Coupler arrangement for a rail vehicle

Abstract

A method of uncoupling cars of a multi-car rail vehicle which are coupled together by means of two couplers comprises the steps of: connecting an automatically driven rotator (20) to a rotatable connector (19) of one of the two couplers, activating the automatically driven rotator so as to rotate the rotatable connector until the two couplers are in an uncoupled state, and removing the automatically driven rotator. The automatically driven rotator may be a handheld device, such as an electrically driven screwdriver, and may be driven by energy stored therein.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a coupler for a multi-car rail vehicle, in particular for automatic coupling systems (AC) and digital automatic coupling systems (DAC) in rail freight transportation (RFT). The invention further relates to a system as well as a car of a multi-car rail vehicle comprising the coupler and, in particular, further relates to an uncoupling method in which the coupler can be used.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The couplings currently used in RFT (Janney and SA3) create only a mechanical connection between the cars automatically. The European rail freight sector prepares for upgrading from a screw coupling (SC) to a DAC. For instance, a DAC Type 4 permits automatic coupling of compressed air, electrical power, and data lines, in addition to the mechanical connection. It is envisaged that the DACs for rail freight transportation shall be of the Scharfenberg-type.

[0003] Coupler heads of a Scharfenberg-type coupling have a coupling profile with a cone and a cup, the cone of one coupler head being guided into and centered in the cup of the opposing coupler head during the coupling process, thereby aligning the two coupler heads. Each coupler head contains a rotating metal disc, also known as "hook plate", which is sometimes also referred to as the heart of the coupler head. The disc is fixedly mounted to a main pin which can rotate about a main axis together with the hook plate. A plunger, also referred to as "coupling link" or "hoop", is pivotably mounted to one side of the disc with one of its ends. On the opposing side of the disc, there is a "notch" in the disc. The rotatable disc is held in position by at least one tension spring, in which position the notch is drawn into and the hoop urged outwards of the coupler head. This is also referred to as the "coupled position" of the coupler head.

[0004] There are two general concepts of Scharfenberg-type couplings, a single-position coupling and a dual-position coupling. In the single-position coupling, the "coupled position" of the disc corresponds to the "ready-to-couple position" of the disc. Here, during coupling, when the hoop of one coupler head is pressed with its free end against the disc of the opposing coupler head while the disc is in the ready-to-couple position, its own disc is caused to rotate. Since the coupler heads are identical, such rotation of the disc occurs on both coupler heads simultaneously until the hoops of both coupler heads engage with the notch in the disc of the respective other coupler head. Then, due to the spring force of the tension springs, the discs automatically return to their original position, which is now the coupled position, and then the coupling process is complete. In the coupled position, the hoops and the virtual lines connecting their respective ends on the discs form a parallelogram. This way, half of the tensile forces acting on the coupler head during regular use is transmitted by each hoop. Uncoupling of the coupler heads requires an external force in order to turn the disc of one of the coupler heads against the spring force into an "uncoupled position" until the hoop of the coupler head slides out of the notch in the disc of the other coupler head. Since the disc of the other coupler head follows such movement, actuating the uncoupling mechanism of one coupler head simultaneously unlocks both coupler heads.

[0005] A dual-position coupling differs from the single-position coupling in that it includes a latching mechanism which, when the coupler head is being uncoupled against the spring force, holds the disc in the uncoupled position. This way, the hoop of one coupler head can immediately engage with its free end into the notch of the disc of the respective other coupler head at the time when the coupler heads come in contact during a coupling process. The latching mechanism is automatically released mechanically when the two coupler heads approach each other so that the spring force of the tension springs causes the discs to rotate towards their respective coupled position. Thus, in a dual-position coupling, the "ready-to-couple position" of the disc corresponds to the disc's "uncoupled position".

[0006] While the present invention is particularly useful in connection with Scharfenberg-type couplings, both single and dual-position couplings, in particular according to EN16019:2014, it is likewise useful for other couplings, in particular those in which a locking force needs to be overcome in order to release the coupling.

[0007] US 4,366,911 discloses a single-position Scharfenberg-type coupling which includes an electromechanical uncoupling mechanism. A lever is fixedly attached to the main pin, and a roller, which is eccentrically mounted on a rotating plate, can be moved by rotation of the rotating plate so that it engages the lever and thereby rotates the disc about the main axis from its coupled position (or ready-to-couple position) to its uncoupled position. Upon further rotation of the rotating plate, the roller disengages from the lever so that the disc can return to its ready-to-couple position urged by the spring force of the tension spring. Meanwhile, the rotating plate rotates further towards its initial position so that it is ready for the next uncoupling process. The rotation of the rotating plate is achieved by means of an electric motor. A sensor is provided to stop the electric motor when the rotating plate has reached its initial position.

[0008] WO 2022 / 129021 A1 relates to a dual-position Scharfenberg-type coupling and discloses various kinds of electromechanical uncoupling mechanisms. Here, an electrically actuated element of the uncoupling mechanism engages with the disc so as to rotate the disc about the main axis from its coupled position to its uncoupled or ready-to-couple position. Once the uncoupled or ready-to-couple position has been reached, the disc is held in place in that position by means of a separate latching mechanism until, during the next coupling process, such latching mechanism is released by an approaching second coupler head. Meanwhile, the electrically actuated element of the uncoupling mechanism returns to its starting position by electrically actuating the uncoupling mechanism in an opposite direction.

[0009] However, electrical energy is not always available, e.g. due to a power failure. Therefore, in a DAC for freight trains, uncoupling should (also) be possible manually. DE 102020119328 A1 discloses a manual uncoupling device including a hand lever attached to a pull wire so as to reduce the force needed for uncoupling the coupler head by pulling the pull wire. The hand lever is located on a lateral side of the car. Thus, the hand lever can be reached by an operator without the need to get between two cars. The hand lever is arranged vertically on a side of the car and is tilted outwards from the car in order to uncouple the coupler head. However, the arrangement is bulky and sticks out from the side of the car, which may be dangerous when the wagon moves.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide a coupler with an uncoupling system that can be easily operated by a worker, in particular a coupler with a coupler head of the Scharfenberg-type as outlined above.

[0011] As a sub-aspect, the forces required to be applied manually by the operators performing the uncoupling process should be low, preferably not exceeding 150 N.

[0012] The invention is defined in the appending claims. According to the present disclosure, a method of uncoupling adjacent cars of a multi-car rail vehicle which are coupled together by means of two couplers may comprise the steps of: connecting an automatically driven rotator to a rotatable connector of one of the two couplers, activating the automatically driven rotator so as to rotate the rotatable connector of said one of the two couplers until the two couplers are in an uncoupled state, and removing the automatically driven rotator from said one of the two couplers when the two couplers are in the uncoupled state.

[0013] The automatically driven rotator, in a simple form, may be an electrically driven screwdriver having a tip end which is configured to mate with the rotatable connector of the coupler. Thus, the couplers are uncoupled simply by means of the automatically driven rotator. In particular, the configuration of the coupler is preferably such that the automatically driven rotator can be easily held by the operator who performs the uncoupling process, in which case the automatically driven rotator may be a handheld device, such as a screwdriver, which may be an electrically driven screwdriver. In the following, the term "screwdriver" is used synonymously with the more general term "automatically driven rotator". By using an automatically driven actuator for performing the uncoupling process, it is more likely that the uncoupling process, e.g. the rotation of the locking device, is continuous, relatively fast and operator independent, i.e. independent of the person who operates the uncoupling device. The inventors found out that a relatively fast and / or continuous uncoupling process increases the likelihood of a successful uncoupling process. Using an automatically driven rotator also has the advantage that a rotational speed or speed range of the automatically driven rotator may be selected which ensures a successful uncoupling process.

[0014] The screwdriver may receive its power from an external power source, i.e. independent from any power supply of the rail vehicle. For instance, the power source may be a hydraulic, pneumatic or preferably electric power source. More preferably, the screwdriver may be driven by energy stored in the screwdriver itself, e.g. stored in a battery or in an accumulator.

[0015] In order to connect the screwdriver to the rotatable connector of the coupler, a plug-and-socket connector may be provided, wherein one of the plug and the socket is provided on the rotatable connector of the coupler and the respective other one of the plug and the socket is provided at the tip end of the screwdriver. Preferably, it is the rotatable connector which comprises the plug of the plug-and-socket connector. The reason is that snow and ice can be removed easier from the plug than from inside a socket.

[0016] In any case, it is advantageous if the screwdriver, i.e. the automatically driven rotator, or the rotatable connector is equipped with a rotary hammer function. This facilitates the removal of snow and ice from the plug or socket.

[0017] Independent of whether the plug forms part of the rotatable connector or whether it is provided on the tip end of the screwdriver, the plug preferably has a ball-shaped end with a hexagonal or other regular polygonal cross-section. Ball-shaped ends on hex keys (also known as Allen keys or Inbus keys) are generally known and enable a torsion-transmitting connection between the plug and the socket even when the screwdriver is in an angled position.

[0018] It is further preferable if the socket has a funnel shape. This facilitates engagement between the plug and the socket, which is particularly helpful when the uncoupling process is to be performed while the car of the rail vehicle is (slowly) moving.

[0019] Furthermore, the screwdriver may comprise an extension so that the uncoupling process can be performed from a certain distance away from the car. Preferably, the screwdriver comprises a lengthy rotatable rod of which the free end is configured for being connected to the rotatable connector of the coupler. The rotatable rod may have a length of more than 20 cm, preferably between 20 cm and 50 cm, more preferably between 30 cm and 40 cm.

[0020] More specifically, when the uncoupling device is mounted on the car of the multi-car vehicle, it is preferably mounted such that the axis of rotation of the rotatable connector is oriented so as to point sideways away from the car. This way, it can be easily reached with the screwdriver when an uncoupling process is to be performed. In some instances, it may be preferable when the rotatable connector is not oriented exactly sideways, i.e. horizontally, but sideways and upwards. This is particularly advantageous when the transmission housing is mounted relatively low, e.g. below or against an underside of the car, in which case an upward-angled rotatable connector is easier accessible.

[0021] In particular, the arrangement is preferably such that the rotatable connector does not stick out sideways beyond the car. Thus, the rotatable connector is preferably arranged next or close (e.g. less than 10 cm) to the outer side boundary of the car so that the distance to be overcome by the operator in order to reach the rotatable connector with the screwdriver from outside the rail track is minimal.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the car may comprise two of the uncoupling devices, one uncoupling device arranged on each of the opposite sides of the car, so that the uncoupling process can be performed from either side of the car.

