GB1003854A - Mechanism for automatically setting and releasing automatic couplings for railway vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,003,854. Automatically operating railway vehicle couplings. HOUILLENES DU BASSIN DE LORRAINE. Feb. 21, 1964 [March 12, 1963], No. 7457/64. Heading B7T. Geneva wheels 3, 3a, Fig. 2, step rotated by pawls at the track side operate mechanisms 6, 6a which actuate Bowden type cables 8 connected to the locks of the automatic couplings. One mechanism, Fig. 4, comprises cams 10, 11 on the shaft 4, the cam 10 coacting with a slide 14 urged thereagainst by a spring 15 so that rotation of the cam moves the slide 14 under control of a spring 16 and tensions or releases the cable 8 attached at its other end to the coupler lock. When the couplings are under tension and their locks held against operation, the spring 16 stores the operational command until the couplings are no longer under tension and then operates the lock. The wheels 3, 3a are step rotated a full quarter of a revolution by the track side pawls engaging the wheels and by the spring 13 coacting with a cam 11, which cam and spring self actuates and stabilizes the mechanism in each of its halted positions. In Fig. 9, the mechanism is simplified and comprises a cam acting between two slides 22, 23. ' In Fig. 10 the spring 24 is compressed, the cable 8 is slack, and the lock released. If, however, the lock is jamme d in the operative position, then further rotation of the wheel 3 and the cam 21 presents the cam in the Fig. 12 position, the slider 23 is retained as shown by the cable 8 held by the jammed lock and the energy in the spring 24 is stored so that the lock may be released when it becomes unjammed. The spring 24 in this embodiment returns the wheel and the slides and protects the cable from excessive operating force if the lock is jammed. Figs. 13-15 (not shown) illustrate a practical arrangement of this mechanism. In Figs. 16, 17, the Geneva wheel is replaced by two arms 38, 39 located at different levels and operated by trackside pawls 38a, 39a. By this mechanism it is possible for wagons in either the locked or unlocked condition to be all converted into one or the other condition.