Extendable coupler

Abstract

A coupler for connecting railway vehicles to each other, comprising an extendable coupler body, an extension mechanism, and a support housing for mounting the coupler to the railway vehicle, the coupler body and the extension mechanism are mounted within the support housing, the extension mechanism is arranged to move the coupler body relative to the support housing between a retracted position and an extended position, the coupler body has a coupling interface arranged to couple with the coupling interface of a second coupler and to receive a connection portion of the railway vehicle, a distance between the coupling interface and the support housing increasing as the coupler body moves from the retracted position towards the extended position, and the coupling interface is arranged to engage the coupling interface of the second coupler upon contact between the coupling interfaces.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a telescopic coupler, and more particularly to a telescopic coupler that is attached to a rail vehicle and coupled to a connecting portion of the rail vehicle, the coupler being extended to connect the connecting portions of both rail vehicles and being arranged to engage and couple with another coupler. [Background technology]

[0002] Although several different designs of so-called automatic railcar couplers have existed since they were first introduced over a century ago, they all rely on the same basic principle: cars that need to be coupled are physically connected to each other, and contact between the coupler heads actuates movement of components in some way to bring the coupler heads together or securely couple the cars together. Uncoupling is accomplished by a manually or automatically controlled function, and the cars must be physically pulled apart to confirm successful separation. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] While these approaches to physically connecting railcars to each other represent an improvement over previous manually operated coupling techniques, they still present significant challenges. When connecting railcars to each other, the coupling operation must be performed at low speeds to reduce stress and / or structural damage induced in the connecting coupler and / or between the railcars to which the coupler is attached. However, the traction control systems on many types of railcars are not well suited to controlling the low speeds ideal for the coupling process. Instead, due to the railcars' significant inertia, the railcars first come to a stop near other railcars and then move toward each other again to begin the physical coupling process. As such, the speeds achievable by the railcars during the coupling process are somewhat limited. This is an inefficient process because time and energy are wasted for the railcars to overcome their significant starting inertia after stopping close to each other for the coupling process.

[0004] The typical procedure for coupling a multi-unit passenger railcar to another railcar involves a complex and time-consuming series of events. First, the driver of the approaching railcar must stop the railcar approximately two meters away from the other railcar. The railcar then moves forward and stops again approximately half a meter from the other railcar. Finally, the railcar moves forward to complete the coupling operation. This process requires considerable driver skill to apply and remove power (to move the railcar) at precisely the right time, which drivers often misjudge. If the final forward drive is applied too forcefully, the resulting violent rocking between the couplers poses a risk to passengers standing on the railcars, such as shaking their feet, spilling drinks, or damaging fragile items. On the other hand, if the final drive is not forceful enough, the coupler will not properly couple, and the railcar will have to completely uncouple and move backward to a stop, undesirably repeating the entire process.

[0005] While the above operation is in progress, the railcar doors remain locked, forcing passengers to wait impatiently before disembarking, even though the train appears to be at the correct platform. Announcements are typically made on the railcars, for example, encouraging passengers to remain seated until the coupling between the railcars is complete, but such instructions are often ignored. Similar problems arise when coupling freight cars to prevent damage to the cargo during transit. In marshalling yards, connecting locomotives are often remotely operated by ground staff members who are in a position to easily observe the coupling process. However, proper control for the safe and timely operation of coupling freight cars requires considerable skill.

[0006] Current methods for uncoupling rail cars also present challenges. The rail cars must be moved a sufficient distance apart to ensure successful uncoupling. Loading and unloading of the rail cars cannot occur during the uncoupling process. This process can cause passengers unfamiliar with the operation to believe they have missed their train, as they are unaware that the doors of the rail cars are locked and will unlock again once the rear of the rail car is uncoupled and stopped a short distance from the front. While announcements are often made at stations to explain what is happening, this process can be difficult to understand for those unfamiliar with how railroads operate, especially since such technology is uncommon.

[0007] A similar challenge arises when uncoupling freight cars equipped with automatic couplers: if it is determined that some coupled freight cars are not needed for a particular train departure, a connecting locomotive must be deployed to separate the cars, interrupting loading and unloading operations, wasting time and reducing overall efficiency of customer service.

[0008] A further challenge with current approaches to coupling is that the prevalence of different coupler designs and interface standards has significantly reduced interoperability of different or even the same type of rolling stock on many rail networks, sometimes necessitating the use of "barrier cars" with one type of coupler on one end and a different type on the other to couple rail cars into a single train when an abnormal movement is required.

[0009] In some cases, the above-mentioned difficulties with current coupling methods have led rail operators to completely avoid coupling and uncoupling cars in freight traffic, particularly due to their unreliability and time-consuming nature. As a result, high-capacity, full-length trains are constantly operated, even when demand is low, wasting energy and causing unnecessary wear and tear on both the rail cars and the track compared to using shorter train configurations, which are more appropriate for such situations.

[0010] Therefore, current designs and methods for coupling rail cars together via conventional couplers are unsatisfactory. Due to the limitations of current coupling systems, trains cannot easily change their capacity and rearrange their rail cars as needed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a coupler for coupling railway vehicles together, the coupler comprising: an extendable coupler body; a telescoping mechanism; a controller arranged to operate the telescoping mechanism; and a support housing for mounting the coupler to the railway vehicle; the coupler body and telescopic mechanism are mounted within the support housing, the telescopic mechanism is actuated to move the coupler body relative to the support housing any distance between a retracted position and an extended position, the distance between the retracted position and the extended position defining a coupling range of the coupler, the coupler body having a coupling interface arranged to receive a connection portion of a railway vehicle for coupling with the coupling interface of a second coupler, the distance between the coupling interface and the support housing increasing as the coupler body moves from the retracted position towards the extended position, the coupling interface arranged to engage the coupling interface of the second coupler upon contact between the coupling interfaces such that the coupling interface is engageable with the coupling interface of the second coupler at any distance within the coupling range.

[0012] In this way, a pair of railcars equipped with a coupler according to the present invention can be coupled (and uncoupled) without relying on the movement of the railcars, and once the railcars are within the coupling range of the coupler, no further connection of the railcars is required.

[0013] Preferably, the telescoping mechanism is substantially cylindrical and is mounted to the support housing via a bearing arrangement such that it is axially constrained but free to rotate relative to the support housing. In this way, the telescoping mechanism is able to rotate relative to the support housing.

[0014] Preferably, the connector body has a first end having the coupling interface and an opposite second end, at least a portion of the connector body between the first and second ends comprises a substantially cylindrical portion, the telescoping mechanism substantially surrounds the cylindrical portion and is threadably engaged with the cylindrical portion such that rotation of the connector body is constrained, such that rotation of the telescoping mechanism causes extension or contraction of the connector body depending on which direction the telescoping mechanism is rotated.

[0015] Preferably, the coupler further comprises drive means arranged to rotate the telescoping mechanism when actuated by a controller, in this way the telescoping mechanism can be driven in rotation, causing linear movement of the coupler body.

[0016] Preferably, the drive means includes a locking mechanism arranged to prevent rotation of the telescoping mechanism when the drive means is not activated, in this way preventing axial movement of the coupler, which is desirable when the coupler is connected to another coupler according to the invention.

[0017] Preferably, the driving means is a motor having a pulley rotatably connected to the extension mechanism via a belt.

[0018] Preferably, the coupling interface has an inner terminal portion substantially facing the second end and arranged to receive the connection portion of the railcar, and an outer coupler head opposite it, the coupler head having engagement means arranged to reversibly engage with the coupler head of the second coupler upon contact between the coupler heads, and a coupling contact portion arranged to connect from the inner terminal portion to the connection portion of the railcar and to reversibly couple with the coupling contact portion of the second coupler upon engagement between the coupler heads. In this way, the coupler head can be mechanically coupled to the coupler head of the other coupler before the terminal connection portion of the railcar is coupled to the connection portion of the other railcar via the coupling connection portion.

[0019] Preferably, the mating contacts include male and female contacts, in this way the total current that can be supplied by a single electrical interface contact is limited and is divided between the male and female electrical contacts.

[0020] Preferably, the engagement means is configured to align with the engagement means of the second coupler during contact between the coupler heads, such that the coupler heads are aligned to allow mechanical engagement therebetween and the coupling contacts on the coupler heads are also aligned to allow coupling therebetween.

[0021] Preferably, the engagement means is a Scharfenberg cup and cone.

[0022] Preferably, the support housing is mounted to the rail cars via a gimbal frame, and the support housing is rotatably mounted to the gimbal frame via a bearing arrangement, such that the support housing and coupler body are sufficiently swivelable in the vertical plane to accommodate dynamic variations in height of the two coupled rail cars.

[0023] Preferably, the gimbal frame is rotatably mounted to the rail vehicle via a bearing arrangement, so that the gimbal frame and coupler body can pivot to accommodate lateral movement of the coupler body as the coupled rail vehicle negotiates a curve in the track.

[0024] Preferably, the coupler head further comprises a cover arrangement arranged to cover the coupler head when the coupler body is in the retracted position to protect and / or seal the coupler head and to expose the coupler head when the coupler body is in the extended position, in this way the coupling contacts and engagement means of the coupler head can be protected and / or sealed when the coupler body is in the retracted position, i.e. when the coupler body is not in use.

[0025] Preferably, the gimbal frame is attached to the rail vehicle via a coupler housing that substantially surrounds the coupler body such that the coupler head is within the coupler housing when the coupler body is in the retracted position. In this way, the coupler can be stored when not in use, i.e., when in the retracted position.

[0026] Preferably, the cover arrangement comprises first and second covers pivotally mounted to the coupler head so as to be movable between an open position and a closed position, wherein in the open position outer edges of the first and second covers are substantially flush with the coupling contacts of the coupler head so that the coupling contacts are exposed, and in the closed position outer edges of the first and second covers contact each other so that the coupler head is covered.

[0027] Preferably, the first and second covers have elongated protrusions arranged to form flanges against the coupler housing when the coupler body is in the retracted position. In this way, when the coupler body is retracted into the coupler housing, the flanges cover the vertical clearance between the coupler body and the housing. The coupler body is therefore well sealed against hazards such as snow, which in conventional coupler designs tend to penetrate the coupling mechanism and reduce the reliability of the coupler.

[0028] Preferably, the first and second covers are held in an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position, and the connector housing is 1st and 2nd When the connector body is moved to a retracted position, the covers are biased toward each other to move to the closed position. 1st and 2nd The housing has a protrusion positioned to engage the cover.

[0029] Preferably, the first and second covers are arranged to move from the intermediate position to the open position upon contact with the first and second covers of the second connector.

[0030] Preferably, the first and second covers are configured to move the second connector from the intermediate position to indicate the proximity of the second connector. 1st and 2nd A sensor is positioned to detect movement of the cover.

[0031] Preferably, the connection portion of the rail vehicle includes a first connection set and a second connection set, the second end portion having an opening in the coupler body, and the inner terminal portion being arranged to receive the first connection set through the opening. In this way, the first connection set is largely contained within the coupler body (even more so when the coupler body is in the retracted position) and is protected from exposure to adverse environments such as debris and rain.

[0032] Preferably, the support housing has an elongated beam that receives the coupler body and is substantially parallel to the coupler body, the coupler body having an elongated groove facing the beam, and the beam having an elongated protrusion arranged to engage the groove to allow axial movement but limit rotational movement of the coupler body. In this way, the coupler body can be extended or retracted via rotation from a telescoping mechanism.

[0033] Preferably, the beams are attached together at ends distal from the support housing via a plate, the openings being arranged to receive the first connection set via the plate.

[0034] Preferably, the first connecting set coupled between the inner terminal end and the plate is helically arranged to allow the first connecting set to expand and contract, such that the first connecting set can expand and contract in conjunction with the connector body.

[0035] Preferably, the inner terminal end and the second end have protruding portions that protrude radially relative to the longitudinal direction of the connector body, and the protruding portion of the inner terminal end is arranged to receive the second connecting set through the protruding portion of the second end, so that the second connecting set can move in conjunction with the connector body when the connector body expands or contracts.

[0036] Preferably, the first set of connections comprises at least one or more of low power electrical connections, pneumatic connections and optical connections, and the second set of connections is high power electrical connections.

[0037] Preferably, the electrical connection is arranged such that the deliverable current is divided between the male and female contacts, in this way the total current deliverable by a single electrical interface contact is limited and the total current between the male and female contacts is divided.

[0038] Preferably, the second connection set comprises a conductive rod attached between the protruding portion of the inner terminal end and the second end, and connected at the second end to a hotel bus of the rail vehicle.

[0039] Preferably, the rod is coupled to the hotel bus via a rod contact arranged to switch engagement and disengagement of the rod, in this way the rod can be electrically connected or disconnected from the hotel bus via switching the rod contact to engage or disengage the rod.

[0040] Preferably, the rod contact portion is attached to the support housing via an insulating frame.

[0041] Preferably, the insulating frame has brushes that contact the rods, and movement of the rods relative to the brushes removes oxidation from the rods.

[0042] Preferably, the second end is an insulating plate.

[0043] The distance between the retracted and extended positions defines the coupling range of the coupler, and the coupling interface is positioned to engage the coupling interface of the second coupler at any distance within the coupling range. In this manner, the coupler allows a substantial range of spacing between cars. If the railcars stop farther apart than intended, the coupler extends further to accommodate this extra distance. Conversely, if braking occurs a little later than intended and the stopped railcars are closer together, the coupler extends a shorter distance. In this manner, the coupler has a variable coupling distance and can accommodate a variety of operating conditions of the railcars. The coupler does not need to reach the extended position (i.e., be fully extended) to engage and couple with another coupler of the present invention.

