JPH01233153A - Coupler for train and control system thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve durability, by a method wherein, in a device in which a steel cable is gripped at each vehicle and each vehicle is moved along rails through traction of the steel cable, expansion and contraction of a coupler is rendered free during running to share an uniform traction force with each vehicle. CONSTITUTION:A steel cable 4 is gripped by means of grips 10-10'' mounted to vehicles 7-7'', respectively, and couplers 15 and 15' are brought into an expandable state to run a train through traction of the steel cable 4. After the train enters a station and is stopped as shown in A, the vehicle 7' being a stop position reference vehicle is brought into a state to hold gripping of the steel cable 4 by means of the grip 10', and with this state, the grips 10 and 10'' of the preceding and subsequent vehicles 7 and 7'' are released. The regular lengths of the couplers 15 and 15' are corrected, and a distance between the vehicles is regulated to a standard length as shown in B. After gripping of the steel cable by the grips 10 and 10'' of the preceding and subsequent vehicles 7 and 7'' is shifted to that of an adjoining steel cable 5 thereby, gripping of the steel cable 4 by the grip 10' of the central vehicle 7' is shifted to that of the steel cable 5 thereby, and the couplers 15 and 15' are brought into an expandable state to start a train through traction of it by the steel cable 5.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a train coupler and its control system, and more specifically, it connects several cars to a steel cable and pulls each car onto the rails by pulling the steel cable. The present invention relates to control means, functions, and structures necessary for a coupler between the vehicles when each vehicle is equipped with a grip for gripping a steel cable in a conveyance device that is moved along the vehicle.

(Prior art) Conventionally, this type of conveying device has been used, for example, in
It is known in the publication as "transport device for connecting a vehicle to a traction cable". As disclosed in the same publication, this device consists of jaws (11, (21, (3)) that grip three steel cables as shown in Fig. The action of these three jaws is that when the center jaw (2) is closed, both side jaws (11, (3) are open... In the case of Fig. 4a, when the center jaw (2) is open, both side jaws (11, (3) are open). , (3) Closed
・As shown in Figures 4 and 4, they alternately perform grasping and finishing movements.

Therefore, the vehicle will be towed in one section by the central jaw (2), and in another section by either jaw (1) or (3).

By the way, the traction steel cable is stretched between stations, with one side used for traction on the outbound trip and the other side used for the return trip. The length of one circulating steel cable section is the weight of the vehicle.

Although it varies depending on the driving route conditions, it is usually about 1 to 4 km. Therefore, for longer routes, multiple circulating steel cables are used in combination. - An example is shown in Fig. 5, in which circulating steel cables (4), (5), and (61) are laid as shown in the figure, and wires A and B are installed in them.

Stations C and D will be installed.

Now, the train at A station is being moved from A to B-+ by these steel cables.
When making one round trip from C-1D→C→B→A, each steel cable (4
Jaws (1), (21, () gripping 1, (51, (6)
If we consider the function of number 31, it will be as follows.

Between A-B stations B-C stations C-D stations D-C stations B-A stations The above explanations are based on one vehicle, but in general, a vehicle is placed at each station, and in the illustrated example A One at the station.

A total of six trains, two at B Station, two at C Station, and one at D Station, make round trips all at once. However, the condition is that all vehicles stop and the steel cables are reattached at the same time, and that all vehicles are started and stopped in tact.

In the above example, the attachment of the grip to the vehicle and the shape of its surroundings are mainly as shown in FIG.

That is, in the figure, (7) is the vehicle, (8) is the running wheel, and (9)
is a running path, and 00 is a grip that has jaws (11, (21, and 31) at the bottom and is attached to the vehicle (7).

Also, 011 is the upper sheave, (12) is the lower sheave, α3) is the left sheave, and 00 is the right sheave.
). In particular, in order to avoid the upper sheave 0υ, the support of the grip α0) has a special shape that is offset laterally as shown in the figure.

In addition, since the steel cable passes below the running road surface due to the branch road, the jaws (11, (21, 31) of the grip 00) protrude below the running road (9).

