EP4255789A1

EP4255789A1 - Catching device for a shunt coupling

Info

Publication number: EP4255789A1
Application number: EP21839858.4A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Sebastian BLETH; Jörg MELDE; Jörg PFORR
Original assignee: Siemens Mobility GmbH
Current assignee: Siemens Mobility GmbH
Priority date: 2021-02-01
Filing date: 2021-12-14
Publication date: 2023-10-11
Also published as: WO2022161690A1; DE102021200863A1; US20240034369A1; US12005938B2; CN116802105A

Abstract

The invention relates to a catching device (10) for a shunt coupling (2), comprising a catching body (11) with an end stop (12), a right-hand side lateral stop (13), and a left-hand side lateral stop (13) that together form a holding body, which has an inner region (B) delimited on three sides and which has one side that is open but can be closed by a lock (14), said open side being dimensioned such that a specified shunt coupling (2) can be moved into the inner region (B) through the open side, wherein the catching device (10) has at least one elastic and/or elastically mounted stop element (15a, 15b) on one of the stops (12, 13). The invention additionally relates to a rail vehicle comprising such a catching device and to a method for locking a shunt coupling.

Description

Safety device for a shunting coupling

The invention relates to a safety catch for a shunting coupling, in particular with reduced lateral play and a spring-loaded stop. The invention also includes a rail vehicle with such a safety device and a method for locking a shunting coupling.

For the use of shunting couplers. e.g. B. a shunting coupler RK 900, on a rail vehicle there is usually a safety gear on this rail vehicle and usually also mandatory. With such a safety device, the shunting coupling can be secured in a parking position or be locked. For this purpose, the shunting coupling is generally pivoted from the shunting position (horizontal alignment of the shunting coupling) upwards into the parking position (vertical alignment of the shunting coupling).

The swiveling of the shunting coupling into the parking position usually takes place by means of a hydraulic or pneumatic lifting cylinder to which pressure is applied. This causes the coupling to swing into an almost vertical position. At an angle of approx. A mechanical lock of the coupling engages at 80 ° to the horizontal, but the shunting coupling should be swiveled further up to 90 ° into the parking position, otherwise the shunting couplings of the two shunting locomotives that are coupled to each other would collide in double traction.

In the vertical position, the shunting coupler is additionally secured by a safety catch. For this purpose, a safety element in the form of a bolt, a chain o. uh . appropriate . If necessary, the clutch is readjusted manually pressed behind. The lifting cylinder may only be vented again after this safety measure has been taken.

When the shunting coupling is lowered from the parking position into the shunting position, the lifting cylinder is initially pressurized again and the safety device of the safety gear is removed. Then the pressure in the lifting cylinder is reduced and at the same time the mechanical unlocking of the coupling is actuated so that it can swing down by gravity.

Previous safety gears form a fixed stop in the parking position for the shunting coupler and have considerable lateral play. The disadvantage of the latter is that the shunting coupler in the parking position, when the rail vehicle coupled with the screw coupler drives through bends, performs strong and uncontrolled movements. Considerable shocks act on the safety gear, which can lead to deformation and damage to the same or to the shunting coupling.

The fixed stop in conjunction with the large lateral play can also mean that the shunting coupler cannot be pivoted safely from its vertical parking position into the shunting position (position ready for coupling). The coupling then remains in the parking position despite being actuated for lowering and must be pushed manually from there. On vehicles with a cross bridge, the operator can go up and hit the hitch to lower it . This is not possible on vehicles without a cross bridge, so that the clutch can only be pushed manually from below (e.g. from the Bern area). This represents a significant hazard for the operator. It is an object of the present invention to specify an alternative, more convenient safety device and a method for locking a shunting coupling with such a safety device, with which the disadvantages described above are avoided and, in particular, a safe holding and lowering of a shunting coupling is guaranteed.

This object is achieved by a safety gear according to patent claim 1 , a rail vehicle according to patent claim 10 and a method according to patent claim 11 .

A safety device according to the invention for a shunting coupling comprises a safety body with an end stop, a right side stop and a left side stop, which together form a holding body which has an inner area delimited on three sides (by the stops) and which has an open, but with a lockable side which is dimensioned such that a predefined shunting coupler can be moved into the interior through the open side.

