Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B61—RAILWAYS
  • B61G—COUPLINGS; DRAUGHT AND BUFFING APPLIANCES
  • B61G7/00—Details or accessories
  • B61G7/08—Adjustable coupling heads

Definitions

• This invention relates to a central buffer coupling for rail vehicles comprising a two-part coupling arm formed by a front coupling arm part carrying a coupling head of the central buffer coupling and by a rear coupling arm part whose one end is connected to the front coupling arm part via a buckling joint having a vertical connecting pin and whose other end is horizontally pivotally connectable to the chassis of the rail vehicle.
• Central buffer couplings In conventional central buffer couplings, the coupling head projects beyond the vehicle profile on the front side.
• Central buffer couplings whose coupling head can be pivoted into the vehicle profile when not in use, are used in particular with rail vehicles which do not travel on lines of their own, e.g. streetcars, in order to avoid a hazard for other road users due to a coupling head projecting beyond the rail vehicle on the front side.
• the locking device comprises a locking bar which is displaceable in the longitudinal direction to a limit extent in the two-part coupling arm.
• the locking bar can be displaced, in the mutually extended position of the two coupling arm parts by the force of a spring, into a locked position, in which the locking bar associated with one of the coupling arm parts engages a vertical groove associated with the other coupling arm part to make the coupling arm rigid.
• additional means are necessary.
• the primary object of the present invention is to provide a central buffer coupling of the type mentioned in the introduction which is more simple in terms of the design of the locking device at a high level of functional reliability.
• a central buffer coupling for rail vehicles having a two-part coupling arm formed by a front coupling arm part carrying a coupling head of the central buffer coupling and by a rear coupling arm part whose one end is connected to the front coupling arm part via a buckling joint having a vertical connecting pin and whose other end is horizontally pivotally connectable to the chassis of the rail vehicle.
• the central buffer coupling according to the invention has a locking device comprising a locking bolt, which is
• MY/n 040344WO displaceable in the longitudinal direction of the coupling arm, and a recess for locking the front coupling arm part and the rear coupling arm part in an operative position in which position the coupling head extends beyond the front profile of the rail vehicle and releasing the front coupling arm part for pivoting the front coupling arm part into an inoperative position in which the coupling head is located within the front profile of the rail vehicle.
• the locking bolt can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the coupling arm by means of an articulated arm mechanism comprising a first articulated arm whose one end is pivotally connected to the locking bolt and whose other end is pivotally connected to one end of a second articulated arm, while the second articulated arm is pivotally connected to an axis of rotation disposed in a fixed position on one of the coupling arm parts and can be pivoted around the axis of rotation by means of an operating element.
• the locking bolt is guided in a slide guidance disposed on the coupling arm part carrying the articulated arm mechanism and can be inserted in the associated recess of the locking device disposed in the other coupling arm part by operating the operating element .
• the design of the locking device of the central buffer coupling according to the invention is very simple and exhibits at that a high level of functional reliability.
• Fig. 1 is a sectional top view of the connection area of the two coupling arm parts of a central buffer coupling according to the invention, wherein the locking bolt is in its locked position;
• Fig. 2 is a sectional side view of the connection area of the two coupling arm parts according to Fig. 1, wherein the locking bolt is in its locked position;
• Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, however, the locking device is here in its released position;
• FIG. 4 is a top view of the central buffer coupling according to Fig. 1 in the extended position of the two coupling arm parts in which position the coupling head extends beyond the front profile of the rail vehicle, as well as the pivoted position (dash-dotted line) in which the coupling head is located within the front profile of the rail vehicle .
• the coupling arm of the central buffer coupling comprises a front coupling arm part 1 carrying the coupling head 2 and a rear coupling arm part 3 whose one end is connected to the front coupling arm part 1 via a buckling joint 4 and whose other end is horizontally pivotally connectable to the chassis of the rail vehicle, e.g. a streetcar.
• the coupling head 2 is pivotal in the horizontal plane between an operative position in which the coupling head 2 extends beyond the front profile of the rail vehicle, this position being indicated by means of solid lines in Fig. 4, and an inoperative position in which the coupling head 2 is located within the front profile of the rail vehicle.
• the front profile of the rail vehicle is intimated, in Fig. 4, by means of dash-dot line 5.
