Patent Application
20240101168
This invention relates to a coupler arrangement for a rail vehicle, in particular for automatic coupling systems (AC) in rail freight transportation (RFT).
An analysis of worldwide RFT activities which was conducted by Berlin University of Technology for the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) and published on 29 Jun. 2020 as “Development of a concept for the EU-wide migration to a digital automatic coupling system (DAC) for rail freight transportation” (generally referred to as Technical Report “DAC Technology”) showed that the couplings currently used in RFT (Janney and SA3) only create the mechanical connection between the wagons automatically. The BMVI proposes that the European rail freight sector upgrades from a screw coupling (SC) to a DAC Type 4. A DAC Type 4 permits automatic coupling of compressed air, electrical power, and data lines, in addition to the mechanical connection.
One type of a DAC is the Scharfenberg coupling which is, however, not used in RFT so far but is the standard for high-speed rail transportation in Europe. Scharfenberg couplings are also available as DAC Type 4. The coupler heads of a Scharfenberg coupling have a coupling profile with a cone and a cup, the cone of one coupler head being guided into and centered in the cup of the opposing coupler head during the coupling process, thereby aligning the two coupler heads. Each coupler head contains a rotating metal disc, also known as “hook plate”, which is sometimes also referred to as the heart of the coupler head. Attached to one circumferential side of the disc is a plunger, often also referred to as “coupling link” or “hoop”. On the opposing side there is a “notch” in the disc. The rotating disc is held in position by a tensioning spring, in which position the notch is drawn into and the hoop urged outwards of the coupler head. Usually, there are two of these tensioning springs provided inside the coupler head. During coupling, when the hoop of one coupler head is pressed against the disc of the opposing coupler head, its own disc rotates. Since the coupler heads are identical, such rotation of the disc occurs on both coupler heads simultaneously until the hoops of both coupler heads engage with the notch in the disc of the respective other coupler head. The discs then automatically return to their original position due to the spring force and then the coupling process is complete. This way, half of the tensile force is transmitted by each hoop. Uncoupling of the coupler heads requires an external force in order to turn the disc of one of the coupler heads against the spring force into its uncoupling position until the hoop of the coupler head slides out of the notch in the disc of the other coupler head. Since the disc of the other coupler head follows such movement, actuating the release mechanism of one coupler head simultaneously unlocks both coupler heads. The present invention is particularly useful in connection with Scharfenberg-type couplings, but is likewise useful for other couplings, in particular those in which a locking force needs to be overcome in order to release the coupling.
In RFT today, at least in Europe, uncoupling is made manually. A worker crawls underneath a side buffer to get to the couplers and uncouples the connected wagons. Side buffers are usually on each side of the coupler. According to the German General Railway Act (AEG), the free space at the end of the vehicle between the coupling and a side buffer, referred to as the “Berne rectangle”, is essential for the workers as they have to step between the wagons in order to uncouple them. Thus, there is a need to improve conditions for the workers doing the uncoupling. For instance, it would be beneficial if the workers did not have to stand between the wagons during the uncoupling process.
DE 102020119328 A1 discloses a manual uncoupling device including a hand lever attached to a pull wire so as to reduce the force needed for uncoupling the coupler head by pulling the pull wire. The hand lever is located on a lateral side of the wagon. Thus, the hand lever can be reached easily by an operator without the need to get between two wagons. The hand lever is arranged vertically and is tilted outwards from the wagon in order to uncouple the coupler head. There are rest positions for the hand lever which indicate the respective positions in which the coupler head is in a coupled and an uncoupled state. The hand lever may be designed with a removable handle bar, such that removal of the handle bar prevents unauthorized operation of the manual uncoupling device.
Alternative structures and methods for improving aspects of the uncoupling process are desired.
It is an object to provide a coupler arrangement for a rail vehicle which offers improved handling during uncoupling processes.
Accordingly, an aspect of the invention relates to a coupler arrangement for a rail vehicle, comprising a coupler head and an uncoupling device having at least one handle which is manually swivelable about an axis of rotation in a swivel direction from a first position, in which the coupler head is in a state in which it is coupled to or ready to couple with a coupler head of another coupler arrangement, into a second position, in which the coupler head is in an uncoupled state.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, the axis of rotation is horizontal and one end of the at least one handle forms a handle arm which extends in a vertical swivel plane and which has a free end that can be gripped by a person so that the at least one handle arm provides a leverage for the person, wherein the handle arm is oriented horizontally when the at least one handle is either in the first or in the second position. “Horizontally” in the present context also includes positions in which the handle is only approximately horizontal, i.e. within a range of +/−10° from an exact horizontal position, more preferably within a range of not more than +/−5° from an exact horizontal position, in which positions a worker would still have the impression that the handle is horizontal.
