage (car) of the railway vehicle, wherein the horizontal axis of rotation extends vertically with respect to the above-mentioned side of the railroad car. In summary, rotation of at least one handle about a horizontal axis of rotation causes the handle to move in a plane parallel to the respective front, lateral or rear side. In other words, the handle does not extend outwardly away from the side of the railroad car when rotated. This increases the overall safety of the coupler device.

In particular, the handle may be arranged on a lateral side of the railroad car or the cabin, in which case the horizontal rotation axis is preferably oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coupler shaft to maintain the space between the railroad cars, i.e. the berni rectangle, substantially free of components.

Although it is generally preferable to arrange the handle on the front side of the railroad car, the handle may be mounted in front of the front side or the rear side of the railroad car or the cabin. In this case, the free end of the handle is arranged to be directed to the lateral side of the railroad car. In this way, the handle is manually accessible by a worker standing sideways relative to the railroad car and is movable from the first position to the second position.

Buffer position

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, the handle is capable of being mechanically locked by moving at least a portion of the handle in a locking direction from the second position into the third position, wherein the locking direction is different from the rotational direction. That is, typically, once the weight on the handle is lifted, the handle automatically returns from the second position to the first position, as the spring force in the coupler head urges the coupler head to return to its coupled state or ready to couple state. However, by moving at least a portion of the handle into the third position such that the handle is mechanically locked in the third position, the handle cannot automatically return to the first position. Thus, the coupler head remains in its decoupled state and is not ready for coupling in this state. This uncoupled and uncoupled state of the coupler head is referred to as a "buffer state" or "buffer state", and the corresponding position of the handle is a "buffer position" or "buffer position". The buffer status is helpful for a yard where the railroad car is pushed up a hill and after reaching the top of the hump, a different railroad car can roll down a hill on the track by gravity. This arrangement is important in the handling of trucks.

An important aspect of this particular damping arrangement is that the locking of the handle is achieved by the handle being moved in a direction different from the direction of rotation. Thus, a worker rotating the handle from the first position to the second position can keep holding the handle and need only change the direction of movement, e.g. in a lateral direction, in order to reach the third position of the handle. Thus, the movement of the handle in the locking direction may comprise a lateral displacement or a lateral tilting of at least the above-mentioned portion of the handle in a direction parallel to the rotation axis. Workers can easily and intuitively manage the management.

In a preferred embodiment, in the third position the handle abuts the holder such that rotation of the handle about the rotation axis towards the first position is prevented. The retainer may have the function of an undercut under which the handle can slide and from which the handle can be easily moved backwards to release the handle.

In order to enable tilting of the handle from the second position to the third position, an engagement member may be provided which allows the handle to be tilted sideways about a tilt axis perpendicular to the rotation axis when the handle is in the second position.

The handle described so far may be a removable handle with a connection interface for a worker to attach the removable handle to the coupler device via the connection interface. This prevents unauthorized access to the decoupling mechanism. Preferably, the connection interface of the removable handle comprises a portion of the key and lock assembly. The connection interface of the key and lock assembly has irregular mating structures that are generally non-standard, thereby improving security against unauthorized use.

Furthermore, the movement of the handle needs to be translated into an action that releases the coupler head for decoupling. In this regard, a cable may be provided wherein the handles are arranged to cooperate with the cable such that the cable is pulled upon rotation of the at least one handle from the first position towards the second position. The coupler device is configured such that pulling the cable causes the coupler device (i.e., coupler head) to decouple. With respect to the handles described so far, the cable may comprise a Bowden cable, i.e. the cable is guided in a flexible but incompressible sheath, as is well known, for example from a travelling cable. This provides flexibility in positioning the handle anywhere along the side of the railroad car.

Two handles

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there are provided two handles, namely a first handle and a second handle, the first handle preferably being arranged on one side of the coupler head and the second handle preferably being arranged on the other or opposite side of the coupler head, i.e. preferably on the opposite side of the longitudinal axis of the coupler shaft. The first handle and the second handle are functionally connected to the coupler head to decouple the coupler head. In particular, the first handle and the second handle are preferably arranged on the same wagon such that either one of the first handle and the second handle can be used to release a coupler head mounted on the wagon. The first and second handles are each manually rotatable about a respective axis of rotation in a respective direction of rotation from a respective first position in which the coupler head of the coupler device is in a state in which it is coupled to or is capable of coupling with the coupler head of the other coupler device to a respective second position in which the coupler head is in a decoupled state. The handle may have the same special characteristics as the handle described above. In one embodiment, the two handles are movable independently of each other between a first position and a second position. In another embodiment, the configuration is such that rotation of one of the first and second handles from its respective first position to its respective second position causes the respective other of the first and second handles to rotate from the respective first position of the other handle to the respective second position of the other handle.

Typically, there is only one handle per coupler head, for example, at the left front and right rear of the railroad car, because, in this way, a worker can access one handle to release one of the coupler heads independent of the side of the railroad car on which he is standing. As previously described, releasing one coupler head results in the simultaneous release of the other coupler head, thereby decoupling the two coupler heads. However, in some cases it is advantageous that the worker is able to act directly on the other coupler head. Thus, by providing a second handle, this is made possible.

Specifically, the second handle is provided in the following manner: actuation of one handle associated with one coupler head results in a corresponding action of the other handle associated with the same coupler head, which has the advantage that a worker stands on one side of the railroad car and actuates one coupler head to easily verify whether the other coupler head has entered the uncoupled state by the position of its associated handle. This is particularly useful in the case of another coupler head in a buffered state, as such a state is not readily identifiable from the coupler head itself. And even in the case where the state of the coupler head can be recognized from the coupler head itself, this is not as obvious as the position of the handle when viewed from a safe position beside the railroad car rather than between the railroad cars. Thus, the second handle avoids the need for a worker to climb to the other side in such a case to verify whether the other coupler head is locked in the cushioned state.