[0044] Preferably, the controller is arranged to operate the coupling interface to communicate with the controller of the second coupler and synchronize coupling and decoupling of the coupling interface with the coupling interface of the second coupler, in this way synchronizing coupling between a pair of couplers.

[0045] In a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling a coupler, the method comprising the steps of receiving a coupling request command from the second coupler, sending a coupling agreement command to the second coupler, extending the coupler body from the retracted position towards the extended position, engaging the coupling interface with the coupling interface of the second coupler upon contact between the coupling interfaces, and connecting at least a part of the connection portion of a railway vehicle to the coupling interface of the second coupler.

[0046] In this way, the coupling and uncoupling process of the coupler can be controlled.

[0047] Preferably, the method further comprises the steps of receiving a discoupling request command from the second coupler, sending a discoupling agreement command to the second coupler, disconnecting the connection part of the rail vehicle from a coupling interface of the second coupler, disengaging the coupling interface from the coupling interface of the second coupler, and retracting the coupler body towards the retracted position.

[0048] Preferably, the extension speed of the coupler body is decreased upon contact between the coupling interface and the coupling interface of the second coupler, and the retraction speed of the coupler body is increased when the coupling interface is no longer in contact with the coupling interface of the second coupler. In this way, more time is given to align the coupler head and to accommodate temporary movement of the railcar when coupling occurs. Furthermore, because the extension and retraction speed of the coupler body is increased when the coupler head is not coupling or uncoupling with another coupler head, the overall time of the coupling and uncoupling process can be optimized, which is desirable.

[0049] Preferably, extension of the coupler body is stopped upon engagement between the coupling interface and the coupling interface of the second coupler, and retraction of the coupler body is initiated upon disengagement between the coupling interface and the coupling interface of the second coupler. In this way, axial movement of the coupler may be prevented once the coupler is coupled.

[0050] Preferably, the coupler is switchable between a locked and an unlocked state, in which in the locked state commands received from the second coupler are ignored, and in which in the unlocked state commands received from the second coupler are not ignored. In this way the coupler can be locked when a train formation is completed, providing further security against incorrect commands being picked up due to incorrect operation by staff, software errors or stray communications from nearby trains etc.

[0051] Preferably, operation of at least one of the coupling interface and telescoping mechanism generates an event to alert an operator of the coupler. In this way, a user of the coupler is alerted when coupling and uncoupling of the coupler is occurring, and useful auxiliary functions of the coupler can be performed in response to the alert. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0052] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0053] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a coupler according to the present invention. [Figure 2] The coupler's telescopic mechanism is shown in (a) perspective view, (b) cross-sectional view, and (c) longitudinal section. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are perspective views of a mechanism for providing an interface connection for a rail vehicle, showing (a) the mounting arrangement for a helical high power connection and (b) the rod contact for a high power conducting rod. [Figure 4] 3b , where (a) shows the contact engaged and (b) shows the contact disengaged. [Figure 5] Mechanism for engaging and disengaging contacts, (a) perspective view of the arrangement for actuating the insulators, (b) cross-sectional view of the same mechanism for one of the insulators. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are perspective views of the coupler head showing the open and closed positions of the coupler head; [Figure 7] Termination arrangement for conductive rods. (a) is a perspective view of the male and female electrical pairs for each rod, and (b) is a schematic diagram of the same arrangement and the overload protection arrangement for the rods. [Figure 8] 1A-1E are plan views of the shield of the coupler head, with (a) and (b) showing the shield in the closed and open positions, respectively, and (c)-(e) showing the transition of the shield from the closed to the open position and the biasing arrangement of the shield. [Figure 9] Schematic diagram of the coupler control system. [Figure 10] 1A and 1B are side views showing the process of coupling first and second railway vehicles to each other using a pair of couplers according to the present invention, in which (a) shows another railway vehicle approaching a stationary railway vehicle, (b) shows another railway vehicle stopping in proximity to a stationary railway vehicle, (c) and (d) show the exchange of coupling signals between the railway vehicles, (e) shows the couplers of each railway vehicle extending towards each other, (f) shows the couplers engaged with each other, and (g) and (h) show the couplers engaged with each other when the railway vehicles are at a shorter and longer distance than the railway vehicle in (f), respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0054] Figure 1 shows one embodiment of a coupler 2 according to the present invention. The coupler 2 is suitable for attachment to a rail vehicle to provide an interface for engagement and coupling of the rail vehicles and their various interface connections at variable distances.

[0055] In this embodiment, coupler 2 includes expandable tube 10 and other associated components mounted within housing 90. Housing 90 is arranged to be mounted to a preferably flat underside of a rail car (not shown) for mounting coupler 2 to the rail car.

[0056] The outer end 11 of the tube 10 includes a coupler head 80 configured to terminate various interface connections of the railcar to which the coupler 2 is attached, for subsequent connection to another coupler (in accordance with the present invention) attached to another railcar. The coupler head 80 is positioned to engage with the coupler head of another coupler upon (or after) contact between the two. In this manner, a pair of railcars and their various interface connections may be coupled (or connected) to one another via a pair of couplers in accordance with the present invention. The configuration of the coupler head 80 and the engagement and coupling process are described in more detail below.

[0057] Hereinafter, in this document, the terms "another coupler" and "another coupler" mean another coupler according to the invention that is mounted on another railway vehicle.

[0058] The tube 10 passes through the opening 4 in the housing 90 and includes a telescoping mechanism arranged to cause linear movement (along the longitudinal length of the tube 10) of the tube 10. In this manner, the tube 10 and coupler head 80 can be extended from within the housing 90 for engagement / coupling with another coupler, and retracted within the housing 90 after disengagement / coupling from the other coupler.

[0059] The structure and function of telescoping mechanism 6 will be described with reference to Figures 2a, 2b, and 2c, which show coupler 2 without housing 90 or coupler head 80. Telescoping mechanism 6 includes a rotatable cylinder 15 that substantially surrounds tube 10 and is in threaded engagement with tube 10 via threads 13 on the outer surface of tube 10, which are received by complementary threads on the inner surface of cylinder 15, which is substantially concentric with tube 10. In this embodiment, threads 13 are helical and square in cross section, and a majority of the outer surface of tube 10 includes threads 13. In other embodiments, only a central circumferential portion of tube 10 includes threads 13.

[0060] Cylinder 15 passes through support block 20, which has a central bore with sufficient clearance to receive cylinder 15. Outer end 21 of cylinder 15 includes flange 28a, which supports the non-stationary side of first thrust bearing 16a. Inner end 17 of cylinder 15 includes collar 19, which supports the non-stationary side of second thrust bearing 16b. The stationary sides of thrust bearings 16a, 16b are supported by resilient elastomeric rings 18a, 18b, which are received in wide recesses at each end of support block 20 (best seen in Figure 2c). In this way, cylinder 15 is attached to support block 20 via thrust bearings 16a, 16b so that it is axially constrained but free to rotate (along the length of cylinder 15) relative to support block 20.

[0061] The support block 20 is provided with a rigid cylindrical extension 23 which forms a bearing (along horizontal axis A) to allow the support block 20 to pivot within the gimbal frame 30. This allows the support block 20 and tube 10 to pivot fully in the vertical plane, allowing for dynamic height variations in the two coupled rail cars.

[0062] The interior of support block 20 includes bracket 32. Bracket 32 receives tube 10 and includes longitudinal beams 33a, 33b that are substantially parallel to one another. In this embodiment, beams 33a, 33b are separate components with outer ends supported by and attached to bracket 32. In other embodiments, beams 33a, 33b may be integral with bracket 32.

[0063] Each beam includes a longitudinal rib that runs the length of the beam and faces the tube 10. The tube 10 has longitudinal grooves 14 on either side of the tube 10 that receive the ribs of the beams 33a, 33b. In this manner, the tube 10 is rotationally constrained but is allowed to move axially (along the longitudinal length of the tube 10). In other words, the rotation of the tube 10 is constrained by the support block 20, and more specifically the beams 33a, 33b of the bracket 32.

[0064] The arrangement between the ribs and grooves 14 provides some clearance, but is sufficient to prevent significant rotation of the expandable tube 10, thereby maintaining the correct orientation of the tube 10 for proper connection to the railcar interface connection, as described below.

[0065] The inner ends of beams 33a, 33b (furthest from support block 20) are joined via end plates 34, which are the receiving points for various services performed within expandable tube 10, as will be described below. This arrangement ensures that beams 33a, 33b maintain correct longitudinal alignment with expandable tube 10.

[0066] The shape of the bracket 32 provides clearance for assembly of the cylinder 15 within the support block 20 and assembly of the collar 19 onto the cylinder 15, which is achieved via threading the collar 19 onto the cylinder 15.

[0067] The elastomeric rings 18a, 18b are compressed between the thrust bearings 16a, 16b and the support block 20. The degree to which the rings 18a, 18b are compressed is determined by how far the collar 19 is threaded onto the moving cylinder 15. Thus, the degree of resilience in this arrangement can be adjusted to provide a predetermined small amount of movement of the coupler 2 under the influence of a particular traction or retardation force through the coupler 2 before locking the collar 19 in the desired position.

[0068] The periphery of the cylinder 15 adjacent the outer end 21 of the cylinder 15 includes teeth forming an integral toothed pulley 22. In other embodiments, the toothed pulley 22 is a separate piece that is attached to the periphery of the cylinder 15 instead of being integral with the cylinder 15.

[0069] An extension motor 24 is mounted to the support block 20 via a bracket arrangement. The motor 24, which may be electrically or pneumatically operated, includes a small diameter toothed pulley 25. The motor pulley 25 is rotatably connected to the integral toothed pulley 22 of the cylinder 15 via a toothed belt 26. Rotation of the motor 24 thus causes rotation of the cylinder 15, and the motor 24, when activated, serves as a drive means for the cylinder 15. In this manner, the motor 24 can provide rotational drive to the cylinder 15, which in turn can cause linear movement of the tube 10.

[0070] The cylinder 15 is constrained in the axial direction but can rotate freely relative to the support block 20, the tube 10 is rotationally constrained via the beams 33a and 33b, and the tube 10 is threadedly engaged with the cylinder 15, so that the linear movement of the tube 10 occurs in conjunction with the rotation of the cylinder 15.

[0071] The direction of linear movement of tube 10 depends on the direction in which motor 24 and cylinder 15 are rotating. Thus, operating extension motor 24 causes movement of telescoping tube 10 relative to support block 20, either extending outer end 11 away from support block 20 or retracting outer end 11 toward support block 20, depending on the direction in which motor 24 is rotating.

[0072] The tube 10 is slightly longer than its telescoping range (i.e., longer than the range between the retracted and extended positions). The outer end 11 of the tube 10 has a flange 28b for attaching a connector head 80 (not shown in FIG. 2a) to the tube 10. The inner end 12 of the tube 10 has a mounting hole on its surface for attaching an insulating plate, which will be described later.

[0073] The extension motor 24 is arranged so that when no power is applied to the motor 24, i.e., when the motor 24 is not operating, the axle is locked in place and cannot rotate. This ensures that when the tube 10 reaches a predetermined position and the extension motor 24 is stopped, the extendable tube 10 is fixed in position relative to the support block 20 and will not move due to vibrations and forces that may be applied to the tube 10 during use. Those skilled in the art will understand how to configure the extension motor 24 so that its axle is locked in place when no power is applied to the motor 24. For example, teeth operated by an electromagnet may engage a gear wheel on the shaft of the motor 24 when no power is applied to the motor, thereby preventing the shaft from rotating.

[0074] The limit positions of the tube 10 are detectable so as to stop the motor 24 when the tube 10 reaches the limit positions. In this manner, the extendable range of the tube 10 can be determined and controlled. This is accomplished via a sensing arrangement capable of detecting when the tube 10 reaches the fully extended and fully retracted limit positions. In this embodiment, the sensing arrangement is a pair of microswitches having rollers that contact the bottom of one of the grooves 14 in the tube 10. The rollers are compressed and release when they encounter a small hole or depression at the appropriate limit position. Release of the rollers causes the motor 24 to stop. In other words, when the coupler 2 is not in use, one switch is positioned to sense the fully retracted position and another switch is positioned to sense the fully extended position of the tube 10. In this manner, the extendable range of the tube 10 can be determined during manufacture of the coupler 2. In other embodiments, the sensing arrangement is not a pair of microswitches, but instead some other suitable sensor capable of detecting the limit positions of the tube 10 to stop the motor 24.

[0075] The fully extended position of the tube 10 is not normally reached during operation because the pair of couplers of the present invention stops the extension motor 24 before the fully extended position is reached.

[0076] However, this position may be reached under test conditions for maintenance or when two railcars to be coupled are accidentally stopped too far apart.

[0077] The gimbal frame 30 is substantially rectangular and includes bearing arrangements 31 a, 31 b on its upper and lower surfaces that allow the gimbal frame 30 and tube 10 to pivot (along vertical axis B) to accommodate lateral movement of the tube 10 as the coupled railcar negotiates a curve in the track. In effect, the gimbal frame 30, together with the support block 20, allows the coupler 2 to pivot in any direction about a center point (i.e., the intersection of axes A and B).