Up to this point, such a safety device is known from the prior art (see, for example, FIG. 1). The safety device has three closed sides and one open side (for introducing the shunting coupling), and preferably has a U-profile, in particular an angular one.

If this safety gear is arranged as intended on a shunting locomotive, the end stop is located on the locomotive-side part of the interior. When a shunting coupling is picked up by the safety gear, the lock on the open side is initially open and is then closed by the locking mechanism in order to prevent the shunting coupling from falling out of the parking position. The open side must of course be big enough for the shunting coupler to fit through in order to be picked up by the safety gear at all. Although the shunting coupling is not part of the safety gear, its known dimensions were used to dimension it. The passage "that a predefined shunting coupler can be moved into the interior area through the open side" means only that the open side has a predefined dimension, which corresponds to the previously known thickness or the previously known circumference of a predetermined shunting coupler.

The dimensioning of the open side can also be given in absolute terms as at least 100 mm, in particular at least 150 mm. Since common shunting couplings rarely have a diameter of more than 400 mm at the point in question, the maximum dimension for the dimensioning is preferably less than 500 mm, in particular less than 300 mm.

According to the invention, the safety catch has at least one elastic and/or elastically mounted stop element on one of the stops (ie the end stop and/or at least one of the side stops). Due to these stop elements, a shunting coupling introduced into the interior has significantly reduced play in comparison to previous safety gears. Movement of a shunting coupling in the safety gear can thus be reduced to a minimum, as will be explained in more detail below. The passage "elastic and/or elastically mounted stop element" means that the stop element itself can be elastic, or the stop element can be inelastic, but is then mounted elastically, or the stop element can be mounted elastically and additionally elastically. A rail vehicle according to the invention is in particular a shunting locomotive and includes a safety gear according to the invention (instead of a conventional safety gear).

In a method according to the invention for locking a shunting coupling in a safety gear according to the invention, the safety gear corresponds to a preferred embodiment in which the end stop is equipped with an elastically mounted stop element which is designed in such a way that there is a shunting coupling beyond the lock (of course only if this is open ) can press through the open side of the safety gear . The procedure includes the following steps :

- Tilting the shunting coupling from a shunting position into a parking position by means of a lifting cylinder,

- inclusion of the shunting coupling in the interior of the safety gear,

- Pressing the stop element at the end stop against a spring force of its elastic bearing with the

shunting coupling,

- Closing the lock on the open side, so that the shunting coupling is pressed against the lock by the spring force of the elastically mounted stop element.

The stop element on the end stop thus ensures mechanical tension with which the shunting coupling in the safety gear is pressed against the lock. If the lock is now opened again, the spring-loaded stop element pushes the shunting coupling a little past the locking point through the open side. This means that manual movement of the shunting coupling out of the parking position is no longer necessary, which is very beneficial for occupational safety. It is noted that the shunting coupler (which as said does not form part of the invention) is well known in the prior art. It has the usual components, in particular a lifting cylinder. Due to a lack of leverage, the lifting cylinder is often not able to move the shunting coupler out of the parking position (90° to the shunting position), but instead requires the shunting coupler to be inclined slightly to the vertical (e.g. 85°). In order to move it there, it has hitherto been moved manually in the prior art, as explained above. With the spring-loaded stop element at the end stop, the invention allows an “automated” movement of the shunting coupling if it has been moved to the parking position according to the method according to the invention. It should also be noted that, according to the specifications of the prior art, when lowering the shunting coupling the lifting cylinder must be pressurized The shunting coupling does not tilt from the parking position to the shunting position, but is

(Vertical) parking position only tilted into the almost vertical position (according to the method according to the invention by the spring-loaded stop instead of manually), so that the lifting cylinder has an effective lever for moving the shunting clutch.

