EP0230897B1 - Spreadable coupler for toy and model trackways - Google Patents

Abstract

Claw coupling for electric toy and model trains, with a pre-uncoupling device with a claw, which can be swivelled in a horizontal plane and hooked from the side into a rigid hook of the respective opposite anchoring bracket, with a support pin resting in a borehole, which can be lifted out of its coupling position against the force of gravity in an upwards direction into an uncoupling position by a coupling cam of an uncoupling rail, which engages a downwards projecting uncoupling bolt, the support borehole and the support pin each being disposed at the outer edge of the mounting bracket or the claw and the mounting bracket having an approach mandrel for the inner arm of the claw of the respective opposite mounting bracket.

Description

The invention relates to a claw coupling for play and model railways with pre-decoupling, with a claw that can be hooked in from the side in a rigid hook of the respective counter-bearing part, swiveling in a horizontal plane, with a bearing journal mounted in a bore of the bearing part, the Claw can be lifted out of its coupling position into a decoupling position against the shear force by a coupling lifter of a decoupling track, which engages on a coupling pin protruding downwards.

Such a claw coupling, known as the so-called Fox coupling and described in DE-A 2 041 361, enables the construction of short couplings which, in addition to coupling and uncoupling, also enable a pre-decoupling by means of a decoupling track in such a way that the carriages with raised claws Push it to any point on the track system and have it parked, and it is only possible to reconnect after the vehicles have been «pulled», in which they are first separated.

The difficulty with the Fox coupling heads is that the claw must be clamped into the coupling position by a pivoting return spring, which is designed as a torsion spring surrounding the bearing journal, which is supported on a thickened head on its underside and which at the same time provides the vertical restoring force generated. The production of the parts and in particular the assembly of the very small components, especially the coil spring, present considerable difficulties in practice. These difficulties are practically impossible to overcome if you want to use such a claw coupling not only for the HO track, where considerable problems already occur, but also for the N track.

In order to eliminate these difficulties, it was already proposed in an older application to design the swiveling return spring as a spring tongue which is formed on the bearing part and is in contact with the claw, possibly with play. Even this design, which is structurally simpler than a torsion spring, fails with clutches for the N track, because then the dimensions become so small that, taking into account the inevitable backlash and production fluctuations, a reliably functional coupling with such return springs can no longer be realized can.

In addition, a claw coupling has already become known from US Pat. No. 2,411,394, in which the impact of the vehicles is used to generate the closing movement of the claw. In order to keep the claw in the closed position, a special locking mechanism is provided in the arrangement according to this US patent specification, which in its complexity, and after ultimately also again using a biasing spring, can no longer be sensibly implemented for models of the N gauge.

The invention is therefore based on the object of designing a claw coupling of the type mentioned in such a way that reliable coupling and holding of the couplings in the engaged position, including the possibility of providing a pre-decoupling, is ensured even without a return spring.

To solve this problem it is provided according to the invention that the claw has a hookable in the rigid hook, extending essentially in the longitudinal direction of the coupling outer arm and an inner arm angled by approximately 90 _° to it in the transverse direction, that the bearing bore and the bearing journal each are arranged on the outer edge of the bearing part opposite the rigid hook or in the corner of the angular claw, that the bearing part has a starting mandrel for the inner arm of the claw of the respective counter-coupling part, that a forced swiveling device is provided, such that when lifting the claw is pivoted inward by means of a positive guide and is placed on the counter-bearing part, and that the starting mandrel is dimensioned such that it both prevents the respective counter-claw from swiveling outward into a decoupling position, and also an inward claw on one in push operation Pivoting outwards is hindered.

Under the specification "at the outer edge of the bearing part" there is a displacement of the bearing bore and the bearing journal with respect to the longitudinal center axis of the carriage and thus also the couplings to the outside, in such a way that, taking into account the arrangement of the displacement of the starting mandrel with respect to the central axis, the respective starting mandrel of the counter-coupling part finds an inner arm of the claw against which it can abut in order to push the claw inwards into the coupling position.

Due to the displacement of the fulcrum according to the invention, the claw is always rotated inwards in connection with the starting mandrels when two carriages move together and - by appropriately designing the length of the starting mandrel - is held in this inwardly rotated coupling position. For this purpose, the start-up mandrel is dimensioned in such a way that it prevents the respective counterclaw from swinging outwards into a decoupling position. The uncoupling can then only - as desired per se - take place via a uncoupling track and lifting the claw.

