A coupler assembly for coupling railway wagons

Abstract

The invention concerns a coupler assembly for connecting railroad cars, comprising a pulling apparatus (10) positioned between a front stop (6) and a stop plate (5) in the space between central girders (1, 2) of a railway wagon frame, whereby the front stop (6) is rigidly fixed to the central girders (1, 2) of the railway wagon frame and the stop plate (5) is mounted in a moving manner between the girders (1, 2), and a rear stop (7), permanently fixed to the wagon frame, is positioned behind the stop plate (5), wherein an increased energy absorption unit is located between the rear stop (7) and the stop plate (5), comprising a bar (8) and a machining element (12) surrounding the bar (8). The invention is characterized in that the machining element (12) is positioned at the rear stop (7), and the bar (8) at one side rests on the stop plate (5) and is pressed by it, while at the other side it enters the machining element (12) and is attached therein it with the possibility of breaking the attachment.

Description

[0001] A coupler assembly for coupling railway wagons

[0002] The subject of the invention is a coupler assembly for coupling railway wagons, comprising a pulling apparatus positioned between a front stop and a stop plate in the space between central girders of a railway wagon frame, whereby the front stop is rigidly fixed to the central girders of the railway wagon frame and the stop plate is mounted in a moving manner between the girders, and a rear stop, permanently fixed to the wagon frame, is positioned behind the stop plate, wherein an increased energy absorption unit is located between the rear stop and the stop plate, comprising a bar and a machining element surrounding the bar.

[0003] The patent WO9839193 a coupler assembly is known used in the underframe of railway wagons. The known solution has two central longitudinal girders positioned on both sides of the wagon’s roll axis. The coupler assembly, intended to transfer longitudinal tensile and compressive forces, contains a pulling apparatus located between the rear stop and front stop in the space between the central girders of the wagon frame. In such a solution it is also possible to use additional shock absorbing elements, intended to equalize the tractive force and to dampen the braking energy. Due to construction reasons such additional shock absorbing elements may be positioned between the rear stop and the front stop and, in particular between the front stop and the pulling apparatus, in the pulling apparatus itself or between the rear stop and the pulling apparatus.

[0004] From the description of patent EP1431157 an underframe for railway wagons is also known, in which, in order to increase the ability to dampen the energy created by the occurrence of increased compressive forces, an additional shock absorbing head, fixed separately under the central girders of the wagon frame, is used in the coupler assembly.

[0005] From the description of patent PL217776B1 a coupler assembly for coupling railway wagons is known, containing a pulling apparatus located between the rear stop and the front stop in the space between the central girders of the wagon frame. The front stop is rigidly fixed to the central girders of the railway wagon frame and the stop plate is mounted in a moving manner between the girders. Behind the stop plate there is a support bracket permanently fixed to the wagon frame. Between the support bracket and the stop plate there is the increased energy absorption unit, which is a bar permanently fixed to the stop plate and mounted in a moving manner in a guiding aperture made in the front wall of the support bracket, whereby machining knives are attached at the circumference of a guiding aperture. The purpose of the solution is the development of a coupler assembly which would be capable of dampening and absorbing large amounts of energy occurring in the underframes of railway wagons, especially during coupling with speeds in excess of permissible ones, and in extraordinary situations such as collisions of railway wagons, while ensuring proper shock absorption of variable tensile and compressive forces occurring during normal use. Nevertheless, the downside of this solution is that it cannot be applied to wagons with a coupler already installed.

[0006] The purpose of the invention, therefore, is to provide a coupler assembly that would keep the advantages known from the solution described in PL217776B1 and at the same time could be used to provide the existing coupler assemblies with an additional energy absorbing element (so-called crash component). At the same time, the invention aims to ensure that a crash component destroyed in a crash can be easily replaced with a new one.

[0007] The subject of the invention is a coupler assembly for coupling railway wagons, comprising a pulling apparatus positioned between a stop plate and a rear stop, in the space between central girders of a railway wagon frame, whereby the front stop is rigidly fixed to the central girders of the railway wagon frame and the stop plate is mounted in a moving manner between the girders, and a rear stop, permanently fixed to the wagon frame, is positioned behind the stop plate. An increased energy absorption unit is located between the rear stop and the stop plate, comprising a bar and a machining element surrounding the bar. The invention is characterized in that the machining element is positioned at the rear stop, and the bar at one side rests on the stop plate and is pressed by it, while at the other side it enters the machining element and is attached therein with the possibility of breaking the attachment.

[0008] Preferably, a shock absorbing unit is mounted in the pulling apparatus.

[0009] Preferably, the machining element has machining knives located in guiding grooves on the surface of the bar.

[0010] Preferably, the bar is in the form of a sleeve.

[0011] Preferably, the bar is fixed in the machining element by means of a threaded sleeve with a breakaway flange.

[0012] Preferably, the bar is fixed in the machining element by means of at least one shear pin.

[0013] Preferably, the bar is fixed in the machining element by means of a resistance protrusion placed in front of the machining element.

[0014] Preferably, the machining element is detachably attached to the central girders of the wagon frame.

[0015] More preferably, the machining element is attached to the central girders with support brackets and screws.

[0016] The subject of the invention is illustrated in its embodiment in the drawing, where fig. 1 shows the coupler assembly located on the underframe of the railway vehicle in a perspective view, fig. 2 shows the coupler assembly placed located on the wagon’s underframe in a bottom view, while fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the machining element, including the attachment, in a perspective view.