[0023] A coupler which is suitable to be used in context with the aforementioned uncoupling method may comprise a coupler head with a locking device, such as a hook plate, which is rotatable about a main pin of the coupler head between a coupled position and an uncoupled position and which is configured to cooperate with a locking device of a corresponding second coupler head so as to couple the two coupler heads together when the locking device of each of the two coupler heads is in its respective coupled position. The coupler head further has a tension spring which provides a spring force configured to urge the locking device (in the following also referred to as "hook plate" for reason of simplification) towards its coupled position. In addition, the coupler comprises an uncoupling device having an uncoupling actuator which is arranged to move from a first actuator position (which, in the following, is also referred to as the initial or starting position) to a second actuator position, thereby causing the locking device (hook plate) to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position against the spring force provided by the tension spring. In the case of a dual-position coupling, a latching mechanism may be provided which holds the locking device (hook plate) in the uncoupled position, wherein the latching mechanism may be released when the coupler head is approached by a corresponding second coupler head. The coupler head is preferably a coupler head according to EN 16019:2014.

[0024] In this arrangement, the uncoupling device comprises the aforementioned rotatable connector which is accessible from the outside and which has an axis of rotation with the plug or socket of the plug-and-socket connector arranged on the axis of rotation. That is, the rotatable connector is configured for an external tool to be connected thereto, such as by the aforementioned screwdriver. Then, when the rotatable connector is rotated by means of the external tool, the uncoupling actuator of the uncoupling device ultimately moves from the first actuator position to the second actuator position, thereby causing the locking device in the coupler head to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position against the spring force provided by the tension spring.

[0025] When, in a single-position coupling, the locking device in the coupler head automatically returns from the uncoupled position to the coupled position due to the spring force provided by the tension spring, the spring force of the tension spring preferably causes also the uncoupling actuator to return to the first actuator position, i.e. its starting position. However, this is not possible in a dual-position coupling, in which the latching mechanism holds the locking device in the uncoupled position and which is automatically released mechanically when the coupler head is approached by a corresponding second coupler head. Therefore, in the case of a dual-position coupling, a separate biasing element, such as a torsion spring, may be arranged so as to urge the uncoupling actuator back towards its starting position. For instance, such biasing element may act directly on the uncoupling actuator or on any other element of the uncoupling device. Thus, the biasing element may form part of the uncoupling device.

[0026] As mentioned, the coupler is preferably a Scharfenberg-type coupler and, therefore, may further comprise as part of the coupler head: a hook plate (as the locking device) which is rotatable about the main pin of the coupler head between the coupled position and the uncoupled position and which comprises a coupling link pin on a first side relative to the main pin and a hook plate recess on a second side relative to the main pin opposite the first side, and a coupling link having a first end connected to the coupling link pin of the hook plate so as to be rotatable about the coupling link pin and a free second end to be received in a hook plate recess of a corresponding opposite coupler head.

[0027] In any case, a linking mechanism may be provided to link the uncoupling actuator of the uncoupling device to the coupler head so that movement of the uncoupling actuator from the first actuator position to the second actuator position is transferred to the coupler head and causes the locking device in the coupler head to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. Thus, the linking mechanism may span a distance from the uncoupling actuator to the coupler head, e.g. when the uncoupling actuator is arranged at a side of the car far from the coupler head.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the linking mechanism comprises a pull cable. A pull cable is advantageous because it allows the transfer of mechanic energy over long distances, does not require much space and is easy to adapt to different requirements. Alternatively, a hydraulic line may be provided instead of a pull cable, offering the same advantages.

[0029] The coupler head may comprise a coupler head housing with the main pin extending from the coupler head housing. The linking mechanism may then be easily connected to the main pin outside of the coupler head housing.

[0030] Preferably, the uncoupling device comprises a transmission having an input end formed by the rotatable connector. The transmission is configured to reduce the force that needs to be applied when performing the uncoupling process. More specifically, the arrangement may be such that an input torque of 30 Nm or less, preferably 25 Nm or less, more preferably 20 Nm or less, most preferably 15 Nm or less, applied to the rotatable connector is sufficient to cause the locking device in the coupler head to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. In a Scharfenberg-type coupler for rail freight transportation, the spring forces of the tension springs which urge the locking devices (hook plates) of the two coupler heads towards their coupled position generate, together, a torque about the main pin of the coupler head of approximately 165 Nm. Thus, the transmission is configured such that an input torque of e.g. 15 Nm is sufficient to overcome, on the one hand, the torque of e.g. 165 Nm generated by the forces of the two tension springs and, on the other hand, any additional torques and / or forces which may be created, e.g., by friction and / or by the aforementioned separate biasing element which urges the uncoupling actuator back towards its starting position. The input torque to be applied via the rotatable connector may be generated by a common electric screwdriver or a similar handheld device, and the counterforce which needs to be applied to the handheld device can be easily provided by the user holding the device. Preferably, the arrangement is such that the counterforce is 150 N or less.

[0031] More preferably, the uncoupling device comprises a torque limiter. The torque limiter is configured to limit the input torque that is applied via the rotatable connector to, e.g., a desired maximum torque of 15 Nm. Torque limiters are generally known and may include a freewheel clutch which kicks in when the maximum torque is reached or exceeded. This way, the counterforce provided to the screwdriver by the operator may accordingly be limited to, e.g, 150 N or less.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission is configured to transform rotation of the rotatable connector having a first rotational speed into rotation of a lower, second rotational speed. Alternatively or in addition, the transmission may be configured to transform the rotation of the rotatable connector into a translational movement.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, reference is made to the drawings. The scope of the disclosure is not limited, however, to the specific embodiments disclosed in the drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of a coupler head in a coupled position, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of two coupler heads as shown in Fig. 1 coupled together, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a front of a car of a rail vehicle according to a first embodiment, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an underside of a coupler, Fig. 5 is a bottom view of a coupler head, Fig. 6 shows a transmission in a housing which is partly broken away, Fig 7 is a perspective view of the transmission of Fig. 6, Figs. 8A to 8E are cross-sectional views through the transmission of Fig. 6 at different times, Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an underside of a coupler with two uncoupling devices, Fig. 10 is a bottom view of a coupler head of the coupler of Fig. 9 in a coupled position, Fig. 11 is a bottom view of the coupler head of Fig. 10 in an uncoupled position, Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a front of a car of a rail vehicle according to a second embodiment, and Figs. 13 A and 13B are detailed views of a transmission according to the second embodiment at different times. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of a coupler head 1 in a coupled position. The coupler head 1 has a coupler face 2 at its front end and has a rear end to which a coupler rod is attached for connecting the coupler head 1 to a car of a rail vehicle. The coupler rod usually includes one or preferably both of a dampening device and a shock-absorbing device, as is usual in central buffer couplings. Thus, the dampening device and shock-absorbing device is arranged between the coupler head 1 and a car of the rail vehicle.

[0035] The coupler head 1 further has a male cone 4, usually referred to simply as cone, and a female cone 5, usually referred to as cup, receiving the cone of a second coupler head 1 in order to align the coupler heads when they mate with their respective coupler faces 2.

[0036] The coupler head 1 has a coupler head housing 6 delimited by a wall 3. Inside the coupler head housing 6, there is contained a locking device 7, in the following referred to as "hook plate", which can rotate about a main pin 8. A coupling link 9 or hook is pivotably attached with a first end 9A to the hook plate 7 and has a second end 9B which is configured to engage a hook plate recess 7A or notch of the hook plate 7. A tension spring 10 connects the hook plate 7 to the coupler housing 6 so as to urge the hook plate 7 into the position shown in Fig. 1, which shows a coupled position of the coupler head 1.

[0037] There is further provided a latching mechanism 11 which comprises a trigger 12 or stamp which is urged into an extended position by a trigger spring 13. The latching mechanism 11 comprises further components which are partly shown in Fig. 1 and well known to the skilled person in the art so that they will not be described here in further detail. In any case, the latching mechanism 11 usually prevents the hook plate 7 from returning, after an uncoupling process and biased by the spring force of the tension spring 10, into the coupled position shown in Fig. 1. Instead, when the latching mechanism 11 is effective, different to what is shown in Fig. 1, the hook plate 7 is held - against the spring force of the tension spring 10 - in a position in which the hook plate recess 7A is open towards the front side of the coupler head 1 so that the second end 9B of a coupling link 9 of a second coupler head can immediately engage with the hook plate recess 7A during a coupling process. But also in the situation shown in Fig. 1, where the latching mechanism 11 is not effective, can two coupler heads 1 couple together. In this case, the free second end 9B of the coupling link 9 of both coupler heads 1 contact a surface of the hook plate 7 of the respective other coupler head 1 when the coupler heads 1 are being moved against each other, thereby rotating the hook plates 7 about their main pin 8 until the second end 9B of the coupling links 9 engage with the hook plate recess 7A of the respective other hook plate 7. In this moment, the hook plates 7 are no longer blocked from rotating into the opposite direction by the spring force of the tension spring 10, thereby coupling the two coupler heads 1 together. The coupled state of two coupler heads 1 is shown in Fig. 2. As can be seen from Fig. 2, in this state the trigger 12 of the coupler head 1 is compressed against the trigger spring 13 by the cone 4 of the respective other coupler head 1.

[0038] In order to uncouple the coupler heads 1 again, their hook plates 7 need to be unlocked by rotating them about their main pins 8 against the spring force of the tension springs 10 until the second ends 9B of the coupling links 9 can disengage from the hook plate recess 7A of the respective other hook plate 7. For this purpose, an uncoupling device 14 is attached to the coupler head 1.

[0039] A first embodiment of an uncoupling device 14 is generally shown in Fig. 3. The uncoupling device 14 comprises a transmission 16 arranged in a transmission housing 17 and having an input shaft 18. A rotatable connector 19 is arranged on the free end of the input shaft 18 for engagement by an automatically driven rotator 20 which is shown here as a handheld device in the form of an electrically driven screwdriver having incorporated therein a battery pack or accumulator. The uncoupling device further comprises a linking mechanism 27 which links the transmission 16 to the coupler head 1. As will be described in more detail below, movement of the linking mechanism 27 will cause the locking device inside the coupler head 1 to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. In the embodiment shown, the linking mechanism 27 takes the form of a Bowden cable, i.e. comprising a pull cable guided in a bendable sleeve.

[0040] The automatically driven rotator 20 or screwdriver has an extension rod 21 extending from the device by about 40 cm. At the free end of the extension rod 21, there is provided a plug 22 of a plug-and-socket connector which is configured to mate with a corresponding socket of the rotatable connector 19 on the input shaft 18 of the transmission 16. Differently to what is shown in Fig. 3, the plug 22 may have a ball-shaped end with a hexagonal or other regular polygonal cross-section so that a mating connection between the rotatable connector 19 and the screwdriver 20 is possible even when the extension rod 21 of the screwdriver is not exactly aligned with the axis of rotation of the input shaft 18. In addition, the rotatable connector has a funnel 24 funneling into the socket 23 so that the screwdriver 20 can be easily attached to the rotatable connector 19, e.g. even in the case that the car 100 of the multi-car rail vehicle is slowly moving.

