GB464363A - Improvements relating to automatic couplings for railway vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

464,363. Automatic couplings for vehicles. PETERS & CO., Ltd., G. D., and BLACKSHAW, J. E. Feb. 6, 1936, No. 3632. [Class 103 (v)] In an automatic coupling for railway vehicles of the kind in which the draught coupling is combined with connections for the compressed air or other fluid conduits and for electric circuits, a single fluid-actuated engine 6 on each vehicle controls both the working of a second engine 5 that actuates the coupler lock 4 and also a series of valves regulating the brake and other fluid conduits. As shown, the engine 6, which is of the differential pressureactuated type, effects a to-and-fro movement of a rock-shaft 19 on which are mounted a series of cams 20 ... 24 actuating valves 7 ... 11, of which the valve 7 via pipe 12 controls the brake trip-cock valve, the valves 8 and 11 control the brake and main compressed air lines 3, 2 respectively, while the valves 9, 10 via pipes 13, 14 control the working of the piston 15 in the cylinder 5. When the shaft 19 is rocked through 180‹ in an uncoupling direction, all the valves 7 ... 11 are operated, but when the shaft reverses through 180‹ only the valves 7, 8 and 11 are operated, the valves 9, 10 being actuated by pawl-and-detent mechanism. By means of gearing 30, 31 the shaft 19 is arranged, to drive a second shaft which controls the position of a number of electric contacts 33 adapted to open or close circuits leading to other contacts on the face of the couplers. The admission of fluid pressure to the two cylinders 6a, 6b is regulated by an automatically latching valve 36 actuated by a pair of electromagnetic coils 37, 40 included in circuits with an uncoupling switch 42 and a coupling switch 43. Delay devices 46 render the engine 6 sufficiently slow in operation to provide time for moving the vehicles towards or away from each other during the movement of the rockshaft 19. In the normal or coupled position of the vehicles, the valves 7 and 10 are closed, Fig. 2, while the valves 8, 9 and 11 are open, i.e. communication is established between the pipes 2, 3 on adjacent vehicles, and the piston 15 is advanced to lock the coupling. When the uncoupling key 42 is depressed, the shaft 19 is rotated, and the position of all the valves is changed, but the change of valves 8, 9 is only temporary since at the end of the movement they are restored to their initial position with the lock 4 again in locking position. During the released period of the lock, the vehicles are moved apart, and no sparking occurs at the coupler contacts since the contacts 33 have also been displaced. After a coupling is re-effected the coupling key 43 is depressed and the valves 7, 8 and 11 again restored to normal condition. Leads 45, 50 permit the engines 6 on two vehicles to be controlled simultaneously by the switches 42, 43 on either vehicle, while a key-controlled master switch 44 may be provided to prevent unauthorized actuation of the entire mechanism. Specifications 435,579 ; and 442,742, [Group XXVIII], are referred to.