Hitch coupling and rail vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a hitch coupling with a coupling rod extending in the direction of a longitudinal axis which carries a coupling device for an identical but opposite hitch coupling on a first axial end and, at a second axial end, which is opposite the first axial end in the direction of the longitudinal axis, is mounted rotatably about a rotation axis, the coupling rod additionally being displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis and having a front stop face at the second axial end. The hitch coupling has a press plate, which is opposite the front stop face in the direction of the longitudinal axis and which has a surface facing towards the front stop face, the front stop face and the surface bearing against one another in a state of the coupling rod in which this is fully retracted in the direction of the longitudinal axis and define a maximum coupling joint play when the coupling rod is in a state extended maximally in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The hitch coupling according to the invention is characterised in that the coupling joint play is at most 10% of a minimum distance in the direction of the longitudinal axis between the front stop face and the rotation axis in the maximally extended state of the coupling rod, in relation to a middle position of the coupling rod.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a train coupling with a coupling rod and a pressure plate, which together limit a coupling play, in particular according to the preamble of claim 1. The invention further relates to a rail vehicle with at least two adjacent and coupled or coupled wagons, each of which has such a train coupling for coupling.

[0002] A degree of coupling play in the longitudinal direction of the train coupling, that is, in the direction of travel of a rail vehicle, is necessary, at least for heavy freight wagons, to enable a locomotive with lower tractive effort to start very heavy freight train sets. This coupling play allows the train to start wagon by wagon, as each wagon in the coupling chain is pulled forward, free from the inertial forces of the following wagons, until the coupling play in the longitudinal axis is bridged.

[0003] The play in the direction of the longitudinal axis in the coupling usually consists of the play of the coupling contour, i.e., play in the area of ​​a coupling device with which two opposing couplings are coupled together, and the coupling joint play, i.e., play in the direction of the longitudinal axis in a hinged suspension of the coupling rod.

[0004] However, the coupling play, especially the coupling joint play, is detrimental with regard to load change reactions from the driving dynamics and manifests itself as jerking movements that are clearly perceptible in the locomotive. The conventionally large coupling play leads to comparatively higher load change forces when the individual railcars collide and pull away, which requires a higher fatigue strength of the coupling components.

[0005] Couplings with coupling heads of type 10 (Scharfenberg coupling - version with a funnel and a cone arranged on an end plate), as particularly concerned with the present invention, are used in the freight sector, for example in combined transport, i.e. in freight wagons designed as container wagons or pocket wagons for the transport of trucks and / or semi-trailers. The train weight of such freight wagon sets is significantly lower than that of freight wagon sets used for the transport of bulk goods or steel.

[0006] US 3,913,747 A discloses a coupling with a coupling rod that, together with a pivot pin on which it is rotatably mounted, is displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis and has a front stop surface at one end facing away from the coupling head, which abuts an opposing pressure plate when pressure surges are applied to the coupling rod. The clearance between the front stop surface and the opposing pressure plate is greater than the clearance of the pivot pin in the coupling rod, so that when the front stop surface abuts the pressure plate, the pivot pin is displaced together with the coupling rod.

[0007] DE 1 145 211 A discloses a coupling with a coupling rod that is permanently in contact with a spring-loaded pressure plate. US 4 445 618 A, US 3 104 017 A and US 4 328 900 A also disclose coupling rods that are in contact with a pressure plate without play.

[0008] DE 2 315 368 A discloses a coupling joint for automatic center buffer couplings, in which the length of an opening in the coupling rod in the axial direction is chosen to be at least so large that the play of an axially displaceable joint bolt in the opening corresponds to the joint play between the axial end of the coupling rod and an opposing pressure plate.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a train coupling that is subject to less stress when used, particularly in freight wagon trains, thereby extending its service life and / or reducing the fatigue strength requirements. When used in train formations, the alternating load forces during the coupling and uncoupling of individual railcars are to be reduced, and the overall vibration behavior improved.

[0010] The problem according to the invention is solved by a train coupling having the features of claim 1 and a rail vehicle according to claim 7. Advantageous and particularly expedient embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent claims.

[0011] The present invention is based on the understanding that the conventional, pronounced coupling play required to start the train, in order to pull the train car by car, is often no longer necessary, and that the higher starting tractive effort of modern multiple units can be used to reduce the coupling play in favor of improved driving dynamics in freight transport. Therefore, the articulation play of the train coupling is preferably reduced while maintaining existing contours, in particular while maintaining the horizontal and vertical stabilization that, through coupling deflection in conjunction with the pressure plate of the spring mechanism and the stroke-dependent pressure force development via a restoring torque, effects a reduction in lateral force.

