Support device for centering or deflecting, preferably of a coupling head of a railway vehicle

Abstract

A support device (10) for centering or deflecting a coupling head of a rail vehicle is provided with a bracket (20) that can be attached to the rail vehicle and a support unit (15) projecting from its upper surface, with a bearing surface (16). The bearing surface (16) is designed in its center as a centering support for the connecting member (42) and can be adjusted to an approximately horizontal orientation, so that the connecting member (42) resting on the bearing surface (17) can be deflected in an approximately horizontal direction. The support unit (15) and a spring assembly (30) holding it are mounted inside the bracket (20), which has an open recess (21) at the top. The support unit (15) has a guide block (18) that is movable within the bracket (20). The bracket (20) and the guide block (18) of the support unit (15) are preferably each cast in one piece from a lightweight metal.This allows for a stable yet simple construction of the support device.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a support device for centering or deflecting, preferably, a coupling head of a rail vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] In publication EP 4 339 062 A1, a method and a support device for centering or deflecting, preferably, a coupling head of a rail vehicle are disclosed, in which a connecting element between the draw and buffer device and preferably the coupling head rests centrally on a support surface of the support device. This support surface can be adjusted from its operating center position to an approximately horizontal orientation, and consequently, the connecting element can be pivoted horizontally on the support surface in one direction or the other. The support surface of the support device can then be easily adjusted back to the orientation that centers the connecting element.

[0003] The support device consists of a housing that can be attached to the rail vehicle and a support unit with a bearing surface projecting from its upper surface. The housing comprises a base part that can be attached to the vehicle and a height-adjustable pocket containing the support unit. An integrated spring assembly rests the pocket on the base part, providing a spring-loaded support for the connecting element on the centering support unit. A disadvantage is that the base part and pocket of the housing are made of welded bent parts, which are complex to manufacture.

[0004] The invention is therefore based on the objective of improving this generic support device in such a way that, in addition to a more stable construction, it enables more cost-effective manufacturing and weight savings.

[0005] This problem is solved according to the invention by the features of claim 1.

[0006] According to the invention, a support unit and a spring device holding it are mounted inside a holder with a recess open at the top, and the support unit is fitted in the holder with a movable guide block, resulting in a stable yet simple support device.

[0007] The highly advantageous one-piece cast manufacturing of the support unit and the bracket allows for a considerable reduction in manufacturing costs and makes the logistical supply chain from production to distribution significantly easier to manage.

[0008] The guide block of the support unit is preferably U-shaped and has guide tracks on its outer legs, which project into the holder, corresponding to those on the inside of the holder.

[0009] The invention provides that the spring assembly comprises at least one spring element, which is held on one side in a lower end wall of the bracket and on the other side in the support unit. This results in a very stable and permanently reliable design of the support device.

[0010] The invention and further advantages thereof are explained in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the drawing. It shows: Fig. 1 a perspective side view of a coupling with a bracket for a pulling and pushing device and with a known support device for a connecting element; Fig. 2 a longitudinal section of a support device according to the invention; Fig. 3 a perspective side view of the support device according to Fig. 2 ; and Fig. 4 a top view of the support device according to Fig. 2 .

[0011] Fig. 1 Figure 1 shows a known coupling 40 with a draw and buffer device 45 and with a coupling head 50, particularly of a rail vehicle not shown in detail. Such a coupling 40 is primarily suitable for freight wagons in which dimensionally appropriate recesses are provided in a vehicle body, into which the coupling with the draw and buffer device can be mounted.

[0012] This coupling 40 comprises a housing structure 55 designed to bridge a distance, a drawbar mounted in it by an indicated support element 44, spring elements 43 arranged in series on it, a coupling or connecting head 46 adjoining at the front and a wedge arrangement 47 at the rear for clamping the draw and thump device 45 in a frame 41 of the vehicle body.

[0013] The coupling or connecting head 46 comprises a pin 49 on which a connecting element 42 is pivotally mounted about a vertical axis. This connecting element 42, which holds the coupling head 50 at its front, rests centrally on a support surface 16 of a support device 10'. In principle, this connecting element could be fitted with an extension arm, a fastening element for coupling, or the like instead of the coupling head 50. This connecting element could also be a drawbar or a tow hook.