[0078] In this embodiment, the bearings 31 a, 31 b are rigidly mounted to the railway vehicle structure via a housing 90. The housing 90 supports the bearings 31 a, 31 b. The rigid housing 90 therefore carries the tractive and retarding forces between the coupler 2 and the railway vehicle to which the coupler 2 is attached. Other mounting arrangements are possible, depending on the structure of the railway vehicle. In some embodiments, the housing 90 is eliminated, and the gimbal frame 30 may be mounted directly to the railway vehicle. The mounting arrangement will depend on the design of the railway vehicle, but will be sufficient to withstand the maximum tractive and braking forces that the coupler 2 can handle.

[0079] The compression spring 36 is inserted between the support block 20 and the bracket 32 so that when the coupler head 80 is extended halfway between the two limit positions, the component weight of the coupler head 80 is balanced and the tube 10 is substantially parallel to its longitudinal axis rather than tilting downward at the outer end 11, so that the tube 10 remains at its vertical limit of rotation. Furthermore, this arrangement ensures that when the coupler 2 retracts from the extended position to the retracted position, the center of gravity of the tube 10 shifts, raising the coupler head 80 and dropping the inner side of the extension mechanism 6, providing a large clearance between the underside of the railcar body and the extension mechanism 6. A damper (not shown) is fitted within the spring 36 to limit vibration of the spring 36 that may occur during use.

[0080] The tube 10, cylinder 15 and support block 20 are constructed from a structurally sound material such as metal.

[0081] The coupling of the coupler 2 with the rail vehicle interface connections will now be described. In this embodiment, there are three types of interface connections arranged to terminate at the coupler head 80 for coupling to another coupler. These types of interface connections are electrical connections, pneumatic connections, and optical connections.

[0082] More specifically, these interface connections in this embodiment include compressed air (brakes, suspension, doors, etc.), power and control lines for ECP brakes, target speed and acceleration / deceleration control, a train information bus (interface with the train management computer), bell signals between onboard staff, door opening / closing control (each side of the train), a digital data bus (video cameras, audio links, warning messages, feed to WiFi router, future facilities, etc.), coupling event signals, and a hotel bus (air conditioning, lighting, onboard facilities, etc.). Other embodiments may include additional or fewer interface connections depending on the type of railcar that coupler 2 is designed to be installed in.

[0083] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the interface connections described above are the primary types of interface connections that need to be connected when coupling a pair of railcars. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the interface connections described above are not an exhaustive list, and that there are many additional auxiliary interface connections that may need to be connected depending on the type of railcar or the equipment provided within the car. While the coupler 2 of the present invention is capable of accommodating these various auxiliary connections, providing an exhaustive list of these interface connection types is beyond the scope of this document, and therefore only the primary types of interface connections will be described.

[0084] Hereinafter, the term "connection" refers to the interface connection of a rail vehicle.

[0085] As shown in Figure 3a, the connections are divided into a first connection set and a second connection set. The first connection set includes low-power electrical connections, pneumatic connections, and optical connections (i.e., all of the connections listed above except the hotel bus). The second connection set includes high-power electrical connections, such as the hotel bus.

[0086] The large variable distance that the first connection set must travel to and from the coupler head 80 is accommodated by arranging these connections in a flexible helical configuration as described in application EP 3590785 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference. In particular, the flexible helical connector 46 consists of a corresponding helical tube housed within an outer sheath.

[0087] The spiral tube contains compressed air and acts as a pneumatic connection, and in this way the spiral tube and spiral connector 46 are telescopic and can expand and contract.

[0088] The spiral tube containing compressed air provides a support structure for low-power electrical connections, such as electrical wires, and optical connections, such as optical fibers, that are attached to the spiral tube. The low-power electrical and optical connections are attached to the outer surface of the spiral tube. This attachment may be achieved by wrapping the electrical wires or optical fibers around the spiral tube and / or embedding them in a flexible material surrounding the spiral tube. The air pressure within the spiral tube helps stabilize the spiral tube structure so that the low-power electrical and optical connections are somewhat constrained in their movement (i.e., do not sag excessively), but can expand and contract in conjunction with the spiral tube without binding or kinking. The outer sheath of the spiral connector 46 encases and protects the first connection set (i.e., the spiral tube, the low-power electrical connections, and the optical connections).

[0089] In addition to the first set of connections, the electrical connections that pass between the coupler head 80 and the railcar and that are associated with the operation of the coupler 2 are also contained within the helical connector 46 .

[0090] Secured to both the outer end 11 and inner end 12 of the expandable tube 10 are insulating plates 43a, 43b (the expandable tube 10 is not shown in Figure 3a). The plates 43a, 43b are secured to the ends 11, 12 of the tube 10 so that they are substantially opposite each other.

[0091] In this embodiment, plate 43a is part of connector head 80. In some embodiments, plates 43a, 43b are integral with ends 11, 12 of tube 10 and are not separate components attached to the ends.

[0092] Insulation plate 43a and end plate 34 support termination boxes 45a and 45b, respectively. A first set of connections are received by and terminated at termination box 45b from various contact points within the railcar. The connections pass from the railcar to termination box 45b via flexible covering sheath 48.

[0093] The sheath 48 is fixed to one of the beams 33a, 33b adjacent to the gimbal frame 30. Fixing the sheath 48 adjacent to the gimbal frame 30 allows the flexibility of the connection to accommodate small relative movements between the rail car body and the telescopic mechanism 6 as the coupler head 80 pivots to accommodate the movement of the rail car on a curved track.

[0094] The spiral connector 46 passes through an opening in the insulating plate 43b and is attached between the insulating plate 43a and the end plate 34. More specifically, one end of the spiral connector 46 passes through an opening in the insulating plate 43a and terminates in the termination box 45a, and the other opposite end of the spiral connector 46 terminates in the termination box 45b.

[0095] Although not visible in FIG. 3 a , the portion of the helical connector 46 that passes between the plates 43 a , 43 b is contained within the expandable tube 10 .

[0096] The first connection set (i.e., received from the railcar) terminated in termination box 45b is coupled to individual connections within helical connector 46, which are then terminated and separated in termination box 45a for coupling / connection with coupler head 80 (not shown in FIG. 3a). In other words, termination box 45a is positioned to receive and terminate the first connection set through openings in end plate 34 and insulating plate 43b.

[0097] As a result, the end of the helical connector 46 attached to the insulating plate 43a follows the movement of the coupler head 80 in all directions, including extension and contraction, while the end of the helical connector 46 attached to the end plate 34 is a fixed distance from the central pivot point of the gimbal frame 30, allowing movement in the lateral and vertical directions but limited axially. Thus, the helical connector 46 accommodates only extension and contraction movement, with most of it located inside the telescoping tube 10 and some protruding outward, as determined by the degree of extension, resulting in a fixed arrangement that can accommodate the high vibrations and temporary movements of the railway vehicle.

[0098] The helical arrangement of electrical connections within the helical connector 46 is sufficient for low level signals and modest amounts of power, which require relatively thin wires. However, this arrangement is not suitable for integrating high power electrical connections, as relatively thick wires / cables are typically required to transmit large amounts of power, and these thick wires are difficult to integrate with the helical formation of other thin connections.

[0099] As mentioned above, the second connection set includes high-power electrical connections for powering heating, lighting, air conditioning, and other on-train services. More specifically, the second connection set includes three conductive rods 40a, 40b, 40c mounted between insulating plates 43a, 43b.

[0100] Insulating plates 43a, 43b extend radially from ends 11, 12 of tube 10 so that rods 40a, 40b, 40c are mounted between plates 43a, 43b outside of tube 10, telescoping mechanism 6, and support block 20. Rods 40a, 40b, 40c pass between support block 20 and gimbal frame 30.

[0101] Corners of insulating plate 43a are notched to accommodate motor 24 when tube 10 is moving between the extended and retracted positions. Insulating plate 43b also has notched corners to avoid contact motor 65 (described below) and further cutaway sections to accommodate beams 33a, 33b as tube 10 moves. In some embodiments, insulating plates 43a, 43b do not have notched corners, and motors 24, 65 may be mounted to coupler 2 so as not to interfere with insulating plates 43a, 43b.

[0102] Rods 40a, 40b, 40c pass through an insulating contact frame 50, shown separately in Figure 3b. Contact frame 50 is attached to bracket 32 via a resilient mounting arrangement 52. Contact frame 50 includes three sets of electrical rod contacts 51a, 51b, 51c that receive rods 40a, 40b, 40c, respectively, with each rod 40a, 40b, 40c passing through an individual electrical rod contact 51a, 51b, 51c. In some embodiments, although less preferred, contact frame 50 can instead be three separate frames, one for each rod.

[0103] The rod contacts 51 a, 51 b, 51 c are arranged to provide electrical power from the rail vehicle's hotel bus to the rods 40 a, 40 b, 40 c and to switch between physically engaging or disengaging each individual rod 40 a, 40 b, 40 c. In this manner, the rod contacts 51 a, 51 b, 51 c can connect or disconnect electrical power from the hotel bus to the rods 40 a, 40 b, 40 c.

[0104] Because the contact frame 50 is indirectly attached to the support block 20, it follows all angular movements of the telescoping mechanism 6 and maintains proper alignment with the rods 40a, 40b, 40c. Transient changes in the tractive or braking forces of the rail vehicle in use cause movement of the telescoping tube 10 relative to the support block 20 (due to compression or expansion of the ring 18) and, due to the relatively compliant resilient mounting arrangement 52, also cause similar movement of the contact frame 50. In other words, when the rod contact portions 51a, 51b, 51c are engaged with their respective rods 40a, 40b, 40c, they remain firmly clamped to the rods 40a, 40b, 40c and are not subject to axial displacement in use, thereby avoiding wear and tear on the rod contact portions 51a, 51b, 51c resulting from any sliding movement relative to the rods 40a, 40b, 40c.

[0105] 4a and 4b show one of these rod contact portions 51, which are substantially identical in structure and function, and include four spring contact portions 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d arranged radially beyond the rod 40.

[0106] Spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d are biased toward and engage rod 40 (a circlip-type configuration that encircles all four contacts in the appropriate location for the desired pressure). The outer ends of spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d have concave mating surfaces with large surface areas, allowing spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d to firmly grip rod 40 with a relatively large contact area. Spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d are equidistantly spaced to allow contact areas to be formed on all sides of rod 40 to more evenly distribute current from spring contacts 53a, 53b, and 53c to rod 40 when the spring contacts engage rod 40, with each spring contact providing 1 / 4 of the total current provided by the railcar's hotel bus. In some embodiments, spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d may not be equidistantly spaced.

[0107] A flexible cable is coupled to each of the spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d and to a connection block attached to the railcar, which recombines the four current flows of each spring contact for subsequent connection to the corresponding hotel bus line passing through the railcar. In this manner, the hotel bus of the railcar is coupled to the spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d, which in turn couple the hotel bus to the rod 40. Because the contact frame 50 is near the pivot point of the gimbal frame 30, the relative movement that needs to be absorbed by the flexible cable is relatively small. In some embodiments, there may be more or less than four spring contacts.

[0108] Thus, rods 40a, 40b, 40c are arranged to provide a single phase three wire AC voltage supply, preferably a centre tapped three wire high power electrical distribution system.

[0109] In this embodiment, the hotel bus provides a 50 or 60 Hz, 2000 V AC voltage supply with a current capacity of 200 A. One of the rods typically forms a grounded center tap, while the other rods each provide a 1000 V supply. In some embodiments, there are only two rods to provide a conventional single voltage supply.

[0110] Figure 4a shows spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d gripping rod 40. As shown in Figure 4b, contact between spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d and rod 40 can be interrupted / prevented by interposing an insulator 54 between rod 40 and the mating surfaces of spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d. In this case, insulator 54 displaces spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d against a bias, moving them away from rod 40 such that the insulator is interposed between rod 40 and spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d, electrically insulating rod 40 from the contact.

[0111] In this embodiment, the insulator 54 is comprised of a ceramic material. In other embodiments, the insulator 54 may be comprised of an alternative suitable insulating material.

[0112] Insulator 54 surrounds and is attached to rod 40. The shape of insulator 54 is configured to provide a "latching" action between the two when insulator 54 is inserted.

[0113] Contact frame 50 includes a hotel bath control mechanism that controls the electrical connection (and disconnection) of the hotel bath to rods 40a, 40b, and 40c. The hotel bath control mechanism is arranged to reversibly displace insulator 54 between a retracted position that allows engagement between rod 40 and spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d, and an interposed position that prevents engagement between rod 40 and spring contacts 53a, 53b, 53c, and 53d. In this manner, insulator 54 can occupy two stable positions: a "connected" position and a "disconnected" position, as illustrated in Figures 4a and 4b, respectively.

[0114] In other words, Figure 4a shows the rod contact 51 in an engaged or connected state that allows power to be supplied from the hotel bus to the rod 40, and Figure 4b shows the rod contact 51 in a disengaged or disconnected state that prevents power from being supplied from the hotel bus to the rod 40.

[0115] The hotel bus control mechanism is shown in Figures 5a and 5b. An insulating plate 60 is attached to the contact frame 50 via support posts 67 so that the plate 60 faces and is parallel to the contact frame 50. The plate 60 includes an arrangement for reversibly displacing the insulators of the rod contacts 51a, 51b, and 51c between a connected position and a disconnected position (shown in Figures 4a and 4b, respectively), with the insulators displaced simultaneously. In effect, this arrangement functions as a three-pole contactor arranged via the control system to disengage the rod contacts 51a, 51b, and 51c from the respective rods 40a, 40b, and 40c during extension and contraction of the expandable tube 10, and to engage the rod contacts 51a, 51b, and 51c with the respective rods 40a, 40b, and 40c when the expandable tube 10 stops moving, for example, when the coupler head 80 is connected to the coupler head of another coupler.

