GB2074522A

GB2074522A - Vehicle coupling

Info

Publication number: GB2074522A
Application number: GB8111171A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Bergische Stahl Industrie
Current assignee: Bergische Stahl Industrie
Priority date: 1980-04-21
Filing date: 1981-04-09
Publication date: 1981-11-04
Also published as: GB2074522B; IT8148296A0; ES265902U; BR8102340A; IT1170897B; DE3015291A1; DE3015291C2; ES265902Y

Abstract

A vehicle coupling, particularly for a rail vehicle, comprising a coupling head fastened to one end of a coupling rod (20), which at its other end is connected by universal joint means to a pivot pin (15) arranged vertically in a pivot housing (11), resetting of the coupling head to a centre position in the different planes being effected hydraulically or pneumatically or by means of springs or spring-loaded rollers. A yoke (18), which comprises two limbs (18A, 18B) arranged one above the other, is pivotally connected to the upper and lower ends of the pin (15) and at least one of the limbs has extensions (21), which are disposed in a horizontal plane at both sides of the coupling rod (20) and extend in the direction of the coupling head. At the ends of the extensions there are arranged spring legs for setting the coupling rod (20) to centre in vertical direction. Rollers resiliently bearing on inclined surfaces of a control plate (24) are provided for central resetting of the coupling head in horizontal direction, and entraining members produce an effective connection between the coupling rod (20) and the yoke (18). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Vehicle coupling The present invention relates to a vehicle coupling, especially a coupling for a rail vehicle.

To enable a satisfactory coupling of two rail vehicles, it is necessary, apart from resilient support of the coupling rod or the associated coupling head, to hold the coupling rod in a central setting height and a central setting laterally. For this purpose, a number of relatively complicated resetting systems are in use, but these systems are not entirely satisfactory from the viewpoints of safety and reliability.

There is accordingly a need for a coupling which is able to transmit and absorb relatively large forces and which includes a facility for central resetting in both vertical and horizontal planes. The construction of such a coupling should also take into account the fact that limited space is available for the accommodation of mounting means at the front of a rail wagon or locomotive.

According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle coupling comprising mounting means carrying a pivot pin which, in use of the coupling, extends vertically in the mounting means, a coupling rod provided at one end with a coupling head and connected by universal joint means at its other end to the pin to be pivotable relative thereto in horizontal and vertical planes, a centring yoke operatively connected to the rod by entraining means and comprising an upper limb and a lower limb pivotally connected to the pin at vertically spaced portions thereof, at least one of the limbs being provided with connecting means extending horizontally towards the coupling head and disposed laterally of the rod at each side thereof, suspension means connected to the connecting means and to the rod to locate the rod in a central setting in the vertical plane, and roller means co-operable with cam means to locate the rod in a central setting in the horizontal plane.

A coupling embodying the present invention may have the advantage, that the individual components are so separated from one another that they can be easily exchanged individually.

Expediently, in such a coupling the means for tension and impact springing is arranged in the coupling rod, the means for central resetting in a vertical plane is arranged on the yoke, and a cam member for horizontal central resetting is detachably mounted in the mouting means. The mounting means may comprise a pivot housing which can have a space-saving construction because it now only carries the pivot pin, on which the yoke and cam member are then arranged within the housing. It has indeed been attempted, according to DE-PS 14 55 205, to use the pivot pin as a carrier for the support of the coupling rod and the central resetting means, but a considerable amount of space is wasted at the vehicle front due to prolongations provided on the housing below the pivot pin. For this reason, this construction has also not proved itself in practice.

For the central resetting in the horizontal plane, there may be used a method which was described in DE-PS 11 22 568 and according to which two symmetrical cam surfaces and adjoining guide surfaces are provided, these surfaces being engaged by rollers subjected to spring pressure.

By this means it can be achieved that the actual central resetting is effective only within a certain angular range, so that resetting forces do not arise when the coupling head is pivoted beyond this angle. This form of central resetting means enhances safety, because the coupling head does not need to be held by an operator during coupling of two vehicles on a curved path in order that the coupling heads to be intercoupled meet within their range of interengagement.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a coupling according to the said embodiment, but with a coupling head thereof omitted, Fig. 2 is a cross-section along the line Il-Il of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the coupling, and Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a spring leg of the coupling.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a rail vehicle coupling comprising a pivot housing 11 with screw holes 12 for fastening to the vehicle head. The housing 11 includes two bosses 1 3 and 14 in which is pivotably mounted a vertical pivot pin 15, which is provided with a coilar 1 6 at its upper end and carries a bore with a cotter pin 1 7 at its lower end.

A yoke 18, consisting of an upper limb 1 8A and a lower limb 18B, is pivotally mounted by way of bushes 1 9 on the upper and lower ends of the pin 15, the upper limb 1 8A bearing from above against the upper boss 1 3 of the housing 11. The rearward end of a coupling rod 20 is cardanically coupled in a known manner to the pin 1 5 between the bosses 13 and 14 of the housing 1 1.The lower limb 1 8B of the yoke 18 has prolongations 21, which are disposed on both sides of the coupling rod 20 and extend in the direction of a coupling head (not shown) at the front end of the rod 20. A respective spring leg 22 is connected to each of the proiongations 21. Arranged at a corresponding place on the coupling rod 20 is a crossbeam 23, which bears from above onto the spring legs 22.