[0014] In the support device 10', one mounting wing is attached to this front side 21' of the frame 41 in such a way that there is a free space next to it for an opening 56 for the passage of at least one line guide not shown in detail, for example a brake line.

[0015] The coupling head 50 shown is not described in detail. Reference is made to document EP-A-1 894 808, in which such a coupling head is described in detail. It comprises a housing 36 with a front wall 37 forming a butt surface for a flat bearing surface of a coupling head of another rail vehicle to be coupled. A connecting flange is arranged on the rear of the housing 36, which can be fixed to the connecting member 42, or a one-piece housing is provided which can be attached directly to the connecting member. A known locking and unlocking mechanism is integrated into the housing 36, which, among other things, illustrates a projecting adjustable locking element 38 for locking and unlocking. This locking element projects through a flange 39 at the butt surface and has a lateral projection 39' on the flange 39 as a centering aid.In addition, a round recess 49 is provided next to this flange, into which a locking element 38 can be inserted for locking. Furthermore, line connections 51, a lever 52 for manual uncoupling, and a guide element 53 for pre-centering with the coupling head to be connected are provided.

[0016] The coupling or connecting head 46 and the housing structure 55 are designed with corresponding sliding guides 64, 65, through which the coupling or connecting head 46 and with it the drawbar are guided longitudinally in the housing structure 55.

[0017] To clamp the draw and buffing device in the frame 41 of the vehicle body, a wedge arrangement 47 with two wedges 57 is provided on the rear side of the housing structure 55. Each wedge 57 is in contact with a wedge surface at an end web 48 of the housing structure 55. The wedges 57 can be adjusted in height, preferably by means of a screw or the like. In the assembled state, the rear surfaces of the wedges 57 are wedged against a corresponding wall of the frame 41 of the vehicle body. The housing structure 55 is permanently clamped between these wedges 57 and clamping jaws (not shown) that engage at the front ends 55' of the housing structure 55.

[0018] Fig. 2 bis Fig. 4 Figure 10 shows a support device 10 for centering or laterally deflecting, preferably, the coupling head 50. This device is provided with a bracket 20 that can be attached to the rail vehicle and a support unit 15 projecting from its upper surface, with a bearing surface 16. The bearing surface 16 is V-shaped, formed by sub-surfaces 16' of symmetrically arranged sliding shoes that rise outwards from the horizontal by an angle α on both sides from its center. This ensures that the connecting element 42, which has a round or similar cross-section, rests on the underside of the bearing surface 16 and is automatically centered in the middle of the bearing surface 16.

[0019] A preferably manually adjustable lifting element 22 in the support unit 15 is formed by a rotatable longitudinal element 24 extending horizontally parallel to and above the bracket 20, with a bearing surface 17 and at least one actuating adjusting element 43. The longitudinal element 24 extends horizontally through a central recess 25 in the support unit 15 such that, in the normal operating state shown, it forms a depression 24' on its upper side within the central recess 25.

[0020] For this purpose, the lifting element 22 is formed by a horizontally extending, rotatable longitudinal element 24 with a bearing surface 17 and at least one actuating adjusting element 23. The longitudinal element 24 extends through a central recess 25 of the support unit 15 such that the bearing surface 17 reaches this projecting position in the recess 25 and the connecting element 42 is supported on this horizontally extending bearing surface 17. A recess 24' formed approximately in the middle of the longitudinal element 24 is positioned in the recess 25 of the support unit 15 by rotating the longitudinal element, so that the connecting element 42 again rests on the sliding shoes of the support unit 15, which, due to gravity, is always located in the center of the bearing surface at the leg surfaces 16" located laterally at the recess 25 in the uncoupled state.

[0021] The adjusting elements 23, preferably located on both sides of the longitudinal element 24, are each designed as a polygonal head onto which a pivot lever, a torque wrench, or the like can be attached, allowing the longitudinal element 24 to be manually rotated into the starting position shown or freely by means of this pivot lever. In this starting position, the connecting element 42 rests on the partial surfaces 16' that rise outwards from the horizontal by an angle α on both sides from their center. These partial surfaces 16' of the sliding shoes extend on both sides at the recess 25 to approximately the center of the support unit, ensuring that the connecting element 42 rests on these partial surfaces over a sufficient width.