An advantage of the handle arm being oriented horizontally with the axis of rotation also being horizontal is that a worker can put his entire weight on the handle, in an extreme case even hanging onto the handle, wherein the levering effect and, thus, the created momentum about the axis of rotation is high as compared to, e.g., a vertically arranged lever arm. An advantage of the handle arm being oriented horizontally in either the first position, i.e. the coupler head's coupled or ready-to-couple state, or in the second position, i.e. the coupler head's uncoupled state, is that it is easily recognizable from the horizontal or non-horizontal position whether the coupler head is in the one or the other state. A further advantage is that, as compared to an upright vertical orientation of the handle, the uncoupling can be carried out faster because a worker does not have to climb as high up in order to reach the free end of the handle, because the distance from the ground up to the free end of the handle is shorter. Furthermore, if required, an extension rod can be easily attached to the handle in order to increase the leverage, wherein the free end of the extension rod can still be easily reached by a worker, as compared to a situation where the handle was oriented vertically.
Preferably, swivel of the handle between the first position and second position includes a starting position, intermediate position or end position in which the free end of the handle and the axis of rotation are on a same vertical level. Assuming that a worker will hang onto the handle at its free end with his body weight, then the lever arm is longest and, thus, the momentum created about the axis of rotation is highest when the free end of the handle and the axis of rotation are on a same vertical level. Therefore, it is advantageous if the movement of the handle between the first and second positions passes through this point.
For a similar reason it is further preferable that the angle of rotation of the handle about the axis of rotation between the first position and second position is less than 45°, preferably about 30° or less. The smaller the angle of rotation is, the lesser will the levering effect change during the movement of the handle between the two positions.
Most preferably, the handle is mounted on a front side, lateral side or rear side of a wagon or car of a rail vehicle with the horizontal axis of rotation extending perpendicularly relative to said side of the wagon. Conclusively, swivel of the at least one handle about the horizontal axis of rotation results in a movement of the handle in a plane that is parallel to the respective front, lateral or rear side. In other words, the handle will not extend outwards away from the side of the wagon upon swivelling. This increases the overall safety of the coupler arrangement.
In particular, the handle may be arranged on a lateral side of the wagon or car, in which case the horizontal axis of rotation is preferably oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coupler rod, in order to keep the space between the wagons, i.e. the Berne rectangle, substantially free of components.
While an arrangement of the handle on a front side of the wagon is generally preferred, it is nevertheless possible to mount the handle in front of a front side or rear side of the wagon or car. In this case, the free end of the handle is arranged to point towards a lateral side of the wagon. This way, the handle is manually accessible and movable from the first into the second position by a worker standing laterally relative to the wagon.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the handle is mechanically lockable by moving at least a portion of the handle in a locking direction from the second position into a third position, wherein the locking direction differs from the swivel direction. That is, usually the handle returns automatically from the second position back to the first position as soon as the weight on the handle is lifted, due to the force of the spring in the coupler head which urges the coupler head back into its coupled or read-to-couple state. However, by moving at least a portion of the handle into a third position so that the handle is mechanically locked in such third position, the handle cannot automatically return to the first position. Thus, the coupler head remains in its uncoupled state and is not ready to couple in this state. This uncoupled and not-ready-to-couple state of the coupler head is referred to as “buff state” or “buffer state” and the respective position of the handle is the “buff position” or “buffer position”. The buff state is helpful on shunting yards where the wagons are pushed uphill and where, after the top of the hump is reached, different wagons can be rolled downhill on a track by gravity. This kind of management is important in the handling of freight wagons
One important aspect of this particular buff arrangement is that the locking of the handle is achieved by movement of the handle in a direction which differs from the swivel direction. Thus, the worker who is swivelling the handle from the first to the second position can keep holding on the handle and simply needs to change the direction of motion, for instance in a sidewards direction, in order to reach the handle's third position. Thus, the movement of the handle in the locking direction may include a sideways shifting or sideways tilting of at least said portion of the handle in a direction parallel to said axis of rotation. This is easily and intuitively manageable by a worker.
In a preferred embodiment, in the third position, the handle abuts against a holder such that rotation of the handle about the axis of rotation towards the first position is prevented. The holder may have the function of an undercut under which the handle can slide and from which the handle can easily be shifted backwards in order to release it.