• the front coupling arm part 1 is designed at its one end as a fork head with upper and lower fork legs 6, 7, wherein the fork legs accommodate the rear coupling arm part 3 between them.
• the coupling arm parts 1, 3 are connected to one another by means of a vertical connecting pin 8 through the fork head and the
• the front side of the rear coupling arm part 3 facing the front coupling arm part 1 has a convex circular arc profile 9, wherein the centre of the convex circular arc profile 9 coincides with the axis of rotation defined by the buckling joint 4 with the vertical connecting pin 8.
• the front coupling arm part 1 has a surface section with a concave circular arc profile 10 associated to the convex circular arc profile 9 of the front side of the rear coupling arm part 3. Accordingly, a small circular arc-shaped gap 11 is defined between the convex circular arc profile 9 and the concave circular arc profile 10 (see Figures 1 and 2) .
• the two-part coupling arm is provided with a locking device comprising a locking bolt 12 and an associated recess 13.
• the locking bolt 12 is comparatively long and has essentially a cylindrical or rectangular cross- section. Its longitudinal axis runs essentially parallel with respect to the longitudinal axis of the coupling arm.
• the locking bolt 12 is guided in a slide guidance 14 disposed in the front coupling arm part 1.
• the recess 13 associated to the locking bolt 12 is disposed in the rear coupling arm part 3. It consists of a blind drill hole whose longitudinal axis runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the coupling arm.
• the locking bolt 12 has at least on its end facing the associated recess a sloping edge. In the shown embodiment both ends of the locking bolt 12 have a sloping edge.
• the recess 13 may have on its opening a sloping edge in order
• the locking bolt 12 can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the coupling arm by means of an articulated arm mechanism.
• the articulated arm mechanism comprises a first articulated arm 15 whose one end is pivotally connected to the locking bolt 12 and whose other end is pivotally connected to one end of a second articulated arm 16.
• the second articulated arm 16 is pivotally connected to an axis of rotation 17 disposed in a fixed position on the front coupling arm part and can be pivoted around the axis of rotation 17 by means of an operating element 18.
• the operating element 18 consists of a lever which is rigidly connected, e.g. welded, to the second articulated arm 16.
• the lever 18 has a hole so that it can be pivoted around the axis of rotation 17.
• the axis of rotation 17 is defined by a bolt 19 screwed in a threaded bore of the front coupling arm part 1.
• the lever 18 preferably consists of an angle lever having a short lever section, which is connected to the second articulated arm 16, and a long lever section.
• the first articulated arm 15 and the second articulated arm 16 can be pivoted beyond their extended position in which the locking bolt 12 has reached a stop 23 in the recess 13 of the locking device so that the locking bolt 12 when inserted in the associated recess 13 can be locked by means of the articulated arm mechanism.
• the articulated arms 15, 16 are pivoted beyond a so- called dead point, in which the locking bolt 12 can not
• MY/nw 040344WO be moved deeper into the recess 13, and define an obtuse angle .
• the rear coupling arm part 3 comprises in addition to the first recess 13 a second recess 20 for locking the front coupling arm part 1 and the rear coupling arm part 3 in the inoperative position in which the coupling head 2 is located within the front profile of the rail vehicle (see Figure 4) .
• the second recess 20 is provided in a section 21 of the rear coupling arm part 3 projecting in the horizontal plane in which the front coupling arm part 1 can be pivoted with respect to the rear coupling arm part 3.
• the section 21 of the rear coupling arm part 3 including the second recess 20 has a convex circular arc-shaped side face 22 lying on the same circular arc as the circular arc-shaped side face associated to the first recess 13.
• the second recess 20 corresponds to the first recess 13, i.e. both are blind holes and each has a stop for the locking bolt 12.
• the pivot angle of the front coupling arm part 1 with respect to the rear coupling arm part 3 defined by the longitudinal axes of the recesses 13, 20 may be about 130° .

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Vibration Dampers (AREA)
• Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)
• Automatic Disk Changers (AREA)
• Lock And Its Accessories (AREA)
• Chain Conveyers (AREA)
• Connection Of Plates (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=32607566

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (1)

Citations (4)

• 2004
  • 2004-05-19 GB GB0411132A patent/GB2414220A/en not_active Withdrawn
• 2005
  • 2005-03-10 AT AT05715893T patent/ATE416114T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2005-03-10 WO PCT/EP2005/002510 patent/WO2005110832A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2005-03-10 PL PL05715893T patent/PL1776265T3/pl unknown
  • 2005-03-10 EP EP05715893A patent/EP1776265B1/en active Active
  • 2005-03-10 ES ES05715893T patent/ES2317203T3/es active Active
  • 2005-03-10 DE DE602005011449T patent/DE602005011449D1/de active Active
  • 2005-03-10 PT PT05715893T patent/PT1776265E/pt unknown

Patent Citations (4)

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