There are a number of ways of how the movement of the first handle can be converted into a corresponding movement of the second handle, including the use of chains, wires, straps, bars, etc. According to a preferred embodiment, the first and second handles are interconnected by a lever configured to translate rotation of one of the first and second handles about its respective axis of rotation into rotation of the respective other of the first and second handles about the respective other handle axis of rotation. For example, both the first and second handles may each be attached at one end thereof to a lever, and the lever is mounted to be rotatable about the axis of rotation, such that rotation of one of the handles about the axis of rotation results in rotation of the lever, and thus also in corresponding rotation of the other handle.

The cable may be connected to the lever, wherein rotation of either one of the first and second handles from its respective first position towards its respective second position results in a pulling motion on the cable and thereby in decoupling of the coupler device (i.e. coupler head). When the axis of rotation coincides with the longitudinal axis of the rod, the pulling motion causes the cable to wind up on the rod. If the axis of rotation does not coincide with the longitudinal axis of the rod, but is parallel thereto, the cable will simply be pulled by the movement of the rod, e.g. upwards or downwards, which movement may be supported by suitable guide rollers for guiding the cable. For example, the cable may be attached to a central portion of the rod near the coupler head. The (single) cable is very short compared to the alternative where the two handles are directly connected to the coupler head by their own cables.

Preferably, the coupler means is configured such that the direction of orientation of the first handle in the first and second positions of the first handle is the same as the direction of orientation of the second handle in the respective first and second positions of the second handle. Thus, independent of the side of the railroad car on which the worker is standing, he can clearly determine from the position of the handle on the side of the railroad car on which he is located whether the coupler head is in a decoupled and uncoupled state.

In a preferred embodiment, the first handle or an extension of the first handle is arranged to extend through the first mounting plate and the second handle or an extension of the second handle is arranged to extend through the second mounting plate, the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate extending laterally from the front side or the rear side of the railway car or the wagon, respectively, such that the first handle and the second handle extend along the respective lateral sides of the railway car or the wagon. Thus, the handle extends parallel to the lateral side of the wagon, while the lever may extend in front of the front or rear side of the wagon. For example, the lever may be mounted to the mounting plate so as to be rotatable about the axis of rotation, and the handle may be mounted to the lever.

As mentioned above, in those cases where it is desired to mechanically lock both handles in the buffer position, it is advantageous when locking one handle in the buffer position results in locking the other handle as well, and/or releasing one handle from the buffer position results in releasing the other handle as well. In this respect, according to a preferred embodiment, the coupler means is configured such that at least a portion of one of the handles is moved from its respective second position into a respective third position in a respective locking direction, and the locking direction is different from the rotational direction of the handle, resulting in a movement of the respective other handle in the locking direction of the respective other handle.

This can be accomplished in a number of ways. According to a first embodiment, the configuration is such that movement of one handle in its respective locking direction and movement of the other handle in the locking direction of the other handle comprises both lateral displacement of at least a portion of one handle and lateral displacement of at least a portion of the other handle. This may be achieved, for example, by attaching the handles to the above-mentioned lever such that pushing or pulling one handle in a direction towards the other handle causes the lever to be pushed and pulled in that direction, respectively, thereby transmitting a pushing and pulling motion from one handle to the other. In the simplest case, the two handles and the lever may be fixedly attached to each other or may be integrally formed so as to form a wide "U".

The same effect can also be achieved according to a second embodiment, according to which the construction is such that the movement of one handle in its respective locking direction and the movement of the other handle in the locking direction of the other handle comprise both a lateral inclination of at least a part of one handle and a lateral inclination of at least a part of the other handle. This can be achieved, for example, by mounting the handle on the lever as described above such that, although rotation of the handle about the axis of rotation of the lever causes corresponding rotation of the lever, tilting of the handle has no effect on the position of the lever. For example, the longitudinal axis of the lever may coincide with the rotational axes of the two handles, and the handles may each be on a lever mounted in a support in which the handles may rotate about a tilt axis perpendicular to the rotational axes. Then, in order to transfer the tilting movement from one handle to the other, a second lever may be provided, which connects the two handles to each other at a short distance from the support. An advantage of this embodiment over the first embodiment is that a worker may benefit from the leverage provided by the handle when tilting the handle, such that the worker does not need to use too much force to move the handle into and out of the cushioning position.

In the first and second embodiments described above, displacement and tilting of one handle in or against the locking direction results in displacement and tilting of the other handle in the same direction, respectively. In other words, movement of one handle in a direction towards the lateral side of the railroad car, for example, to bring the coupler head into a cushioned state, will cause the other handle to move away from the lateral side of the railroad car into its corresponding cushioned state. This is generally undesirable. Conversely, to achieve a cushioned state, both handles should be moved toward or away from the lateral sides and vice versa so as not to confuse the worker. Thus, the first and second embodiments can be further improved by configuring the coupler device such that the locking direction of one handle is opposite to the locking direction of the other handle.

This can be accomplished in a number of ways. According to a preferred embodiment, the second lever in the second embodiment comprises two separate lever parts, each having one end attached to the handle (at a distance from the axis of rotation) and the other end attached to the return mechanism. The return mechanism has the following effects: movement of one stem in one direction (e.g., a forward direction) results in movement of the other stem in the opposite direction (i.e., a rearward direction). For example, the return mechanism may comprise an element rotatable about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the direction of movement of the rods, and the rods may be attached to the element on opposite sides of the axis of rotation, preferably at equal distances from the element.