[0116] The control system responsible for controlling (among other things) the telescoping mechanism 6 and switching the rod contacts 51a, 51b, 51c will be described in more detail below.

[0117] As shown in Figure 5a, the flat plate 60 includes a contact motor 65 having a toothed drive pulley 64. The contact motor 65 may be electrically or pneumatically operated and includes a locking arrangement similar to that of the extension motor 24, such that the axle of the contact motor 65 is locked in place and cannot rotate when power is not supplied to the contact motor 65, i.e., when the contact motor 65 is not running.

[0118] The drive pulley 64 is rotatably coupled to three driven pulleys 61a, 61b, 61c via a contactor belt 63, which are mounted to the plate 60 via bearings. In this way, rotation of the contactor motor 65 causes rotation of the driven pulleys 61a, 61b, 61c.

[0119] 5b shows a cross section of driven pulley 61 without showing rod contact portion 51. Driven pulleys 61a, 61b, and 61c are substantially identical in structure and function. Driven pulley 61 includes a threaded collar 62 mounted radially within driven pulley 61. Threaded collar 62 engages with threads on the inner surface of driven pulley 61 such that driven pulley 61 and threaded collar 62 are threadedly engaged.

[0120] The threaded collar 62 surrounds the rod 40 with sufficient clearance so that the collar 62 does not contact the rod 40. The threaded collar 62 projects axially (towards the contact frame 50) to clear the driven pulley 61, includes an extension 59, and is attached to a support post 67 via a slot in the extension 59. As a result, the threaded collar 62 is rotationally constrained such that rotation of the contactor motor 65 and driven pulley 61 causes axial movement of the threaded collar 62 towards either the contact frame 50 or the plate 60, depending on the direction of rotation of the contactor motor 65.

[0121] Similar to the arrangement for sensing the extreme positions of the expandable tube 10, the threaded collar 62a includes a sensor arrangement 68, such as a pair of microswitches, arranged to detect the extreme positions of the threaded collar 62a and to deactivate the contact motor 65 when these extreme positions are detected.

[0122] The insulator 54 is attached to the threaded collar 62 via a spring-like biasing means 55, which conforms to the shape of the insulator 54 to provide a latching function for two stable positions of the insulator plate 54: a "connected" position in which the rod contact portion 51 can be connected to the rod 40, and a "disconnected" position in which the rod contact portion 51 is disconnected from the rod 40. In other words, the latching arrangement of the insulator 54 provides two stable states of connection between the rod contact portion 51 and the rod 40. FIG. 5b shows the insulator in the connected position. The insulator 54 is biased against the contact frame 50 and latched in place. As the threaded collar 62 moves axially toward the contact frame 50, the compressive pressure of the biasing means 55 increasingly biases the insulator 54 away from the contact frame 50, overcoming the force of the circlip arrangement biasing the spring contact portion of the rod contact portion 51 against the rod 40. As a result, the spring contacts separate and the insulator 54 moves away from the contact frame 50 so that the surface of the insulator 54 engages the spring contacts, ie the "disconnected" position shown in Figure 4b is achieved.

[0123] The insulator 54 interposed between the spring contact and the conductive rod 40 moves the spring contact away from the conductive rod 40, disengaging it. This suppresses arcing that can occur under certain conditions. In reverse, when the threaded collar 62 is returned toward its original position of FIG. 5b (i.e., toward the plate 60), the biasing means 55 further biases the insulator 54 toward the contact frame 50 until it overcomes the mating force between the spring and the mating surfaces of the insulator 54. The spring contact moves further outward for a short period of time, releasing the insulator to spring back against the contact frame to the "connected" position shown in FIG. 4a. This causes the spring contact to spring back against the conductive rod 40, resuming the "connected" state of the rod contact 51.

[0124] In this manner, the contact motor 65 is arranged to simultaneously control the movement of the threaded collars 62a, 62b, 62c and the movement of the individual insulators, allowing the rod contact portions 51a, 51b, 51c to be switched into and out of engagement with the individual rods 40a, 40b, 40c.

[0125] Because railcars may be part of the same train consist with adjacent railcars for weeks or months, and coupler 2 may only infrequently retract and extend, conductive rods 40a, 40b, and 40c may oxidize and cause poor electrical contact when coupler 2 retracts and extends so that rod contacts 51a, 51b, and 51c engage different axial positions of rods 40a, 40b, and 40c. Similarly, if a railcar is not coupled to another railcar for an extended period of time before being coupled to another railcar, oxidation or other contaminants on the conductive rod surfaces may cause poor electrical contact. This effect is counteracted by the installation of fiberglass scratch brush arrangement 66 attached to flat plate 60. Rod 40 passes through brush arrangement 66. As a result, axial movement of tube 10 between the extended and retracted positions causes rods 40a, 40b, 40c, and 42 to be scrubbed by the brush arrangement, which helps remove oxidation on the rods. Because the coupler 2 is retracted in the retracted position (i.e., when not in use) a distance significantly greater than the distance between the rod contacting portions 51 a, 51 b, 51 c and the brush arrangement, the portions of the rods that would be engaged by the rod contacting portions 51 a, 51 b, 51 c are always scraped clean just before the rod contacting portions 51 a, 51 b, 51 c engage the respective rods 40 a, 40 b, 40 c when the coupler 2 is again extended. The insulator 54 includes a soft lining 69, such as a polyester film, disposed radially inside the insulator 54. The lining 69 not only allows the insulator 54 to slide smoothly against the rods 40, but also is constructed of a material that ultimately wipes any debris generated by the brush arrangement 66 (as it scrapes against the rod 40) from the rods 40 just before the insulator 54 springs back into the connected position and the rod contacting portions 51 engage the rods 40. In this way, contact wear due to axial movement of the tube 10 is reduced and more reliable electrical contact is achieved even under conditions of infrequent coupling and uncoupling operations.

[0126] During the coupling or decoupling process between the coupler head 80 and the coupler head of another coupler, the high power electrical rod contacts 51a, 51b, 51c should be disconnected from the individual rods 40a, 40b, 40c for safety reasons, e.g. to avoid electrical arcs between the coupler heads.

[0127] It is envisaged that all rail vehicles capable of providing hotel power using the coupler of the present invention will be equipped with contacts and / or other arrangements for switching on and off the high-power electrical supply to coupler 2, the control of which switching function will be influenced (among other things) by a coupling event signal. The coupling event signal will be arranged to rapidly switch off the high-power electrical supply to coupler 2 (via the second connection set) when the second connection set of a pair of couplers according to the present invention is about to be coupled. The coupling event signal will also be arranged to initiate a procedure for reconnecting rods 40a, 40b, 40c to the hotel bus of the rail vehicle only when all coupling or uncoupling activities have been completed. While this function can be covered by other methods on the rail vehicle, additional local protection for coupler 2 is advantageous for added safety in the event of a rail vehicle failure or when coupler 2 is not in use.

[0128] Thus, in addition to disconnecting rod contacts 51a, 51b, 51c from rods 40a, 40b, 40c during extension or retraction of coupler head 80, the control system also arranges for this disconnection to be maintained for periods after or before coupling, when coupler head 80 contacts are in the process of connecting or disconnecting to another coupler. Only when it is determined that the coupling process is fully completed are rod contacts 51a, 51b, 51c allowed to re-engage rods 40a, 40b, 40c. When coupler 2 status is "retracted, not in use", the control system ensures that rod contacts 51a, 51b, 51c remain disconnected.

[0129] The contact configuration at coupler head 80 will be described below.

[0130] The hotel bus control mechanism provides a convenient local contact that can be incorporated into the overload protection circuit to protect the hotel bus wiring. This avoids the need to provide that function elsewhere. The hotel power source may include its own overload protection arrangement, but because there may be multiple power sources on the same train consist, these devices may not necessarily match the capacity of all the hotel bus wiring to which they are connected. Also, while hotel power installations are useful for some types of vehicles, the maximum allowable current of high-power electrical wiring is much greater than required by railcars (perhaps sufficient for long luxury tourist passenger trains), and costs can be saved by using low-current wiring for the hotel bus connections. Therefore, by using the local overload protection arrangement inherent in coupler 2, the allowable current supply can be matched to the capacity of the hotel bus wiring installed locally on the railcar.

[0131] In some embodiments, if the current requirements of a particular vehicle are not too great, the rods 40a, 40b, 40c may instead be replaced with a relatively thick conductive wire / cable arranged to extend or retract the required distance, for example, by using a helical or folded cable or by winding the cable on a spring-loaded reel. Additionally, the contact function of the rods and rod contacts may be replaced with an alternative suitable arrangement to provide disconnection of high power lines during coupling or uncoupling operations and under overload conditions.

[0132] 6a and 6b show coupler head 80. As previously described, coupler head 80 is attached to flange 28b of tube 10 via insulating plate 43a (seen in FIG. 3a). Coupler head 80 comprises a substantially rectangular body 86 having an inner surface that attaches to insulating plate 43a and an opposing outer surface configured as a coupling interface 84 using the Scharfenberg concept.

[0133] In this embodiment, insulating plate 43a is a separate member to which coupler head 80 is attached, providing a chamber within coupler head 80 for termination of plate 43a to couple to interface contacts at coupling interface 84. In other embodiments, insulating plate 43a may be integral with coupler head 80.

[0134] The coupling interface 84 includes a mechanical coupling arrangement and interface contacts for coupling the first and second connection sets. The mechanical coupling arrangement is arranged to mechanically couple the coupler head 80 to the coupler head of another coupler upon (or after) contact between the pair of coupler heads. The interface contacts for the first and second connection sets are arranged to couple the connection sets to other couplers after mechanical coupling has occurred between the couplers.

[0135] A mechanical coupling arrangement is attached to a central portion of coupling interface 84 and includes a Scharfenberg cup 81 and cone 82, and is arranged to align coupler head 80 with the cup and cone of another coupler head before a link contained within cone 82 engages the Scharfenberg disk in the cup of the other coupler head, mechanically coupling the pair of coupler heads together.

[0136] Typical of Scharfenberg couplers is the inclusion of arrangements for controlling the pneumatic interface connection via an orifice 77 in coupling interface 84 that is arranged to interrupt the pneumatic interface connection if coupler 2 is not fully and properly coupled to another coupler. Coupler head 80 also includes a pneumatic cylinder (not shown) for initiating the mechanical decoupling of coupler 2 from another coupler during the decoupling process. The pneumatic cylinder is controlled by a solenoid valve within coupler head 80 that admits compressed air to the cylinder when commanded by an electrical signal from the coupler control system, as will be described below.

[0137] Those skilled in the art will understand how the mechanical coupling arrangement and interface contacts for the first and second connection sets can be coupled to another coupler by a Scharfenberg coupler (i.e., via a Scharfenberg cup and cone).

[0138] In some embodiments, the coupling interface 84 may be configured with alternative coupling concepts to appropriately couple the connection portion of a rail car coupled to another coupler with a coupler head and interface contact.

[0139] The interface contacts for the electrical (both low and high power) and optical interface connections are arranged on either side of the mechanical interlocking arrangement as two sets of interface contacts: a male set of contacts 83 and a female set of contacts 84. The spatial arrangement of the interface contacts provides a wide but limited height configuration of the interlocking interface 84. This arrangement is suitable for mounting locations of coupler 2 under a rail car close to the railroad tracks where available vertical height is limited.

[0140] The female contacts 84 are fixed on one side of the coupler head 80, and the male contacts 83 are located on the other side of the coupler head 80, but are movable relative to the coupler head 80. After mechanical interlocking between a pair of coupler heads, the male contacts 83 are arranged to move toward and connect with the female contacts of the other coupler head; this technology is well known, and those skilled in the art will understand how to implement this feature. All male contacts, electrical and optical interface connections, move together under the control of a connection control process, as described below. The placement of the male contacts 83 on one side of the coupler head 80 and the female contacts 84 on the other side provides the symmetry required for connection with another opposing coupler head in the opposite direction. The interface signals from each vehicle that connect to the coupler head contacts are duplicated, with each signal traveling in parallel to both the male contact and its equivalent female contact.

[0141] This arrangement is advantageous because both groups of contacts 83, 84 do not need to successfully couple to individual contacts on the other coupler to successfully effect a connection between the individual railcars. In other words, if some or all of the connections in one of the contact pairs fail due to, for example, a failure in the movement mechanism of the male contacts on one coupler head or trapped debris causing poor contact between the contacts of a particular pair, the other properly contacted pairs in the contact group are sufficient to maintain the connection of the pair of railcars. In this way, the interface contacts of coupling interface 84 are more reliable than arrangements that provide only one set of contacts.

[0142] In some embodiments, although less preferred, there may be more or less than two sets of interface contacts.