[0017] The underframe of the railway wagon has central girders 1, 2 running on both sides of the longitudinal axis of the railway wagon, connected to a front girder 3. The coupler assembly according to the embodiment includes a pulling apparatus 10 located between the front stop 6 and the stop plate 5 in the space between the central girders 1,2 of the wagon frame. The front stop 6 is rigidly fixed to the central girders 1, 2 of the railway wagon frame and the stop plate 5 is mounted in a moving manner between the girders 1, 2. Behind the stop plate 5 there is a rear stop 7 permanently fixed to the wagon frame. An increased energy absorption unit is located between the rear stop 7 and the stop plate 5, comprising the bar 8 and its the machining element 12 surrounding the bar 8. The machining element 12 is positioned at the rear stop 7, and the bar 8 at one side rests on the stop plate 5 and is pressed by it, while at the other side it enters the machining element 12 and is fixed in it with the possibility of breaking the attachment.

[0018] As one can see, this design differs from the solution known from PL217776B1 in that the increased energy absorption unit, i.e. the “crash” element, is designed differently and is not permanently fixed to the rest of the coupler assembly. The machining element 12 is merely supported, while the bar 8, as indicated above, enters the machining element 12 at one side and is supported by the stop plate 5 at the other side. This design has the following advantages over known solutions:

[0019] - it makes it possible to equip existing couplings with an increased energy absorption unit so that, after removing the pulling apparatus 10 from the coupling, the increased energy absorption unit can be slid between the girders 1,2, and then the pulling apparatus 10 can be slid and reinstalled so that it presses on the increased energy absorption unit by means of the stop plate 5. Thus, the increased energy absorption unit is held in place during normal operation of the coupling (i.e., accelerating and braking), while in a crash situation it is activated by breaking the attachment of the bar 8 in the machining element 12 and initiating machining of the bar 8,

[0020] - it similarly allows easy replacement of the increased energy absorption unit after it is destroyed in a collision. Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the features indicated in the claims may be combined with each other in any combinations appropriate for a given application of the solution without deviating from the scope of protection.

[0021] In the embodiment, the shock absorbing assembly 11 is mounted in the pulling apparatus 10 , but it is not necessary for the proper operation of the invention. In another embodiment, the shock absorbing assembly 11 is absent.

[0022] The machining element 12 can have a design as illustrated in fig. 3, i.e., it can be a tubular body with the flange 21 in which machining knives 15 are fixed. In embodiments other than those presented in the figures, the machining element 12 may have machining knives 15 located in guiding grooves on the surface of the bar 8, similarly as in document PL217776 (fig. 12). However, this is not necessary, and the machining element 12 can also have another form, e.g. it can be a cube, plate, etc. with a hole for the bar 8. Also, the knives 15 may have a different layout or design than the one in fig. 3. The different variations of this element will be obvious to a person skilled in the art.

[0023] In the example shown, the bar 8 is a sleeve but can also be a solid element.

[0024] As mentioned above, the bar 8 enters the machining element 12 and is attached (fixed) in it, with the possibility of breaking this attachment. This is to prevent the bar 8 from sliding in the machining element 12 in a situation of normal coupling operation (pulling, braking). When more energy is released, such as in a collision, the attachment of the bar 8 is broken and machining of the bar is initiated. Fixation can be implemented in various ways. In one embodiment, the bar 8 is fixed in the machining element 12 by means of a threaded sleeve with a breakaway flange. In another example - by means of at least one shear pin. In yet another example - by means of a resistance protrusion placed in front of the machining element. This type of breakaway attachment was disclosed in PL217776B1 (fig. 6, fig. 8, fig. 9, fig. 10). In addition to these fixings, other fixings known in the state-of-the-art can be used, and suitable for this application.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment shown in the figures, the machining element 12 is detachably attached to the central girders 1,2 of the wagon frame, preferably to the support brackets 22 and screws (fig. 3), but this is not necessary.

[0026] Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the features indicated in the claims may be combined with each other in any combinations appropriate for a given application of the solution.

Claims

Claims1. A coupler assembly for coupling railway wagons, comprising a pulling apparatus (10) positioned between a front stop (6) and a stop plate (5) in the space between central girders (1, 2) of a railway wagon frame, whereby the front stop (6) is rigidly fixed to the central girders (1, 2) of the railway wagon frame, and the stop plate (5) is mounted in a moving manner between the girders (1, 2), and a rear stop (7), permanently fixed to the wagon frame, is positioned behind the stop plate (5), wherein an increased energy absorption unit is located between the rear stop (7) and the stop plate (5), comprising a bar (8) and a machining element (12) surrounding the bar (8), characterized in that the machining element (12) is positioned at the rear stop (7), and the bar (8) at one side rests on the stop plate (5) and is pressed by it, while at the other side it enters the machining element (12) and is attached therein with the possibility of breaking the attachment.

2. Coupler assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that a shock absorbing assembly (11) is mounted in the pulling apparatus (10) .

3. Coupler assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the machining element (12) comprises machining knives (15) placed in guiding grooves on the surface of the bar (8).

4. Coupler assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the bar (8) is in the form of a sleeve.

5. Coupler assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the bar (8) is fixed in the machining element (12) by means of a threaded sleeve with a breakaway flange.

6. Coupler assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the bar (8) is fixed in the machining element (12) by means of at least one shear pin.

7. Coupler assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the bar (8) is fixed in the machining element (12) by means of a resistance protrusion placed in front of the machining element (12).

8. Coupler assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the machining element (12) is detachably attached to the central girders (1,2) of the wagon frame.

9. Coupler assembly according to claim. 8, characterized in that the machining element (12) is attached to the central girders (1,2) by means of support brackets (22) and screws.

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