GB2257953A

GB2257953A - Coupling socket for a towing hook.

Info

Publication number: GB2257953A
Application number: GB9212005A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Henning Rocholl; Barun Chatterjee
Original assignee: Bergische Stahl Industrie
Current assignee: Bergische Stahl Industrie
Priority date: 1991-06-12
Filing date: 1992-06-05
Publication date: 1993-01-27
Anticipated expiration: 2012-06-05
Also published as: GB2257953B; DE4119318A1; GB9212005D0

Description

2 2 3) 79 3 J) COUPLING SOCKET FOR A TOWING HOOK The present invention

relates to a coupling socket for a towing hook, especially a shunting coupling for the coupling of traction hooks of different sizes, particularly different heights.

In the case of shunting couplings of the kind described in DE 34 07 526 C2, in which a coupling tongue is used as a coupling eye and consists of two locking levers pivotable about a vertical axis and forming the coupling eye when in a closed setting, the situation can arise in the case of differently sized hooks that the locking levers do not correctly position in the hook mouth and thus do not correctly 10 couple the coupling. This is a safety risk which should be avoided.

There is thus a need for a coupling socket which may avoid such a safety risk in all circumstances but without impairing the function of the coupling.

According to the present invention there is provided a coupling socket for the coupling of towing hooks of different sizes wherein the socket defines a mouth for reception of a hook to be retained in the socket and arranged in the mouth above and/or below the received hook is a substantially vertically displaceable adjusting member, the end settings of which correspond to the smallest or largest hook 20 construction to be expected.

Expediently, the respective settings of the adjusting member are attained through spring loading or the respective settings are set by abutment means, for example insertable abutments.

2 - A socket embodying the invention may have the advantage that the socket mouth for the hook to be coupled can be adapted by relatively simple means, whereby a firm engagement of the hook in the mouth may be achieved.

1 An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, the single figure of which is a schematic sectional elevation of part of a coupling socket embodying the invention.

Referring now to the drawing there is shown a shunting coupling socket with a coupling mouth 12 receiving the traction hook 11 of a vehicle to be coupled and with a coupling tongue 13, which is shown pivoted into the opening 14 of the hook 11 thereby to lock the hook in the mouth. As the socket mouth 12 is substantially larger, especially deeper, than the hook 11, it is always within the realm of possibility that the hook may cant in the mouth and the lever of the coupling tongue 13 no longer correctly close the coupling. The spacing of the top of the hook 11 from the top of the mouth 12 is indicated by 17, wherein the hook 11 rests at its underside at the point 15 on the base of the mouth 12. In these circumstances the hook 11 has too much scope for movement within the mouth, so that the coupling tongue could, in some conditions, open by itself. In order to prevent this, arranged in the socket mouth 12 above the tip 18 of the hook 11 is a yoke 16, which is pressed by the influence of a spring (not shown) against the hook tip 18, so that the hook 11 is firmly held in the mouth 12 as if the mouth 12 were exactly matched to the depth of the hook 11. The force of the spring which presses the yoke 16 against the hook tip 18 must be sufficient to ensure that the hook is always pressed against the base of the mouth 12 in whatever setting of the yoke 16, thus into the setting required for locking of the hook in the 5 socket.

The yoke 16 can, if desired, be divided into two part members, which can be displaceable and/or pivotable independently of each other.

In an alternative embodiment, the respective settings of the yoke 10 are attained not by spring-loading, but by insertable abutments. However, to avoid damage in the case abutments can be spring-loaded.

of an incorrect setting, the

Claims

1. A coupling socket for a towing hook, the socket defining a mouth for reception of a hook to be retained in the socket and being provided with an adjusting member which is upwardly and downwardly movable to vary the effective depth of the mouth between maximum and minimum values respectively referred to given maximum and minimum depth dimensions of a range of differently sized hooks receivable in the mouth.

2. A socket as claimed in claim 1, comprising resilient means to dispose the adjusting member in different settings varying said 10 effective depth.

3. A socket as claimed in claim 1, comprising abutment means to dispose the adjusting member in different settings varying said effective depth.

4. A socket as claimed in claim 3, the abutment means being springloaded to yield in the case of incorrect setting of a received hook.

5. A socket as claimed in claim 1, comprising resilient means loading the adjusting member by a force sufficient to, in use, cause a received hook to be brought into a setting for locking in the mouth.

6. A socket as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adjusting member is divided into two parts.

7. A socket as claimed in claim 6, wherein the two parts of the adjusting member are pivotable independently of each other.

8. A socket as claimed in claim 6, wherein the two parts of the adjusting member are slidable independently of each other.

9. A socket substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.