In the case of a coupler device comprising two handles, it is not feasible to design the handles as removable handles, since the worker has to carry a pair of handles and he has to attach the handles on both sides of the railroad car in order to benefit from the benefits of having two handles. Thus, according to a preferred embodiment, there is provided a key and lock device acting directly on the lever, i.e. with a key and lock mechanism at both ends of the lever. The key and lock arrangement is configured such that rotation of the lever about the rotational axis is prevented when one of the key and lock mechanisms is in its locked state. This type of key and lock assembly can be used with single handle coupler devices as well. However, in the case of a two-handle coupler device, the key and lock mechanism at one end of the lever is advantageously engaged with the key and lock mechanism at the other end of the lever through the hollow interior of the lever, for example, by means of a wire or by means of a complete pulley system, such that unlocking of the key and lock mechanism at one end of the lever results in unlocking of the corresponding other key and lock mechanism at the other end of the lever. In this way, the worker only has to carry with him a specific tool, i.e. "key", which is suitable for all couplers of this specific type (and possibly other types).

General aspects

The coupler device of the present invention is particularly suited for incorporation with a biasing element configured to permanently bias the handle or handles toward the first position. Preferably, such a biasing element is constituted by a spring of the coupler head which urges the coupler head into its coupled or ready-to-couple state, as is the case in a shafen-type coupler. The invention is therefore particularly suitable for coupler arrangements comprising a shafenberg coupler head.

Drawings

The foregoing, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For purposes of illustrating the present disclosure, reference is made to the drawings. However, the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed in the drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a coupler device attached to a chassis of a railroad car or carriage of a rail vehicle;

FIG. 2 shows a detail of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3A and 3B show, in side and top views, respectively, the handle of the coupler device of FIG. 1 in a first ("coupled") position;

FIGS. 4A and 4B show the handle of the coupler device of FIG. 1 in a third ("cushioned") position, in side and top views, respectively;

FIG. 5 illustrates a key and lock mechanism for attaching a handle of the coupler device of FIG. 1;

fig. 6 illustrates a first principle ("shift") used in a coupler device with two handles;

FIG. 7 illustrates an aspect of the first principle of FIG. 6 in more detail;

fig. 8 illustrates a second principle ("tilt") used in a coupler device with two handles;

FIG. 9 illustrates an improvement of the second principle ("tilting") shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 illustrates in more detail an aspect of the modified second principle of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a coupler device attached to the undercarriage of a railroad car or car of a rail vehicle with two handles in a coupled or ready-to-couple state;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the coupler device of FIG. 10 in a cushioned state; and

fig. 13 illustrates a locking mechanism for preventing actuation of a decoupling means of a coupler device having two handles.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a coupler device attached to a chassis of a railroad car or car of a rail vehicle. The coupler device comprises a coupler head 1 for coupling with a second coupler head of the same shape, a coupler rod 2 for connecting the coupler head 1 to a chassis, and further components which are not visible in this view or are not essential to the following description. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the coupler head 1 is of the sand-fenberg type, more specifically of the sand-fenberg 10 type, and fulfils all the requirements of the DAC 4 type. The coupler arrangement further comprises decoupling means for bringing the coupler head 1 from a first state in which the coupler head 1 is coupled to the second coupler head or is ready to be coupled to the second coupler head into a second decoupled state. The decoupling means comprise a handle 3 which is manually rotatable about an axis of rotation a in a direction of rotation S from a first position, shown in fig. 1, in which the coupler device, more specifically the coupler head 1, is in a coupled state or ready to be coupled state, to a second position (not shown), in which the coupler head 1 is in a decoupled state. The handle 3 is connected to the release mechanism 4 via a cable 5. As described above, actuation of the release mechanism overcomes the force of one or more tension springs (not shown) inside the coupler head 1, which hold the coupler head 1 in its coupled or ready-to-couple state. The spring 4A is an additional spring the sole purpose of which is to provide an additional pulling force on the handle 3 to force the handle 3 towards the coupler head 1, but this additional spring 4A is optional. Thus, when the handle 3 is pushed or pulled downwards so as to rotate in the direction of rotation S about the axis of rotation a, it pulls the cable 5, which cable 5 (as a bowden cable) is led through the mounting plate 6 on the front/rear side of the chassis to the release mechanism 4, thereby activating the release mechanism 4 accordingly. In the position of the handle 3 as shown in fig. 1, the pulling force of the extension spring(s) (and optionally the spring 4A of the release mechanism 4) inside the coupler head 1 acting on the cable 5 pushes the handle 3 against the stopper 7, which stopper 7 may be made of rubber or any other material providing a damping effect. Optionally, a further spring (not shown) may be connected directly or indirectly to the handle 3 in order to further support the horizontal position of the handle 3 in the coupled state or ready-to-couple state of the coupler head 1.

As can be seen from fig. 1, the rotation axis a is horizontal. More specifically, it extends parallel to the front/rear side of the chassis. Furthermore, the handle 3 has a handle arm 3A, which handle arm 3A extends away from the rotation axis a, i.e. in a vertical rotation plane. More specifically, the plane of rotation is parallel with respect to the lateral sides of the chassis. The free end 3B may be grasped by a worker such that the handle 3 provides leverage for the worker. In this position (also referred to as the "first position" in this disclosure), the handle arm is oriented horizontally. In an alternative embodiment not explicitly shown here, the handle arm 3A may be oriented horizontally in a respective "second position", which is the position of the handle in which the coupler head 1 is in its decoupled state. The horizontal position of the handle 3 provides a clear indication to the worker regarding the current state of the coupler head 1.