Further, particularly advantageous refinements and developments of the invention result from the dependent claims and the following description, whereby the claims of one claim category can also be developed analogously to the claims and parts of the description for another claim category and, in particular, individual features of different exemplary embodiments or Variants of new examples from or. Variants can be combined. In a preferred safety device comprises at least one

Stop element an elastic buffer element. This

Buffer element has a modulus of elasticity greater than 0.05 GPa and less than 10 GPa. Its modulus of elasticity is preferably less than 6 GPa and/or greater than 0.1 GPa.

Preferred materials from which a buffer element can be made are elastomers, e.g. rubber or silicone (individually or in combination), but springs made of steel or plastic can also be used, e.g. spiral or leaf springs.

According to a preferred embodiment of the safety gear, at least one stop element, preferably at least the end stop, is elastically mounted by means of a spring or an elastic buffer element (as described above). This mounting is preferably designed in such a way that a shunting coupling located in the interior of the safety gear can be pushed out (at least partially) from the interior through the open side. If the safety device is attached to a rail vehicle, the stop element in question is preferably designed (and the safety device is attached in such a way) that a shunting coupling can be moved from a parking position by the spring-loaded stop element to an angle of inclination of less than 87° to the horizontal, in particular less than 85° , or even less than 80°, to the horizontal.

According to a preferred embodiment of the safety catch, a movement of the elastically mounted stop element is guided in the direction of the spring force of the spring or of the elastic buffer element by means of a guide element. This has the advantage that tilting of the stop element and thus blocking of the movement is prevented. At least one of the guide elements is preferably arranged next to the spring or the elastic buffer element. Alternatively or additionally, at least one of the guide elements is surrounded by a spring. So it can z. B. spring-loaded bolts ensure guidance and simultaneous elastic mounting of the stop element. However, reliable guidance can also be achieved by guide elements that are present independently of the spring-loaded mounting.

According to a preferred embodiment of the safety gear, both the right side stop and the left side stop each have an elastic stop element. The stop elements are preferably located opposite one another on a line, which has the advantage that no oblique moment of force acts on a shunting coupling through the stop elements. The stop elements are particularly preferably arranged in such a way that they positively hold a shunting coupling to the right and left. The shunting coupling should therefore not have any play to the right or left, but should be held firmly between the stop elements. Slipping backwards and forwards (towards the end stop or away from it) should preferably be possible, however, since in this way an elastically mounted stop element described above can push the clutch out of the safety gear (at least partially).

According to a preferred embodiment, the safety catch comprises a locking mechanism which is shaped in such a way that it can close the open side of the safety catch, the locking mechanism preferably comprising a bolt and/or a chain. A combination of bolt and chain is preferred, since this ensures a particularly secure locking mechanism. The locking mechanism particularly preferably has a (particularly elastic) element for protecting others Elements of the locking and the shunting coupling. In particular, the bolt is surrounded by an elastic protective layer or at least one protective layer made of plastic.

This protects the bolt against movement of the shunting coupler while a rail vehicle is in motion, and of course also the shunting coupler.

According to a preferred embodiment of the safety gear, a part of a stop element facing away from the respective stop has a spherical shape, ie z. B. the shape of a hemisphere. A stop element preferably has the shape of a hemisphere placed on a cylindrical base. However, a stop element can also simply have the form of an elastic plate.

According to a preferred embodiment of the safety gear, at least one stop element is screwed to the safety gear. A screw is preferably arranged in the center of the stop element. Alternatively, however, several screws can also be arranged mirror-symmetrically to a central plane or rotationally symmetrically to the center point of the stop element.

According to a preferred embodiment of the safety catch, an elastically mounted stop element is arranged on the end stop, the spring-loaded movement of which is preferably guided by means of guide elements. The stop element preferably also has an (elastic) buffer element on its side facing the inner area. The stop element is elastically mounted on the end stop to such an extent that it can push a predetermined shunting coupling out of a parked position when a lock on the safety gear is opened. The rear stop for a shunting coupling (end stop) is elastic, as already described above made movable. The shunting coupling is pivoted into the parking position against this spring-loaded stop. When lowering, the spring force of the stop element causes the shunting coupling to be reliably pushed out of the parking position.