[0022] This allows the manipulation during coupling to be carried out in a very simple way, whereby the connecting element 42 and with it the coupling head 50 can be easily pivoted by hand from the center in one or the other horizontal direction, so that coupling can be carried out easily, especially when the two coupling heads 50 to be coupled are not aligned axes, but are at an angle to each other because of the position of the vehicles in a curve.

[0023] Furthermore, a spring assembly 30 is provided, which consists of at least one spring element 31, such as a spiral spring, a compression spring made of rubber elements or the like, and a connecting element 32 extending through it. The connecting element 32 is held on one side in the bracket 20 and on the other side in the support unit 15 such that the support unit 15 can be moved vertically and is held in a pre-tensioned initial position.

[0024] According to the invention, the support unit 15 and the spring device 30 holding it are mounted in a height-adjustable manner inside the holder 20 which has a recess 21 open at the top, wherein the support unit 15 has a guide block 18 which is movable in the holder 20.

[0025] It is particularly advantageous in the invention that both the bracket 20 and the guide block 18 of the support unit 15 are each manufactured from a single piece of cast metal, wherein the metal is in particular a light metal with a low density, such as an aluminum or magnesium alloy or the like. The bracket 20 and the guide block 18 are each shaped such that they can be manufactured from a die casting in a single mold, wherein the bracket 20 is designed in a pocket shape with a lower end wall 29 and laterally projecting mounting arms 19 with respective externally arranged fixing elements 19'.

[0026] The guide block 18 is U-shaped. Guide tracks 13' extend along its outer legs 13, which project into the bracket 20, corresponding to corresponding tracks on the inside of the bracket 20. To save weight, this U-shaped guide block 18 of the support unit 15 has thin walls on its outer legs 13, with wall thicknesses of a few millimeters and cavities 13" in the form of these channels. For this purpose, the bracket 20 is also preferably designed with structured wall recesses 28.

[0027] Between the inside of the bracket 20 and the two narrow end faces of the formed legs 13 of the guide block 18 of the support unit 15, which are located away from the center point, at least one sliding element 14 is arranged. These sliding elements 14, opposite the support unit 15, are pivotally mounted on the inside of the bracket by joints 14' and correspond to the guide tracks 13' of the guide block 18, so that flexible stabilization of the support unit 15 is achieved when the connecting member 42 of the coupling head 50 is deflected. The guide block 18 is also slidably held in the bracket 20 along its length by guides 18'.

[0028] The spring assembly 30, which preferably consists of two adjacent spring elements 31 and a connecting element 32 extending through each of these, is fastened in a lower end wall 29 of the bracket 20 and, at the other end, held in the guide block 18 of the support unit 15. The connecting element 32 extending through each spring element 31 is removably held by fasteners 33, 34 at one end in the support unit 15 and at the other end on the outside of the bracket 20, thus allowing limited height adjustment of the support unit inside the bracket by means of a spring preload.

[0029] The fastening element 34 in the bracket preferably consists of several screw connections and sleeves 35, 35' in which the connecting element 32 is held slidably in its axial direction so that it can perform this axial movement together with the support unit 15. Fig. 2The connecting element 32' protruding from the underside is still visible. Of course, this fastening means for the connecting element 32 could be designed differently than shown, for example by means of transverse bolts extending through the connecting element and forming a stop. These fastening means 34 allow the distance between the support surface 16 at the top and the bracket to be changed in order to always align the connecting link and thus the coupling head as horizontally as possible.

[0030] The invention is sufficiently demonstrated by the above embodiments. However, it could be further explained by other variations. For example, these sliding elements 14 could be omitted and the legs 13 could then be slidably mounted directly in the holder 20.