[0012] A coupling according to the invention has a coupling rod that extends in the direction of a longitudinal axis, i.e., in the longitudinal direction or in the direction of travel of the rail vehicle equipped with the coupling, wherein the longitudinal axis and the direction of travel coincide at least when the coupling rod is not deflected, i.e., in its neutral position. The coupling rod carries at a first axial end a coupling device for a counter-coupling, and at a second axial end, opposite the first axial end in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the coupling rod is rotatably mounted about an axis of rotation, for example, on the car body or frame of a rail vehicle.

[0013] According to the invention, the coupling rod is also displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis, for example relative to a pivot bolt which the coupling rod surrounds with an opening.

[0014] The coupling rod has a face stop surface at its second axial end. This face stop surface extends across an end face of the second axial end that faces the longitudinal axis and is, in particular, arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

[0015] According to the invention, the coupling also has a pressure plate which faces the end stop surface in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the pressure plate comprising a surface facing the end stop surface. The pressure plate is, for example, rigidly or resiliently mounted in the rail vehicle which carries a coupling according to the invention, or in the coupling itself.

[0016] The end stop surface and the surface of the pressure plate are in contact with each other when the coupling rod is fully retracted in the direction of the longitudinal axis, and define a maximum coupling joint play when the coupling rod is maximally extended in the direction of the longitudinal axis, whereby the maximum coupling joint play refers to the neutral position of the coupling rod, i.e., to the un-displaced state of the coupling rod.

[0017] According to the invention, the pivot bolt is cylindrical, vertically oriented, and forms the axis of rotation as its cylindrical axis; and the clutch joint play is a maximum of 10% of a minimum distance in the direction of the longitudinal axis between the end stop surface and the axis of rotation in the fully extended and, in particular, unloaded state of the clutch rod. Preferably, the clutch joint play is less than 10% of the aforementioned minimum distance and is, for example, a maximum of 8% or 6%, and in particular less than 6%.

[0018] By reducing the clutch joint play to the level according to the invention, dynamic forces, in particular compressive forces acting between the end stop surface and the surface of the pressure plate, can be significantly reduced.

[0019] Preferably, at least the second axial end of the coupling rod or the entire coupling rod is made of a metal casting. Additionally or alternatively, the pressure plate can also be made of a metal casting and / or a forging.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the end stop surface is mechanically machined after its manufacture by casting. Additionally or alternatively, the surface of the pressure plate can also be mechanically machined after its manufacture by casting and / or forging.

[0021] The machining, preferably of the end stop surface, allows for contour adjustment of the coupling joint and thus a targeted adjustment of the maximum coupling joint play. In particular, in a method for manufacturing the coupling, the coupling joint play is adjusted by the machining depending on the intended use of the coupling. The coupling joint play can be increased at any time through machining, even after the coupling rod has been manufactured and possibly even after it has already been used in a coupling.

[0022] According to one embodiment of the invention, the surface of the printing plate is convex, in particular spherical.

[0023] According to the invention, the coupling rod has an opening in the region of the axis of rotation that encloses a pivot pin, wherein a clearance is provided between the pivot pin and a rebate of the opening in the direction of the longitudinal axis, which is equal to or greater than the maximum coupling joint clearance. The pivot pin can, for example, be arranged in the coupling or on the car body or frame of a rail vehicle and extend in the vertical direction.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the opening is limited on one side in the direction of the longitudinal axis by a cylindrical segment-shaped contour in the coupling rod and on the other side by a stop inserted into the coupling rod. The stop can, for example, have a flat or curved, in particular concave, stop surface.

[0025] The coupling device at the first axial end of the coupling rod preferably has an end plate with a coupling funnel and a coupling cone and is designed, for example, as a Scharfenberg coupling type 10.

[0026] A rail vehicle comprising at least two carriages arranged side-by-side or one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the rail vehicle, which can be coupled to one another and are coupled in the coupled state, wherein the two side-by-side carriages each have a coupling according to one of claims 1 to 6 at their mutually facing end regions for coupling to one another, is described in claim 7. The coupling of the individual carriages via couplings designed according to the invention leads, due to the reduction of the overall play in the coupling joint, to a reduction of the load-change forces during changes in traction and thus to an overall improvement in the vibration behavior of the entire train.

