926,439. Coupling and uncoupling devices for rail vehicles. STAMICARBON N.V. Dec. 19, 1960 [Dec. 17, 1959; Feb. 8, 1960; Feb. 26, 1960; July 13,1960], No. 43602/60. Class 103(5). An automatic coupling and or uncoupling device for rail vehicles coupled by hook and link couplers is sited along or adjacent to the track and comprises a member which is movable towards and away from the coupling members between two vehicles appropriately positioned on the track and operates to hold and manipulate the coupling hook by magnetic attraction. In the apparatus of Fig. 2 which is an uncoupler but may be modified to couple, the coupled cars are moved along a sloping track 25 and are arrested and spaced apart as shown by a brake 19 and by stops 21, 23 operated by pedals 20, 22, 24 which actuate air valves in a pneumatic circuit comprising an air motor 38 which by means of a toggle joint 37 may move an arm 34 carrying two permanent magnets 33 transversely and downwards between the cars to attract the hook. A photo-electric cell 35 energized by a light 36 ensures that the motor 38 will repeat the up and down swing of the arm 34 if uncoupling is not effected first time. The arm which at rest is held clear of the cars by a spring 46 has mounted on it a hinged screen 44 which prevents the cell 35 from operating and the cars from moving until the arm is clear of the cars. The lever system 37 ensures that the magnets 33, Fig. 3, move slowly near the coupling, and the arm can slide down on bars 41 relative to the magnets which are hinged in the plane of the cars and held in a neutral position by springs 48. In operation the cars are moved along the track by a chain track drive actuated by a valve 8, and the brake 19 is operated. As the car 27 runs into the brake it is retarded but reaches pedal 20 which operates valves 1, 7 and 8 and throttle valves 49, 50 to release the brake 19 and stop the track drive. The car 27 then arrives at the raised stop 21. The valve 2 is then manually closed to operate valves 8, 9 and to remove the stop 21 via cylinder 15 and restart the chain drive. As the car 27 leaves the pedal 20 valves 1 and 7 are operated again and the brake 19 operated. When the car arrives at pedal 22 it operates valves 3, 9 and the cylinder 15 to move the stop 21 upwardly again, but the track drive remains operative. Car 26 is then braked and reaches pedal 20, and once again the brake is released and the track drive disengaged to bring the car 26 to a standstill against stop 21. At this time car 27 reaches pedal 24 and is arrested by stop 23. Valves 4, 10 and 11 then operate and lamp 36 lights up, but the light ray is intercepted by the coupling. Air from valve 10 starts the motor 38 and moves the arm 34 down and up again so that the magnets 33 removes the hook and uncouples. As soon as the arm and the screen 44 is clear of the cars the cell 35 excites the magnetic valve 12 so that valves 10, 13, and 55 are operated and the motor 38 is connected to atmosphere. Should the hook 31 not be raised the arm 34 will repeat its movement until an alarm 39 operates. If uncoupling has been successful then air from valve 13 removes the stop 23, operates valve 14 with some retardation from valve 57, and actuates car pusher 17, 18 to move the car 27 past the stop 23, causing pedal 22 to rise and valve 3 to close. Value 9 is then slowly opened to remove stop 21 and the cars are both moved by the restarted track drive. As car 27 leaves pedal 24 the car pusher 17, 18 opens the valve 5, the pedal 24 rises and valves 4, 10, 11 are operated and the lamp 36 extinguished is that the magnetic valve 12 is closed. In consequence valve 13 slowly closes via retarding valve 56, the stop 23 rises, and the air to valve 14 is stopped at a retarded rate via valve 57 so that the valve 14 switches back to its normal position and causes the car pusher 17, 18 to retract to the left. Car 26 then leaves the pedal 20 and the brake 19 is operated. When the car reaches pedal 22 the stop 21 is raised and a third car runs into the brake and reaches pedal 20. The brake is then released and the track drive stopped and car 26 comes to a standstill against stop 23 and starts the uncoupling device again via pedal 24. In the embodiment of Fig. 4 the system operates to couple cars in groups of thirty cars. The mechanism which raises the hook 105 of car 107 is between and below the rails and is lifted by a cylinder 108. The arm 109 of the mechanism carries a magnet 110 and is pushed forward by a cylinder 111, the piston rod 112 being in line with the centre of the opening in hook 105 when the cylinder 111 has been raised by 108. The link 106 is swung up into the hook 105 by the swinging cylinder 115 and piston rod 116, and when the arm 109 has been advanced, and the cylinder 111 lifted, the magnet 110 is in the plane of and contacts the hook 105. Cylinder 114 then turns the magnet and carries the hook 105 almost into a horizontal position, cylinder 115 lifts link 106 into