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, in the conventional technology described above, when several cars are operated as one train (hereinafter referred to as a train for simplicity), the grips for pulling the train are Only one of the vehicles was attached, and the other vehicles were connected to and towed by a vehicle equipped with a grip using a coupler.

The reason for this is, for example, as shown in Figure 7, each car (7) of a three-car train is
Grip (10), (10) on (7)', (7)''
)', (10)'' and coupler (15), (15)
′ is attached, the jaw part of the grip and the connecting part are not on the same curved surface and have a difference in height, so an abnormal compressive force is applied to the connectors (15) and (15)'.
An excessive tensile force is also generated in the steel cable (4) between the grips (10), (10)', and (10), causing strain.

Similarly, when going downhill, as shown in Figure 8, the tensile force concentrates on the couplers (15), (15)', and between the grips (10), (10)', (10). A problem arises in that the steel cable (4) becomes slack and the traction force is concentrated only on one vehicle at the front or the rear.

Furthermore, even in curves, as shown in Fig. 9, the coupler Q
Because the center line of 51 shifts outward from the center line of the driving path,
The tensile force is concentrated on the couplers (15), (15)', and the steel cable (4) between the grips (10), (10)', (10) becomes slack, and the traction force is concentrated only on the leading vehicle. This is because trends occur.

On the other hand, as the amount of transportation has increased in recent years, stronger traction force has become necessary, but with grips that grip steel cables, it is difficult to increase the traction force on your own in order to prevent damage to the rope. There is an upper limit, and therefore there is a limit to the traction force that a single grip can exert. Therefore, it has become necessary to equip each car in a train with a grip so that each grip can share the load equally. Therefore, a situation has arisen in which a coupler with the conventional structure cannot meet these demands.

The present invention addresses these circumstances by freely expanding and contracting the coupler while driving, allowing the traction force to be shared equally between the grips of each vehicle even on uphill, downhill, and curves. The object of the present invention is to provide a control system, function, and structure for a coupler that can accurately adjust the distance between vehicles when re-grabbing, and to solve the problem.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The features of the present invention that meet the above objectives include the following points: (a) Each vehicle towed by the steel cables is provided with a grip for gripping the steel cables. A train coupler control system that allows trains to freely expand and contract while running and adapts to the distance between cars that is restricted by grips, while correcting the distance between cars to a constant length when stopped to eliminate accumulation of errors. .

(b) A train coupler controlled by the control system, wherein one small-diameter piston having a piston rod is housed in a stepped cylinder having two inner diameters of different diameters;
Equipped with one large-diameter ram piston, by supplying fluid pressure to the end face of each piston, a constant reference length is maintained at the middle position of the stroke, and if the fluid pressure is removed, the reference length is maintained before and after the reference length. A train coupler with a hydraulic cylinder that can expand and contract in the horizontal direction.

(d) It is also a coupler and is equipped with a pair of cylinders and pistons at the front and rear, and a connecting rod passing through the center of these, supplying fluid pressure to the pistons in each cylinder. A train coupler using a hydraulic cylinder that maintains a constant reference length when each piston approaches each other to the end of its stroke, and conversely expands and contracts back and forth to the reference length when moving away from each other in the opposite direction. .

at each point.

(Function) The present invention is as described above, but to explain its function below, while the train is running, the coupler is in a situation where it can freely expand and contract.
To run a vehicle smoothly on uphill slopes, downhill slopes, or curves without being restrained by a coupler.

According to claims 2 and 3, when the vehicle is stopped, the length of the coupler is always adjusted and the distance between the vehicles is corrected to cope with the expansion and contraction of the steel cable due to temperature changes, etc., thereby causing an accumulation of errors. The train couplers in (TI) and (c) operate as described above, that is, maintain a constant length when stopping at a station and correct errors in vehicle spacing, and on the other hand, can be expanded and contracted while running. The operation will be described below using a specific configuration suitable for realizing this.

First, to maintain a constant length, the valve is closed, and the switching valve is opened to apply fluid pressure to the cylinder chambers on both sides of the piston and ram piston through the supply piping.