In order for the handle to be tiltable from the second into the third position, a joint may be provided which permits, when the handle is in said second position, sideways tilting of the handle about a tilting axis which is perpendicular relative to the axis of rotation.
The handle described so far may be a removable handle with a connecting interface for a worker to attach the removable handle via the connecting interface to the coupler arrangement. This prevents unauthorized access to the uncoupling mechanism. Preferably, the connecting interface of the removable handle comprises one part of a key-and-lock assembly. A key-and-lock assembly has a connecting interface with irregular mating structures, which are typically non-standard, thereby increasing the security against unauthorized use.
Furthermore, the movement of the handle needs to be translated in an action by which the coupler head is released to uncouple. In this regard, a cable may be provided, wherein the handle is arranged to cooperate with the cable so that, upon swivelling of the at least one handle from the first position towards the second position, the cable is being pulled. The coupler arrangement is configured such that pulling of the cable causes the coupler arrangement, i.e. the coupler head, to uncouple. In relation with the handle described so far, the cable may comprise a Bowden cable, i.e. the cable is guided in a bendable but incompressible sheath, as is well known, e.g., from bicycle cables. This offers flexibility in the positioning of the handle anywhere along the sides of the wagon.
According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there are provided two handles, namely a first handle which is preferably arranged on one side of the coupler head and a second handle which is preferably arranged on the other or opposite side of the coupler head, namely preferably on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the coupler rod. The first and second handles are functionally connected to the coupler head to uncouple the coupler head. Particularly, the first and second handles are preferably arranged on the same wagon so that either one of the first and second handles can be used to release the coupler head mounted on this wagon. Both the first handle and the second handle are manually swivelable about a respective axis of rotation in a corresponding swivel direction from a respective first position, in which the coupler head of the coupler arrangement is in the state in which it is coupled to or couplable with the coupler head of another coupler arrangement, into a respective second position, in which the coupler head is in the uncoupled state. The handles may have the same special characteristics as the above-mentioned handles. In one embodiment, the two handles are movable between the first and second positions independent from each other. In another embodiment, the configuration is such that swivelling of one of the first and second handles from its respective first to its respective second position causes swivelling of the respective other one of the first and second handles from said other one's respective first to said other one's respective second position
Usually, there is only one handle provided for each coupler head, e.g. on the front left and rear right of a wagon, because then, independent of the side of the wagon where a worker is standing, he has access to one handle to release one of the coupler heads. As mentioned previously, releasing one coupler head causes simultaneous release of the other coupler head, thereby uncoupling the two coupler heads. However, in some situations it is advantageous for the worker to be able to act on the other coupler head directly. Thus, with the provision of the second handle, this becomes possible.
In particular, the provision of a second handle in such a manner that actuation of one handle associated with one coupler head causes a corresponding action of the other handle associated with the same coupler head has the advantage that a worker standing on one side of the wagon and actuating one coupler head can easily verify whether the other coupler head has already been brought into the uncoupled state by the position of its associated handle. This is particularly helpful in situations where the other coupler head is in a buff state, because such state is not easily recognizable from the coupler head itself And even in cases where the state of the coupler head is recognizable from the coupler head itself, this is less obvious than a position of the handle when observing from a safe position which is beside the wagons and not between the wagons. The second handle thus avoids in such situations the need for the worker to crawl to the other side in order to verify whether the other coupler head is locked in the buff state.
There are various ways of how the movement of the first handle can be translated into a corresponding movement of the second handle, including the employment of chains, wires, belts, rods, etc. According to a preferred embodiment, the first and second handles are interconnected by a rod which is configured to translate swivelling of one of the first and second handles about its respective axis of rotation to a swivelling of the respective other one of the first and second handles about the respective other one's axis of rotation. For instance, both the first handle and second handle may each be attached with one of their ends to the rod and the rod is mounted to be rotatable about said axis of rotation so that swivelling of one of the handles about the axis of rotation causes rotation of the rod and, thus, causes also a corresponding swivelling of the other handle.
A cable may be connected to the rod, wherein swivelling of either one of the first and second handles from its respective first position towards its respective second position causes a pulling movement on the cable and, thereby, causes the coupler arrangement, i.e. the coupler head, to uncouple. When the axis of rotation coincides with the longitudinal axis of the rod, then the pulling movement results in an up-winding of the cable on the rod. If the axis of rotation does not coincide with the longitudinal axis of the rod, but is parallel thereto, then the cable will simply be pulled by the movement of the rod, e.g. upwards or downwards, which movement may be supported by suitable guide rollers for guiding the cable. For instance, the cable may be attached to a central section of the rod, close to the coupler head. The (single) cable is very short as compared to the alternative that both handles are directly connected to the coupler head by an own cable.