[0143] Splitting the coupler 80's electrical interface into two sets of interface contacts (i.e., male and female contacts) is advantageous because it limits the total current that can be supplied by a single electrical interface contact, and in this embodiment, splits the total current between the male and female electrical contacts to 100 A per electrical contact. In this way, if one of the pair of high-power electrical interface contacts does not connect properly (e.g., due to a failure of the male contact 83's movement mechanism), the hotel bus current capacity will be halved. The control system can detect this situation, and when in use, only the allowable current for the installed wiring is permitted (for both the male and female electrical contacts), and the hotel bus control mechanism is configured to switch off the hotel bus connection if an overcurrent is detected. In many cases, half of the total maximum current that can be supplied by the hotel bus, that is, supplied by one of the pair of electrical contacts, will be sufficient current capacity to allow normal operation of the railcar to continue. The control system flags this fault so that remedial action can be taken later. These configurations supplement the local overload protection capabilities of coupler 2 and further protect the hotel bus wiring.

[0144] A second connection set termination arrangement for dividing the hotel bus current capacity between the individual electrical interface contacts at male and female contacts 83, 84 is shown in Figure 7a.

[0145] The outer ends of rods 40a, 40b, 40c protrude beyond the outer surface of insulator plate 43a (opposite coupling interface 84) and are housed within coupler head 80 along with termination box 45a. The end of each rod 40a, 40b, 40c is connected to an electrical interface contact at coupling interface 84 via a high power conductive cable.

[0146] More specifically, in this embodiment, the end of each rod 40a, 40b, 40c is configured with two pairs of high-power conductive cables (e.g., 50 A per cable), one connecting to male electrical contact 70 that is part of male contact 83, and the other connecting to female electrical contact 71 that is part of female contact 84. In this manner, each of electrical contacts 70, 71 provides half the total current capacity of the hotel bath, i.e., 100 A. In some embodiments, the pair of high-power conductive cables can be replaced with more or less than two conductive cables.

[0147] Each of a pair of high-power conductive cables is threaded through a central bore of a current transformer 72 mounted at or near the end of a respective rod, with the high-power conductive cables forming the primary winding of the transformer 72 and the secondary winding formed by wire turns wound around a laminated core of the current transformer 72. Each of the rods 40a, 40b, 40c is connected to a pair of current transformers, one for each pair of conductive cables.

[0148] In this embodiment, the upper rod 40b forms the grounded center tap of the hotel bus power supply, while the other rods 40a, 40c each supply the "live" 1000V supply voltage. The contacts of the electrical contacts 70, 71 on each rod carrying the live voltage supply are reversed, with each conductive rod bonded to a middle contact on one side and a bottom contact on the other side. This ensures that when two railcars are coupled together, the conductive rods for each live connection are on the same side of the train, rather than opposite sides, to facilitate testing of these connections.

[0149] A circuit schematic for the interconnection between high power electrical male and female contacts 70, 71 at a pair of coupling interfaces in accordance with the present invention is shown in Figure 7b, with the circuit schematic for coupler 2 to the right of dotted line D and the circuit schematic for the other couplers to the left of dotted line D. The overload protection arrangement for coupler 2 is also shown; for clarity, only the current transformer arrangements for the other couplers are shown. The circuit arrangements are functionally identical, with each coupler having substantially the same circuit configuration.

[0150] The hotel buses from the rail cars connected to the rods via rod contacts include one hotel bus line 76a, 76b, 76c for each rod, which are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 7b. Current can flow through the lines 76a, 76b, 76c in either direction, depending on the location of the current source and load in the consist. Current passing through the current transformer induces a voltage in the transformer's secondary winding. This voltage is measured by the current sensing arrangement 73 after dropping across the transformer's load resistance.

[0151] The length of the wiring between a conductive rod and its male electrical contact is not necessarily the same as the length to its female electrical contact. However, when a pair of couplers is mated, the combined length between the two interconnected conductive rods is always divided in parallel between the long and short cables in series. As a result, when both electrical contact pairs are connected without obstruction, the current will be divided equally between both conductive paths.

[0152] A current sensing arrangement 73 measures the voltage from the current transformer using a rectifier and threshold sensing arrangement and if the voltage exceeds the equivalent of the maximum current carrying capacity through any one conductive path or the sum from the two conductive paths of the hotel bus lines exceeds the wiring capacity installed on the particular railcar then a sensing arrangement output signal 74 is generated which requests that the hotel bus lines 76a, 76b, 76c be disconnected from the rods. This signal 74 is passed via an OR gate function to a contactor control circuit 75 which is arranged to cause the hotel bus to disconnect by operating the contactor motor 65 as previously described.

[0153] A second signal 79 coming from the control system of coupler 2 is also connected to an OR gate function, which indicates whether any coupling or decoupling activity is in progress or whether the current state is "discoupling," to ensure that the hotel bus is again disconnected from the rod. The OR gate function is provided by the control system via software or as a hardware component. In this way, the hotel bus can be disconnected from the rods 40a, 40b, 40c during a current overload situation and / or a coupling or decoupling process.

[0154] In some embodiments, the output signal 74 is also arranged to indicate to the control system that an overload has occurred, and can be reset once the fault is resolved.

[0155] The overload protection arrangement in coupler 2 only accepts the high current of the hotel bus line itself as it passes through the railcar from one end to the other. All low current circuits within the railcar supplied by the hotel bus have their own dedicated overload protection such as circuit breakers or fuses as appropriate.

[0156] In some embodiments, the current sensing arrangement 73 and / or current transformer may not be present and therefore no overload protection functionality may be present.

[0157] In another embodiment, coupler 2 does not include the second connection set, i.e., the high-power electrical coupling arrangement for the railcar's hotel bus. This is because some railcars (e.g., simple freight wagons carrying minerals) do not require the high-power electrical supply of a hotel bus and are never used in a train consist that requires distributing hotel power between a power source (such as a locomotive) and other railcars that require that power. In this case, because these railcars do not require hotel bus wiring, coupler 2 does not include all of the components associated with the second connection set coupling as described above (i.e., the conductive rods and insulators, the contact frame and rod contacts, the current transformer and high-power cables, the contact motor and mechanism, etc.). This provides an inexpensive coupler suitable for railcars without hotel bus wiring. All other components of coupler 2 are the same as described above (i.e., the telescopic mechanism, coupler head, first connection set arrangement, etc.). This provides a cost-effective coupler 2 with a universal basic design suitable for most railcars.

[0158] Finally, terminated low power electrical and optical connections from termination box 45a are coupled to the respective interface contacts between male and female contacts 83, 84 (not shown). The terminated pneumatic connection is coupled to the pneumatic linkage arrangement at orifice 77, which includes an isolation valve that opens only when the pair of couplers are properly coupled. A branch from this compressed air connection also leads to a solenoid valve before the isolation valve, which is normally closed but admits air into the decoupling cylinder when the decoupling process is performed.

[0159] The protective cover arrangement for coupler head 80 will now be described. Referring back to Figures 6a and 6b, the cover arrangement includes arc-shaped first and second shields 85a and 85b. Shields 85a, 85b are pivotally mounted to body 86 of coupler head 80 via pivots 87a, 87b on both the top and bottom surfaces (not shown) of coupler head 80. In this manner, shields 85a, 85b can rotate substantially 90 degrees between an open position (shown in Figure 6a) and a closed position (shown in Figure 6b).

[0160] In the closed position, outer edges 95a, 95b of shields 85a, 85b contact one another, with shields 85a, 85b forming a substantially semicircular housing that covers and encases coupling interface 84. In this manner, coupling interface 84 is protected from the surrounding environment, making coupler 2 robust and able to withstand harsh environmental conditions such as those encountered at the front end of a train entering a snowstorm or sandstorm. Shields 85a, 85b are in the closed position when expandable tube 10 is in the retracted position, as described below.

[0161] In the open position, the shields 85a, 85b are substantially parallel to one another, and the outer edges 95a, 95b are substantially flush with, and expose, the mating interface 84. In this manner, the shields 85a, 85b do not physically obstruct the mating interface 84, allowing the mating interface 84 to be mated to the mating interface of another coupler during the mating process. The shields 85a, 85b are in the open position when the mating interface 84 is mated to another coupler. In this mated position, the outer edges 95a, 95b abut against the corresponding edges of the other coupler.

[0162] Shields 85a, 85b include elongated protrusions 88a, 88b, 88c (a fourth protrusion not shown) that run the length of the shield on both the top and bottom surfaces of the shield. In the closed position, these protrusions form elongated flanges that are substantially parallel to coupling interface 84. When coupler head 80 is retracted into housing 90, the flanges are positioned to cover the vertical clearance between coupler head 80 and housing 90, i.e., the clearance required to allow extension mechanism 6 to pivot vertically in use.

[0163] Because coupler head 80 is significantly wider than extension mechanism 6, corresponding flanges on the sides of coupler head 80 are not needed. In the retracted state, coupler head 80 is received in housing 90 and is securely held in place by a wedge arrangement (described further below) that holds coupler head 80 firmly against rattle when subjected to vibration. In the retracted state, coupler head 80 is thus adequately sealed against hazards such as snow that can penetrate the coupling mechanism and reduce the reliability of the coupler in conventional coupler designs.

[0164] Figures 8a and 8b show top views of coupler head 80, and Figures 8c-8e show bottom views of coupler 80. As shown in Figure 8d, shields 85a, 85b are positioned such that they are held in an intermediate position between the closed position (shown in Figure 8c) and the open position (shown in Figure 8e), approximately 70 degrees away from the closed position of shields 85a, 85b (i.e., outer edges 95a, 95b are 70 degrees away from their positions in the closed position).

[0165] In this embodiment, the retention arrangement of the shields 85a, 85b is achieved via respective springs 94a, 94b connecting between the shields 85a, 85b and the bottom surface of the body 86 of the coupler head 80. In other embodiments, the retention arrangement may be achieved using a suitable arrangement other than a spring.

[0166] Outer edges 95a, 95b project axially beyond coupling interface 84 (i.e., toward the other coupler) so that outer edges 95a, 95b contact the outer edge of another coupler when the pair of couplers are brought together. The shape of shields 85a, 85b, along with their respective spring arrangements and projections, allows shields 85a, 85b to slide freely in any direction relative to the shield of another coupler to accommodate initial misalignment that may exist between the coupler heads during the coupling process.

[0167] Dampers 93a, 93b, connecting between shields 85a, 85b and body 86 of coupler head 80, act as shock absorbers. If misalignment causes one pair of opposing shields to contact before the other pair, springs 94a, 94b and dampers 93a, 93b urge the pair of coupler heads to pivot toward each other. In other words, the shield spring arrangement urges the coupler heads to properly orient relative to each other as they are gradually drawn toward each other (i.e., via an extension mechanism) before the cups and cones of the coupler heads contact each other to complete the alignment process.

[0168] Each outer edge 95a, 95b includes a pair of opposed projections 89a, 89b, 89c, 89d that prevent the outer edge 95a, 95b from inadvertently latching inside the edge of the other connector when the pair of connectors first contact each other, which can occur during the coupling process if there is a large initial misalignment between the connector heads in both the horizontal and vertical planes as the shields 85a, 85b are held between the open and closed positions at approximately 70 degrees.

[0169] As the coupler heads are drawn together (i.e., via their respective telescoping mechanisms), the outer edges 95a, 95b of the shields 85a, 85b are gradually displaced axially toward the coupling interface 84 until they are substantially parallel with the coupling interface 84, as shown in FIG. 8e, and the outer edges 95a, 95b are biased against the outer edges of the shields of the other coupler. In other words, the shields 85a, 85b move from the intermediate position to the open position. During this transition, the Scharfenberg cup 81 and cone 82 guide the coupler heads into proper alignment so that the outer edges 95a, 95b of the shields 85a, 85b form a seal with the edges of the corresponding shields of the other coupler. As a result, the coupler heads are well protected from the harsh ambient environment.

[0170] If snow accumulates on the shields 85a, 85b when in the closed position, the snow is either largely undisturbed as the shields 85a, 85b rotate, or is shaken off when the pair of shields first contact each other during the coupling process. This reduces the risk of unreliable operation of the coupler 2 due to snow getting into critical parts of the coupling mechanism, as critical parts of the coupling mechanism are only accessible from the outside environment for a short period of time, such as a few seconds, when the shields 85a, 85b move from their fully closed to their fully open positions.

[0171] When the coupler heads are in contact and properly aligned, the cups and cones of the coupler heads are positioned to mechanically engage one another, mechanically interlocking the coupler heads.

[0172] The shields 85a, 85b are arranged to move from an intermediate position of Figure 8d to a closed position when the coupler head 80 is retracted into the housing 90. This is achieved through interaction between parts of the housing 90 and the coupler head 80 that biases the outer edges 95a, 95b of the shields toward one another, as shown in Figure 8a.

[0173] The housing 90 includes two pegs 91 a, 91 b positioned to help bias the shields 85 a, 85 b into the closed position. The pegs 91 a, 91 b are positioned on the housing 90 to receive respective beveled surfaces 96 a, 96 b on the inner edges of the shields 85 a, 85 b, rotating the shields 85 a, 85 b to the closed position when the coupler head 80 is retracted into the housing 90. When the shields are in the closed position, the beveled surfaces 96 a, 96 b are received by corresponding beveled surfaces on the housing 90 and engage flange protrusions, helping to maintain the shields 85 a, 85 b in the closed position. This wedging action is facilitated by using a slightly resilient material, such as nylon, for the outer edges 95 a, 95 b, which provides a good environmental seal when the shields 85 a, 85 b are closed, allows for easy sliding when engaging with the shields of another coupler during coupling, and has low adhesion to limit the risk of the shields 85 a, 85 b sticking together due to frost in cold conditions. In this way, the coupling interface 84 is covered and protected when the coupler 2 is not in use in the retracted position.

