GB897419A - Improvements in or relating to automatic couplers for rail vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

897,419. Operating railway vehicle automatic couplings. ENGLISH STEEL CORPORATION Ltd. Nov. 12, 1959 [Nov. 20, 1958], No. 37311/58. Class 103(5). To overcome the tendency of knuckle type automatic couplers to re-couple during shunting, each coupler has its lock operated from the track side by a rotatable cranked handle 19, Fig. 1, which is connected by a stem 16 and a torsion coupling 15 to a rod 11, a crosshead 12, and a rod 22 having the usual rotor operating hook 23 at its other end. The torsion coupling 15, Figs. 5, 6 comprises a spring 27 connected at one end 34 to a stop plate 28 welded to the stem 16, and at its other end 32 to a housing 26 which is welded at 31 to the rod 11. The stop plate has a slot 36 receiving a projection 37 on the housing 26 and the torsion coupling is assembled with the end 38 of the slot 36 engaging the projection 37 with the spring pre-loaded to this position if desired. In a modification, Fig. 11 (not shown), the spring is replaced by a rubber sleeve bonded between concentric metal cylinders force fitted respectively to the stem 16 and a housing welded to the end of the rod 11. The crosshead 12, Fig. 4, permits relative movement between the rods 11, 22 during normal movements of the couplers. In operation rotation of the handle 19 and stem 16 rotates the parts 11, 12, 22 and the rotor to release the lock, and also loads the spring 27 sufficiently for a considerable spring load to remain applied to the rotor when the handle 19 is moved laterally and lowered into a hook 39. The stop plate 28 is now positioned with the end 38 of the slot 36 in the position 38a, that is, with the projection 37 in mid position in the slot, so that as the coupler moves, the load on the spring 27 increases or decreases with the added or diminished rotation on the crosshead 12 and the rod 11 without completely removing the load on the spring or causing the projection 37 to abut the ends of the slot 36. Thus the handle 19 remains retained by the hook 39 and torsion is maintained on the rotor to prevent return of the lock.