Preferably, the configuration of the coupler arrangement is such that a direction of orientation of the first handle in the first handle's first and second positions is identical to a direction of orientation of the second handle in the second handle's respective first and second positions. Thus, independent of the side of the wagon on which the worker is standing, he can unambiguously conclude from the position of the handle on his side of the wagon whether or not the coupler head is in an uncoupled and not-ready-to-couple state.
In a preferred embodiment, the first handle or an extension of the first handle is arranged to extend through a first mounting plate and the second handle or an extension of the second handle is arranged to extend through a second mounting plate, which first and second mounting plates respectively extend laterally from a front side or rear side of a wagon or car of a rail vehicle, so that the first and second handles extend along a respective lateral side of said wagon or car. Thus, the handles extend parallel to the wagon's lateral sides, whereas the afore-mentioned rod may extend in front of the front or rear side of the wagon. For instance, the rod may be mounted to the mounting plate so as to be rotatable about said axis of rotation and the handles may be mounted to the rod.
In those cases where it is desired that the two handles are mechanically lockable in a buff position, as described above, it is advantageous when locking of one handle in the buff position results in a locking also of the other handle and/or releasing one handle from the buff position results in a release also of the other handle. In this respect, according to a preferred embodiment, the configuration of the coupler arrangement is such that movement of at least a portion of one of the handles in a respective locking direction from its respective second position into a respective third position, with the locking direction differing from the handle's swivel direction, causes movement of the respective other handle in the locking direction of the respective other handle.
This can be achieved in various ways. According to a first embodiment, the configuration is such that the movement of one handle in its respective locking direction and the movement of the other handle in the locking direction of the other handle includes both a sideways shifting of at least the portion of the one handle and a sideways shifting of at least the portion of the other handle. This may be realized, e.g., in that the handles are attached to the afore-mentioned rod such that pushing or pulling one handle in a direction towards the other handle causes the rod to be pushed and pulled, respectively, in that direction, thereby transferring the pushing and pulling movement from the one to the other handle. In the simplest case the two handles and the rod may be fixedly attached to each other or integrally formed so as to form together a wide “U”.
The same effect may also be achieved according to a second embodiment, according to which the configuration is such that the movement of one handle in its respective locking direction and the movement of the other handle in the locking direction of the other handle includes both a sideways tilting of at least the portion of the one handle and a sideways tilting of at least the portion of the other handle. This may be realized, e.g., in that the handles are mounted on the afore-mentioned rod such that, while swivelling of the handles about the rod's axis of rotation causes the rod to rotate accordingly, tilting of the handles has no effect on the position of the rod. For instance, the longitudinal axis of the rod may coincide with the axes of rotation of the two handles and the handles may each be mounted on the rod in a bearing in which they can journal about a tilting axis which is perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Then, in order to transfer the tilting movement from one handle to the other, there may be provided a second rod which interconnects the two handles at a short distance from said bearing. This embodiment is advantageous over the first embodiment in that the worker, when tilting the handle, may benefit from the levering effect provided by the handle, so that the worker does not need to use much force for bringing the handles in and out of the buff position.
In the first and second embodiments described above, shifting as well as tilting of one handle in or against the locking direction causes a shifting and tilting, respectively, of the other handle in the same direction. In other words, movement of the one handle in a direction towards the wagon's lateral side in order to, e.g., bring the coupler head in the buff state would cause other handle to move away from the wagon's lateral side into its corresponding buff state. This is usually not desired. Rather, both handles should be moved either towards or away from the lateral side in order to reach the buff state, and vice versa, in order not to confuse the worker. Therefore, the first and second embodiments may be further improved by configuring the coupler arrangement such that the locking direction of one handle is opposite to the locking direction of the other handle.
This may be achieved in various ways. According to a preferred embodiment, the second rod in the second embodiment comprises two separate rod sections, each having one end attached to the handle (at a distance from said axis of rotation) and the other end attached to a return mechanism. The return mechanism has the effect that a movement of one rod section in one direction, e.g. a forward direction, causes the other rod section to move in the opposite direction, i.e. a backward direction. For instance, the return mechanism may comprise an element which is rotatable about a rotational axis that is perpendicular to the direction of movement of the rod sections, and the rod sections may be attached to this element on opposite sides of the rotational axis, preferably at an equal distance therefrom.