[0174] In this embodiment, the rear casing of the coupler head 80 is asymmetrical, with the top half of one side cut away to provide space for the extension motor 24 when the coupler head 80 is in the retracted position. One side houses a stationary female contact 84 that does not move and does not require a movement mechanism, so this area does not require much space inside the coupler head 80. The male contact 83 side of the coupler head 80 has a deeper top half to provide space for the mechanism that moves the male contact 83. The dotted lines in Figures 8a and 8b show how the inner surfaces of the shields 85a, 85b are arcuate, providing sufficient clearance for a conventional Scharfenberg cup 81 and cone 82.

[0175] Within housing 90, when coupler head 80 is extended from the retracted position to clear housing 90, springs 94a, 94b pull shields 85a, 85b open to the intermediate position (shown in FIG. 8d) because the shields are no longer biased against each other by pegs 91a, 91b and the beveled surfaces of housing 90. Dampers 93a, 93b limit vibration as shields 85a, 85b spring open from the closed position to the intermediate position.

[0176] Figure 8b shows coupler head 80 extended within housing 90 from its retracted position to the minimum coupling distance of coupler 2. Coupler head 80 is coupled to another coupler, which is not shown in this view for clarity. This minimum coupling distance is necessary to allow for lateral rotation of coupler 2 when the railcar is negotiating a very tight curve in the railroad track. Much greater extensions than those shown in Figure 8b are typical.

[0177] When the connector head 80 is extended from its retracted, "idle" position, the shields 85a, 85b spring open as soon as movement away from the housing 90 is permitted. However, in some cases, the shields 85a, 85b may freeze together in icy conditions and not open, despite the nylon edges. To address this, the shields 85a, 85b include angled rims 97a, 97b adjacent the pivots 87a, 87b that are configured to contact the pegs 91a, 91b when the shields 85a, 85b are extended from their retracted position. The angle of the rims 97a, 97b works in combination with the force exerted by the extension mechanism to separate the shields 85a, 85b, and once separated, the springs 94a, 94b take over, allowing the shields 85a, 85b to open normally.

[0178] The shields 85a, 85b not only provide environmental protection for the coupler head 80, but also the ability to detect whether another coupler is in the immediate vicinity. Two microswitches 98a, 98b are mounted on the underside of the coupler head 80 (shown in FIG. 8d). The switches 98a, 98b include rollers that are depressed by extended edges 99a, 99b of the shields 85a, 85b when the shields 85a, 85b rotate past the intermediate position toward the open position. This rotation occurs only when the coupler head of another coupler is in close contact with the coupler head 80. The microswitches 98a, 98b can detect this scenario via the depression of their respective rollers due to contact with the extended edges 99a, 99b. The microswitches 98a, 98b, springs 94a, 94b, and dampers 93a, 93b are protected from the environment via a cover (not shown in FIGS. 8c-8e) attached to the bottom side of the body 86 of the coupler head 80 to house the microswitches 98a, 98b, springs 94a, 94b, and dampers 93a, 93b. This cover does not interfere with movement of the coupler 80 in and out of the housing 90. In some embodiments, the microswitches 98a, 98b may be replaced by other equivalent sensors.

[0179] Output signals from microswitches 98a, 98b indicate when another coupler is in proximity / contact with coupler head 80. These output signals may be utilized by the control system of coupler 2 to control the rate of extension (or retraction) of coupler head 80 when a pair of coupler heads are in contact with one another. In some embodiments, switches 98a, 98b are connected via an OR function such that when either one (or both) is activated, an output signal is generated indicating that another coupler is nearby.

[0180] Because the movement of coupler 2 is damped to some extent, misalignment of the coupler is not immediately corrected to overcome the damping effect but requires time due to the springs 94a, 94b and other forces. Therefore, the final stage of the coupling process is desirably performed relatively slowly to minimize transient movement of the railcars as coupling occurs. When the pair of coupler heads separate, the initial extension of coupler 2 from the retracted position occurs quickly to minimize the total time required for coupling and provide for rapid train reconfiguration. When the coupler heads contact each other, the control system detects this via output signals from microswitches 98a, 98b and is configured to significantly slow down extension motor 24 so that the final stage of coupling occurs gently. Finally, once coupling is complete and the Scharfenberg mechanism (i.e., cup 81 and cone 82) of coupler head 80 successfully locks the pair of coupler heads and the two railcars, a sensor in the mechanism generates a signal to the control system to stop extension motor 24. The cars are coupled almost imperceptibly, in contrast to current methods, which inevitably cause some shaking during the coupling process.

[0181] The same speed control technique is used during uncoupling, but in reverse. First, the Scharfenberg disc rotates for uncoupling, slowly retracting the coupler 2 just as the engaged coupler head begins to disengage. The control system detects via microswitches 98a, 98b that the coupler heads have released and the shields 85a, 85b have rebounded to their intermediate positions. Once this occurs, the control system is configured to speed up the extension motor 24, causing rapid retraction of the coupler 2 to its retracted, "unused" position within the housing 90. This configuration results in a quiet yet fast uncoupling process, contributing to safe, timely, and efficient service for customers.

[0182] Thus, the absence of an output signal from either of the microswitches 98a, 98b indicates that the coupled coupler has physically disengaged from the coupler head 80 and that the microswitches 98a, 98b are no longer triggered from contact with the extending edges 99a, 99b, which may not occur when expected in some operating situations.

[0183] If uncoupling occurs when both cars are stopped and all brakes are fully applied, separation of the coupler heads relies solely on the retraction process of the coupler telescoping mechanisms, a process that takes a well-controlled and known time. However, uncoupling is also possible when the cars are moving; a common example is a "hump" train, where a railcar is uncoupled while being propelled up a slope, disengages from the propelling railcar after reaching the top, and is accelerated down the slope away from the propelling railcar. In this situation, there can be a significant delay between the uncoupling operation and the actual separation of the two railcars.

[0184] In this case, coupler 2 cannot be retracted to its "unused" position in the usual relatively short time because its continued extension (at least to some extent) is required to generate propulsion. Here, retraction of coupler 2 does not need to be relatively rapid, since it takes some time before coupler 2 can be used to connect another railcar. Such an operation is detected using a simple timer arrangement in coupler 2's control system. The timer is set to provide an output after a delay from the time the Scharfenberg disc uncoupling operation is performed. This delay is slightly longer than the typical time it takes for shields 85a, 85b to return to their intermediate position when all railcars have stopped. When the output signal from microswitches 98a, 98b disappears as expected (or goes low, etc., depending on the logic arrangement used), the retraction process continues as normal. If the output signal from microswitches 98a, 98b has not disappeared (or is still high, etc.) by that time, the coupler heads will still be in some degree of contact, and the retraction process is immediately stopped. If such an event occurs, the control system is configured to register the event and will not resume the retraction process until the output signals from both microswitches 98a, 98b are consistently absent for a longer period of time determined by a second timer. This second time delay provides protection against the small possibility that the propelled railcar may temporarily separate from the propelling railcar but then reconnect due to a change in grade, acceleration or deceleration for some reason, etc. In this manner, coupler retraction will occur only when the propelled railcar is no longer temporarily in contact with the propelling railcar, but not for a sufficiently long period of time that subsequent reconnection between the propelled and propelling cars becomes extremely rare.

[0185] A similar situation can arise when a railcar (or group of railcars) is detached from the front of a main train consist traveling on a major rail line, and the railcar accelerates away from the main train using its own tractive effort rather than gravity. Timer delay arrangements also address situations where decoupling can occur shortly before the actual departure of the detached railcar. Furthermore, timer delay arrangements are also suitable for decoupling a railcar or group from the rear of a train consist at high speeds, the same technique once used for "slip coaches" detached from the rear of express passenger trains to provide service to intermediate stations. Modern detached cars may have their own tractive effort rather than relying on momentum, so they do not necessarily separate from the main train immediately upon decoupling, and timer delay arrangements address this situation.

[0186] In some cases, a moving group of rail cars can be coupled without being stopped before the coupling takes place. The extension process of coupler 2 allows the rail cars to approach slowly with little speed difference to reach the optimum coupling distance, and then be coupled gently with minimal sway. Such an operating method is envisaged to transform the flexibility and level of service offered by railways in the future, particularly in the operation of mixed freight trains, and will also benefit the energy efficiency of these cars.

[0187] Thus, shields 85 a , 85 b are configured to indicate both the proximity of another coupler and when a coupled coupler is decoupled from coupler head 80 .

[0188] A control system for coupler 2 will now be described. A schematic of control system 100 is shown in Figure 9. Control system 100 is arranged to control and operate the various components and functions of coupler 2. This may be accomplished, for example, via a controller in electrical communication with local electronics modules distributed throughout coupler 2 in proximity to the components it is controlling and / or sensing, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0189] In particular, the control system 100 is arranged to control the operation of the extension motor 24 and the extension mechanism 6. In this manner, the control system 100 can control the extension and retraction of the telescopic tube 10 between an extended position and a retracted position.

[0190] The control system 100 is also arranged to control and monitor (among other things) the switching of the rod contacts 51 a, 51 b, 51 c to control the hotel bus power supply, the coupling process of the male and female contacts 83, 84 to other couplers, and the mechanical coupling process of the Scharfenberg cup 81 and cone 82 arrangement to other couplers.

[0191] Additionally, the control system 100 is also arranged to communicate with the control systems of other couplers to control such that the coupling or uncoupling process between a pair of couplers can be synchronized, as will be further explained below.

[0192] For external control of some of the functions of coupler 2, control system 100 is also configured to receive a number of inputs from a train management system, either locally on the railcar to which coupler 2 is attached, or preferably by a comprehensive car identification and communication system operating over a train information bus that allows train management computers anywhere in the coupled consist to access the characteristics, functions, and control of the railcars and their attached couplers. In some embodiments, control system 100 alternatively or additionally receives wireless inputs directly or indirectly via another car controller so that coupler 2 and the coupling and uncoupling process between a pair of railcars is controlled remotely, for example, from a control center at a marshalling yard, rather than from the car itself or other cars coupled to it.

[0193] In this embodiment, there are three inputs to control system 100: Request to Engage (RTC), Request to Uncouple (RTU), and a Lock command which, when set, prevents coupler 2 (or railcar) from responding to requests to couple or uncouple with another coupler (or railcar). In other embodiments, there may be fewer or more of these commands depending on the functionality desired for coupler 2 during manufacture, and these functions may be added or removed after manufacture via software / firmware changes to the control system of coupler 2.

[0194] In addition to activating the various functions described above, outputs from the control system 100 include status flags to confirm that coupling or uncoupling was completed successfully, fault flags to indicate any problems have occurred, and the aforementioned coupling event signal which is coupled to the entire consist and is activated when there is any activity regarding a potential impending change in the consist.

[0195] As previously mentioned, coupler 2 includes a wireless communication system configured to transfer commands between the control systems of the rail cars before they are coupled together. This may be accomplished, for example, using radio, ultrasonic, infrared, or other wireless communication methods. In other words, the transmitter "Tx" and receiver "Rx" of the communication system, as well as the frequency, modulation, and coding scheme of the communication system, are configured to allow coupler 2 to wirelessly communicate with another coupler.

[0196] The wireless communication system utilizes short-range communication and in this embodiment is configured to transmit and / or receive a small number of different commands, preferably five, although in other embodiments the wireless communication system may be configured to transmit and / or receive more or less than five commands.

[0197] The receiver part of the communication system is arranged to be always active to receive commands from another coupler on another railcar, including when power is not supplied to coupler 2 and / or the corresponding railcar, in which case control system 100 is configured to go into a standby mode such that the overall power consumption of control system 100 is relatively very low and a small back-up battery is sufficient to provide this power.

[0198] In this embodiment, power to operate coupler 2 and charge the backup battery is supplied from the 230V DC power source used to power the ECP (Electronically Controlled Pneumatic) brake system, which is linked through all rail cars, whether or not they have a hotel bus power connection. In other embodiments, there may be other configurations for powering coupler 2 and the backup battery from other connections on the rail cars.

[0199] In some embodiments, small solar panels or other energy recovery devices on the railcar are arranged to power a backup battery so that even if a railcar including coupler 2 is left unused on a siding indefinitely, coupler 2 will still respond to a train consist that comes to retrieve it after an extended period of time using another coupler of the present invention.

[0200] For example, to avoid interference between transmitters and receivers of the same communication system due to reflected transmitted signals being directed back to the receiver, the transmitter is configured to provide an "inhibit" signal to the receiver so that the receiver does not respond as long as the transmitter is active. In this way, the receiver will only respond to transmitters at other couplers on other vehicles, and not to transmitters at its own coupler 2.

[0201] In this embodiment, commands sent and received by the communication system of the coupler 2 to another coupler include Request to Attach (RTC), Request to Disconnect (RTU), Agree to Attach (ATC), Agree to Disconnect (ATU), and Reject Request (RD), which are used to control the attachment and detachment process between a pair of couplers according to the present invention.

[0202] For example, as shown in Figure 9, when a train management system on a first railcar including coupler 2 sends an RTC command to control system 100, transmitter 102 is configured to transmit the RTC to another coupler on a second railcar. The received RTC is interpreted by receiver 104 on the other coupler, and if the "lock" function has not been activated (i.e., via a lock command), receiver 104 is configured to generate an agreement to couple (ATC) command that sets a "couple status request" latch 106 on the second railcar to a "couple please" state. Once this occurs, transmitter 102 on the second railcar is configured to transmit the ATC back to the first railcar. After the ATC is interpreted by receiver 104 on the first railcar, receiver 104 is also configured to set a "couple status request" latch 106 on the first railcar to a "couple please" state.