The yoke 1 8 is operatively connected to the coupling rod 20 by means of entraining members 41.

Rotatably mounted on the pin 1 5 between the lower boss 14 of the housing 11 and the lower limb 1 8B of the yoke 18 is a control plate 24, which has two pairs of arcuate guide surfaces 26 and 27, which extend concentrically of the rotational axis 25 of the pin 15, but which have different radii.

Both surfaces 26 and 27 are connected together by an inclined cam surface 28, the two surfaces 28 being arranged symmetrically to the longitudinal axis 29 of the coupling rod 20. The control plate 24 is provided at its rearward part with two mutually opposite abutment surfaces 30, each of which co-operate with an abutment 31 arranged on the housing 11 and constructed in the form of a screw.

Arranged at the inside of the lower limb 1 8B of the yoke 1 8 and at each side of the longitudinal axis 29 of the coupling rod 20 is a respective housing with a pressure roller 33, which is subjected to a spring pressure and which is fastened to a guide pin 32. The housings are each fastened by three screws 34 to the limb 18B, and the positions of the rollers 33 are so chosen that they bear against both of the cam surfaces 28.

The coupling head of the coupling is set to centre in horizontal plane through the pressure of the two rollers 33 on the cam surfaces 28. If the central setting is not in order on installation of the coupling, then each roller 33 can be displaced by means of nuts on the guide pin 32 until it bears firmly against the associated cam surface 28. In addition, the control plate 24 can be turned about the rotational axis 25 by means of displacement of the screws 31 serving as abutment until the coupling head stands exactly in the centre at the coupling rod 20.

In vertical direction, the coupling head is set to centre by means of the spring legs 22, which de fine a rest position of the coupling rod 20 relative to the yoke 18..

As restoring forces do not arise when the rollers 33 bear on the surfaces 26 and 27 as distinct from the cam surfaces 28, the coupling head is set to centre only within a certain angular range.

When the coupling head is pivoted beyond this angular range, then it remains in position, which is particularly important when intercoupling rail vehicles on a curved length of track, because the pivoted coupling head remains in the range of engagement of the co-operating coupling without having to be held in position.

Illustrated in Fig. 4 is the vertical springing for the coupling rod by way of the spring leg 22, by which, in particular, a resonant rise in the movement is to be prevented. The spring leg consists of a double-act;ng spring 35, which is arranged under stress between two counterbearings 38 and 39 in a housing 36 connected by a hinge 37 to the associated prolongation 21. The counterbearing 38 is slidably coupled by way of a tie rod 40, eye 42 and bush 43 to the crossbeam 23 of the coupling rod 20.

The other counterbearing 39 is so slidably connected to the tie rod 40 that the spring 35 is stressed when the crossbeam 23 and the coupling rod 20 move downwardly from the rest position shown in Fig. 4. When the crossbeam 23 and coupling rod 40 move upwardly from this rest position, the spring 35 is then stressed through the counterbearing 38. It is, of course, possible to include shock dampers in these spring legs or provide such dampers as additional fittings.

All springs can in principle be replaced by correspondingly effective hydraulic or pneumatic piston-cylinder units. This can be particular significant in the actuation of the rollers 33 for the horizontal central resetting.

Claims

1. A vehicle coupling comprising mounting means carrying a pivot pin which, in use of the coupling, extends vertically in the mounting means, a coupling rod provided at one end of a coupling head and connected by universal joint means at its other end to the pin to be pivotable relative thereto in horizontal and vertical planes, a centring yoke operatively connected to the rod by entraining means and comprising an upper limb and a lower limb pivotally connected to the pin at vertically spaced portions thereof, at least one of the limbs being provided with connecting means extending horizontally towards the coupling head and disposed laterally of the rod at each side thereof, suspension means connected to the connecting means and to the rod to locate the rod in a central setting in the vertical plane, and roller means co-operable with cam means to locate the rod in a central setting in the horizontal plane.

2. A coupling as claimed in claim 1, the connecting means being provided by extensions of the lower limb and the suspension means being connected to the rod by means of a cross member secured to the rod.

3. A coupling as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the cam means comprises a cam member arranged on the mounting means and provided witn two roller guide tracks, which each comprise two arcuate guide surfaces of respectively different radii arranged concentrically of the axis of the pin and an inclined cam surface connecting the guide surfaces together, the cam surfaces of the two tracks being arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis of the rod when in its central settings, and the roller means comprises a respective roller mounted on the yoke and pressed against each guide track.

4. A coupling as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the rollers is pressed against the associated guide track by one of spring means, hydrauiic pressure means and pneumatic pressure means.

5. A coupling as claimed in either claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the cam member is rotatably mounted on the pivot pin and is located in a selectable angular setting relative thereto by adjustable abutment means.

6. A coupling as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the suspension means comprising a respective spring leg arranged at each of said lateral sides of the rod.

7. A coupling as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the spring legs comprises a housing, two spaced apart support elements movable in the housing, a spring arranged between and acting on the support elements, and an axially displaceable tie rod so connected to the support elements as to be displaceable in either axial direction against the force of the spring, the housing and the tie rod each being connected to a respective one of the connecting means and the coupling rod.

8. A vehicle coupling substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

9. A vehicle provided with a coupling as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, the mounting means being mounted on the vehicle.

10. A vehicle as claimed in claim 9, the vehicle being a rail vehicle.