This action then activates the screw 1, which expands or contracts the coupler to modify its length and ultimately maintain a constant standard.

Next, in order to make the coupler telescopic, close the switching valve to cut off the pressure from the pressure source and allow the fluid on both sides of the piston and ram piston to flow freely. The restraint is released, and the length of the coupler expands and contracts by sliding freely under the influence of external force.

(Example) The present invention will be described in detail below with further reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 to 3 show an outline of the control system according to claim 1. First, a train (7) pulled by a steel cable (4) is shown.
), (7)', and (7)'' are shown in FIG. 1 as plan views when they approach station B in FIG. 6 and stop there.

In this figure, the running path, wheels, etc. are omitted, and the relative lengths of the vehicle, coupler, and grip are shown in a simulated manner. At this time, the grips (10), (10)', (10)'' are attached to the steel cables (4
) is still held (mark -) and the coupler (15)
, (15)′ is a situation of free expansion and contraction (mark half-one ()).

Next, if the parking position reference vehicle is the Central Army (7)', the second
As shown in the figure, attach the grip (10)' of the reference car (7)' to the steel cable (
4) While holding the handle (mark □), open the grips of the front and rear cars (1l-7), (7)'' mark -=-),
Correct the couplers (15) and (15)' to the standard length (marked above) and adjust the vehicle spacing to the standard length.

Next, as shown in Fig. 3, first the front and rear vehicles (7), (
7)'', move the grips (10) and (10)'' to change the grip to the steel cable (5) (mark □), and then move the grip (10)' of the central vehicle (7)' from the steel cable (4) to the steel cable ( Mark □) without changing the grip to 5), coupler (15)
, (15) Make 'free to expand and contract (Mark: 7-T)
.

In this way, preparations for the departure of the train using the steel cable (5) are completed. Hereinafter, similar control means will be referred to as A.

The train can be made to proceed repeatedly at C and D stations.

In addition, in this explanation, the central army is used as the stopping position reference vehicle, but it can also be used as the lead vehicle or the tail vehicle.

In addition, although this explanation was given in the case of a 3-car train, even if the number of strokes increases further, the distance between the front and rear cars can be adjusted using exactly the same method and method as in the case of a 3-car train, using one of the cars as the reference car for the stopping position. It can be carried out.

10 to 19 are each side of the coupler α5) in which the control system according to claims 2 and 3 is implemented, and the first
Figure 0 shows one longitudinal sectional view and piping system.

In the figure, 00 is a piston, 07) is a piston rod,
α0 is a coupling fitting attached to the end of the rod, and is attached to a coupling pin (not shown) on one side of the vehicle. Also, (191 is a ram piston, (20) is a cylinder with two inner diameters and a stepped part in the center, and (21) is a connecting fitting at the end that is attached to a connecting pin (not shown) on the other side of the vehicle. (22), (23), (24)
, (25) is the banking of each sliding part, (26)
is a dust wiper.

However, the structure of the above cylinder differs from a normal fluid pressure cylinder in that the center of the ram piston is located at the piston α6.
) is penetrated by the piston rod α7), and the diameter of the ram piston αω is D, the diameter of the piston α6) is d, and the diameter of the piston rod α7) is d. Then, there is always the relationship D2-dTomoe#2d2, and therefore the cylinder 〇 has a constricted step in the center from the inner diameter to d, and the piston scream and ram piston α smell are mutually left and right. cylinder +
It is possible to slide within 2[0.

Next, to explain the piping system for the above cylinder, (27) is a fluid pressure supply pipe connected to both ends of the cylinder QΦ and the switching valve (29), and (28) is the discharge pipe to the stepped part in the center of the cylinder. and switching valve (29
) are tied. And (29) is a switching valve, (
30) is a pressure supply pipe (pressure supply source not shown),
(31) is a discharge pipe, and (32) is a drain tank.