[0041] Although it is shown that the input shaft 18 including the rotatable connector 19 with its funnel 24 sticks out from a transmission housing 17 in which the transmission 16 is accommodated, it is preferable to incorporate these elements in the transmission housing 17 so that nothing sticks out from the transmission housing 17. The transmission housing 17 is attached to the car 100 such that nothing extends beyond a side boundary of the car 100, i.e. no part of the uncoupling device 14 extends sideways beyond a side boundary of the car 100.

[0042] Furthermore, different to what is shown in Fig. 3, the plug-and-socket connection may be the opposite, i.e. the plug 22 may make part of the rotatable connector 19, whereas the funnel 24 and socket 23 may be arranged on the free end of the extension rod 21. This arrangement is even preferred because snow and ice are easier to be removed from a rotatable connector 19 having the plug 22 rather than having a socket 23 with the funnel 24.

[0043] Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of an underside of a coupler 1 having a coupler rod 26. As mentioned, the coupler rod 26 may include a dampening device and / or a shock-absorbing device, as is usual in central buffer couplings. As can be seen, the above-mentioned linking mechanism 27 in the form of a Bowden cable comprising a pull cable 27A guided in a bendable sleeve 27B is attached to the main pin 8 of the coupler head 1 on the underside of the coupler head 1. More specifically, the main pin 8 extends downwards through the wall of the coupler head housing 6 and a link arm 30 is attached to the main pin 8. The link arm 30 has an eyelet 30A to which one end of the pull cable 27A is attached, while the sleeve 27B of the Bowden cable is held against a holding plate 31. A return spring 32, which takes the form of a torsion spring in the embodiment shown, constitutes a biasing element which is arranged to pull the link arm 30 into a first position. By pulling the link arm 30 from the first position shown in Fig. 4 in a counterclockwise direction by means of the pull cable 27A, the main pin 8 is rotated accordingly with the effect that the locking device 7 (hook plate) inside the coupler head 1 rotates from its coupled position towards its uncoupled position. At the same time, the return spring 32 expands and creates a counterforce. The counterforce urges the link arm 30 back towards the first position shown in Fig. 4 when the pulling force acting on the pull cable 27A is released.

[0044] This will be further described in relation to Fig. 5 which is a bottom view of the coupler head 1 showing the link arm 30 with the eyelet 30A which is engaged by both the pull cable 27A extending in one direction from the eyelet 30A and return spring 32 extending an opposite direction from the eyelet 30A. The link arm 30 is configured to freely rotate about the main pin 80 inside a hub 33. The hub 33 is fixedly connected to the main pin 8 and, thus, when the hub 33 is rotated by means of the link arm 30, the main pin 8 rotates accordingly. In order to rotate the hub 33 by means of the link arm 30, the hub 33 has two teeth 34 which are engageable by the link arm 30. More specifically, when the locking device 7 (hook plate) is in the coupled position, the teeth 34 of the hub 33 are preferably lying against the link arm 30 or, at least, are not far distanced from the link arm 30. Then, when the pull cable 27A is pulled (towards the right in Fig. 5), the link arm 30 engages the teeth 34, thereby rotating the hub 33 and main pin 8 in an uncoupling direction until the latching mechanism 11 (described above in relation to Figs. 1 and 2) holds the locking device 7 (hook plate) in its uncoupled position. Next, when the coupler head 1 is uncoupled, the pulling force acting on the pull cable 27A may be released with the effect that the return spring 32 rotates the link arm 30 back to its starting position. This situation is shown in Fig. 5, i.e. the link arm 30 has been pulled back to its starting position by means of the return spring 32, while the hub 33 with the teeth 34 is still held in the uncoupled position by means of the latching mechanism 11.

[0045] In the following, the transmission 16 will be explained in further detail in relation to Figs. 6 to 8. Fig. 6 shows the transmission 16 with the transmission housing 17 partly broken away. Next to the input shaft 18 of the transmission 16, there may optionally be provided a torque limiter 40 at the entrance of a gear box 41. The torque limiter 40 limits the torque transmitted to the gear box 41 to a desired maximum torque of e.g. 15 Nm or any other desired torque limit. Thus, even if the screwdriver offers more torque than the torque limit, any exceeding torque will be "absorbed" by the torque limiter 40 so that the force needed by the operator to hold the screwdriver is accordingly limited to preferably 150 N or to any other desired maximum holding force. The gear box 41 comprises a set of torque-increasing gears, such as a planetary gear system. Accordingly, the rotational speed of the output shaft 42 extending from the gear box 41 is reduced by a certain factor as compared to the rotational speed applied to the input shaft 18 by means of the screwdriver 20, and the output torque provided by the output shaft 42 is accordingly increased as compared to the input torque by the same factor.

[0046] A cam shaft 43 is mounted on the output shaft 42 and engages a sledge 44 to which the pull cable 27A of the Bowden cable is attached. As such, rotation of the output shaft 42 results in a corresponding rotation of the cam shaft 43 and translates into a translational movement of the sledge 44, thereby pulling the pull cable 27A in a direction to uncouple the coupler head 1.

[0047] Fig. 7 shows the transmission 16 in more detail. An axis of rotation 18A of the input shaft 18 is coaxial with an axis of rotation 42A of the output shaft 42. Attached to the free end of the input end 18 is the rotatable connector 19 with the funnel 24, whereas the other end of the input shaft 18 leads into the torque limiter 40 and further into the gear box 41. The sledge 44 has a cam surface 45 which is engageable by the cam shaft 43 upon rotation of the cam shaft 43 about the axis of rotation 42A.

[0048] Figures 8A to 8E each show a cross section through the transmission housing 17 to illustrate the cooperation of the cam shaft 43 with the cam surface 45 of the sledge 44 which together form an "uncoupling actuator" 15 (see Fig. 7). The rotational position of the output shaft 42 in Fig. 8A basically corresponds to the position shown in Fig. 7, i.e. the cam shaft 43 being out of engagement with the sledge 44 which is in a first, starting position in which the coupler head is in its coupled state. Upon rotation of the output shaft 42 in a clockwise direction, as is shown in Fig. 8B, the cam shaft 43 comes into engagement with the cam surface 45 of the sledge 44. At this moment and upon further rotation of the output shaft 42, the sledge 44 starts to move towards the left, as indicated by an arrow in Fig. 8B, thereby starting to pull the pull cable 27A accordingly. The pulling movement of the pull cable 27A by means of the sledge 44 continues upon further rotation of the output shaft 42, as is shown in Fig. 8C, until the moment where the cam shaft 43 disengages from the cam surface 45 of the sledge 44, as is shown in Fig. 8D. This is also the moment when the latching mechanism 11 inside the coupler head 1 kicks in to hold the locking device 7 (hook plate) in its uncoupled position. Should the screwdriver 20 be removed from the rotatable connector 19 prior to the latching mechanism 11 kicking in, then the combined forces of the return spring 32 and, in particular, the tension spring 10 inside the coupler head 1 will pull the sledge 44 back to its starting position (Fig. 8A) by means of the pull cable 27A. In order for this to be able to happen, the output shaft 42 is configured to be rotatable in both directions, i.e. also counter clockwise.

[0049] Turning back to Figures 8A to 8E, once the cam shaft 43 disengages from the cam surface 45, namely when the coupler head 1 is in its uncoupled position, the return spring 32 pulls the sledge 44 back to its starting position (Fig. 8A) by means of the pull cable 27A. Alternatively, the return spring 32 may be connected directly to the sledge 44, but an attachment of the return spring 32 to the link arm 30 is preferred so that not only the sledge 44 but also the link arm 30 return to their respective starting positions once the coupler head 1 has been uncoupled.

[0050] The operator holding the screwdriver 20 realises the moment when the latching mechanism 11 kicks in and holds the coupler head 1 in the uncoupled position due to the fact that the torque on the screwdriver 20 suddenly decreases substantially and the screwdriver starts to revolve more quickly. Then, the operator may remove the screwdriver 20 from the rotatable connector 19. The entire uncoupling process using the screwdriver 20 or any other automatically driven rotator may be configured such that it does not take longer than about 1 or 2 seconds.

[0051] Figures 9 to 11 show an embodiment with two uncoupling devices 14, one uncoupling device 14 arranged on either side of the car 100. More specifically, the transmission housings 17 are arranged on opposite sides of the car 100 on the underside of the car's undercarriage. The corresponding pull cables 27A each attach to the link arm 30 mounted on the coupler head 1. Fig. 10 is a more detailed view of the underside of the coupler head 1. The sleeves 27B of the Bowden cables rest against the holding plate 31, while both pull cables 27A are connected to the same eyelet 30A of the link arm 30. The return spring 32 is hooked to an opposing end of the link arm 30. As is further shown in Fig. 11, when the link arm 30 is moved to rotate about the main pin 8 by pulling the pull cable 27A of one of the Bowden cables in a counterclockwise direction (as indicated by an arrow in Fig. 11) so as to uncouple the coupler head 1, the pull cable 27A of the respective other Bowden cable is slack. This way, the coupler head 1 may be uncoupled by actuating one uncoupling device 14 independent from the respective other uncoupling device 14.

[0052] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a front of a car 100 of a rail vehicle according to a second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment solely in the transmission 16 and in that the rotatable connector 19 of the plug-and-socket connection comprises a plug rather than a socket. The transmission 16 is shown in further detail in Fig. 13A. The transmission housing 17 is left out in the illustration of this second embodiment for reason of better visibility of the transmission mechanism. For actual use of the system on a car of a rail vehicle, the transmission 16 may be placed closer to the side of the car 100 so that the rotatable connector 19 does exactly not extend beyond the side boundary of the car. As can be seen, the transmission 16 is realized as a typical linear actuator, meaning that the rotational movement of the input shaft 18 is directly transferred into a longitudinal movement of an (uncoupling) actuator 15 to which the pull cable 27A of the linking mechanism 27 is directly attached. For this purpose, the input shaft 18 includes a threading which is engaged by the uncoupling actuator 15. Since the uncoupling actuator 15 cannot rotate but can only move in a linear direction, rotation of the input shaft 18 translates into a longitudinal movement of the uncoupling actuator 15. Also in this second embodiment can the transmission 16 move in both directions. As shown in Fig. 13B, when the rotatable connector 19 is rotated clockwise, the uncoupling actuator 15 moves towards the right, thereby pulling the pull cable 27A so that the link arm 30 causes the locking device 7 (hook plate) to move from its coupled position towards its uncoupled position. Then, when the torque provided to the rotatable connector 19 by means of the screwdriver 20 is released, i.e. the screwdriver is removed from the rotatable connector 19, the return spring 32 discussed above in relation to the first embodiment causes the pull cable 27A to pull the uncoupling actuator 15 to its starting position shown in Fig. 13A. Again, a torque limiter 40 may be provided, e.g. between the rotatable connector 19 and the input shaft 18.