Advantages of the invention compared to current safety gears with large lateral play and a fixed stop are that the safety gear according to the invention can be used to reduce the transverse movement of the shunting coupling to a minimum in the parking position. This significantly reduces the mechanical loads on the safety gear itself. Furthermore, the shunting coupling can be pivoted down safely from the parking position into a position ready for coupling (shunting position).

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the attached figures using exemplary embodiments. The same components are provided with identical reference numerals in the various figures. The figures are generally not to scale. Show it :

FIG. 1 shows a rail vehicle with a shunting coupler in a safety gear according to the prior art,

FIG. 2 shows a safety catch according to the prior art,

FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of a safety gear according to the invention,

Figure 4 shows a shunting coupling in a preferred

Catching device according to Figure 3, FIG. 5 schematically shows the course of a method according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows a rail vehicle 1, here the front section of a shunting locomotive, with a shunting coupler 2 in a safety gear 3 according to the prior art. The shunting coupling 2 is here in parking position, d. H . tilted up 90° compared to the shunting position. In this parking position, two shunting locomotives can also be coupled together without their shunting couplers 2 colliding while driving. As you can see, the shunting coupler 2 is slightly tilted to one side of the locomotive (to the right in the picture). One can clearly see that the shunting coupling 2 has some play on the other side of the safety gear 3, so that it could also tilt obliquely to the other side. This happens when the rail vehicle with the shunting coupler 2 in the parking position were to drive around a curve.

FIG. 2 shows a safety catch 3 according to the prior art. The safety device 10 here has a safety catch 11 made of steel, which has an end stop 12 on the locomotive side (back left) and a side stop 13 on each of the two sides, so that an angular U-profile with an inner region B is formed. So that a shunting coupling 2 in the parking position (see FIG. 1) cannot tilt out, a lock 14 in the form of a bolt and a chain (for safety) is arranged at a distance from the end stop 12 between the two side stops 13 . For better insertion of a shunting coupling 2 into the interior B, the ends of the side stops 13 are shaped as oblique guides 19 which form a funnel. On the left you can see part of the arresting body 11 , which is designed in the form of an attachment 18 , which is used to attach the arresting device 3 to a rail vehicle 1 . Figure 3 shows an embodiment of a safety gear 10 according to the invention. This looks similar to the safety gear 3 according to the prior art and also has the components shown in Figure 2, but includes additional components which securely hold a shunting coupling in the parking position and reduce play reduce minimum.

For this purpose, the safety catch according to the invention comprises a stop element 15b on the end stop 12, which is provided here with a spring 16 and a plate (e.g. made of plastic, e.g. rubber) as a buffer element 5, and on the two side stops 13 further stop elements 15a, which here can be used as buffer elements 5 can be made of rubber. The stop elements 15a on the side stops 13 ensure that a shunting coupling 2 in the inner area B, ie in the parking position (see also FIG. 4), cannot tilt to the left and right, but is always held upright.

The stop element 15b on the end stop 12 not only ensures that a shunting coupling is held in a form-fitting manner, but also has another very advantageous function. Which can be derived from Figure 4.

Figure 4 shows a shunting coupler 2 in the parking position in a preferred safety gear 10 according to Figure 3. As can be seen there, the stop element 15b on the end stop 12 is now pushed backwards because it is being pushed backwards (towards the attachment 18) by the shunting coupler . As a result, the shunting coupler 2 is not only pressed against the lock 14, which ensures a good hold, the shunting coupler 2 is also pushed forward by the springs 16 (see FIG. 3) after the lock 14 has been opened, so that it no longer has to be moved out of the parking position manually. Two guide elements 17 ensure trouble-free movement of the stop element 15b on the end stop 12 , the screws on which the springs 16 are guided can also be regarded as guide elements 17 .

The method according to the invention was used to achieve this position.

FIG. 5 schematically shows the sequence of a method according to the invention for locking the shunting coupling 2 in a safety gear 10 as shown in FIG.

The shunting coupling 2 is pushed from a shunting position A into a parking position B by means of a lifting cylinder 4 , during which it is moved into the interior area of the safety gear 10 (curved arrow). Shortly before the parking position is reached (indicated by dashed lines), it hits the stop element 15b on the end stop 12 (see also FIG. 3) and pushes it backwards (straight arrow) against the spring force of its elastic bearing with the shunting coupling 2 . The lock 14 on the open side is then closed (see closed lock 14 in FIG. 3), so that the shunting coupling 2 is pressed against the lock 14 by the spring force of the elastically mounted stop element 15b.