On the other hand, fluid communication pipes (33) are connected to both ends and the central stepped part of the cylinder (2ω), and there is a balance tank (34) at the end of the fluid communication pipe (33). A switching valve (35) is provided at each outlet of (33).

The coupler composed of the above parts is connected to the vehicle connecting pin (not shown) via the connecting fittings αB) and (21) at both ends.
The vehicle connection is completed.

The coupler of the present invention, constructed as described above, maintains a constant length when stopping at a station and corrects errors in vehicle spacing, and on the other hand, is able to expand and contract freely while traveling. Explain the operating condition.

First, to maintain a constant length, as shown in Fig. 10, when the switching valve (35) is closed and the switching valve (29) is opened, the fluid pressure is increased from the supply pipe (30) to (27).
) and acts on the cylinder chambers on both sides of the piston 06) and ram piston 09). If the fluid pressure at that time is p, then the force pushing the ram piston to the right is 7 (D2-d)・p Therefore, when the coupler α is extended beyond the standard length as shown in Figure 11, A force of 7 (D2- d, -d2) · p (2) acts on the lamb screws 1 to α9) and contracts the coupler 05). (However, the changeover valves (29) and (35) are in the opposite state as shown in the illustration.) On the other hand, when the coupler is in a contracted state as shown in Fig. 12, a force acts on the piston θ6) and the coupler 09 Stretch.

(However, the changeover valves (29) and (35) are in the opposite state as shown in the figure.) Thus, the length of the coupler 0ω is corrected as described above, and the cylinder (20) is eventually stepped as shown in Fig. 10. Piston 061. The ram pistons αω come together to maintain a constant reference length.

To equalize the contraction force and expansion force of coupler α,
■ Just make the forces equal. The conditions above are ■
, It can be easily considered that D2-do-d2-d2 , -, D-do=2d2 from the equation (2).

Next, in order to make the coupler 05) free to expand and contract, close the switching valve (29) shown in Figure 10 to cut off the pressure from the pressure source, and then open the three switching valves (35). When the piston α6), the fluid on both outside sides of the ram piston 0 and the intermediate stepped part of the cylinder I20) can freely flow back and forth via the communication pipe (33), the piston α0 , ram piston α9) are released from their restraints, and they slide freely due to external force, resulting in the length of the coupler 09 being expanded and contracted. At this time, balance tank (34
) serves to compensate for the imbalance in the amount of fluid flowing in and out from the piston α0, both outside sides of the ram piston (I9), and inside the central stepped part of the cylinder (201). 05) is expanded, and FIG. 12 represents the case when it is contracted.

Next, another embodiment of the coupler of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 13 and 14.

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view and a piping system diagram, and (36
) are two ram pistons, (37) is a cylinder with a stepped stopper (38) in the center of its inner diameter, and (39) is a connecting rod with a stepped stopper (40) in the center.
Both sides of (40) pass through the center of the ram piston (36). At the right end of the cylinder (37) is a connecting rod (39).
A sleeve (41) is provided to guide the end of the vehicle, and the end becomes a connecting fitting (42) that is attached to a connecting pin (not shown) on one side of the vehicle. A connecting fitting (43) is provided at the left end of the connecting rod (39), and is attached to a connecting pin (not shown) of the other vehicle. (44), (45),
'(4-17=6) is the banking of each sliding part, and (47) is the dust wiper.

On the other hand, to explain the piping system of the above cylinder,
Piping (48) is connected to both ends of the cylinder (37) and the switching valve (50), and piping (49) is connected to the cylinder (37).
7) is connected to the central stepped stopper (38) and the switching valve (50).

(51) is a pressure supply pipe (pressure supply source not shown)
, (52) is a discharge pipe, and (53) is a drain tank. Further, (54) is an air hole, which is provided at the end of the sleeve (41) and allows trapped air generated when the connecting rod (39) slides from side to side to escape.