[0053] Preferred aspects of the present disclosure are specified in the following paragraphs, whereas the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. 1. A method of uncoupling adjacent cars (100) of a multi-car rail vehicle which are coupled together by means of two couplers, the method comprising the steps of: connecting an automatically driven rotator (20) to a rotatable connector (19) of one of the two couplers, activating the automatically driven rotator (20) so as to rotate the rotatable connector (19) of said one of the two couplers until the two couplers are in an uncoupled state, and removing the automatically driven rotator (20) from said one of the two couplers when the two couplers are in an uncoupled state. 2. The method of paragraph 1, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is driven by energy stored in the automatically driven rotator (20). 3. The method of paragraph 1 or 2, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is driven by electric energy. 4. The method of any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is a handheld device. 5. The method of any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises one of a plug (22) and a socket of a plug-and-socket connector and the automatically driven rotator (20) comprises a respective other one of the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector, wherein the step of connecting the automatically driven rotator (20) to the rotatable connector (19) comprises connecting the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector. 6. A coupler for a rail vehicle, in particular for use in the method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, the coupler comprising a coupler head (1) with a locking device (7) which is rotatable about a main pin (8) of the coupler head (1) between a coupled position and an uncoupled position and which is configured to cooperate with a locking device (7) of a corresponding second coupler head (1) so as to couple the two coupler heads (1) together when the locking device (7) of each of the two coupler heads (1) is in its respective coupled position, and a tension spring (10) providing a spring force configured to urge the locking device (7) towards its coupled position, wherein the coupler further comprises an uncoupling device (14) having an uncoupling actuator (15) arranged to move from a first actuator position to a second actuator position, thereby causing the locking device (7) to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position against the spring force provided by the tension spring (10), and wherein the uncoupling device (14) comprises a rotatable connector (19) having an axis of rotation (18A) and further having one of a plug (22) and a socket (23) of a plug-and-socket connector arranged on the axis of rotation (18A) which is configured for an external tool to be connected thereto, wherein the rotatable connector (19) is further configured for being rotated, by means of the external tool, so as to move the uncoupling actuator (15) from the first actuator position to the second actuator position. 7. The coupler of paragraph 6, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises the plug (22) of the plug-and-socket connector. 8. The coupler of paragraph 7, wherein the plug (22) has a ball-shaped end with a hexagonal or other regular polygonal cross-section. 9. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 8, wherein the locking device (7) comprises: a hook plate which is rotatable about the main pin (8) of the coupler head (1) between the coupled position and the uncoupled position and which comprises a coupling link pin on a first side relative to the main pin (8) and a hook plate recess (7A) on a second side relative to the main pin (8) opposite the first side, and a coupling link (9) having a first end (9A) connected to the coupling link pin of the hook plate so as to be rotatable about the coupling link pin and a free second end (9B) to be received in a hook plate recess (7A) of a corresponding opposite coupler head (1). 10. The coupler of paragraph 9, wherein the coupler head (1) comprises a latching mechanism (11) which is configured to hold the hook plate in the uncoupled position and which is automatically released mechanically when the coupler head (1) is approached by a corresponding second coupler head (1). 11. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 10, comprising a linking mechanism (27) which links the uncoupling actuator (15) of the uncoupling device (14) to the coupler head (1) so that movement of the uncoupling actuator (15) from the first actuator position to the second actuator position is transferred to the coupler head (1) so as to cause the locking device (7) to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. 12. The coupler of paragraph 11, wherein the linking mechanism (27) comprises a pull cable (27A). 13. The coupler of paragraph 11 or 12, wherein the coupler head (1) comprises a coupler head housing (6) with the main pin (8) extending from the coupler head housing (6), and wherein the linking mechanism (27) is connected to the main pin (8) outside of the coupler head housing (6). 14. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 13, comprising a biasing element (32) which is arranged so as to urge the uncoupling actuator (15) towards the first actuator position. 15. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 14, wherein the uncoupling device (14) comprises a transmission (16) having an input end formed by the rotatable connector (19), the transmission (16) being configured to reduce a force which needs to be applied when performing the uncoupling process. 16. The coupler of paragraph 15, wherein the arrangement is such that an input torque of 30 Nm or less, preferably 25 Nm or less, more preferably 20 Nm or less, most preferably 15 Nm or less, applied to the rotatable connector (19) is sufficient to cause the locking device (7) to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. 17. The coupler of paragraph 15 or 16, wherein the transmission (16) is configured to transform rotation of the rotatable connector (19) having a first rotational speed into rotation of a lower, second rotational speed. 18. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 15 to 17, wherein the transmission is configured to transform rotation of the rotatable connector (19) into translational movement. 19. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 18, wherein the uncoupling device (14) comprises a torque limiter (40) which is configured to limit an input torque that is applied via the rotatable connector (19). 20. A system comprising the coupler according to any one of paragraphs 6 to 19 and further comprising, as the external tool, an automatically driven rotator (20) which is configured for being connected to the rotatable connector (19) of the coupler and further configured for rotating the rotatable connector (19), thereby rotating the locking device (7) of the coupler from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. 21. The system of paragraph 20, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) comprises an energy storage, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is configured to be driven by energy stored in the energy storage. 22. The system of paragraph 20 or 21, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is configured to be driven by electric energy. 23. The system of any one of paragraphs 20 to 22, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is a handheld device. 24. The system of any one of paragraphs 20 to 23, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises a rotatable rod (21) having a free end which is configured for being connected to the rotatable connector (19) of the coupler, the rotatable rod (21) having a length of more than 20 cm, preferably between 20 cm and 40 cm, more preferably between 30 cm and 40 cm. 25. The system of any one of paragraphs 20 to 24, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises the one of the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector and the automatically driven rotator (20) comprises a respective other one of the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector. 26. The system of paragraph 25, wherein the plug (22) of the plug-and-socket connector has a ball-shaped end with a hexagonal or other regular polygonal cross-section. 27. The system of paragraph 25 or 26, wherein the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector has a funnel shape. 28. The system of any one of paragraphs 20 to 27, wherein the rotatable connector (19) or the automatically driven rotator (20) is equipped with a rotary hammer function. 29. A car (100) of a multi-car rail vehicle, comprising a coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 19 or a system of any one of paragraphs 20 to 28, wherein the uncoupling device (14) is mounted on the car (100). 30. The car of paragraph 29, wherein the uncoupling device (14) is oriented so that the rotatable connector (19) points sideways away from the car (100). 31. The car of paragraph 30, wherein the uncoupling device (14) is oriented so that the rotatable connector (19) points sideways away from the car (100) and upwards. 32. The car of any one of paragraphs 29 to 31, wherein the rotatable connector (19) does not stick out sideways beyond the car (100). 33. The car of paragraph 32, wherein the rotatable connector (19) is arranged next or close to an outer side boundary of the car (100). 34. The car of any one of paragraphs 29 to 33, wherein the uncoupling device (14) is mounted on an underside of the car (100). 35. The car of any one of paragraphs 29 to 34, comprising two of the uncoupling devices (14) which are arranged on opposite sides of the car (100).

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0034]Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of a coupler head 1 in a coupled position. The coupler head 1 has a coupler face 2 at its front end and has a rear end to which a coupler rod is attached for connecting the coupler head 1 to a car of a rail vehicle. The coupler rod usually includes one or preferably both of a dampening device and a shock-absorbing device, as is usual in central buffer couplings. Thus, the dampening device and shock-absorbing device is arranged between the coupler head 1 and a car of the rail vehicle.

[0035]The coupler head 1 further has a male cone 4, usually referred to simply as cone, and a female cone 5, usually referred to as cup, receiving the cone of a second coupler head 1 in order to align the coupler heads when they mate with their respective coupler faces 2.

[0036]The coupler head 1 has a coupler head housing 6 delimited by a wall 3. Inside the coupler head housing 6, there is contained a locking device 7, in the following referred to as "hook plat...

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to a coupler for a multi-car rail vehicle, in particular for automatic coupling systems (AC) and digital automatic coupling systems (DAC) in rail freight transportation (RFT). The invention further relates to a system as well as a car of a multi-car rail vehicle comprising the coupler and, in particular, further relates to an uncoupling method in which the coupler can be used.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The couplings currently used in RFT (Janney and SA3) create only a mechanical connection between the cars automatically. The European rail freight sector prepares for upgrading from a screw coupling (SC) to a DAC. For instance, a DAC Type 4 permits automatic coupling of compressed air, electrical power, and data lines, in addition to the mechanical connection. It is envisaged that the DACs for rail freight transportation shall be of the Scharfenberg-type.

[0003] Coupler heads of a Scharfenberg-type coupling have a coupling profile with a cone and a cup, the cone of one coupler head being guided into and centered in the cup of the opposing coupler head during the coupling process, thereby aligning the two coupler heads. Each coupler head contains a rotating metal disc, also known as "hook plate", which is sometimes also referred to as the heart of the coupler head. The disc is fixedly mounted to a main pin which can rotate about a main axis together with the hook plate. A plunger, also referred to as "coupling link" or "hoop", is pivotably mounted to one side of the disc with one of its ends. On the opposing side of the disc, there is a "notch" in the disc. The rotatable disc is held in position by at least one tension spring, in which position the notch is drawn into and the hoop urged outwards of the coupler head. This is also referred to as the "coupled position" of the coupler head.

[0004] There are two general concepts of Scharfenberg-type couplings, a single-position coupling and a dual-position coupling. In the single-position coupling, the "coupled position" of the disc corresponds to the "ready-to-couple position" of the disc. Here, during coupling, when the hoop of one coupler head is pressed with its free end against the disc of the opposing coupler head while the disc is in the ready-to-couple position, its own disc is caused to rotate. Since the coupler heads are identical, such rotation of the disc occurs on both coupler heads simultaneously until the hoops of both coupler heads engage with the notch in the disc of the respective other coupler head. Then, due to the spring force of the tension springs, the discs automatically return to their original position, which is now the coupled position, and then the coupling process is complete. In the coupled position, the hoops and the virtual lines connecting their respective ends on the discs form a parallelogram. This way, half of the tensile forces acting on the coupler head during regular use is transmitted by each hoop. Uncoupling of the coupler heads requires an external force in order to turn the disc of one of the coupler heads against the spring force into an "uncoupled position" until the hoop of the coupler head slides out of the notch in the disc of the other coupler head. Since the disc of the other coupler head follows such movement, actuating the uncoupling mechanism of one coupler head simultaneously unlocks both coupler heads.