Fig. 2 shows the release mechanism 4 in more detail. Accordingly, the cable 5 is attached to the eccentric plate or cam plate 4B and extends circumferentially thereof such that pulling of the cable 5 causes the eccentric plate 4B to rotate against the tension of the tensioning spring(s) within the coupler head 1 and against the tension of the optional spring 4A, thereby releasing (not shown) the coupler head 1 to its decoupled state.

Fig. 3A and 3B show in side view and in top view, respectively, only the mounting of the handle 3 of the coupler device of fig. 1, i.e. in said first "coupling position", wherein the coupler head 1 is coupled to or is ready to be coupled to a second coupler head. The cable 5 is not shown except for the bowden cable mounting fitting 8 of the cable 5. Two stops 9 and 10 are provided, the first stop 9 holding the handle 3 in place against the pulling force of the cable 5 and the second stop 10 limiting the rotational movement of the handle 3 about the rotational axis a in the rotational direction S. Thus, the second stop 10 defines a "second position" or "buffer position" of the handle 3.

Fig. 4A and 4B show the handle 3 of the coupler device in a "third position" (also referred to as "buffer position") in side view and in top view, respectively. It can be seen that by tilting the handle 3 sideways, the handle 3 has been tilted from a neutral second position (not shown) to a damping position. The fixed end 3C of the handle is mounted to a support 11, which support 11 allows the handle to rotate about a rotation axis a between a first position and a second position, and allows the handle to tilt about a tilt axis T between the second position and a third position, wherein the tilt axis T is perpendicular to the rotation axis a.

As can be seen from fig. 4B, in the buffer position of the handle 3, the handle 3 abuts against the holder 12. The holder 12 and the second stopper 10 are integrally formed as a hook 13. The holder 12 has the form of an undercut under which the handle 3 can slide when the handle 3 is moved from the second position to the third position, and from which the handle 3 can be easily moved back towards its second position in order to release the handle 3 from the holder 12.

As can be seen from fig. 4A, in the buffer position the free end 3B of the handle 3 is positioned below the level of the rotation axis a, whereas in its first position it is above the level of the rotation axis a (fig. 3A). The angle of rotation alpha of the handle 3 between the first stop 9 and the second stop 10 is only about 30 deg., and the maximum leverage provided by the handle 3 is located in an intermediate position between the first and the second position of the handle, which is a position where the free end 3b of the handle 3 is on the same level as the rotation axis a. In this way, the worker pushes or pulls or even hangs on the handle 3 with optimal leverage over the entire rotation range.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the handle 3 is arranged on a lateral side of the chassis. However, in an embodiment not specifically shown, the handle device as shown in fig. 3A to 4B may be mounted on the front or rear side of the chassis, for example attached to the mounting plate 6, provided that the berni rectangle is not compromised.

As shown in fig. 5, the handle 3 is removable. The connection interface provides a key and lock assembly, i.e., the connection interface has a non-standard mating structure to prevent unauthorized use.

Fig. 6 illustrates a first principle used in a coupler device having two handles, namely a first handle 3' and a second handle 3", instead of just one handle 3. The handles 3', 3″ each extend through the mounting plate 6 towards the front of the mounting plate 6 where they are fixedly connected to the rod 14. The lever 14 is rotatably mounted in two supports 15 so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation a of the handles 3', 3 ". Thus, when the first handle 3' is pushed or pulled downwards as indicated by the vertical arrow in fig. 6, the second handle 3″ automatically moves in the same direction as indicated by the other vertical arrow in fig. 6. Thus, since the two handles 3', 3″ are arranged parallel to each other, they always have a common orientation.

However, the lever 14 is not only rotatable about the rotation axis a, but also movable in the support 15 along the rotation axis a. Thus, when the first handle 3' is pulled away from the chassis in order to displace it to the buffer position under a holder (not shown, similar to the holder 12 in fig. 4B), then the second handle 3 "is displaced simultaneously in the same direction, and when the second holding element is properly arranged, the second handle 3" will also be displaced to its respective buffer position. The displacement movement is represented by two horizontal arrows on the handles 3', 3 "and a double-headed arrow on the rod 14 in fig. 6.

The cable 5 (not shown in fig. 6, but shown in the detailed view of fig. 7) is fixed to the rod 14 in the following manner: when one of the handles 3', 3″ is moved downwards, the cable 5 is wound around the rod 14. Thus, when one of the handles 3', 3″ is laterally displaced from its buffer position towards its second position (both positions not shown in fig. 6) to release it from the buffer position, the respective handle as well as the other handle is automatically pushed upwards to their first position (as shown in fig. 6), which is the position ready for coupling or the coupled position, due to a pulling force acting on the cable 5 or due to any other spring force pushing the handles 3', 3″ towards their first (horizontal) position. Of course, the coupler arrangement is alternatively configured such that the two handles 3', 3 "are moved upwards between their first and second positions, instead of downwards, and this is also possible for the single handle 3 described previously.

Fig. 8 illustrates a second principle used in a coupler device having two handles. Also, the device comprises a lever 14 and a first handle 3' and a second handle 3 "attached to the lever 14, such that an upward or downward movement of one of the handles causes the lever to rotate about the rotation axis a and eventually the other handle 3" to move correspondingly upward or downward in the same way as described in fig. 6. However, unlike the device in fig. 6, the handles 3' and 3 "are not fixedly attached to the rod 14, but are attached in the following manner: they can tilt about a tilt axis T perpendicular to the rotation axis a. The limiter 16 prevents the rod 14 from moving axially in the direction of the rotation axis a. The second rod 14A connects the ends of the handles 3', 3 "that extend beyond the rod 14. Thus, when one of the handles 3', 3″ is tilted about the tilt axis T, for example, in order to move the handle back and forth between the aforementioned second position and the damping position, the second lever 14A converts this tilt into a corresponding tilt of the respective other handle in the same direction, as indicated by the arrow in fig. 8. The advantage of this arrangement compared to the arrangement of fig. 6 is that the worker has the same leverage as he rotates the handles 3', 3 "about the axis of rotation a between the first and second positions when tilting the handles 3', 3" between the second and cushioning positions.