[0031] It would also be possible to use a lifting device in the support unit, preferably manually height-adjustable, which can be adjusted with its upper bearing surface into a position projecting towards the bearing surface of the support unit, thereby changing its bearing surface at least in the middle area into an approximately horizontal orientation, in which it takes over the support of the connecting link when lifting and enables this pivotable deflection of the connecting link in an approximately horizontal direction.

[0032] For example, instead of the longitudinal element 24, only a pivoting disc with a flat cutout could be provided as a horizontal support surface for the connecting element.

Claims

1. Support device for centering or deflecting, preferably, a coupling head of a rail vehicle, which is provided with a bracket (20) attachable to the rail vehicle and a support unit (15) projecting from its upper side with a bearing surface (16), wherein this bearing surface (16) is designed in its center as a centering support for the connecting member (42) and can be changed into an approximately horizontal orientation, so that the connecting member (42) resting on the bearing surface (17) can be deflected approximately in a horizontal direction. characterized by the fact that the support unit (15) and a spring device (30) holding it are mounted inside the holder (20) which has a recess (21) open at the top, wherein the support unit (15) has a guide block (18) that is movable in the holder (20).

2. Support device according to claim 1, characterized by the fact thatThe support bracket (20) and / or the guide block (18) of the support unit (15) are preferably made of a light metal with a low density, such as an aluminum or magnesium alloy, each cast in one piece.

3. Support device according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that The bracket (20) formed with the open recess (21) for receiving the support unit (15) and the spring assembly (30) together with fastening arms (19) projecting from it on both sides is cast in one piece from a light metal, such as an aluminum alloy.

4. Support device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the fact that the guide block (18) of the support unit (15) is preferably U-shaped and has guide tracks (13') on its outer legs (13) which project into the holder (20) and which correspond to guide tracks on the inside of the holder (20).

5. Support device according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that Between the holder (20) on the inside and the end faces of the guide block (18) of the support unit (15) at least one sliding element (14) is arranged, through which the guide block (18) with its guide tracks is guided on both sides and causes flexible stabilization of the support unit (15) when the connecting member (42) of the coupling head (50) is deflected.

6. Support device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the fact that the spring assembly (30) has at least one spring element (31) which is held on one side in a lower end wall (29) of the holder (20) and on the other side in the support unit (15).

7. Support device according to claim 6, characterized by the fact thata connecting element (32) extending through the spring element is associated with the spring device (30), which holds the support unit (15) at one end and is attached to the bracket (20) at the other end.

8. Support device according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the connecting element (32) is held at one end by means of fastening means (33, 34) the support unit (15), so that it allows a limited height adjustment of the support unit (15) inside the holder by means of a spring tension.

9. Support device according to claim 8, characterized by the fact that the fastening means (34) at the holder (20) has a screw connection and at least one sleeve (35, 35') in which the connecting element (32) is held slidably in its axial direction.

10. Support device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by the fact thatThe bearing surface (16) of the support unit (15) is formed by partial surfaces (16') that rise outwards from the horizontal by angle degrees on both sides from their center, so that this connecting element (42), which has a round or similar cross-section, rests on the underside of the bearing surface (16) and always automatically centers itself in the center of the bearing surface (16).

11. Support device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized by the fact thatA preferably manually height-adjustable lifting device (12) is arranged in the support unit (15) such that it can be lifted with its upper support surface (17) into a position projecting towards the support surface (16) of the support unit (15) and thereby changes its support surface (17) at least in the central area into an approximately horizontal orientation, in which it takes over the support of the connecting element (42) when lifting and enables this pivotable deflection of the connecting element approximately in a horizontal direction.

12. Support device according to claim 11, characterized by the fact thatThe lifting element (22) is formed by a horizontally extending rotatable longitudinal element (24) with a bearing surface (17) and at least one actuating adjusting element (23) thereof, wherein the longitudinal element (24) extends through a central recess (25) of the support unit (15) such that the bearing surface (17) of the longitudinal element (24) either enters this projecting position in the recess (25) and the connecting element (42) is supported on this horizontal bearing surface (17), or that a recess (24') in the longitudinal element (24) is positioned in the recess (25) of the support unit (15) by rotating the longitudinal element, so that the connecting element (42) rests again on the support unit (15).

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