[0005] A dual-position coupling differs from the single-position coupling in that it includes a latching mechanism which, when the coupler head is being uncoupled against the spring force, holds the disc in the uncoupled position. This way, the hoop of one coupler head can immediately engage with its free end into the notch of the disc of the respective other coupler head at the time when the coupler heads come in contact during a coupling process. The latching mechanism is automatically released mechanically when the two coupler heads approach each other so that the spring force of the tension springs causes the discs to rotate towards their respective coupled position. Thus, in a dual-position coupling, the "ready-to-couple position" of the disc corresponds to the disc's "uncoupled position".

[0006] While the present invention is particularly useful in connection with Scharfenberg-type couplings, both single and dual-position couplings, in particular according to EN16019:2014, it is likewise useful for other couplings, in particular those in which a locking force needs to be overcome in order to release the coupling.

[0007] US 4,366,911 discloses a single-position Scharfenberg-type coupling which includes an electromechanical uncoupling mechanism. A lever is fixedly attached to the main pin, and a roller, which is eccentrically mounted on a rotating plate, can be moved by rotation of the rotating plate so that it engages the lever and thereby rotates the disc about the main axis from its coupled position (or ready-to-couple position) to its uncoupled position. Upon further rotation of the rotating plate, the roller disengages from the lever so that the disc can return to its ready-to-couple position urged by the spring force of the tension spring. Meanwhile, the rotating plate rotates further towards its initial position so that it is ready for the next uncoupling process. The rotation of the rotating plate is achieved by means of an electric motor. A sensor is provided to stop the electric motor when the rotating plate has reached its initial position.

[0008] WO 2022 / 129021 A1 relates to a dual-position Scharfenberg-type coupling and discloses various kinds of electromechanical uncoupling mechanisms. Here, an electrically actuated element of the uncoupling mechanism engages with the disc so as to rotate the disc about the main axis from its coupled position to its uncoupled or ready-to-couple position. Once the uncoupled or ready-to-couple position has been reached, the disc is held in place in that position by means of a separate latching mechanism until, during the next coupling process, such latching mechanism is released by an approaching second coupler head. Meanwhile, the electrically actuated element of the uncoupling mechanism returns to its starting position by electrically actuating the uncoupling mechanism in an opposite direction.

[0009] However, electrical energy is not always available, e.g. due to a power failure. Therefore, in a DAC for freight trains, uncoupling should (also) be possible manually. DE 102020119328 A1 discloses a manual uncoupling device including a hand lever attached to a pull wire so as to reduce the force needed for uncoupling the coupler head by pulling the pull wire. The hand lever is located on a lateral side of the car. Thus, the hand lever can be reached by an operator without the need to get between two cars. The hand lever is arranged vertically on a side of the car and is tilted outwards from the car in order to uncouple the coupler head. However, the arrangement is bulky and sticks out from the side of the car, which may be dangerous when the wagon moves.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide a coupler with an uncoupling system that can be easily operated by a worker, in particular a coupler with a coupler head of the Scharfenberg-type as outlined above.

[0011] As a sub-aspect, the forces required to be applied manually by the operators performing the uncoupling process should be low, preferably not exceeding 150 N.

[0012] The invention is defined in the appending claims. According to the present disclosure, a method of uncoupling adjacent cars of a multi-car rail vehicle which are coupled together by means of two couplers may comprise the steps of: connecting an automatically driven rotator to a rotatable connector of one of the two couplers, activating the automatically driven rotator so as to rotate the rotatable connector of said one of the two couplers until the two couplers are in an uncoupled state, and removing the automatically driven rotator from said one of the two couplers when the two couplers are in the uncoupled state.

[0013] The automatically driven rotator, in a simple form, may be an electrically driven screwdriver having a tip end which is configured to mate with the rotatable connector of the coupler. Thus, the couplers are uncoupled simply by means of the automatically driven rotator. In particular, the configuration of the coupler is preferably such that the automatically driven rotator can be easily held by the operator who performs the uncoupling process, in which case the automatically driven rotator may be a handheld device, such as a screwdriver, which may be an electrically driven screwdriver. In the following, the term "screwdriver" is used synonymously with the more general term "automatically driven rotator". By using an automatically driven actuator for performing the uncoupling process, it is more likely that the uncoupling process, e.g. the rotation of the locking device, is continuous, relatively fast and operator independent, i.e. independent of the person who operates the uncoupling device. The inventors found out that a relatively fast and / or continuous uncoupling process increases the likelihood of a successful uncoupling process. Using an automatically driven rotator also has the advantage that a rotational speed or speed range of the automatically driven rotator may be selected which ensures a successful uncoupling process.

[0014] The screwdriver may receive its power from an external power source, i.e. independent from any power supply of the rail vehicle. For instance, the power source may be a hydraulic, pneumatic or preferably electric power source. More preferably, the screwdriver may be driven by energy stored in the screwdriver itself, e.g. stored in a battery or in an accumulator.

[0015] In order to connect the screwdriver to the rotatable connector of the coupler, a plug-and-socket connector may be provided, wherein one of the plug and the socket is provided on the rotatable connector of the coupler and the respective other one of the plug and the socket is provided at the tip end of the screwdriver. Preferably, it is the rotatable connector which comprises the plug of the plug-and-socket connector. The reason is that snow and ice can be removed easier from the plug than from inside a socket.

[0016] In any case, it is advantageous if the screwdriver, i.e. the automatically driven rotator, or the rotatable connector is equipped with a rotary hammer function. This facilitates the removal of snow and ice from the plug or socket.

[0017] Independent of whether the plug forms part of the rotatable connector or whether it is provided on the tip end of the screwdriver, the plug preferably has a ball-shaped end with a hexagonal or other regular polygonal cross-section. Ball-shaped ends on hex keys (also known as Allen keys or Inbus keys) are generally known and enable a torsion-transmitting connection between the plug and the socket even when the screwdriver is in an angled position.

[0018] It is further preferable if the socket has a funnel shape. This facilitates engagement between the plug and the socket, which is particularly helpful when the uncoupling process is to be performed while the car of the rail vehicle is (slowly) moving.

[0019] Furthermore, the screwdriver may comprise an extension so that the uncoupling process can be performed from a certain distance away from the car. Preferably, the screwdriver comprises a lengthy rotatable rod of which the free end is configured for being connected to the rotatable connector of the coupler. The rotatable rod may have a length of more than 20 cm, preferably between 20 cm and 50 cm, more preferably between 30 cm and 40 cm.

[0020] More specifically, when the uncoupling device is mounted on the car of the multi-car vehicle, it is preferably mounted such that the axis of rotation of the rotatable connector is oriented so as to point sideways away from the car. This way, it can be easily reached with the screwdriver when an uncoupling process is to be performed. In some instances, it may be preferable when the rotatable connector is not oriented exactly sideways, i.e. horizontally, but sideways and upwards. This is particularly advantageous when the transmission housing is mounted relatively low, e.g. below or against an underside of the car, in which case an upward-angled rotatable connector is easier accessible.

[0021] In particular, the arrangement is preferably such that the rotatable connector does not stick out sideways beyond the car. Thus, the rotatable connector is preferably arranged next or close (e.g. less than 10 cm) to the outer side boundary of the car so that the distance to be overcome by the operator in order to reach the rotatable connector with the screwdriver from outside the rail track is minimal.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, the car may comprise two of the uncoupling devices, one uncoupling device arranged on each of the opposite sides of the car, so that the uncoupling process can be performed from either side of the car.

[0023] A coupler which is suitable to be used in context with the aforementioned uncoupling method may comprise a coupler head with a locking device, such as a hook plate, which is rotatable about a main pin of the coupler head between a coupled position and an uncoupled position and which is configured to cooperate with a locking device of a corresponding second coupler head so as to couple the two coupler heads together when the locking device of each of the two coupler heads is in its respective coupled position. The coupler head further has a tension spring which provides a spring force configured to urge the locking device (in the following also referred to as "hook plate" for reason of simplification) towards its coupled position. In addition, the coupler comprises an uncoupling device having an uncoupling actuator which is arranged to move from a first actuator position (which, in the following, is also referred to as the initial or starting position) to a second actuator position, thereby causing the locking device (hook plate) to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position against the spring force provided by the tension spring. In the case of a dual-position coupling, a latching mechanism may be provided which holds the locking device (hook plate) in the uncoupled position, wherein the latching mechanism may be released when the coupler head is approached by a corresponding second coupler head. The coupler head is preferably a coupler head according to EN 16019:2014.

[0024] In this arrangement, the uncoupling device comprises the aforementioned rotatable connector which is accessible from the outside and which has an axis of rotation with the plug or socket of the plug-and-socket connector arranged on the axis of rotation. That is, the rotatable connector is configured for an external tool to be connected thereto, such as by the aforementioned screwdriver. Then, when the rotatable connector is rotated by means of the external tool, the uncoupling actuator of the uncoupling device ultimately moves from the first actuator position to the second actuator position, thereby causing the locking device in the coupler head to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position against the spring force provided by the tension spring.

[0025] When, in a single-position coupling, the locking device in the coupler head automatically returns from the uncoupled position to the coupled position due to the spring force provided by the tension spring, the spring force of the tension spring preferably causes also the uncoupling actuator to return to the first actuator position, i.e. its starting position. However, this is not possible in a dual-position coupling, in which the latching mechanism holds the locking device in the uncoupled position and which is automatically released mechanically when the coupler head is approached by a corresponding second coupler head. Therefore, in the case of a dual-position coupling, a separate biasing element, such as a torsion spring, may be arranged so as to urge the uncoupling actuator back towards its starting position. For instance, such biasing element may act directly on the uncoupling actuator or on any other element of the uncoupling device. Thus, the biasing element may form part of the uncoupling device.

[0026] As mentioned, the coupler is preferably a Scharfenberg-type coupler and, therefore, may further comprise as part of the coupler head: a hook plate (as the locking device) which is rotatable about the main pin of the coupler head between the coupled position and the uncoupled position and which comprises a coupling link pin on a first side relative to the main pin and a hook plate recess on a second side relative to the main pin opposite the first side, and a coupling link having a first end connected to the coupling link pin of the hook plate so as to be rotatable about the coupling link pin and a free second end to be received in a hook plate recess of a corresponding opposite coupler head.

[0027] In any case, a linking mechanism may be provided to link the uncoupling actuator of the uncoupling device to the coupler head so that movement of the uncoupling actuator from the first actuator position to the second actuator position is transferred to the coupler head and causes the locking device in the coupler head to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. Thus, the linking mechanism may span a distance from the uncoupling actuator to the coupler head, e.g. when the uncoupling actuator is arranged at a side of the car far from the coupler head.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment, the linking mechanism comprises a pull cable. A pull cable is advantageous because it allows the transfer of mechanic energy over long distances, does not require much space and is easy to adapt to different requirements. Alternatively, a hydraulic line may be provided instead of a pull cable, offering the same advantages.