Instead of connecting the ends of the handles 3',3 "extending beyond the rod 14, the second rod 14A may alternatively connect the lever arms of the handles 3',3" at a point of connection somewhere between the rod 14 and the free ends of the handles 3',3 ". The distance between these connection points and the rod 14 need only be small in order to achieve the desired lateral movement of the handle.

As mentioned above, a disadvantage of the coupler arrangement with two handles 3',3 "is that when the handles 3',3" are displaced or tilted between their second position and the buffer position, the handles 3',3 "move in the same direction, which means that the worker has to push one handle towards the wagon into the buffer position on one side of the wagon, and he has to pull the other handle into the corresponding buffer position on the other side of the wagon. Fig. 9 shows a modification of the second principle of fig. 8, wherein a tilting movement of one handle 3' in one direction results in a corresponding tilting movement of the other handle 3 "in the opposite direction, and vice versa. The principle differs from that shown in fig. 8 in that the second lever 14A comprises two separate lever portions 14A 'and 14A ", each attached at one end to one of the handles 3',3" and at the other end to the return mechanism 17. The return mechanism 17 comprises a rotatable element 18, which rotatable element 18 is rotatable about an axis of rotation Z perpendicular to the direction of movement of the lever portions 14A', 14A ". The respective other ends of the stem portions 14A', 14a″ are connected to the rotatable element 18 at equal distances on opposite sides of the axis of rotation Z of the rotatable element 18, and the rotatable element 18 itself is fixedly mounted to the stem 14 by means of a connector 19. Thus, movement of the first stem portion 14A' in one direction is translated by the rotatable element 18 into movement of the second stem portion 14A "in the opposite direction, which has the effect of: when the handles 3', 3' are tilted about the tilt axis T, they move in opposite directions.

Fig. 10 shows in more detail how the lever 14, the lever parts 14A' and 14A ", the rotatable element 18 and the connector 19 are constructed and arranged relative to each other. In particular, the connector 19 may be in the form of a cam plate or eccentric plate, and the cable 5 may be wound on its circumferential surface when the handles 3', 3″ are moved from their first position to their second position.

The second principle of improvement described above with respect to fig. 9 can likewise be implemented with the handle 3 disclosed above with respect to fig. 3A to 4B. Fig. 11 and 12 show a corresponding embodiment, wherein fig. 11 shows two handles 3', 3 "in their first position, which corresponds to the coupled state or ready-to-couple state of the coupler head 1, and fig. 12 shows handles 3', 3" in their third position, which corresponds to the buffer state of the coupler head. Here, the extension of the handle 3' in the form of the connector rod 20 converts, on the one hand, a rotational movement of the handle 3' about the rotational axis a into a corresponding rotation of the rod 14 about the rotational axis a ' parallel to the rotational axis a, and, on the other hand, a tilting movement of the handle 3', 3 "about the tilting axis T (see fig. 4B) into a corresponding tilting movement of the ledge 21, one end of the first rod portion 14A ' being attached to the ledge 21. The second handle 3 "is connected to the lever 14 and the second lever portion 14A" in the same manner. Thus, a rotational movement of the first handle 3' about the rotation axis a and/or a tilting movement about the tilting axis T will result in a corresponding rotational and/or tilting movement of the other handle 3", and vice versa.

In order to prevent unauthorized use of the decoupling mechanism of the coupler device with the two handles 3', 3″ a locking mechanism is provided by means of which the rotation of the lever 14 can be prevented. The locking mechanism may include a locking pin 22 mounted on a shaft 23, the shaft 23 being rotatably mounted on the lever 14 such that the locking pin 22 may move in and out of a stationary component, such as the mounting plate 6 of the chassis. Such locking mechanisms are provided at both ends of the lever 14, and the wire 24 is wound around the respective two shafts 23 and connects them to form a pulley system, i.e. the rotation of one shaft 23 is converted into the rotation of the respective other shaft 23 by the wire 24. By arranging the wire 24 to cross itself, for example in the middle of its return path, the locking pin 22 moves in the opposite direction when one of the two shafts 23 rotates, as shown in fig. 13. Conveniently, if the rod 14 is hollow, the wire 24 or even the entire pulley system may be disposed inside the rod 14 and thus protected.

Preferably, the locking mechanism is a key and lock mechanism similar to that disclosed above with respect to fig. 5. That is, one end of each shaft 23 is accessible from the outside and may have a specific structure (for example, as shown in fig. 5), so that it is rotated only by using a tool having a corresponding mating structure.

Preferred aspects of the present disclosure are described in detail in the following paragraphs (paragraphs) with the scope of protection of the invention being defined by the appended paragraphs:

1. coupler device for a rail vehicle, comprising a coupler head 1 and a decoupling means with at least one handle 3, which can be manually rotated about a rotation axis a in a rotation direction S from a first position, in which the coupler head 1 is in its state of coupling with or ready to couple with a coupler head of another coupler device, to a second position, in which the coupler head 1 is in a decoupled state.

Horizontal handle

2. The coupler device of paragraph 1, wherein the axis of rotation a is horizontal, and wherein one end of the at least one handle 3 forms a handle arm 3A extending in a vertical rotation plane and having a free end 3B that can be gripped by a person such that the at least one handle arm 3A provides leverage to the person, wherein the handle arm 3A is oriented horizontally when the at least one handle 3 is in the first position or in the second position.