Finally, it is pointed out once again that the embodiments described in detail above and the method are merely exemplary embodiments which can be modified in a wide variety of ways by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, the use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not rule out the possibility that the characteristics in question can also be present more than once. Likewise, terms such as "unit" do not rule out that the components in question consist of several interacting sub-components, which can also be spatially distributed if necessary.

Claims

patent claims

1. Catch device (10) for a shunting coupling (2) comprising a catch body (11) with an end stop (12), a right side stop (13) and a left side stop (13), which together form a holding body that has a three Has a side-limited inner area (B) and has an open side that can be locked with a lock (14), which is dimensioned such that a predefined shunting coupler (2) can be moved through the open side into the inner area (B), wherein the catching device (10) has at least one elastic and/or elastically mounted stop element (15a, 15b) on one of the stops (12, 13).

2. Catching device according to claim 1, wherein at least one stop element (15a, 15b) comprises an elastic buffer element (5) which has a modulus of elasticity greater than 0.05 GPa and less than 10 GPa, in particular less than 6 GPa and/or in particular greater than 0.5 GPa, and which is preferably made of rubber or silicone.

3. Catch device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one stop element (15a, 15b), preferably at least the end stop (12), by means of a spring (16) or an elastic buffer element (5) is elastically mounted.

4. Catching device according to claim 3, wherein a movement of the elastically mounted stop element (15a, 15b) in the direction of the spring force of the spring (16) or of the elastic buffer element (5) is guided by means of a guide element (17), preferably with at least one of the guide elements (17) next to the spring (16) or the elastic buffer element (5) is arranged and / or at least one of

Guide elements (17) is surrounded by a spring (16).

5. Catching device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein both the right side stop (13) and the left side stop (13) each have an elastic stop element (15a, 15b), the stop elements (15a, 15b) preferably lying opposite one another on a line and are particularly preferably arranged in such a way that they hold a shunting coupling (2) in a form-fitting manner to the right and left.

6. Catching device according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a lock (14) which is shaped in such a way that it can close the open side of the catch body (11), the lock (14) preferably comprising a bolt and/or a chain, and more preferably wherein the latch (14) includes an element for protecting other elements of the latch (14).

7. Catch device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a part of a stop element (15a, 15b) facing away from the respective stop (12, 13) has a spherical shape, wherein a stop element (15a, 15b) preferably has the shape of one placed on a cylindrical base hemisphere has .

8. Catch device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one stop element (15a, 15b) is screwed to the catch device (10), one screw preferably being arranged centrally in the stop element (15a, 15b) or several screws being arranged mirror-symmetrically to the center point of the stop element ( 15a, 15b) are arranged. 17

9. Catching device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein an elastically mounted stop element (15a, 15b) is arranged on the end stop (12), the spring-loaded movement of which is preferably guided by means of guide elements (16), and the stop element (15a, 15b) on its dem The side facing the interior (B) preferably additionally has a buffer element (5), the stop element (15a, 15b) being elastically mounted on the end stop (12) in such a way that it can push a predetermined shunting coupling (2) out of a parking position when a lock (14) the safety gear (10) is opened.

10. rail vehicle (1), in particular a shunting locomotive, comprising a safety device (10) according to any one of the preceding claims.

11. A method for locking a shunting coupling (2) in a safety gear (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 with an elastically mounted stop element (15b) on the end stop (12), comprising the steps:

- Tilting the shunting coupling (2) from a shunting position into a parking position by means of a lifting cylinder (4),

- Inclusion of the shunting coupling (2) in the interior of the safety gear (10),

- Pressing the stop element (15b) on the end stop (12) against a spring force of its elastic bearing with the shunting coupling (2),

- Closing the lock (14) on the open side so that the shunting coupling (2) is pressed against the lock (14) by the spring force of the elastically mounted stop element (15b).