[0029] The coupler head may comprise a coupler head housing with the main pin extending from the coupler head housing. The linking mechanism may then be easily connected to the main pin outside of the coupler head housing.

[0030] Preferably, the uncoupling device comprises a transmission having an input end formed by the rotatable connector. The transmission is configured to reduce the force that needs to be applied when performing the uncoupling process. More specifically, the arrangement may be such that an input torque of 30 Nm or less, preferably 25 Nm or less, more preferably 20 Nm or less, most preferably 15 Nm or less, applied to the rotatable connector is sufficient to cause the locking device in the coupler head to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. In a Scharfenberg-type coupler for rail freight transportation, the spring forces of the tension springs which urge the locking devices (hook plates) of the two coupler heads towards their coupled position generate, together, a torque about the main pin of the coupler head of approximately 165 Nm. Thus, the transmission is configured such that an input torque of e.g. 15 Nm is sufficient to overcome, on the one hand, the torque of e.g. 165 Nm generated by the forces of the two tension springs and, on the other hand, any additional torques and / or forces which may be created, e.g., by friction and / or by the aforementioned separate biasing element which urges the uncoupling actuator back towards its starting position. The input torque to be applied via the rotatable connector may be generated by a common electric screwdriver or a similar handheld device, and the counterforce which needs to be applied to the handheld device can be easily provided by the user holding the device. Preferably, the arrangement is such that the counterforce is 150 N or less.

[0031] More preferably, the uncoupling device comprises a torque limiter. The torque limiter is configured to limit the input torque that is applied via the rotatable connector to, e.g., a desired maximum torque of 15 Nm. Torque limiters are generally known and may include a freewheel clutch which kicks in when the maximum torque is reached or exceeded. This way, the counterforce provided to the screwdriver by the operator may accordingly be limited to, e.g, 150 N or less.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure, the transmission is configured to transform rotation of the rotatable connector having a first rotational speed into rotation of a lower, second rotational speed. Alternatively or in addition, the transmission may be configured to transform the rotation of the rotatable connector into a translational movement.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, reference is made to the drawings. The scope of the disclosure is not limited, however, to the specific embodiments disclosed in the drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of a coupler head in a coupled position, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view of two coupler heads as shown in Fig. 1 coupled together, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a front of a car of a rail vehicle according to a first embodiment, Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an underside of a coupler, Fig. 5 is a bottom view of a coupler head, Fig. 6 shows a transmission in a housing which is partly broken away, Fig 7 is a perspective view of the transmission of Fig. 6, Figs. 8A to 8E are cross-sectional views through the transmission of Fig. 6 at different times, Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an underside of a coupler with two uncoupling devices, Fig. 10 is a bottom view of a coupler head of the coupler of Fig. 9 in a coupled position, Fig. 11 is a bottom view of the coupler head of Fig. 10 in an uncoupled position, Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a front of a car of a rail vehicle according to a second embodiment, and Figs. 13 A and 13B are detailed views of a transmission according to the second embodiment at different times. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of a coupler head 1 in a coupled position. The coupler head 1 has a coupler face 2 at its front end and has a rear end to which a coupler rod is attached for connecting the coupler head 1 to a car of a rail vehicle. The coupler rod usually includes one or preferably both of a dampening device and a shock-absorbing device, as is usual in central buffer couplings. Thus, the dampening device and shock-absorbing device is arranged between the coupler head 1 and a car of the rail vehicle.

[0035] The coupler head 1 further has a male cone 4, usually referred to simply as cone, and a female cone 5, usually referred to as cup, receiving the cone of a second coupler head 1 in order to align the coupler heads when they mate with their respective coupler faces 2.

[0036] The coupler head 1 has a coupler head housing 6 delimited by a wall 3. Inside the coupler head housing 6, there is contained a locking device 7, in the following referred to as "hook plate", which can rotate about a main pin 8. A coupling link 9 or hook is pivotably attached with a first end 9A to the hook plate 7 and has a second end 9B which is configured to engage a hook plate recess 7A or notch of the hook plate 7. A tension spring 10 connects the hook plate 7 to the coupler housing 6 so as to urge the hook plate 7 into the position shown in Fig. 1, which shows a coupled position of the coupler head 1.

[0037] There is further provided a latching mechanism 11 which comprises a trigger 12 or stamp which is urged into an extended position by a trigger spring 13. The latching mechanism 11 comprises further components which are partly shown in Fig. 1 and well known to the skilled person in the art so that they will not be described here in further detail. In any case, the latching mechanism 11 usually prevents the hook plate 7 from returning, after an uncoupling process and biased by the spring force of the tension spring 10, into the coupled position shown in Fig. 1. Instead, when the latching mechanism 11 is effective, different to what is shown in Fig. 1, the hook plate 7 is held - against the spring force of the tension spring 10 - in a position in which the hook plate recess 7A is open towards the front side of the coupler head 1 so that the second end 9B of a coupling link 9 of a second coupler head can immediately engage with the hook plate recess 7A during a coupling process. But also in the situation shown in Fig. 1, where the latching mechanism 11 is not effective, can two coupler heads 1 couple together. In this case, the free second end 9B of the coupling link 9 of both coupler heads 1 contact a surface of the hook plate 7 of the respective other coupler head 1 when the coupler heads 1 are being moved against each other, thereby rotating the hook plates 7 about their main pin 8 until the second end 9B of the coupling links 9 engage with the hook plate recess 7A of the respective other hook plate 7. In this moment, the hook plates 7 are no longer blocked from rotating into the opposite direction by the spring force of the tension spring 10, thereby coupling the two coupler heads 1 together. The coupled state of two coupler heads 1 is shown in Fig. 2. As can be seen from Fig. 2, in this state the trigger 12 of the coupler head 1 is compressed against the trigger spring 13 by the cone 4 of the respective other coupler head 1.

[0038] In order to uncouple the coupler heads 1 again, their hook plates 7 need to be unlocked by rotating them about their main pins 8 against the spring force of the tension springs 10 until the second ends 9B of the coupling links 9 can disengage from the hook plate recess 7A of the respective other hook plate 7. For this purpose, an uncoupling device 14 is attached to the coupler head 1.

[0039] A first embodiment of an uncoupling device 14 is generally shown in Fig. 3. The uncoupling device 14 comprises a transmission 16 arranged in a transmission housing 17 and having an input shaft 18. A rotatable connector 19 is arranged on the free end of the input shaft 18 for engagement by an automatically driven rotator 20 which is shown here as a handheld device in the form of an electrically driven screwdriver having incorporated therein a battery pack or accumulator. The uncoupling device further comprises a linking mechanism 27 which links the transmission 16 to the coupler head 1. As will be described in more detail below, movement of the linking mechanism 27 will cause the locking device inside the coupler head 1 to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. In the embodiment shown, the linking mechanism 27 takes the form of a Bowden cable, i.e. comprising a pull cable guided in a bendable sleeve.

[0040] The automatically driven rotator 20 or screwdriver has an extension rod 21 extending from the device by about 40 cm. At the free end of the extension rod 21, there is provided a plug 22 of a plug-and-socket connector which is configured to mate with a corresponding socket of the rotatable connector 19 on the input shaft 18 of the transmission 16. Differently to what is shown in Fig. 3, the plug 22 may have a ball-shaped end with a hexagonal or other regular polygonal cross-section so that a mating connection between the rotatable connector 19 and the screwdriver 20 is possible even when the extension rod 21 of the screwdriver is not exactly aligned with the axis of rotation of the input shaft 18. In addition, the rotatable connector has a funnel 24 funneling into the socket 23 so that the screwdriver 20 can be easily attached to the rotatable connector 19, e.g. even in the case that the car 100 of the multi-car rail vehicle is slowly moving.

[0041] Although it is shown that the input shaft 18 including the rotatable connector 19 with its funnel 24 sticks out from a transmission housing 17 in which the transmission 16 is accommodated, it is preferable to incorporate these elements in the transmission housing 17 so that nothing sticks out from the transmission housing 17. The transmission housing 17 is attached to the car 100 such that nothing extends beyond a side boundary of the car 100, i.e. no part of the uncoupling device 14 extends sideways beyond a side boundary of the car 100.

[0042] Furthermore, different to what is shown in Fig. 3, the plug-and-socket connection may be the opposite, i.e. the plug 22 may make part of the rotatable connector 19, whereas the funnel 24 and socket 23 may be arranged on the free end of the extension rod 21. This arrangement is even preferred because snow and ice are easier to be removed from a rotatable connector 19 having the plug 22 rather than having a socket 23 with the funnel 24.

[0043] Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of an underside of a coupler 1 having a coupler rod 26. As mentioned, the coupler rod 26 may include a dampening device and / or a shock-absorbing device, as is usual in central buffer couplings. As can be seen, the above-mentioned linking mechanism 27 in the form of a Bowden cable comprising a pull cable 27A guided in a bendable sleeve 27B is attached to the main pin 8 of the coupler head 1 on the underside of the coupler head 1. More specifically, the main pin 8 extends downwards through the wall of the coupler head housing 6 and a link arm 30 is attached to the main pin 8. The link arm 30 has an eyelet 30A to which one end of the pull cable 27A is attached, while the sleeve 27B of the Bowden cable is held against a holding plate 31. A return spring 32, which takes the form of a torsion spring in the embodiment shown, constitutes a biasing element which is arranged to pull the link arm 30 into a first position. By pulling the link arm 30 from the first position shown in Fig. 4 in a counterclockwise direction by means of the pull cable 27A, the main pin 8 is rotated accordingly with the effect that the locking device 7 (hook plate) inside the coupler head 1 rotates from its coupled position towards its uncoupled position. At the same time, the return spring 32 expands and creates a counterforce. The counterforce urges the link arm 30 back towards the first position shown in Fig. 4 when the pulling force acting on the pull cable 27A is released.

[0044] This will be further described in relation to Fig. 5 which is a bottom view of the coupler head 1 showing the link arm 30 with the eyelet 30A which is engaged by both the pull cable 27A extending in one direction from the eyelet 30A and return spring 32 extending an opposite direction from the eyelet 30A. The link arm 30 is configured to freely rotate about the main pin 80 inside a hub 33. The hub 33 is fixedly connected to the main pin 8 and, thus, when the hub 33 is rotated by means of the link arm 30, the main pin 8 rotates accordingly. In order to rotate the hub 33 by means of the link arm 30, the hub 33 has two teeth 34 which are engageable by the link arm 30. More specifically, when the locking device 7 (hook plate) is in the coupled position, the teeth 34 of the hub 33 are preferably lying against the link arm 30 or, at least, are not far distanced from the link arm 30. Then, when the pull cable 27A is pulled (towards the right in Fig. 5), the link arm 30 engages the teeth 34, thereby rotating the hub 33 and main pin 8 in an uncoupling direction until the latching mechanism 11 (described above in relation to Figs. 1 and 2) holds the locking device 7 (hook plate) in its uncoupled position. Next, when the coupler head 1 is uncoupled, the pulling force acting on the pull cable 27A may be released with the effect that the return spring 32 rotates the link arm 30 back to its starting position. This situation is shown in Fig. 5, i.e. the link arm 30 has been pulled back to its starting position by means of the return spring 32, while the hub 33 with the teeth 34 is still held in the uncoupled position by means of the latching mechanism 11.