In the case where the coupler arrangement comprises two handles, it is not feasible to design the handles as removable handles because the worker would have to carry a couple of handles and he would have to attach the handles on both sides of the wagon in order to benefit from the advantages of having two handles. Therefore, according to a preferred embodiment, there is provided a key-and-lock arrangement acting directly on the rod, namely with a key-and-lock mechanism at both ends of the rod, The key-and-lock arrangement is so configured that the rod is prevented from rotating about said axis of rotation when one of the key-and-lock mechanisms is in its locked condition. This kind of key-and-lock assembly can likewise be used on single-handle coupler arrangements. However, in the case of a two-handle coupler arrangement, the key-and-lock mechanism at one end of the rod advantageously cooperates with the key-and-lock mechanism at the other end of the rod through the hollow interior of the rod, e.g., by means of a wire or by means of a complete pulley system, so that unlocking the key-and-lock mechanism at the one end of the rod causes unlocking of the respective other key-and-lock mechanism at the other end of the rod. In this way, the worker only has to carry one specific tool with him, the “key”, which works for all couplers of that particular type (and possibly other types).
The coupler arrangement according to an aspect of the present disclosure is particularly suitable in combination with a biasing element that is configured to permanently bias the handle or handles towards the first position. Preferably, such biasing element is constituted by a spring of a coupler head, which spring urges the coupler head into its coupled or ready-to-couple state, as is the case in the Scharfenberg-type couplings. Accordingly, the present disclosure is particularly suitable for a coupler arrangement comprising a Scharfenberg-type coupler head.
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the present disclosure, reference is made to the drawings. The scope of the disclosure is not limited, however, to the specific embodiments disclosed in the drawings. In the drawings:
As can be seen from
As can be seen from
As can be seen from
In the embodiment shown in
As shown in
However, the rod 14 is not only rotatable about the axis of rotation A but can also be shifted in the bearings 15 along the axis of rotation A. As a result, when the first handle 3′ is pulled away from the undercarriage so as to shift it under a holder (not shown) into a buff position, similar to the holder 12 in
A cable 5, not shown in
Instead of connecting the ends of the handles 3′, 3″ which extend beyond the rod 14, the second rod 14A may alternatively connect the lever arms of the handles 3′, 3″ at connecting points somewhere between the rod 14 and the free ends of the handles 3′, 3″. The distance between these connecting points and the rod 14 need only be little in order to achieve the desired sideways movement of the handles.
A disadvantage of the coupler arrangements with two handles 3′, 3″, as described above, lies in the fact that the handles 3′, 3″ move in the same direction when they are shifted or tilted between their second position and buff position, meaning that the worker has to push one handle towards the wagon into its buff position on one side of a wagon, whereas he has to pull the other handle into its respective buff position on the other side of the wagon.
The advanced second principle described above in relation to
In order to prevent that the uncoupling mechanism of a coupler arrangement having two handles 3′, 3″ is used without authorization, there is provided a locking mechanism by which rotation of the rod 14 can be blocked. The locking mechanism may comprise a locking pin 22 mounted on a shaft 23 which is rotatably mounted on the rod 14 such that the locking pin 22 can be moved into and out of a static component, such as the mounting plate 6 of the undercarriage. Such locking mechanism is provided at both ends of the rod 14, and a wire 24 is wound around the respective two shafts 23 and connects them so as to form a pulley system, i.e. rotation of one shaft 23 is translated by the wire 24 into a rotation of the respective other shaft 23. By arranging the wire 24 so that it crosses itself, e.g., in the middle of its returning path, the locking pins 22 move in opposite directions when one of the two shafts 23 rotates, as is shown in
Preferably, the locking mechanism is a key-and-lock mechanism similar to what is disclosed above in relation to
Preferred aspects of the present disclosure are specified in the following paragraphs (“paras”) below:
It is understood that this patent application is presented in good faith to establish the Applicant's right to seek patent protection for the inventions described herein. Nothing in this application shall be construed as a disavowal or relinquishment of any rights under applicable patent laws, and the Applicant expressly reserves the right to make amendments, divisions, continuations, or continuations in part, and to pursue all available legal remedies to protect its intellectual property interests. The present application is submitted without prejudice to any other pending or future applications, whether filed in the United States or in any foreign jurisdiction, which may encompass related subject matter. The inventions herein are intended to be limited only by the appended claims and their equivalents.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 198 207.7 | Sep 2022 | EP | regional |