3. The coupler device of paragraph 2, wherein rotation of the at least one handle 3 between the first and second positions comprises a starting, intermediate or ending position wherein the free end 3B of the at least one handle 3 and the rotation axis a are at the same vertical level.

4. The coupler device according to paragraph 2 or paragraph 3, wherein the at least one handle 3 has a rotation angle α about the rotation axis a of less than 45 ° between the first and second positions of the at least one handle 3.

5. The coupler device of any one of paragraphs 2 to 4, wherein the at least one handle 3 is mounted to a front, lateral or rear side of a railroad car or carriage of a rail vehicle, and the axis of rotation a extends perpendicularly relative to the side of the railroad car or carriage such that rotation of the at least one handle 3 about the axis of rotation a causes the at least one handle 3 to move in a plane parallel to the respective front, lateral or rear side of the railroad car or carriage.

6. The coupler device of any one of paragraphs 2 to 5, wherein the at least one handle 3 is mounted in front of a front or rear side of a railroad car or carriage of a rail vehicle, wherein a free end 3B of the at least one handle 3 is directed to a lateral side of the railroad car to be manually accessible by a person standing sideways relative to the railroad car and movable from the first position to the second position.

Buffer position

7. The coupler device of any one of paragraphs 1 or 2-6, wherein the at least one handle 3 is mechanically lockable by moving at least a portion of the at least one handle 3 in a locking direction from the second position into a third position, wherein the locking direction is different from the rotational direction S.

8. The coupler device of paragraph 7, wherein the movement of the at least one handle 3 in the locking direction comprises a lateral displacement or a lateral tilt of at least the portion of the at least one handle 3, wherein the lateral displacement or lateral tilt of the portion of the at least one handle 3 is in a direction parallel to the rotational axis a.

9. The coupler device of paragraph 7 or 8, wherein in the third position the at least one handle 3 abuts against a retainer 12 such that rotation of the at least one handle 3 about the rotation axis a towards the first position is prevented.

10. The coupler device according to any one of paragraphs 7-9, comprising an engagement member that allows the at least one handle 3 to tilt laterally about a tilt axis T perpendicular relative to the rotation axis a when the at least one handle is in the second position.

Two handles

11. The coupler device according to any one of paragraphs 1 or 2 to 10, comprising one of the at least one handle 3 as a first handle 3 and the other of the at least one handle 3 'as a second handle 3", wherein both the first handle 3' and the second handle 3" are manually rotatable about the respective rotation axis a from respective first positions in which the coupler head 1 is in a state in which it is coupled to or is capable of being coupled with a coupler head of another coupler device, to respective second positions in which the coupler head 1 is in the decoupled state.

12. The coupler device of paragraph 11, wherein the coupler device is configured such that rotation of one of the first handle 3 'and the second handle 3 "from its respective first position to its respective second position causes rotation of the respective other of the first handle 3' and the second handle 3" from its respective first position to its respective second position.

13. The coupler device of paragraph 11 or 12, wherein the first handle 3' and the second handle 3 "are arranged on opposite sides with respect to the coupler head 1.

14. The coupler device according to any one of paragraphs 11-13, wherein the first handle 3 'and the second handle 3 "are interconnected by a lever 14 configured to translate rotation of one of the first handle 3' and the second handle 3" about its respective axis of rotation a into rotation of the respective other of the first handle 3 'and the second handle 3 "about the respective other handle's axis of rotation a.

15. The coupler device according to paragraph 14, comprising a cable 5 connected to the lever 14, wherein rotation of either one of the first handle 3' and the second handle 3″ from its respective first position towards its respective second position results in a pulling movement on the cable 5 and thereby in decoupling of the coupler head 1.

16. The coupler device according to any one of paragraphs 11-15, wherein the first handle 3' is oriented in the same direction in the first and second positions of the first handle as the second handle 3 "is oriented in the respective first and second positions of the second handle.

17. The coupler device of any one of paragraphs 11 to 16, wherein the first handle 3' or an extension of the first handle 3' is arranged to extend through a first mounting plate 6 and the second handle 3 "or an extension of the second handle 3" is arranged to extend through a second mounting plate 6, the first mounting plate 6 and the second mounting plate 6 extending laterally from a front side or a rear side of a railroad car or a carriage, respectively, of a railway car such that the first handle 3' and the second handle 3 "extend along respective lateral sides of the railroad car or carriage.

18. The coupler device according to any one of paragraphs 11-17, wherein, in the event that each of the first and second handles 3', 3 "is configured such that it is mechanically locked by moving at least a portion thereof in a respective locking direction from its respective second position into a respective third position, and the locking direction of the handles is different from their respective rotational direction, movement of one of the first and second handles 3', 3" in its respective locking direction results in movement of the respective other of the first and second handles 3', 3 "in the locking direction of the respective other of the first and second handles 3', 3".

19. The coupler device of paragraph 18, wherein the movement of one of the first handle 3 'and the second handle 3 "in its respective locking direction and the movement of the respective other of the first handle 3' and the second handle 3" in the locking direction of the respective other of the first handle 3 'and the second handle 3 "comprises both a lateral displacement of at least the portion of the first handle 3' and a lateral displacement of at least the portion of the second handle 3".

20. The coupler device of paragraph 19, comprising a segment 14, wherein the first handle 3' and the second handle 3 "are each attached to the rod 14 in the following manner: pushing or pulling one of the first and second handles 3', 3 "in a direction towards the other of the first and second handles 3', 3" causes the lever 14 to be pushed or pulled in that direction, respectively, thereby transferring a push-pull and pull motion from the one of the first and second handles 3', 3 "to the other of the first and second handles 3', 3".

