GB1180287A - Automatic Air and Electric Railway Car Coupler - Google Patents

Abstract

1,180,287. Railway couplings. WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE CO. 6 June, 1967 [27 June, 1966], No. 26048/67. Heading B7T. [Also in Division H2] An automatic railway car coupler comprises a mechanical latching portion 1 including a guide pin 5 and a gathering bore 7 with latch 8, a pipe connecting portion 3 and an electrical connecting portion 4 bolted to the underside of portion 1, the portion 4 consisting of a multiplecontact unit 23 mounted on a plate 24 longitudinally slidable in casing 13 on rails 26, said unit being biased by coil springs 29 to a position where it projects outwardly from the front of casing 13. When the coupler is not connected to a similar coupler the casing front is closed by a plate 42. A spring loaded shaft 34 acts, via a finger 37, to bias plate 24 towards the rear of the coupler. When two couplers engage they are located and connected by their respective pins 5 and bores 7, and pistons 48 of each coupler are forced inwardly by contact with a plate 51 on the other coupler causing, via linkage 53, 54, 56 and 57, the plate 42 to slide under the coupler as shown in phantom lines in Fig. 5. The plate 42 has pins 46 which are guided in slots 47 during the sliding. The units 23 on contacting one another are then forced into casings 13 against springs 29 until they engage one another. The units 23 may be disengaged while the couplers are still mechanically engaged by rotating a shaft 34 using a rod 36 insertable in socket 35 at the base of the shaft. The rod 36 may be engaged behind a retractable projection 74 to prevent the spring loading on shaft 34 returning the unit 23. When the couplers are disengaged by drawing them apart this tensions the spring loading on shaft 34 causing the units 23 to separate with a snap action which minimizes arcing between the contacts. The plate 42 recloses the casing 13 by a spring 65 acting through the linkage 53 &c. When the coupler is disengaged a switch 71 closes the circuits through it and when engaged mechanically but not electrically with a similar coupler the circuits through it may be completed by a further switch.