[0203] If the "lock" function is activated on the second railcar, receipt of the RTC at receiver 104 does not cause a change in "connection status request" latch 106. Instead, transmitter 102 is configured to send an RD back to the first railcar. Also, a "reject" latch 108 is set on the second railcar, which can be read by the train management system for that consist to indicate that a request to change connection status was made by another railcar but was rejected. As a result of receiving the RD message back on the first railcar, the "connection status request" latch 106 on the first railcar does not change its state, but instead the "reject" latch 108 is set to indicate that a request was made but not acted upon.

[0204] In a similar sequence of events after receiving the RTU, if the "lock" function is not active, the "connection status request" latches 106 on both railcars are reset to the "unconnect request" state, both "connection status request" latches remain unchanged, and if the "lock" function is activated, the "reject" latches are set.

[0205] Apart from special test modes for maintenance purposes, the coupling status of a railcar cannot be changed independently of that railcar. Before coupling or uncoupling can proceed, the interconnected systems first check that the coupler of the second railcar agrees to take the same action, and both control systems of the couplers take the same action at approximately the same time.

[0206] The "lock" function is useful for several purposes. Once a train is assembled, it is desirable to lock all couplers in their current state for added security against incorrect commands due to staff error, software errors, or stray communications from neighboring trains. Furthermore, conflicting instructions to staff can lead to confusion about the correct course of action. For example, the driver of a train arriving at a station where another train is due to be coupled may not know that the train is malfunctioning or that the wrong train is somehow positioned. The lock function prevents local staff from coupling the arriving train, and the driver of that train is notified by the control system of the denial of the coupling attempt and is prompted to consult with local staff about what to do next. Locks on adjacent couplers can be set to the same or different states as needed. If the lock on a first railcar fails but the lock on a second railcar is activated, the first railcar cannot initiate coupling to the second railcar, but the second railcar can initiate coupling to the first railcar.

[0207] Because the "lock" function is typically controlled by a locomotive's train management system somewhere in the consist, for example, there is a risk of erroneous operation if a railcar incorporating a coupler of the present invention becomes isolated and is no longer coupled to any train management system. For example, suppose a freight train arrives at a siding and the locomotive uncouples from the front of the consist. The locomotive's train management system must first unlock the coupler at the front of the lead freight train; otherwise, the locomotive would not be able to uncouple. If the locomotive's train management system did not unlock the coupler at the rear of the consist before uncoupling, the connecting engine would not be able to couple to the rear of the train to swap the freight train. To address this, the control system 100 is configured to reset the "lock" function to an unlocked state on all cars when power (supplied from the locomotive or other car with the train management computer) is removed, which in this embodiment is the 230V DC power source used to power the ECP brake system. In this way, the current coupling status of each coupler does not change, but the resetting of the locking function ensures that the isolated, unpowered railcar will always be allowed to couple with other railcars (having the coupler of the present invention) that come to retrieve it.

[0208] Once the control system 100 determines the appropriate state of the coupler, i.e., to initiate coupling or uncoupling, via any command signal, the previously described processes occur to achieve the desired result, i.e., coupling or uncoupling coupler 2 with another coupler. As shown in Figure 9, once each coupling process is confirmed to be successfully completed, an "end" signal (E) is passed to initiate (S) the next coupling process in the sequence. The coupling / uncoupling processes include an extension / retraction process that extends or retracts coupler 2 via extension motor 24, a connection / disconnection process that connects or disconnects mechanical coupling links 81, 82 and interface contacts 83, 84 within coupler head 80, and a contactor process that connects or disconnects the high-power hotel bus lines to or from conductive rods 40a, 40b, 40c.

[0209] For example, when the state of the "request coupling state" latch 106 is set to the "please couple" state through the exchange of commands as described above, the extension motor 24 is activated, causing the extension mechanism 6 to rotate, extending the telescopic tube 10 and coupler head 80 in the housing 90 (first rapidly, then more slowly as the coupler head 80 contacts the other coupler, as described above). As the coupler head 80 gradually extends and aligns with the other coupler head, as the coupler heads approach each other, the links in the Scharfenberg cups 81 and cones 82 contact and rotate the disks of the opposing couplers, causing the links to engage notches in the disks, which spring back and mechanically couple the coupler heads, mechanically coupling the railcars together. This event switches off the extension motor 24, stopping the extension process. The male and female contacts 83, 84 then contact and couple with each other, coupling the first set of connections between the railcars. Finally, rod contacts 51a, 51b, 51c are switched to connect the high power hotel bus lines to rods 40a, 40b, 40c, linking a second set of connections between the rail cars.

[0210] When the state of the "Mate Status Request" latch 106 is set to the "Uncouple Please" state through the exchange of commands as described above, these processes occur in reverse order: the rod contacts are switched to uncouple the hotel bus line from the rod, the male and female contacts of the coupling interface 84 are uncoupled, and the uncoupling cylinder 116 operates to rotate the Scharfenberg disc against the spring and disengage the link in the cone 82 from the disc of the other coupler, mechanically uncoupling the coupler heads from each other. The coupler 2 is then retracted from the extended position to the retracted position in the housing 90 (slowly at first, then more quickly, as the coupler head 80 no longer contacts the other coupler, as described above).

[0211] In this embodiment, control system 100 is configured to check various signals from the coupling or uncoupling processes via a separate monitor logic unit 118 to ensure that these processes are occurring as intended. Upon completion of the coupling (or uncoupling) process, logic unit 118 generates a "coupled" or "uncoupled" signal that is provided to the train management system of the rail vehicle. If a fault occurs in these processes, a "fault" signal is generated so that the cause of the fault can be investigated. These fault signals can be checked by the train management system to ensure that the intended action was performed.

[0212] As previously mentioned, the coupling event signal is generated by the control system 100 and configured to be distributed throughout the train consist via dedicated contacts in the coupler head 80. This signal is provided to any hotel power control systems so that hotel power can be temporarily switched off during coupling or uncoupling operations upon receipt of the coupling event signal. The coupling event signal is also provided to all train management systems. In this case, upon receipt of the coupling event signal, the train management systems are configured to determine the new configuration of rail cars and calculate what operational constraints apply to the new configuration. In some embodiments, the coupling event signal is provided to other systems that need to be updated about the train configuration change; for example, the seat reservation computer automatically sends information via the train information bus to the displays of the newly added cars.

[0213] The coupling event signal is equivalent to the "Coupler Switch" signal of application GB2487224, which is incorporated herein by reference. Additionally, this signal includes a momentary pulse from the RD function and indicates an ongoing coupling or uncoupling operation as previously described. This function can interrupt the train management system, detect the presence of the RD "request rejected" flag, and then alert staff that the coupling or uncoupling attempt has failed so that they can investigate. Interacting with the energy management function, the coupling event signal pulse can cause a momentary interruption of the hotel power supply; this rare occurrence can serve to alert all staff that an error has occurred and requires investigation.

[0214] The connect event signal line, shown in the lower left of Figure 9, is at a positive voltage level from the positive voltage power supply +V via a pull-up resistor R and is pulled low / ground (i.e., grounded) by the switch when it is activated. The control systems for the couplers in a train consist according to the present invention are connected in parallel to the same connect event signal line. This arrangement ensures that, if a pair of couplers operate at slightly different speeds, the faster-operating coupler will ground its connect event line first during the coupling or uncoupling process and will only return the connect event signal line to the positive voltage power supply +V when the slower coupler has finished. As a result, if the connect event signal line is grounded before the hotel bus contact of the faster coupler moves far enough to operate, the hotel power supply is quickly switched off, and the connect event signal line rising high again indicates to the train management system that all coupling or uncoupling operations have ended and a search for a new train consist can begin.

[0215] The diode D in series with the pull-up resistor R ensures that the inactive link event signal line rises to the highest voltage connected in the train consist when the supply voltages +V of different rail cars are different (for example, due to different battery charge levels). Since no current flows in the link event signal line circuit in the inactive state, this configuration minimizes power consumption.

[0216] Figures 10a to 10h show an overview of the principle of the coupling process between a pair of railcars including a coupler according to the present invention. As shown in Figure 10a, a first railcar 1a and a second railcar 1b include a first coupler 2a and a second coupler 2b, respectively.

[0217] Couplers 2a, 2b are mounted on the underside of railcars 1a, 1b (i.e., on the side of the railcar facing the railroad tracks) near the end of railcar 1a, 1b (i.e., near the end of the railcar facing another nearby railcar). This arrangement provides clearance to allow extension of tube 10 when railcars approach or when the coupler is retracted unused within housing 90, and is easiest to locate below the main structure of the railcar. The low position of the couplers allows the railcar floor to be lowered; for example, flat freight trains can carry containers through height-restricted tunnels, and passenger cars with uniformly low floors and corridor connections provide step-free access from higher platforms.

[0218] Furthermore, this arrangement allows the end of a railcar to have both a coupler according to the present invention and a conventional coupler disposed thereon, providing the option of utilizing either the coupling system of the present invention or a conventional coupling system. This is useful because a "dual-equipped" railcar having both a coupler (according to the present invention) and a conventional coupler can be coupled to other railcars that do not have a coupler (according to the present invention), helping to ease the transition of railcars from utilizing the conventional method to utilizing the method of the present invention.

[0219] When such a dual-equipped railcar needs to be coupled to another railcar having only a conventional coupler, coupler 2 is fully retracted so that it is not in use and does not come into contact with the other railcar. On the other hand, when the dual-equipped railcar needs to be coupled to another railcar having a coupler in accordance with the present invention, both couplers can be extended sufficiently to ensure that the conventional coupler does not come into contact with the other railcar.

[0220] A first railcar 1a is stationary and a second railcar 1b is approaching, which comes to a halt some distance away (as shown in Figure 10b) and has its brakes fully applied.

[0221] As shown in Figure 10c, an RTC signal is sent from coupler 2b requesting permission to couple to coupler 2a. The RTC signal is typically initiated by the arriving railcar (car 1b in Figure 10c), but may come from either car 1a or 1b.

[0222] When railcar 1a receives the RTC signal and agrees to couple as described above, it returns an ATC signal to railcar 1b as shown in FIG. 10d to confirm that permission to couple has been granted.

[0223] Successful reception of the ATC signal by railcar 1b initiates the coupling process of coupler 2b, which begins to extend outward from its retracted, "unoccupied" position (within housing 90). Reception of the RTC signal by railcar 1a, combined with the transmission of the ATC signal, also initiates the coupling process on that vehicle. Because the signal exchange occurs quickly compared to the physical movement of the couplers, both couplers 2a, 2b essentially begin to extend simultaneously. A short time later, both couplers are partially extended, as shown in Figure 10e.

[0224] The couplers 2a, 2b extend until they contact each other, at which point the coupler heads (and individual connections) interlock and the extension process automatically stops, as shown in Figure 10f. Because both couplers 2a, 2b begin extending at the same time and extend at approximately the same rate, the connection between them will be approximately centered between the two railcar ends. Variations in the rate of extension (due to friction effects or different power levels, for example) will result in an off-center connection, i.e., one coupler that has extended less will be matched with the other coupler that has extended more.

[0225] As a result, coupler 2 allows for a considerable gap between the cars. If the railcars stop farther apart than intended, couplers 2a, 2b extend further to accommodate this extra distance, as shown in Figure 10g. Conversely, if railcars 1a, 1b are approaching each other after braking a little later than intended, couplers 2a, 2b extend only a short distance, as shown in Figure 10h. In this way, coupler 2 can accommodate a variety of operating conditions for railcars 1a, 1b.

[0226] In other words, the distance between the retracted position and the extended position defines a variable coupling range of the coupler 2, and when the coupler 2 is extended to at least its minimum coupling distance, i.e., when the coupler 2 is extended from the retracted position outside the housing 1, the coupler 2 can engage and couple with another coupler at any distance along its coupling range.

[0227] As mentioned above, once the coupler heads are securely attached to each other, various checks are automatically performed to ensure that all systems are in the correct state, and the train management systems are alerted that the train consist has changed so that they can determine what modes of operation are now possible and agree which of these management systems will exercise control over the new train consist.

[0228] Once coupling is complete, the telescoping mechanisms of both couplers 2a, 2b are locked into place and the rail cars 1a, 1b remain the same distance apart for as long as they are coupled.

[0229] Uncoupling of railcars can also occur when all railcars are stationary and fully braked. The train management systems of the coupled consist agree (after various safety checks) where in the consist the separation (via the uncoupling of a pair of couplers according to the present invention) will occur. A uncoupling command is then sent to the control system of one of the couplers on either side of the intended separation point in the consist. Subject to RTU and ATU signals being exchanged between the couplers in question as described above, the coupler heads (and their respective connections) will uncouple and be retracted / retracted towards their retracted positions until the couplers reach their retracted "unused" positions at the car ends.

[0230] As previously mentioned, it is also possible to couple or uncouple cars while they are moving under certain circumstances, if necessary, such as when all cars are stopped and their brakes are fully applied, as shown in FIG. 10. The coupler and its control system of the present invention do not themselves impose any restrictions on the conditions under which a coupling or uncoupling command can be issued. The coupler and its control system simply act based on the instructions given to couple or uncouple, and a new coupling state is recorded when the required actions conflict. The definitions constraining what actions are allowed under what conditions are the responsibility of the train management computer and other control systems. This allows new working methods and changing operating rules to evolve over time by making changes to the software of the train management computer and / or other local or remote management systems, without making any changes to the coupler or control system of the present invention. Operating rules may change according to the type of car—for example, hump connections are allowed for freight cars but not passenger cars—and this difference is accommodated by the train management computer or other components that understand the rules and the type of car they are handling.