21. The coupler device of paragraph 18, wherein the movement of one of the first handle 3 'and the second handle 3 "in its respective locking direction and the movement of the respective other of the first handle 3' and the second handle 3" in the locking direction of the respective other of the first handle 3 'and the second handle 3 "comprises both a lateral tilt of at least the portion of the first handle 3' and a lateral tilt of at least the portion of the second handle 3".

22. The coupler device of paragraph 21, comprising a segment 14, wherein the first handle 3' and the second handle 3 "are each mounted on the rod 14 in the following manner: rotation of either of the first and second handles 3', 3 "about the axis of rotation causes corresponding rotation of the lever 14, but the lateral tilt of either of the first and second handles 3', 3" has no effect on the position of the lever 14.

23. The coupler device according to paragraph 22, wherein the longitudinal axis of the lever 14 coincides with the rotation axis a of the first handle 3 'and the second handle 3", and wherein the first handle 3' and the second handle 3" are each mounted on the lever 14 in an associated support in which they are rotatable about a tilt axis T perpendicular to the rotation axis a.

24. The coupler device according to paragraph 23, comprising a further lever 14A, which further lever 14A connects the first handle 3' and the second handle 3 "to each other at a distance from the rotation axis a in order to transfer tilting movements from either one of the first handle 3' and the second handle 3" to the respective other one of the first handle 3' and the second handle 3 ".

25. The coupler device according to any one of paragraphs 11-24, wherein the locking direction of the first handle 3' is opposite to the locking direction of the second handle 3 ".

26. The coupler device of paragraph 24, wherein the further lever 14A comprises two separate levers 14A ', 14A ", each having one end attached to a respective one of the first handle 3' and the second handle 3" at a distance from the rotational axis a, and an opposite end attached to a return mechanism 17 configured to convert movement of one of the two levers 14A ', 14A "in one direction into movement of the respective other of the two levers 14A', 14A" in a direction opposite to the one direction.

27. The coupler device of paragraph 26, wherein the return mechanism 17 comprises a rotatable element 18 rotatable about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the direction of movement of the two stems 14A ', 14A ", and the two stems 14A', 14A" are each attached to the rotatable element 18 on opposite sides relative to the axis of rotation of the rotatable element 18.

28. The coupler device of any one of paragraphs 11 to 27, comprising a key and lock device acting directly on the lever 14 and having key and lock mechanisms 22-24 at both ends of the lever 14, the key and lock devices 22-24 being configured to prevent rotation of the lever 14 about the rotational axis a when one of the key and lock mechanisms 22-24 is in its locked state.

29. The coupler device of paragraph 28, wherein the key and lock mechanism 22-24 at one end of the rod 14 mates with the key and lock mechanism 22-24 at the other end of the rod 14 through the hollow interior of the rod 14 such that unlocking the key and lock mechanism 22-24 at the one end of the rod 14 results in unlocking of a corresponding other key and lock mechanism 22-24 at the other end of the rod 14.

30. The coupler device of paragraph 29, wherein the key and lock device comprises a pulley system 23, 24 interconnecting the two key and lock mechanisms 22-24.

General aspects

31. The coupler device according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 30, wherein the at least one handle 3 is arranged in front of a lateral side of a railroad car or a carriage of a rail vehicle.

32. The coupler device of any one of paragraphs 7-30, wherein the axis of rotation a is a horizontal axis of rotation, and wherein rotation of the at least one handle 3 from the first position to the second position comprises rotation of the at least one handle 3 about the horizontal axis of rotation a.

33. The coupler device according to any of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the at least one handle 3 is a removable handle having a connection interface for a worker to attach the handle 3 to the coupler device via the connection interface.

34. The coupler device of paragraph 33, wherein the connection interface of the handle 3 comprises a portion of a key and lock assembly.

35. The coupler device according to any of the preceding paragraphs, comprising a cable 5, wherein the at least one handle 3 is arranged to cooperate with the cable 5 such that the cable 5 is pulled when the at least one handle 3 is rotated from the first position towards the second position, wherein the coupler device is configured such that pulling the cable 5 results in decoupling of the coupler head 1.

36. The coupler device of paragraph 35, wherein the cable 5 comprises a bowden cable.

37. The coupler device of any one of the preceding paragraphs, comprising a biasing element configured to permanently bias the at least one handle 3 towards the first position.

38. A coupler device according to any of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the coupler device comprises a shafenberg coupler head 1.

Claims (15)

1. A coupler device for a railway vehicle, the coupler device comprising a coupler head and a decoupling means having at least one handle which is manually rotatable about an axis of rotation from a first position in which the coupler head is in a state in which it is coupled or ready to be coupled with a coupler head of another coupler device to a second position in which the coupler head is in a decoupled state.

2. Coupler device according to claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation is horizontal, and wherein one end of the at least one handle forms a handle arm extending in a vertical rotation plane and having a free end that can be gripped by a person such that at least one handle arm provides leverage for the person, wherein the handle arm is oriented horizontally when the at least one handle is in the first position or in the second position, wherein preferably the rotation of the at least one handle between the first position and the second position comprises a starting position, an intermediate position or an ending position wherein the free end of the at least one handle and the axis of rotation are on the same vertical level.

3. A coupler device according to claim 2, wherein the at least one handle has a rotation angle about the rotation axis of less than 45 °, preferably about 30 ° or less, between the first and second positions of the at least one handle.