In the coupler according to this embodiment, first, the coupling fitting (42
), (43) to maintain a constant standard length, the first
As shown in Figure 3, when the switching valve (50) is activated, fluid pressure is applied to the cylinder chambers on both sides of the ram piston (36) from the supply pipe (51) through the pipe (48), and the ram piston (36) on both sides move closer to each other in the center until they hit the central stepped stop (38) of the cylinder (37). In this state, the centrally stepped stoso park 40) of the connecting rod (39) will inevitably also have ram pistons (36) on both sides.
), which restricts the sliding movement of the connecting fittings (
42) and (43) is a constant reference length.

On the other hand, in order to make the coupler 05 freely expandable and retractable, operate the switching valve (50) as shown in Figure 14, and fluid pressure is transmitted from the supply pipe (51) to the pipe (49) at the center of the cylinder (37). The ram pistons on both sides (3
6) move away from each other to the left and right. In this situation, the central stepped stopper (40) of the connecting rod (39) is released from its restraint and can freely slide due to external force, allowing the distance between the connecting fittings (42) and (43) to expand and contract freely. leading to.

Although FIGS. 15 and 16 are different in structure and shape from the above-mentioned embodiments, they are still other embodiments based on exactly the same principle.

Figure 15 shows its longitudinal sectional view and piping system diagram, (54)
are two pistons integrated with a piston rod, with a connecting rod (56) passing through its center, and (55) are two cylinders, which are fixedly connected to the connecting rod (56) at their penetrating portions. . (57) is a connecting metal fitting attached to the negative end of the connecting rod (56), and (58) is a connecting fitting that is slidably fitted to the connecting rod (56) and is sandwiched between the two pistons (54). The connecting pin and the receiver of the vehicle are respectively attached to the metal fittings (not shown).

To maintain the distance between the connecting fittings (57) and (58) at a constant standard length, use the switching valve (61) as shown in Figure 15.
When fluid pressure is applied to the chambers at both ends of the two cylinders (55) through the operation of the piping (59), the two pistons (54) move to the center and are restrained by sandwiching the connecting fittings (58). serve a purpose.

To make the coupler θ5 freely expandable and retractable, as shown in Figure 16, switch the switching valve (61) and apply pressure to the inside of the two cylinders (55) via the piping (60), then the two pistons (54) is opened on both sides, and the connecting fitting (58) can slide freely and fulfill its purpose.

As mentioned above, although the internal structure and shape of the above-mentioned one and this embodiment are different, they achieve the purpose based on the same principle of sandwiching or opening two pistons, and it is true that either structure is adopted. This is the intention of the invention.

=20= In addition to the above-mentioned hydraulic cylinders for each side, there are hydraulic cylinders that maintain the neutral point of the stroke as shown in FIGS. 17 to 19. That is, in the figure, (62) is the cylinder, (63) is the piston, (64) is the sleeve of the pilot valve in the center, and (65) is the spool that slides inside it, and the role of the pilot valve is to switch the oil path. The switching valve (66) is operated to supply hydraulic pressure through the piping (67) to this pilot valve part (66).
4) When applied to (65), even if the piston (63) is deviated to either the left or right as shown in Figs. 17 and 19, it returns to the center position shown in Fig. 18 and maintains the neutral point. do. Utilizing this principle, the coupler α of the present invention
5) It is possible to secure a certain standard length. When you want to expand and contract freely, as already repeated in the above explanation,
The switching valve (66) is closed and the valve (68) is switched to open to release the restriction of the piston (63) by the communication pipe (69).

This method has the disadvantage that the manufacturing and assembly of the pilot valve part is complicated and sophisticated, so it is vulnerable to dirt in the oil, it is expensive, and air is not suitable as the working fluid, and only oil can be used. Even if adopted, it is of course within the technical scope of the present invention as long as the control system of the present invention is utilized.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the present invention is a train coupler control system and a configuration of a train coupler suitable for achieving the system. It allows the vehicle to run smoothly on hills, downhills, or curves without being restrained by a coupler, and it also enables the traction force to be distributed evenly to the grips of each vehicle, resulting in a large traction force as a whole. In addition to increasing the transportation capacity, the length of the coupler is always adjusted at the stopping station to correct the vehicle spacing, so even if the grip slips even slightly during travel, it can be corrected immediately. Moreover, it has the remarkable effect of being able to cope with the expansion and contraction of the steel cables due to temperature changes each time the steel cables are re-grabbed, and to maintain a constant distance between vehicles without accumulating errors.