[0045] In the following, the transmission 16 will be explained in further detail in relation to Figs. 6 to 8. Fig. 6 shows the transmission 16 with the transmission housing 17 partly broken away. Next to the input shaft 18 of the transmission 16, there may optionally be provided a torque limiter 40 at the entrance of a gear box 41. The torque limiter 40 limits the torque transmitted to the gear box 41 to a desired maximum torque of e.g. 15 Nm or any other desired torque limit. Thus, even if the screwdriver offers more torque than the torque limit, any exceeding torque will be "absorbed" by the torque limiter 40 so that the force needed by the operator to hold the screwdriver is accordingly limited to preferably 150 N or to any other desired maximum holding force. The gear box 41 comprises a set of torque-increasing gears, such as a planetary gear system. Accordingly, the rotational speed of the output shaft 42 extending from the gear box 41 is reduced by a certain factor as compared to the rotational speed applied to the input shaft 18 by means of the screwdriver 20, and the output torque provided by the output shaft 42 is accordingly increased as compared to the input torque by the same factor.

[0046] A cam shaft 43 is mounted on the output shaft 42 and engages a sledge 44 to which the pull cable 27A of the Bowden cable is attached. As such, rotation of the output shaft 42 results in a corresponding rotation of the cam shaft 43 and translates into a translational movement of the sledge 44, thereby pulling the pull cable 27A in a direction to uncouple the coupler head 1.

[0047] Fig. 7 shows the transmission 16 in more detail. An axis of rotation 18A of the input shaft 18 is coaxial with an axis of rotation 42A of the output shaft 42. Attached to the free end of the input end 18 is the rotatable connector 19 with the funnel 24, whereas the other end of the input shaft 18 leads into the torque limiter 40 and further into the gear box 41. The sledge 44 has a cam surface 45 which is engageable by the cam shaft 43 upon rotation of the cam shaft 43 about the axis of rotation 42A.

[0048] Figures 8A to 8E each show a cross section through the transmission housing 17 to illustrate the cooperation of the cam shaft 43 with the cam surface 45 of the sledge 44 which together form an "uncoupling actuator" 15 (see Fig. 7). The rotational position of the output shaft 42 in Fig. 8A basically corresponds to the position shown in Fig. 7, i.e. the cam shaft 43 being out of engagement with the sledge 44 which is in a first, starting position in which the coupler head is in its coupled state. Upon rotation of the output shaft 42 in a clockwise direction, as is shown in Fig. 8B, the cam shaft 43 comes into engagement with the cam surface 45 of the sledge 44. At this moment and upon further rotation of the output shaft 42, the sledge 44 starts to move towards the left, as indicated by an arrow in Fig. 8B, thereby starting to pull the pull cable 27A accordingly. The pulling movement of the pull cable 27A by means of the sledge 44 continues upon further rotation of the output shaft 42, as is shown in Fig. 8C, until the moment where the cam shaft 43 disengages from the cam surface 45 of the sledge 44, as is shown in Fig. 8D. This is also the moment when the latching mechanism 11 inside the coupler head 1 kicks in to hold the locking device 7 (hook plate) in its uncoupled position. Should the screwdriver 20 be removed from the rotatable connector 19 prior to the latching mechanism 11 kicking in, then the combined forces of the return spring 32 and, in particular, the tension spring 10 inside the coupler head 1 will pull the sledge 44 back to its starting position (Fig. 8A) by means of the pull cable 27A. In order for this to be able to happen, the output shaft 42 is configured to be rotatable in both directions, i.e. also counter clockwise.

[0049] Turning back to Figures 8A to 8E, once the cam shaft 43 disengages from the cam surface 45, namely when the coupler head 1 is in its uncoupled position, the return spring 32 pulls the sledge 44 back to its starting position (Fig. 8A) by means of the pull cable 27A. Alternatively, the return spring 32 may be connected directly to the sledge 44, but an attachment of the return spring 32 to the link arm 30 is preferred so that not only the sledge 44 but also the link arm 30 return to their respective starting positions once the coupler head 1 has been uncoupled.

[0050] The operator holding the screwdriver 20 realises the moment when the latching mechanism 11 kicks in and holds the coupler head 1 in the uncoupled position due to the fact that the torque on the screwdriver 20 suddenly decreases substantially and the screwdriver starts to revolve more quickly. Then, the operator may remove the screwdriver 20 from the rotatable connector 19. The entire uncoupling process using the screwdriver 20 or any other automatically driven rotator may be configured such that it does not take longer than about 1 or 2 seconds.

[0051] Figures 9 to 11 show an embodiment with two uncoupling devices 14, one uncoupling device 14 arranged on either side of the car 100. More specifically, the transmission housings 17 are arranged on opposite sides of the car 100 on the underside of the car's undercarriage. The corresponding pull cables 27A each attach to the link arm 30 mounted on the coupler head 1. Fig. 10 is a more detailed view of the underside of the coupler head 1. The sleeves 27B of the Bowden cables rest against the holding plate 31, while both pull cables 27A are connected to the same eyelet 30A of the link arm 30. The return spring 32 is hooked to an opposing end of the link arm 30. As is further shown in Fig. 11, when the link arm 30 is moved to rotate about the main pin 8 by pulling the pull cable 27A of one of the Bowden cables in a counterclockwise direction (as indicated by an arrow in Fig. 11) so as to uncouple the coupler head 1, the pull cable 27A of the respective other Bowden cable is slack. This way, the coupler head 1 may be uncoupled by actuating one uncoupling device 14 independent from the respective other uncoupling device 14.

[0052] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a front of a car 100 of a rail vehicle according to a second embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment solely in the transmission 16 and in that the rotatable connector 19 of the plug-and-socket connection comprises a plug rather than a socket. The transmission 16 is shown in further detail in Fig. 13A. The transmission housing 17 is left out in the illustration of this second embodiment for reason of better visibility of the transmission mechanism. For actual use of the system on a car of a rail vehicle, the transmission 16 may be placed closer to the side of the car 100 so that the rotatable connector 19 does exactly not extend beyond the side boundary of the car. As can be seen, the transmission 16 is realized as a typical linear actuator, meaning that the rotational movement of the input shaft 18 is directly transferred into a longitudinal movement of an (uncoupling) actuator 15 to which the pull cable 27A of the linking mechanism 27 is directly attached. For this purpose, the input shaft 18 includes a threading which is engaged by the uncoupling actuator 15. Since the uncoupling actuator 15 cannot rotate but can only move in a linear direction, rotation of the input shaft 18 translates into a longitudinal movement of the uncoupling actuator 15. Also in this second embodiment can the transmission 16 move in both directions. As shown in Fig. 13B, when the rotatable connector 19 is rotated clockwise, the uncoupling actuator 15 moves towards the right, thereby pulling the pull cable 27A so that the link arm 30 causes the locking device 7 (hook plate) to move from its coupled position towards its uncoupled position. Then, when the torque provided to the rotatable connector 19 by means of the screwdriver 20 is released, i.e. the screwdriver is removed from the rotatable connector 19, the return spring 32 discussed above in relation to the first embodiment causes the pull cable 27A to pull the uncoupling actuator 15 to its starting position shown in Fig. 13A. Again, a torque limiter 40 may be provided, e.g. between the rotatable connector 19 and the input shaft 18.