4. A coupler device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the at least one handle is mounted on a front, lateral or rear side of a railroad car or a carriage of a rail vehicle, and the axis of rotation extends perpendicularly relative to the side of the car or carriage such that rotation of the at least one handle about the axis of rotation causes movement of the at least one handle in a plane parallel to the respective front, lateral or rear side of the car or carriage.

5. The coupler device of any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the at least one handle is mounted in front of a front or rear side of a railroad car or carriage of a rail vehicle, wherein the free end of the at least one handle is directed to a lateral side of the railroad car to be manually accessible by a person standing sideways relative to the railroad car and movable from the first position to the second position.

6. The coupler device of claim 1 or any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the at least one handle is mechanically lockable by moving at least a portion of the at least one handle in a locking direction from the second position into a third position, wherein the locking direction is different from the rotational direction, wherein preferably the movement of the at least one handle in the locking direction comprises a lateral displacement or a lateral tilt of at least the portion of the at least one handle, wherein more preferably the lateral displacement or the lateral tilt of at least the portion of the at least one handle is in a direction parallel to the rotational axis.

7. The coupler device of claim 6, wherein in the third position, the at least one handle abuts a retainer such that rotation of the at least one handle about the rotational axis toward the first position is prevented.

8. Coupler device according to claim 6 or 7, comprising an engagement member allowing lateral tilting of the at least one handle about a tilt axis perpendicular relative to the rotation axis when the at least one handle is in the second position, wherein preferably the tilt axis is perpendicular relative to the rotation axis.

9. A coupler device according to claim 1 or any one of claims 2 to 8, comprising one of the at least one handle as a first handle and the other of the at least one handle as a second handle, wherein the first and second handles are each manually rotatable about a respective axis of rotation from respective first positions in which the coupler head is in a state in which it is coupled to or is capable of being coupled with a coupler head of the other coupler device, into respective second positions in which the coupler head is in the decoupled state, wherein preferably the first and second handles are arranged on opposite sides with respect to the coupler head.

10. The coupler device of claim 9, wherein the coupler device is configured such that rotation of one of the first and second handles from its respective first position to its respective second position results in rotation of the respective other of the first and second handles from its respective first position to its respective second position.

11. Coupler device according to claim 10, wherein the first and second handles are connected to each other by a lever configured to convert rotation of one of the first and second handles about its respective axis of rotation into rotation of the other of the first and second handles about the respective axis of rotation of the other handle, wherein the coupler device preferably comprises a cable connected to the lever, wherein rotation of either of the first and second handles from its respective first position towards its respective second position results in a pulling movement on the cable and thereby in decoupling of the coupler head, and/or wherein preferably the orientation direction of the first handle at the first and second positions is the same as the orientation direction of the second handle at the respective first and second positions of the second handle.

12. The coupler device of claim 10 or 11, wherein, in the event that each of the first and second handles is configured such that it is mechanically locked by moving at least a portion of the handle in a respective locking direction from its respective second position into a respective third position, and the locking direction of the handle is different from its respective rotational direction, movement of one of the first and second handles in its respective locking direction results in movement of the respective other of the first and second handles in the locking direction of the respective other of the first and second handles.

13. Coupler device according to claim 12, wherein the movement of one of the first and second handles in its respective locking direction and the movement of the respective other of the first and second handles in the locking direction of the respective other of the first and second handles comprises both a lateral displacement of at least the portion of the first handle and a lateral displacement of at least the portion of the second handle, wherein preferably the first and second handles are each attached to a lever in such a way that: pushing or pulling one of the first and second handles in a direction toward the other of the first and second handles causes the lever to be pushed or pulled, respectively, in that direction, thereby transferring a pushing and pulling motion from the one of the first and second handles to the other of the first and second handles.

14. Coupler device according to claim 12, wherein the movement of one of the first and second handles in its respective locking direction and the movement of the respective other of the first and second handles in the locking direction comprises both a sideways tilting of at least the part of the first handle and a sideways tilting of at least the part of the second handle, wherein preferably the first and second handles are each mounted on the rod in such a way that: rotation of either one of said first and second handles about said axis of rotation causes a corresponding rotation of said lever, but said lateral tilting of either one of said first and second handles has no effect on the position of said lever, wherein further preferably the longitudinal axis of said lever coincides with the axis of rotation of either one of said first and second handles, and said first and second handles are each mounted on said lever in an associated support in which these handles are capable of rotating about a tilt axis perpendicular to said axis of rotation, wherein said coupler means even more preferably comprises a further lever interconnecting said first and second handles at a distance from said axis of rotation so as to transfer tilting motion from either one of said first and second handles to the respective other of said first and second handles, wherein said lever preferably comprises a separate lever part, preferably a rotatable part in said one of said two opposite directions of said rotational axis, a return mechanism having a rotatable part in said one of said opposite directions, a rotatable part in said one of said rotational axis, and a return mechanism having a rotatable part in said opposite one of said rotational axis, and a return mechanism having a rotatable part in said one of said opposite directions, wherein said rotary element is rotatable part in said one of said rotary element, and the two lever portions are each attached to the rotatable element on opposite sides with respect to the rotational axis of the rotatable element.

15. Coupler device according to any of claims 9 to 14, comprising a key and lock device acting directly on the lever and having a key and lock mechanism at both ends of the lever, the key and lock device being configured to prevent rotation of the lever about the rotation axis when one of the key and lock mechanisms is in its locked state, wherein preferably the key and lock mechanism at one end of the lever cooperates with the key and lock mechanism at the other end of the lever through the hollow interior of the lever such that unlocking the key and lock mechanism at the one end of the lever results in unlocking of the respective other key and lock mechanism at the other end of the lever, wherein further preferably the key and lock device comprises a pulley system interconnecting the two key and lock mechanisms.