With the normal tensile load of a clutch during driving, the claws in the rigid hooks of the respective counter-bearing part self-lock, so that there is no fear of the clutch opening accidentally even in the event of vibrations. Such vibrations could only cause the claws to swing outwards into the release position if the carriages moved away from each other by a certain distance _A S, since otherwise the thrust pin on the inner arm of the counterclaw would prevent such a swinging open. This interaction of a distance between the cars at the same time that the Claws are swung outward by vibrations, but is extremely rare, so that such an accidental disengagement is hardly to be feared. Added to this is the fact that such a pivoting movement can be made even more difficult by correspondingly close tolerance of the length of the starting mandrel to the length of the outer arms of the claws, and in addition in conjunction with an undercut of the rigid hooks. So you have a kind of kinematic locking, where the heavy masses of the carriages collide when coupling, while the inward swiveling of the claws, which have practically no mass, can be done easily via the thrust pins. If the coupling were to be “shaken” in reverse, however, the opposite conditions would have to be present, ie the claw with its tiny mass should be able to push away the opposite carriage during the shaking movement - or else the corresponding corresponding carriage movement described above would be present.

Due to the inventive bearing design of the type that the claw is pivoted inward and raised on the counter bearing part when lifting the bearing pin, despite the lack of a return spring, which would bias the claw in each case into the coupling position, the pre-decoupling already mentioned can be carried out .

According to a further feature of the present invention, this can be achieved particularly simply by arranging on the inner arm of the claw a pivot pin passing through an elongated hole of the bearing part with a run-on slope which, when the claw is raised, abuts on the elongated hole edge via a decoupling track and thus pivots the claw forces inside.

In order to also rule out the unlikely case described above, according to which, when the claws are pivoted outwards by shaking movements, the carriages are simultaneously removed by a piece _A S, so that each starting mandrel releases the inner arm of the counterclaw, in an embodiment of the invention It should be provided that the starting mandrel, which is preferably molded onto the bearing part, is designed to be axially resilient, which is readily possible by appropriate shaping of the plastic material even with harder plastic parts. The axial spring travel, which is necessary so that the mandrel always rests on the inner arm of the counter-claw and thus reliably prevents it from swinging open due to vibrations during operation, is so small that no particularly great elasticity of the material is necessary for this.

• Fig. 1 eine Teilansicht zweier mit Hilfe erfindungsgemäßer Klauenkupplungen miteinander verbundener Modellbahnwagen,
• Fig. 2 eine vergrößerte Draufsicht auf zwei Kupplungsköpfe während des Einkuppelvorgangs beim Zusammenfahren der Wagen,
• Fig. 3 eine der Fig. 2 entsprechende Aufsicht in der Kupplungsstellung,
• Fig. 4 eine Aufsicht auf zwei Kupplungsköpfe in der Vorentkupplungsstellung,
• Fig. 5 einen Schnitt längs der Linie V-V in Fig. 3 und Fig. 6 einen Schnitt längs der Linie VI-VI in Fig. 4.

The invention will be explained below using an exemplary embodiment and with reference to the drawing. Show:

• 1 is a partial view of two model railroad cars interconnected with the aid of claw couplings according to the invention,
• 2 is an enlarged top view of two coupling heads during the coupling process when the carriages are moved together,
• 3 is a top view corresponding to FIG. 2 in the coupling position,
• 4 is a plan view of two coupling heads in the pre-decoupling position,
• 5 shows a section along the line VV in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6 shows a section along the line VI-VI in FIG. 4.

Each coupling head comprises a bearing part 1 with a rigid, outwardly pointing hook 2 at the front end and a plug connection section 5 for insertion into standardized receiving shafts 6, e.g. According to the European model railway standard NEM 362. On the bearing part 1, a claw 7, which engages with its outside in the angled area between the hook section 7a and the inner arm 7b engages in a bore of the bearing part 1, which comprises a hook head 10.