[0027] The inventive design of a tow coupling 20 will below be described using an exemplary embodiment and the Figure 1 A rail vehicle 16, whose individual cars 17.1 to 17.4 are coupled by means of such train couplings 20, is described in Figure 2 described.

[0028] In the Figure 1Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a coupling 20 according to the invention, comprising a coupling rod 1 extending along a longitudinal axis 10. The coupling rod 1 has a first axial end 1.1 and an opposite second axial end 1.2. An end plate 12 is provided at the first axial end 1.1, which has an opening enclosing a coupling funnel 13 and a coupling cone 14. The coupling funnel 13 and the coupling cone 14 form a coupling device 2, which can be coupled to a corresponding coupling device. Furthermore, air couplings and / or electrical couplings or the like may also be provided in the area of ​​the end plate 12.

[0029] In the region of the second axial end 1.2, the coupling rod 1 is rotatably mounted about a pivot axis 11. Thus, the coupling rod 1 can be deflected relative to a longitudinal direction of the rail vehicle equipped with the coupling, for example, for negotiating curves with the coupled rail vehicle. The un-deflected state of the coupling rod 1, in which the longitudinal axis 10 coincides with a longitudinal axis of the rail vehicle equipped with the coupling, is referred to as the neutral position. The clearance specifications given here refer to this neutral position, although in the Figure 1 A deflected position is shown, which results when the rail vehicle travels through a right-hand curve.

[0030] The coupling rod 1 is furthermore positioned so as to be displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis 10. For this purpose, the coupling rod 1 has an opening 6 in the area of ​​the axis of rotation 11, which encloses a pivot bolt 7. The pivot bolt 7 is cylindrical, vertically oriented, and forms the axis of rotation 11 as its cylindrical axis.

[0031] The opening 6 is bounded on the side facing away from the first axial end 1.1 by a cylindrical segment-shaped contour 8 and on the opposite axial side by a stop 9, which is inserted into the coupling rod 1. The stop 9 has, for example, a flat stop surface 9.1 against which the pivot pin 7 abuts when the coupling rod 1 is in its fully retracted state. However, the stop surface 9.1 can also be positioned so far away from the pivot pin 7 or the contour 8 that no abutment occurs in the normal state of the coupling.

[0032] The second axial end 1.2 of the coupling rod 1 is bounded by an end stop surface 3. Opposite the end stop surface 3, in the direction of the longitudinal axis 10, is a pressure plate 4 with its surface 5. The surface 5 is, for example, convex, in particular spherical.

[0033] The pressure plate 4 can, for example, be resiliently mounted in the direction of the longitudinal axis 10 in the train coupling or in a rail vehicle, for example on its car body or in its frame. In particular, a spring element 15 is provided which dampens compressive forces acting on the pressure plate 4.

[0034] In the fully retracted state of the coupling rod 1, the end stop surface 3 makes at least point contact with the surface 5 of the pressure plate 4. In the fully extended state of the coupling rod 1, particularly in the force-free draw position (the drawbar rests against the pivot pin without force), a maximum coupling joint clearance S results between the end stop surface 3 and the surface 5 of the pressure plate 4. The maximum coupling joint clearance S refers to the central area of ​​the end stop surface 3, which lies on the longitudinal axis 10, and corresponds to the maximum coupling joint clearance S in a non-displaced state of the coupling rod 1, i.e., when the longitudinal axis 10 of the coupling rod 1 extends in the longitudinal direction of the rail vehicle on which the coupling is mounted.In this non-displaced state, a gap exists between the end stop surface 3 and the surface 5 of the pressure plate 4 on both sides of the longitudinal axis 10 passing through the axis of rotation 11, in particular symmetrically to the longitudinal axis 10, at least in a top view in the direction of the axis of rotation 11. According to the invention, the clutch joint play S is a maximum of 10% of a minimum distance in the direction of the longitudinal axis 10 between the end stop surface 3 and the axis of rotation 11, preferably in the range of 6% to 8%. In the . Figure 1 This distance is denoted by d.

