GB1295311A - - Google Patents

Abstract

1295311 Automatic service conduit connectors in railway couplings COMPAGNIA ITALIANA WESTINGHOUSE FRENI E SEGNALI 23 Feb 1970 [25 Feb 1969] 8509/70 Heading B7T A rigid jaw railway vehicle automatic coupling has interengageable coupling heads with frontal impact faces, each coupling head having a service conduit connector member, and includes means responsive to the approach to coupling of two such coupling heads which causes movement of each respective connector member relative to its respective coupling head in a direction perpendicular to the frontal impact face of the head so that aperture interengagement of the connector members only occurs after the impact of the two frontal impact faces of the coupling heads. When the two coupling heads approach one another the projections 3, 4 contact the arms 5a, 6a of the sensing levers 5, 6 causing anticlockwise rotation (as viewed in drawings) of the levers, (Fig. 1). As the sensing levers 5, 6 are turned further anticlockwise against the action of springs 21, 22, the arms 13, 14 transmit anticlockwise rotation to the operating levers 15, 16 until the pins 45, 46 reach the end of the slots 47, 48. Further movement of the operating levers 15, 16, and thus of the connector members 7, 8, is prevented by the stop links 49, 50 being locked in position by the toggle links 55, 56. (Fig. 2). On further advance of the coupling heads further anticlockwise rotation of the sensing levers 5, 6 occurs, causing compression of the springs 27, 28 as the operating levers are locked in position, until the rounded free ends of the lever arms 11, 12 abut intermediate lands 51, 52 on the stop links 49, 50, as frontal impact of the coupling heads occurs (Fig. 3). Lateral sliding of the protuberances 36, 35 along the frontal impact faces 63, 64 follows until the two heads are fully interengaged and the connector members are co-axially aligned. This final movement causes more slight anticlockwise rotation of the sensing levers 5, 6 so that the arms 11, 12 rock the stop links 49, 50 anticlockwise about the pins 45, 46, and the pivot pins 57, 58 pass to the other side of a line joining 45, 46 and 53, 54. The links 49, 50 are thus freed and the compressed springs 27, 28 relax to cause anticlockwise rotation of the operating levers, thus joining the connector members together. When the heads are uncoupled all the levers and links return to the position shown in Figure 1, under the influence of the springs. Another embodiment is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 (not shown). A pneumatic piston and cylinder device may be fitted to each connector member to control the speed at which they approach each other immediately prior to their final interconnection