In addition, when using the train coupler according to claims 2 and 3, it is constructed with a simple structure and a minimum number of items, and the finishing and assembly accuracy of each part is sufficient to the level of general-purpose equipment. It has all the features of high performance, high reliability, small size, light weight, and low cost, with little helage.

In addition, the coupler is structurally suitable for both pneumatic and hydraulic pressure as the working fluid, so it also has features that cannot be overlooked as a coupler for vehicles.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 3 are schematic diagrams showing the operating status of the grip and coupler when entering, stopping, and departing from the station; Figure 4 is the relationship between the grip and the jaws; Figure 5 is the arrangement of the circulating steel cables and the station; Figure 6 shows the surrounding area of the grip, Figures 7 to 9 are schematic diagrams showing the situation of the train on uphill slopes, downhill slopes, and curves, respectively.
Figures 10 to 16 are schematic diagrams showing the longitudinal cross-sectional structure of each coupler according to the present invention and their operating conditions, and Figures 17 to 19 are examples of other couplers that can be used in the control system of the present invention. FIG. (11, f2), (3)...Joe, (4+, (
51, (6)... Circulating steel cable, (7)... Vehicle, (
9)...Running path, 00)...Grip, αυ...
・Upper sheave, Q21...Lower sheave, Q3)...Left sheave, Oa...Right sheave, 051...Coupler,
Q6)... Piston, 0M... Piston rod,
am-= series of fittings, Q9)... ram piston, +
20)...Cylinder, (21)...Connection fittings, (
27)... Supply piping, (28)... Discharge piping, (2
9)...Switching valve, (33)...Communication pipe, (34)...Balance tank, (35)...Switching valve, (36)...Ram piston, (37)... Cylinder, (38), (40)...Stepped stopper, (39)
)...Connecting rod, (42), (43)...Connecting fittings, (48), (49)...Piping, (5o)...
・Switching valve, (54)...piston, (55)
... Cylinder, (56) ... Connecting rod, (57)
, (58)...Connection fittings, (59), (60
)...Piping, (61)...Switching valve. Kyou 1 Kuzuzu ηmi-iri-i “6° year joy 2 Kuchi-Ko-iri → Distance between two persons G ■ Cold $utt-ci3 CI- Procedural amendment (几) ■, Indication of the case 1986 Patent Application No. 61343 2, Name of the invention Train coupler and its control system 3, Relationship with the case of the person making the amendment Patent applicant address 2-6-3 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Name (5
97) Mitsubishi Corporation Representative Nobu Tawara - 4, Agent

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In transporting a train in which a plurality of cars equipped with grips for gripping are connected by a coupler, gripping a steel cable, and moving along a rail by pulling the steel cable, the distance between the cars is A coupler for a train, characterized in that the coupler can be freely expanded and contracted while the train is running to adapt to the distance between cars that is restricted by grips, and that the distance between cars can be corrected to a constant length while the car is stopped to eliminate accumulation of errors. control system. 2. A train coupler that is pulled by a steel cable and equipped with a grip for gripping each car, in which one small-diameter piston with a piston rod is housed in a stepped cylinder with two inner diameters of different diameters. It is equipped with one large-diameter ram piston, and by supplying fluid pressure, a constant reference length is maintained at the middle position of the stroke, and when the fluid pressure is removed, the fluid can freely expand and contract before and after the reference length. A train coupler characterized by using a pressure cylinder. 3. A train coupler that is pulled by a steel cable and equipped with a grip for gripping each vehicle, and is equipped with a pair of cylinders and pistons at the front and rear, with a single connecting rod passing through the center of them. A train characterized by using a fluid pressure cylinder that maintains a constant reference length when each piston approaches each other to the stroke end, and on the other hand, expands and contracts back and forth to the reference length when moving away from each other in opposite directions. coupler.