[0231] Returning to FIG. 1 , in this embodiment, the coupler 2 includes a cover housing 3 positioned to occupy the dotted line shown in FIG. 1 . In this way, the coupler 2 is protected from the environment and the electrical components, described below, are hidden during operation. The cover housing 3 is large enough to accommodate all of the motion of the coupler 2. When the coupler reaches its "idle" retracted position, the off-center retracted coupler 2 is first urged back to a balanced, central position by the shields 85a, 85b contacting the housing 90, which, together with the wedging action described above, helps the coupler 2 move toward the center position. Therefore, the angular displacement of the insulator 43b decreases toward the inner end of the extension mechanism 6, and the angular clearance required for the insulator 43b decreases as the distance from the central pivot point increases. As a result, the cover housing 3 is only slightly wider at the inner end of the coupler 2 than at the outer end adjacent the housing 90.

[0232] Near the end of a typical rail car, the area below the main structure occupied by the coupler and its housing and cover usually does not contain any major components (wheels away from the end of the car), and therefore coupler 2 is sized to occupy this area.

[0233] In some embodiments, coupler 2 may be integrated with the rail cars such that it can extend and retract to perform coupling and uncoupling processes and pivot appropriately with movement between rail cars on the rail track.

[0234] In some embodiments, a lightweight elongated bellows-type cover (not shown in FIG. 1) having a rectangular cross section may be used between the rear of the coupler head 80 and the gimbal frame 30 to protect the telescoping tube 10 and the conductive rods 40 a, 40 b, 40 c depending on the degree of elongation during use.

[0235] In some embodiments, a damper (not shown in FIG. 1) may be mounted between the housing 90 and the gimbal frame 30 to block lateral vibrations between the coupled rail cars for better stability.

[0236] In summary, Coupler 2 is intended for mainline railways that carry a variety of freight over significant distances and use a variety of different types of rolling stock. Smaller railway networks limited to one type of train (such as urban subways) do not require interoperability and therefore typically opt for a unique, simple coupling arrangement.

[0237] Coupler 2 is intended to be a universal mechanism that allows coupling and uncoupling between all kinds of railcars using a variety of different train configurations, including conventional locomotives pulling unpowered passenger or freight cars, multi-unit trains with groups of cars combining towing capacity with passenger or freight capacity, motorized and unpowered car-and-trailer style trains, long freight trains with multiple locomotives distributed in various ways along the consist, passenger trains pulled by locomotives that do not provide power for the train's lighting, heating, and air conditioning but instead derive power from a generator car somewhere in the consist, driver's cabs for motorized or unpowered cars, motorized cars with or without driver's cabs, cars with regenerative or dynamic braking to supplement conventional friction braking, and cars with large energy storage facilities suitable for supplementing traction or electrical power.

[0238] Some types of trains (particularly diesel or electric passenger-carrying multi-units) have functions distributed among groups of cars. In this case, the cars cannot be operated separately and must function together as a group in a fixed formation for proper operation. Typically, such cars are semi-permanently coupled using bar couplers, separated only at stations for maintenance and replacement purposes. Within a group, provisions may be made to distribute traction power between cars, for example, from a transformer on one car to the traction motor on another. Because there may be a wide variety of different requirements specific to a particular train design, the couplers and interfaces between such cars must be specifically designed for that application. However, the coupler 2 of the present invention can be coupled to the outer end of a group, effectively treating the multi-unit as a single car for train formation purposes. This not only allows for the normal coupling of several multi-unit trains, but also allows for the attachment of a simple non-powered passenger car to one or more multi-unit groups if additional capacity is required via the coupler of the present invention.

[0239] The extension and retraction mechanism of coupler 2, together with the coupling arrangement of coupler head 80 and coupling interface 84, results in a coupler (in accordance with the present invention) that does not require physical contact with another coupler in order for the coupler to be coupled. In this way, coupler 2 does not suffer from all of the disadvantages associated with the connection process of conventional couplers, as outlined above. Instead, railcars with couplers in accordance with the present invention only need to be stopped reasonably close together, without touching, within certain tolerances, for coupling to be achieved at various distances and operating conditions.

[0240] The coupling process according to the present invention has many advantages compared to conventional methods. The rail cars are stopped without contact with each other, avoiding the swaying that can result from a collision between two rail cars. Furthermore, the extension / retraction process is controlled with a defined speed and force. The extension process stops automatically when the coupler head couples, and its operation does not depend on the skill of staff or the dynamics of the train to operate it correctly. As a result, the coupling operation causes minimal disturbance to the already stopped cars and there is no risk of damage to property or injury to passengers.

[0241] The unique ability of trains to significantly change capacity and, if necessary, redeploy portions of their consist to other trains is a huge potential advantage not available to road, air, or sea transport competitors. In many cases, this important advantage is not currently being effectively utilized due to the limitations of current coupling systems.

[0242] When using the coupler of the present invention, all railcars can be stationary and fully braked, so the coupling and uncoupling process is not dependent on railcar movement; once a railcar is within the coupling range of coupler 2, no further coupling is required. A connecting locomotive combining freight cars for a train at a freight yard does not have to wait for the actual coupling to occur; once a freight car is in position, the locomotive can uncouple and immediately go to get the next freight car. Once all railcars for the train are in position, the coupling process can be initiated either by the connecting locomotive with the train management system, the arrival of the train's locomotive, or another railcar.

[0243] Loading or unloading of passengers or cargo can occur as soon as the railcar stops, without having to wait for the coupling or uncoupling operation to be completed. In fact, coupling or uncoupling and loading or unloading can occur in parallel, resulting in an overall reduction in time compared to current methods.

[0244] Separating coupling / uncoupling operations from railcar movement facilitates last-minute decisions about train configurations: railcars are lined up in anticipation of specific freight requirements to be coupled into a train configuration, but some railcars can easily be removed without interrupting the loading / unloading process if traffic is light or would be better handled by a different train.

[0245] The coupler 2 of the present invention provides significant opportunities for time, cost, and energy savings and improved reliability in rail services by eliminating many of the challenges of conventional automatic couplers. It facilitates train configuration changes, enabling more attractive services that improve rail's competitiveness relative to other modes of transport. Furthermore, the coupler 2 encourages future innovative ideas for automating train operations.

Claims

1. A coupler (2) for connecting railway vehicles to each other, comprising: An extendable connector body (10); An extension mechanism (6); a controller (100) arranged to operate the telescoping mechanism (6); a support housing (20) for mounting the coupler (2) on a railway vehicle; The connector body (10) and the telescopic mechanism (6) are mounted in the support housing (20), the coupler body (10) has a coupling interface (84) arranged to receive a connection portion of a rail vehicle for coupling with a coupling interface of a second coupler; the telescopic mechanism (6) is actuated to move the coupler body (10) relative to the support housing (20) by any distance between a contracted position and an extended position so that the coupling interface (84) and the coupling interface of the second coupler can be coupled to each other regardless of the movement of the railway vehicle, and the distance between the contracted position and the extended position defines a coupling range of the coupler (2); the distance between the coupling interface (84) and the support housing (20) increases as the coupler body (10) moves from the retracted position toward the extended position; the coupling interface (84) is arranged to engage with the coupling interface of the second coupler upon contact between the coupling interfaces such that the coupling interface (84) can engage with the coupling interface of the second coupler at any distance within the coupling range without requiring any movement of the railway vehicle.

2. 2. The coupling of claim 1, wherein the telescoping mechanism is substantially cylindrical and is mounted to the support housing via a bearing arrangement (16a, 16b) such that the telescoping mechanism is axially constrained but free to rotate relative to the support housing.

3. The connector body has a first end (11) having the coupling interface and an opposite second end; at least a portion of the connector body between the first end and the second end has a substantially cylindrical portion, the telescoping mechanism substantially surrounds the cylindrical portion and is threadedly engaged with the cylindrical portion, and rotation of the connector body is constrained; further comprising drive means arranged to rotate the telescoping mechanism when actuated by a controller; 3. A coupler according to claim 2, wherein the drive means includes a locking mechanism arranged to prevent rotation of the telescoping mechanism when the drive means is not activated.

4. The connection interface is an inner terminal portion (45a) positioned substantially facing the second end portion and adapted to receive the connection portion of a railway vehicle; and an outer connector head (80) opposite thereto, The coupler head comprises: engagement means (81, 82) arranged to reversibly engage with the connector head of the second connector upon contact between the connector heads; a coupling contact portion adapted to connect from said inner terminal end to said connecting portion of a railway vehicle and to reversibly couple to a coupling contact portion of said second coupler upon engagement between said coupler heads.

5. the support housing is mounted to the rail vehicle via a gimbal frame (30), the support housing being rotatably mounted to the gimbal frame via a bearing arrangement (31 a, 31 b); the gimbal frame is rotatably mounted to the rail vehicle via a bearing arrangement; 5. The coupler of claim 4, wherein the gimbal frame is attached to the railcar via a coupler housing (90), the coupler housing substantially enclosing the coupler body such that the coupler head is within the coupler housing when the coupler body is in the retracted position.

6. the coupler head further comprises a cover arrangement (85a, 85b) arranged to cover the coupler head when the coupler body is in a retracted position to protect and / or seal the coupler head and to expose the coupler head when the coupler body is in an extended position; the cover arrangement includes a first cover (85a) and a second cover (85b) pivotally mounted to the coupler head for movement between an open position and a closed position; In the open position, outer edges (95a, 95b) of the first and second covers are substantially flush with the coupling contacts of the coupler head so that the coupling contacts are exposed, and in the closed position, the outer edges of the first and second covers contact each other so that the coupling contacts are located between the first and second covers and the coupler head; the first and second covers are held in an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position, and the coupler housing has housing protrusions (91 a, 91 b) arranged to engage the first and second covers when the coupler body is moved to a contracted position such that the first and second covers are biased toward each other to move to the closed position; 6. The coupler of claim 5, wherein the first and second covers are arranged to move from the intermediate position to the open position upon contact with the first and second covers of the second coupler.

7. the first and second covers have elongated projections (88a, 88b, 88c) arranged to form flanges against the connector housing when the connector body is in the retracted position; 7. The coupler of claim 6, wherein the first and second covers have sensors (98a, 98b) positioned to detect movement of the first and second covers from the intermediate position to indicate proximity of the second coupler.

8. the connection portion of the rail vehicle includes a first connection set and a second connection set; 8. The coupler of claim 5, wherein the second end has an opening into the coupler body, and the inner terminal portion is positioned to receive the first connection set through the opening.

9. The support housing has elongated beams (33a, 33b) that receive the connector body and are substantially parallel to the connector body; 9. The coupler of claim 8, wherein the coupler body has an elongated groove facing the beam, and the beam has an elongated protrusion positioned to engage the groove to allow axial movement but limit rotational movement of the coupler body.

10. 10. The coupler of claim 9, wherein the beams are attached together at ends distal from the support housing via a plate (34), and the openings are positioned to receive the first connection set through the plate.

11. 11. The connector of claim 10, wherein the first connection set coupled between the inner terminal end and the plate is helically arranged to allow for expansion and contraction of the first connection set.

12. 12. A coupler as described in any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that the inner terminal portion and the second end portion have protruding portions that protrude radially relative to the longitudinal direction of the coupler body, and the protruding portion of the inner terminal portion is arranged to receive the second connection set via the protruding portion of the second end portion.

13. the first set of connections includes at least one or more of a low power electrical connection, a pneumatic connection, and an optical connection; 13. The coupler of claim 12, wherein the second set of connections are high power electrical connections.

14. 14. A coupler according to claim 12 or 13, characterized in that the second connection set comprises a conductive rod (40a, 40, 40c) attached between the protruding portion of the inner terminal end and the second end, and connected at the second end to a hotel bus of the railway vehicle.

15. 15. A coupler according to claim 14, characterized in that the rod is connected to the hotel bus via rod contacts (51a, 51b, 51c) arranged to switch engagement and disengagement with the rod.

16. The rod contact portion is attached to the support housing via an insulating frame (50); 16. The coupler of claim 15, wherein the insulating frame has brushes (66) that contact the rods, and movement of the rods relative to the brushes removes oxidation from the rods.

17. 17. A coupler as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the controller is arranged to operate the coupling interface to communicate with a controller of the second coupler and to synchronize coupling and decoupling of the coupling interface with the coupling interface of the second coupler.

18. 18. A method of controlling a coupler according to any one of claims 1 to 17, comprising the steps of: receiving a connection request command from the second coupler (2b); sending a connection agreement command to the second coupler; extending the coupler body from the retracted position toward the extended position; engaging the coupling interface with the coupling interface of the second connector upon contact between the coupling interfaces; and connecting at least a portion of the connection portion of the rail vehicle to a coupling interface of the second coupler.

19. an elongation rate of the connector body is reduced upon contact between the connection interface and the connection interface of the second connector; 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the rate of contraction of the connector body is increased when the coupling interface is no longer in contact with the coupling interface of the second connector.

20. extension of the connector body is stopped upon engagement between the coupling interface and the coupling interface of the second connector; 20. The method of claim 19, wherein contraction of the coupler body is initiated upon disengagement between the coupling interface and the coupling interface of the second coupler.

Images