A pivot pin 20 is formed on the inner leg 7b of the claw 7 and is provided at the lower end with a thickening 22 forming a run-on slope 21. This pivot bolt passes through an elongated hole 23 of the bearing part 1. The chamfer 21 is designed such that when the claw 7 is lifted via a decoupling track 9, in contrast to previously known Fox couplings it is not the journal but the pivot bolt 20 that forms the decoupling bolt, the chamfer 21 in conjunction with the elongated hole edges 23 causes the claw 7 to be pivoted inwardly into the pre-decoupling position shown in FIG. 4. After driving over the coupling track 9, the claw 7 falls down in this inwardly pivoted position and rests on the respective counter-bearing part 1, so that a new coupling is only possible after the carriages have been removed from one another, so that the claw 7 again in the normal lower position can fall. Gravity alone serves as the vertical restoring force. During the pre-uncoupled pushing, the starting mandrel 24 must press on the shoulder 7b, so that the entire claw is pressed inward and the hook ends 10 therefore remain on the hook 2 of the counter-coupling. This can be achieved, for example, by increasing the starting mandrels 24 relative to the surface 25 of the coupling parts, that in the sliding position, in which the coupling parts are more pushed together compared to FIG. 4, the starting mandrels also in the raised plane of the part 7b of the claw. In the event of a possible pivoting movement of the claw outwards, the part 7b would then immediately abut the raised dome 24 and thus prevent it from pivoting outwards. It is not only a question of the height of the starting mandrels, which must also be present and effective in the raised position of the claws, but also of the length, ie the extent to which the couplings are compared to the position in Fig. 4 in the sliding position can be compressed. In the illustrated embodiment, this would be the Path a in FIG. 4. In order to enlarge this path, the bearing part could, for example, be provided in the region 26 with a recess, so that the coupling parts can move even closer to one another and thus there are even fewer possibilities for the pivoting movement of the claw.

For the operation of the claw coupling according to the invention, the chamfers 27 on the hook heads 10 and the counter chamfers 28 on the rigid hooks are necessary. This is because they ensure that the hook heads 10 are guided safely over the hooks 2 during the coupling process, even if they should first be pivoted somewhat inwards. Only when they have been swung open so far and the hook heads have come directly behind the hooks 2, the starting mandrels 24 may come into effect.

Finally, the starting mandrels 24 should also be arranged so that they secure the coupling laterally close to one another against shear movements. Such lateral displacements of the couplings against each other would otherwise have to be intercepted by the hook heads 10 of the claws, which could break out.

When two coupling heads are moved together (cf. in particular FIGS. 2 and 3), the inner arm 7b of each claw abuts on a thrust pin 24 of the respective counter-bearing part, which is dimensioned in length in such a way that it is automatic (caused, for example, by vibrations). Again swiveling the claws 7 prevented in the decoupling position to the outside. Uncoupling is therefore only possible by lifting the claws 7 relative to the hook 2. The design can be such that the starting mandrels 24 have a low axial resilient displaceability, which can be achieved, for example, by the indicated tip, so that the starting mandrel always rests resiliently on the inner arm 7b of the counter-claw 7 and thus a "dumping stone" "the clutch is safely prevented even when jogging.

Claims (6)

1. A claw coupling for toy and model railways with preliminary uncoupling, having a claw (7) which can be hooked from the side in a rigid hook (2) of the respective counter bearing member (1) and is pivotable in horizontal plane, having a pivot pin (a) in a bore in the bearing member (1), wherein the claw (7) can be lifted upwards out of its coupling position into an uncoupling position against the force of gravity by a coupling lifter (9) of an uncoupling rail, which lifter acts on a downwardly projecting uncoupling pin (20), characterised in that the claw (7) comprises an outer arm (7a) which can be hooked into the rigid hook (2) and extends substantially in the longitudinal direction of the coupling, and an inner arm (7b) which is bent at an angle of about 90_° thereto in the transverse direction, that the bearing bore and the pivot pin (6) are each disposed on the outer edge of the bearing member (1), situated opposite the rigid hook (2) or in the corner of the angular claw (7) respectively, that the bearing member (1) comprises an approach tongue (24) for the inner arm (7b) of the claw (7) of the respective counter coupling member, that a positive pivoting device is provided in such a manner that, on being lifted, the claw (7) is pivoted inwards via positive guide means (21, 23) and deposited on the counter bearing member (1), and that the approach tongue (24) is so dimensioned that it not only prevents the particular counter claw (7) from swinging outwards into an uncoupling position but also, in shunting operation, a claw which has been laid down inwards is prevented from swinging outwards.

2. A claw coupling accordig to claim 1, characterised in that the claw (7) carries a hooked head (10) on its outer arm (7a), and that the hooked head (10) and the rigid hook (2) are undercut.

3. A claw coupling according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the approach tongue (24) on the bearing member (1), preferably formed thereon, is made axially resilient.

4. A claw coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that a swivel pin (20) passing through a slot (23) in the bearing member (1) and forming the coupling pin which has an approach slope (21) is disposed on the inner arm (7b) of the claw (7) and, when the claw (7) is lifted, cooperates with the edge of the slot to force the claw (7) to swing inwards.

5. A claw coupling according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the pivot pin (8) and/or the swivel pin (20) is provided, at the lower end, with a thickened retaining head to prevent the claw from falling out of its seating.

6. A claw coupling according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that the hooked head (10) and the hooks (2) are provided with approach slopes (27, 28).

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