the hook, and cylinder 111 pushes back the arm 109 to cause the magnet to slip off and drop the hook into the link 106. Cylinder 115 then retracts the piston rod 116, and the piston rod 108a also retracts. In operation, car 143 runs into the brake 101 and depresses pedal 119 which opens and closes valve 120. If hand operated valves 148 and 149 are opened and closed respectively, then air is passed to valve 131 which is put in the ready position and subsequently opens when the air supply is terminated. As valve 131 opens, valve 147 automatically switches over, and valve 131 is held open so that air flows via valve 150 to cylinders 151, 152, 153, and 154 to release the brake and remove stops 102, 103 so that the car can pass. Car 143 then depresses pedal 126 and is arrested by stop 104. Pedal 126 closes valve 127 which opens valve 132 and unlocks the valves 134, 135 and 140 and unlocks switch 139 ready for closing. Air from valve 132 then flows via valve 145 to valve 131 which closes but remains in the ready position, the brake 101 operates and the stops 102 and 103 are raised to arrest cars 155 and 107. Air from valve 132 also moves valve 133 to the ready position and operates valve 134 which operates cylinder 108 to raise the coupling device. In addition air flows to valves 135 and 136 to operate the cylinders 111 and 114 to move the arm 109 forward and at the same time swing it down, Fig. 5b. A tripping device 159 then reverses valve 137 to swing the arm and hook into the Fig. 5c position. Air is also passed to valve 137a to close the switch 139 and energize the lamp 129 which excites the photo-electric cell 128 as long as the hook is hanging down. The cell excites the magnetic valve 130 which opens to supply additional locking air to the valve 133 and keep the stop 104 raised. Air is also supplied to the valve 138 which assumes the ready position, and to valve 142 which does not however operate as car 107 is on pedal 122. If the hook is swung up by the coupling arm the light ray is interrupted and the magnetic valve 130 closes. Valve 138 then opens so that 136 is locked and no air can flow to the cylinder 114 which holds the hook raised. Closing of valve 136 also operates valve 140. When the hook is not carried up by the arm the movement of cylinder 114 is reversed so that the magnet swings down again to collect the hook. Air from valve 140, flows at a retarded rate to cylinder 115 which raises the link 106 into the hook, and valve 141 opens so that air passes to close valve 135 and operate the cylinder 111 to retract the coupling arm 109 so that the hook rests in the link. Valve 134 then switches over to cause the coupling device to lower, and valve 140 is switched over to cause the cylinder 115 to take up its non- operative position. At the same time valve 132 is locked, via valves 167, 168, and then closed, so that valves 131 and 133 open to release the brake 101, remove the stops, and allow the cars to pass. As car 143 leaves the pedal 126 the car 107 moves onto it, and stop 104 rises and the coupling movement starts again for the cars 107, 155. In a modification the ray of light may be allowed to pass only when the hook is raised, and provision may be made for changing over to manual operation of the valve system. This embodiment may also be used for uncoupling if the same hook has been used for each coupling. In another embodiment, Figs. 6-9 (not shown), the hook tilting device employs a permanent magnet mounted on the upper end of a vertically mounted piston rod. As the forward wagon passes over a pedal, stops are raised and the piston rod is lifted by compressed air and operates a valve which supplies compressed air to another cylinder which rotates the magnet in a horizontal plane, so that the combined vertical and horizontal motions causes the magnet to lift and pivot a coupling hook. Meanwhile the link of the adjacent vehicle has been raised by a link tilting device, so that when the piston rod is lowered the hook is coupled with the link. The horizontal rotary movement of the magnet may alternatively be effected by making the lower end of the vertically moving piston run along a guide path. As before, the operation of the coupling mechanism is synchronized and controlled by valves in a compressed air circuit. In the embodiment of Figs. 10, 11 and 12 a track drive 304 moves the cars 301, 302 in the direction of the arrow. Beside the rails is a track 307 on which a structure 308 is pulled by a force 326. Mounted on this structure is a vertically pivotable arm 310 carrying a magnet 313, guide members 314, 315 hinged on shafts 316, and an air valve 317. On its underside the arm has a runner 319 by which the arm can rest against the sides of the cars. In Figs. 10, 11 the runner 319 has just slipped off the side of car 301 and fallen between the cars so that the magnet 313 contacts the coupled hook. As the force 326 is in the opposite direction to the movement of the cars then the car 302 abuts