[0035] The Figure 2The figure illustrates, in a highly simplified schematic representation, a rail vehicle 16 with a plurality of cars 17.1 to 17.n (with n=1 to x), here 17.1 to 17.4, arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the rail vehicle 16, wherein at least two adjacent cars 17.n and 17.n+1, here 17.1 and 17.2, 17.2 and 17.3 and 17.3 and 17.4, are each coupled to one another by means of couplings 20 arranged according to the invention. The coupled cars thus form a train consist. At least one of the cars 17.1 and / or 17.4 in the end region of the train consist is designed as a self-propelled car, in particular a tractor unit. In the illustrated case, this is, by way of example, car 17.1, which pulls the cars 17.2 to 17.4. The tractor unit and the individual wagons 17.2 to 17. arranged one behind the other.Four cars are each equipped with couplings designed according to the invention, wherein the cars arranged adjacent to one another are coupled to each other via such couplings 20. For this purpose, the cars arranged adjacent to one another in the longitudinal direction have couplings 20 arranged and aligned with each other on their facing sides, which can be engaged with each other for coupling and are coupled together in the train consist.

[0036] The individual couplings 20 have a coupling joint play S, which is a maximum of 10% of a minimum distance d in the direction of the longitudinal axis 10 between the end stop surface 3 and the axis of rotation 11 in the fully extended state of the coupling rod 1. Preferably, the coupling joint play S of a coupling is selected in the range of 5 mm to 10 mm, and particularly preferably 5 mm to 7 mm. By reducing the coupling joint play at the individual couplings, the overall coupling play of the entire train assembly is reduced in both the tension and compression directions, resulting in a significant improvement in the driving dynamics, as the vibration behavior, especially during changes in traction, is considerably reduced. Reference symbol list

[0037] 1Coupling rod 1.1 First axial end 1.2 Second axial end 2Coupling device 3End stop surface 4Pressure plate 5Surface 6Opening 7Pivot bolt 8Contour 9Stop 9.1Stop surface 10Longitudinal axis 11Pivot axis 12End plate 13Coupling funnel 14Coupling cone 15Spring element 16Rail vehicle 17.1, 17.4Car 20Train coupling Smaximum coupling joint play dminimum distance mmminimum wall thickness

Claims

1. Train coupling (20) comprising a coupling rod (1) extending in the direction of a longitudinal axis (10), which carries a coupling device (2) for a mating drawbar coupling at a first axial end (1.1) and is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis of rotation (11) at a second axial end (1.2) opposite the first axial end (1.1) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (10), wherein the coupling rod (1) is also slidable in the direction of the longitudinal axis (10) and has an end stop surface (3) at the second axial end (1.2); with a pressure plate (4) opposite the end stop surface (3) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (10), which pressure plate has a surface (5) facing the end stop surface (3), wherein the end stop surface (3) and the surface (5) abut one another in a state in which the coupling rod (1) is fully retracted in the direction of the longitudinal axis (10) and define a maximum coupling joint clearance (S) in a state in which the coupling rod (1) is maximally extended in the direction of the longitudinal axis (10); wherein the coupling rod (1) has an opening (6) in the region of the rotational axis (11) that encloses a pivot pin (7), wherein a clearance in the direction of the longitudinal axis (10) is provided between the pivot pin (7) and a shoulder of the opening (6), which clearance is equal to or greater than the maximum coupling joint clearance (S); characterized in that the pivot pin is cylindrical, vertically aligned, and the axis of rotation (11) is formed as its axis of rotation; and that the coupling joint clearance (S) is at most 10% of a minimum distance (d) in the direction of the longitudinal axis (10) between the end stop surface (3) and the axis of rotation (11) in the fully extended state of the coupling rod (1), relative to a central position of the coupling rod (1).

2. A train coupling (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least the second axial end (1.2) of the coupling rod (1) is designed as a metal casting and / or the pressure plate (4) is designed as a metal casting and / or as a forged part.

3. A train coupling (20) according to claim 2, characterized in that the end stop surface (3) and / or the surface (5) is / are machined.

4. A train coupling (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the surface (5) is convex, in particular spherical.

5. A train coupling (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the opening (6) is bounded on one side in the direction of the longitudinal axis (10) by a cylindrical segment-shaped contour (8) in the coupling rod (1) and on the other side by a stop (9) inserted into the coupling rod (1).

6. A train coupling (20) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the coupling device (2) comprises a face plate (12) with a coupling funnel (13) and a coupling cone (14).

7. Rail vehicle (16) with at least two cars (17.n, 17.n+1), wherein the two adjacent cars each have a train coupling (20) at their facing end regions ( ) in accordance with one of claims 1 to 6 for coupling to one another.

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