[0053] Preferred aspects of the present disclosure are specified in the following paragraphs, whereas the scope of protection of the present invention is defined by the appended claims. 1. A method of uncoupling adjacent cars (100) of a multi-car rail vehicle which are coupled together by means of two couplers, the method comprising the steps of: connecting an automatically driven rotator (20) to a rotatable connector (19) of one of the two couplers, activating the automatically driven rotator (20) so as to rotate the rotatable connector (19) of said one of the two couplers until the two couplers are in an uncoupled state, and removing the automatically driven rotator (20) from said one of the two couplers when the two couplers are in an uncoupled state. 2. The method of paragraph 1, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is driven by energy stored in the automatically driven rotator (20). 3. The method of paragraph 1 or 2, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is driven by electric energy. 4. The method of any one of paragraphs 1 to 3, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is a handheld device. 5. The method of any one of paragraphs 1 to 4, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises one of a plug (22) and a socket of a plug-and-socket connector and the automatically driven rotator (20) comprises a respective other one of the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector, wherein the step of connecting the automatically driven rotator (20) to the rotatable connector (19) comprises connecting the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector. 6. A coupler for a rail vehicle, in particular for use in the method according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 5, the coupler comprising a coupler head (1) with a locking device (7) which is rotatable about a main pin (8) of the coupler head (1) between a coupled position and an uncoupled position and which is configured to cooperate with a locking device (7) of a corresponding second coupler head (1) so as to couple the two coupler heads (1) together when the locking device (7) of each of the two coupler heads (1) is in its respective coupled position, and a tension spring (10) providing a spring force configured to urge the locking device (7) towards its coupled position, wherein the coupler further comprises an uncoupling device (14) having an uncoupling actuator (15) arranged to move from a first actuator position to a second actuator position, thereby causing the locking device (7) to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position against the spring force provided by the tension spring (10), and wherein the uncoupling device (14) comprises a rotatable connector (19) having an axis of rotation (18A) and further having one of a plug (22) and a socket (23) of a plug-and-socket connector arranged on the axis of rotation (18A) which is configured for an external tool to be connected thereto, wherein the rotatable connector (19) is further configured for being rotated, by means of the external tool, so as to move the uncoupling actuator (15) from the first actuator position to the second actuator position. 7. The coupler of paragraph 6, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises the plug (22) of the plug-and-socket connector. 8. The coupler of paragraph 7, wherein the plug (22) has a ball-shaped end with a hexagonal or other regular polygonal cross-section. 9. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 8, wherein the locking device (7) comprises: a hook plate which is rotatable about the main pin (8) of the coupler head (1) between the coupled position and the uncoupled position and which comprises a coupling link pin on a first side relative to the main pin (8) and a hook plate recess (7A) on a second side relative to the main pin (8) opposite the first side, and a coupling link (9) having a first end (9A) connected to the coupling link pin of the hook plate so as to be rotatable about the coupling link pin and a free second end (9B) to be received in a hook plate recess (7A) of a corresponding opposite coupler head (1). 10. The coupler of paragraph 9, wherein the coupler head (1) comprises a latching mechanism (11) which is configured to hold the hook plate in the uncoupled position and which is automatically released mechanically when the coupler head (1) is approached by a corresponding second coupler head (1). 11. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 10, comprising a linking mechanism (27) which links the uncoupling actuator (15) of the uncoupling device (14) to the coupler head (1) so that movement of the uncoupling actuator (15) from the first actuator position to the second actuator position is transferred to the coupler head (1) so as to cause the locking device (7) to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. 12. The coupler of paragraph 11, wherein the linking mechanism (27) comprises a pull cable (27A). 13. The coupler of paragraph 11 or 12, wherein the coupler head (1) comprises a coupler head housing (6) with the main pin (8) extending from the coupler head housing (6), and wherein the linking mechanism (27) is connected to the main pin (8) outside of the coupler head housing (6). 14. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 13, comprising a biasing element (32) which is arranged so as to urge the uncoupling actuator (15) towards the first actuator position. 15. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 14, wherein the uncoupling device (14) comprises a transmission (16) having an input end formed by the rotatable connector (19), the transmission (16) being configured to reduce a force which needs to be applied when performing the uncoupling process. 16. The coupler of paragraph 15, wherein the arrangement is such that an input torque of 30 Nm or less, preferably 25 Nm or less, more preferably 20 Nm or less, most preferably 15 Nm or less, applied to the rotatable connector (19) is sufficient to cause the locking device (7) to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. 17. The coupler of paragraph 15 or 16, wherein the transmission (16) is configured to transform rotation of the rotatable connector (19) having a first rotational speed into rotation of a lower, second rotational speed. 18. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 15 to 17, wherein the transmission is configured to transform rotation of the rotatable connector (19) into translational movement. 19. The coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 18, wherein the uncoupling device (14) comprises a torque limiter (40) which is configured to limit an input torque that is applied via the rotatable connector (19). 20. A system comprising the coupler according to any one of paragraphs 6 to 19 and further comprising, as the external tool, an automatically driven rotator (20) which is configured for being connected to the rotatable connector (19) of the coupler and further configured for rotating the rotatable connector (19), thereby rotating the locking device (7) of the coupler from its coupled position to its uncoupled position. 21. The system of paragraph 20, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) comprises an energy storage, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is configured to be driven by energy stored in the energy storage. 22. The system of paragraph 20 or 21, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is configured to be driven by electric energy. 23. The system of any one of paragraphs 20 to 22, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is a handheld device. 24. The system of any one of paragraphs 20 to 23, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises a rotatable rod (21) having a free end which is configured for being connected to the rotatable connector (19) of the coupler, the rotatable rod (21) having a length of more than 20 cm, preferably between 20 cm and 40 cm, more preferably between 30 cm and 40 cm. 25. The system of any one of paragraphs 20 to 24, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises the one of the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector and the automatically driven rotator (20) comprises a respective other one of the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector. 26. The system of paragraph 25, wherein the plug (22) of the plug-and-socket connector has a ball-shaped end with a hexagonal or other regular polygonal cross-section. 27. The system of paragraph 25 or 26, wherein the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector has a funnel shape. 28. The system of any one of paragraphs 20 to 27, wherein the rotatable connector (19) or the automatically driven rotator (20) is equipped with a rotary hammer function. 29. A car (100) of a multi-car rail vehicle, comprising a coupler of any one of paragraphs 6 to 19 or a system of any one of paragraphs 20 to 28, wherein the uncoupling device (14) is mounted on the car (100). 30. The car of paragraph 29, wherein the uncoupling device (14) is oriented so that the rotatable connector (19) points sideways away from the car (100). 31. The car of paragraph 30, wherein the uncoupling device (14) is oriented so that the rotatable connector (19) points sideways away from the car (100) and upwards. 32. The car of any one of paragraphs 29 to 31, wherein the rotatable connector (19) does not stick out sideways beyond the car (100). 33. The car of paragraph 32, wherein the rotatable connector (19) is arranged next or close to an outer side boundary of the car (100). 34. The car of any one of paragraphs 29 to 33, wherein the uncoupling device (14) is mounted on an underside of the car (100). 35. The car of any one of paragraphs 29 to 34, comprising two of the uncoupling devices (14) which are arranged on opposite sides of the car (100).

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0034]Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of a coupler head 1 in a coupled position. The coupler head 1 has a coupler face 2 at its front end and has a rear end to which a coupler rod is attached for connecting the coupler head 1 to a car of a rail vehicle. The coupler rod usually includes one or preferably both of a dampening device and a shock-absorbing device, as is usual in central buffer couplings. Thus, the dampening device and shock-absorbing device is arranged between the coupler head 1 and a car of the rail vehicle.

[0035]The coupler head 1 further has a male cone 4, usually referred to simply as cone, and a female cone 5, usually referred to as cup, receiving the cone of a second coupler head 1 in order to align the coupler heads when they mate with their respective coupler faces 2.

[0036]The coupler head 1 has a coupler head housing 6 delimited by a wall 3. Inside the coupler head housing 6, there is contained a locking device 7, in the following referred to as "hook plat...

Claims

1. A method of uncoupling adjacent cars (100) of a multi-car rail vehicle which are coupled together by means of two couplers, the method comprising the steps of: - connecting an automatically driven rotator (20) to a rotatable connector (19) of one of the two couplers, - activating the automatically driven rotator (20) so as to rotate the rotatable connector (19) of said one of the two couplers until the two couplers are in an uncoupled state, and - removing the automatically driven rotator (20) from said one of the two couplers when the two couplers are in an uncoupled state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is driven by energy stored in the automatically driven rotator (20).

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is driven by electric energy.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the automatically driven rotator (20) is a handheld device.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises one of a plug (22) and a socket (23) of a plug-and-socket connector and the automatically driven rotator (20) comprises a respective other one of the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector, wherein the step of connecting the automatically driven rotator (20) to the rotatable connector (19) comprises connecting the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector.

6. A coupler for a rail vehicle, preferably for use in the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, the coupler comprising a coupler head (1) with - a locking device (7) which is rotatable about a main pin (8) of the coupler head (1) between a coupled position and an uncoupled position and which is configured to cooperate with a locking device (7) of a corresponding second coupler head (1) so as to couple the two coupler heads (1) together when the locking device (7) of each of the two coupler heads (1) is in its respective coupled position, and - a tension spring (10) providing a spring force configured to urge the locking device (7) towards its coupled position, wherein the coupler further comprises an uncoupling device (14) having an uncoupling actuator (15) arranged to move from a first actuator position to a second actuator position, thereby causing the locking device (7) to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position against the spring force provided by the tension spring (10), and wherein the uncoupling device (14) comprises a rotatable connector (19) having an axis of rotation (18A) and further having one of a plug (22) and a socket (23) of a plug-and-socket connector arranged on the axis of rotation (18A) which is configured for an external tool to be connected thereto, wherein the rotatable connector (19) is further configured for being rotated, by means of the external tool, so as to move the uncoupling actuator (15) from the first actuator position to the second actuator position.

7. The coupler of claim 6, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises the plug (22) of the plug-and-socket connector.

8. The coupler of claim 6 or 7, wherein the locking device (7) comprises: - a hook plate which is rotatable about the main pin (8) of the coupler head (1) between the coupled position and the uncoupled position and which comprises a coupling link pin on a first side relative to the main pin (8) and a hook plate recess (7A) on a second side relative to the main pin (8) opposite the first side, and - a coupling link (9) having a first end (9A) connected to the coupling link pin of the hook plate so as to be rotatable about the coupling link pin and a free second end (9B) to be received in a hook plate recess (7A) of a corresponding opposite coupler head (1), - wherein preferably the coupler head (1) comprises a latching mechanism (11) which is configured to hold the hook plate in the uncoupled position and which is automatically released mechanically when the coupler head (1) is approached by a corresponding second coupler head (1).

9. The coupler of any one of claims 6 to 8, comprising a linking mechanism (27) which links the uncoupling actuator (15) of the uncoupling device (14) to the coupler head (1) so that movement of the uncoupling actuator (15) from the first actuator position to the second actuator position is transferred to the coupler head (1) so as to cause the locking device (7) to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position, wherein preferably the linking mechanism (27) comprises a pull cable (27A).

10. The coupler of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the uncoupling device (14) comprises a transmission (16) having an input end formed by the rotatable connector (19), the transmission (16) being configured to reduce a force which needs to be applied when performing the uncoupling process, wherein preferably the arrangement is such that an input torque of 30 Nm or less, preferably 25 Nm or less, more preferably 20 Nm or less, most preferably 15 Nm or less, applied to the rotatable connector (19) is sufficient to cause the locking device (7) to rotate from its coupled position to its uncoupled position.

11. The coupler of any one of claims 6 to 10, wherein the uncoupling device (14) comprises a torque limiter (40) which is configured to limit an input torque that is applied via the rotatable connector (19).

12. A system comprising the coupler according to any one of claims 6 to 11 and further comprising, as the external tool, an automatically driven rotator (20) which is configured for being connected to the rotatable connector (19) of the coupler and further configured for rotating the rotatable connector (19), thereby rotating the locking device (7) of the coupler from its coupled position to its uncoupled position.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises a rotatable rod (21) having a free end which is configured for being connected to the rotatable connector (19) of the coupler, the rotatable rod (21) having a length of more than 20 cm, preferably between 20 cm and 40 cm, more preferably between 30 cm and 40 cm.

14. The system of claim 12 or 13, wherein the rotatable connector (19) comprises the one of the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector and the automatically driven rotator (20) comprises a respective other one of the plug (22) and the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector, wherein preferably one or both of: (a) the plug (22) of the plug-and-socket connector has a ball-shaped end with a hexagonal or other regular polygonal cross-section and (b) the socket (23) of the plug-and-socket connector has a funnel shape.

15. The system of any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the rotatable connector (19) or automatically driven rotator (20) is equipped with a rotary hammer function.

16. A car (100) of a multi-car rail vehicle, comprising a coupler of any one of claims 6 to 11 or a system of any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the uncoupling device (14) is mounted on the car (100), wherein preferably one or more of the following: (a) the uncoupling device (14) is oriented so that the rotatable connector (19) points sideways away from the car (100), more preferably sideways and upwards, (b) the rotatable connector (19) does not stick out sideways beyond the car (100), wherein more preferably the rotatable connector (19) is arranged next or close to an outer side boundary of the car (100), (c) the uncoupling device (14) is mounted on an underside of the car (100), and (d) the car (100) comprises two of the uncoupling devices (14) which are arranged on opposite sides of the car (100).

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