Device for interconnecting a portal passageway between two rail vehicles

An intermediate portal protecting an intercommunicating gangway between two coupled vehicles, particularly railroad cars. The portal comprises two mirror-symmetrical parts which are detachably connected to each other. The portal is closed on all sides and mounted for lateral displacement relative to the cars. On a straight track, the portal contour is flush with the contour of the cars. The parting surfaces between the portal and the respective car are designed to maintain a definite narrow gap therebetween under any operating conditions, as long as a supporting and guiding structure can follow these parting surfaces in parallel motion. To this end, the invention provides a supporting and guiding arm by which the portal is guided both horizontally and vertically by means of cam tracks conformable to the parting surfaces which are preferably spherical.

FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates in general to the construction of passageways 
between two operating vehicles and in particular to a new and useful 
mechanism for interconnecting portal passageway portions of a rail vehicle 
maintaining cooperating parting surfaces at equal spacing. 
German OS No. 32 33 794 discloses a flush protective structure for 
thru-communication between cars connected by central buffer couplers, 
comprising an all-round closed portal which, on a straight track, has a 
contour aligned with the cars. The parting surfaces between the cars and 
the portal are spherical and the gap therebetween is bridged by a 
resilient sealing cover. The portal comprises two similar parts which are 
detachably connected to each other and to the horizontally pivotal central 
buffer couplers. While negotiating curves, the central line of the 
couplers ceases to be aligned with the central line of the portal, and 
becomes offset in parallel. That is why the portal must be mounted on the 
coupler for lateral displacement. Such a mechanism is expensive and raises 
problems of space and sealing. 
German Pat. No. 27 57 201 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,065) discloses an 
intercommunication structure between railroad cars. A supporting structure 
therefore is formed by a bridge guide construction with a support on the 
car body side, connected in the manner of a universal joint. This 
construction supports a bridge part at the car body side and guides a 
lengthwise telescoping bridge support at the portal side which is 
connected to the associated portal part in the manner of a spherical 
joint. A lengthwise resilient ball-and-socket coupling rod connected to 
the car body guides the associated portal part along in the lengthwise and 
transverse directions. If it is desired or required to keep the load of 
the portal off the couplers, the load may be taken up by an upper guide 
system comprising a roller chain mechanism. In such an instance, two 
supporting arms of the structure form a rigid yoke which is suspended by 
both its ends from two slides which are guided in the longitudinal 
direction by the pivotal arms mounted for swinging about a vertical axis. 
Hinged to the slides is a single or double supporting arm which is 
pivotable about a transverse axis and detachably jointed to the respective 
part of the portal. This prior art system is not capable of guiding the 
portal in all degrees of freedom to maintain a definite gap at the parting 
surfaces between the portal and the car, particularly if the parting 
surfaces are spherical and the gap is protected by a resilient sealing 
cover which cannot be loaded. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is directed to a jointing construction for both supporting 
railway car portal and for making it possible to accurately guide the 
portal relative to the car end, i.e. to guide it while maintaining a 
predetermined gap between the respective parting surfaces. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide for 
interconnecting a portal passageway between two rail vehicles which 
include a portal and an engagement member connected to an end of one of 
the cars which have curved opposed parting surfaces and which includes 
means for articulating the portal and member so that the surfaces are 
maintained at proper spacing. 
A further object of the invention is to provide a device for 
interconnecting portal passageways between vehicles which is simple in 
design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture. 
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are 
pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part 
of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its 
operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference 
is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which 
preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring to the drawings in particular the invention embodied therein 
comprises a device for interconnecting operating portal passageways or 
assemblies between two rail vehicles so as to maintain parting surfaces 
15a and 15b in a predetermined relative relationship during opeation of 
the vehicle. Parting surface 15a is on a portal 1 between two cars and 
parting surface 15b is on an end of one of the cars 2, only one car 2 and 
the right hand portion of portal 1 is shown in FIG. 4 while FIG. 3 shows 
only the upper parts of the portal assembly. 
The portal 1 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 comprises, on its end facing the car 
2, an abutment member 3 extending along the entire periphery of the portal 
and having a contour and the parting surface 15a corresponding to an 
associated engagement member 4 provided on the end of the car 2 and having 
surface 15b. Both surfaces are designed as spherical portions having a 
common center at a point M (FIG. 3) situated in the lengthwise median 
plane indicated by a dash-dotted line in FIG. 2 where the projection of 
point M is designated M.sub.1. The portal 1 is supported and guided by 
means of a carrying arm 5 at the top and a carrying arm 6 at the bottom so 
as to permanently maintain a constant narrow gap along the predetermined 
speherical parting surfaces 15a, 15b having slightly different radii and a 
common center of curvature M. 
The carrying arm 5 is mounted, preferably above the passage opening, for 
lengthwise displacement and for horizontal pivoting about a fixed axis 
located intermediate its ends. The arm 5 is received in a guide sleeve 12 
within which it is lengthwise displaceable. Sleeve 12 is mounted for 
horizontal pivoting on a bracket 7, by means of two opposite vertically 
aligned pivot pins 13 (extending respectively above and below sleeve 12) 
received in corresponding recesses 14 of the bracket 7. Bracket 7 is fixed 
to the car end and projects to both sides of the car end wall 11. 
Engagement member 4 projects beyond end wall 11 and is fixed to this end 
wall. 
Further provided in bracket 7 is a curved guide 9 in which slide or roll 
elements, particularly rollers 8, that are carried on the car side end of 
arm 5, are engaged for positively guiding the arm in pivotal motion. 
Sleeve 12 is secured against rotation about its longitudinal axis by 
elements 10 which project from either side of the sleeve. Elements 10 (one 
is shown in dotted line in FIG. 2) ride beween parts of bracket 7 for this 
purpose. Curved guide 9 is conformed to the extension of parting surfaces 
15a, 15b which are embodied by the surface of abutment member 3 and the 
engagement member 4, opposing each other. Guide 9 may simply be a curved 
slot in bracket 7. On its end remote from the car body, arm 5 carries a 
cross piece 17 which is mounted thereon for horizontal swinging, by means 
of a bolt 16. Cross piece 17 guides the up and down movement of arm 5, by 
means of sliding blockes 22 secured by screws 21, and guides 19 which are 
provided in a fixed frame 18 and preferably embodied by curved slots 20. 
Slots 20 are shaped to correspond to the extension of parting surfaces 
15a, 15b and have a radius R centered at the common center of curvature M. 
The shape of the guide 9 is of a design to reproduce an instantaneous 
definite radius R.sub.1 through arm 5 in any deflected position between 
the car 2 and portal 1, in accordance with the lever arms ratio 1.sub.1 to 
1.sub.2. Radius R.sub.1 is the distance between center M.sub.1 and the 
center of bolt 16 embodying the swinging axis of cross piece 17. 
In other words, the shape of curved guide or slot 9 is selected so that 
when the portal 1 with its parting surface 15a swings its spherical motion 
about the car 2 with its parting surface 15b, a fixed gap is always 
maintained between parting surface 15a and 15b. This is because the 
opposite ends of the carrying arm 5 at the top, and the opposite ends of 
the carrying arm 6 at the bottom, are confined to move in a path defined 
by the curved guides on one side (through the rollers 8) and the curved 
guides 19 at the other side (through the bolt 16, cross pieces 17, sliding 
blocks 22 and slots 20). With this swinging movement, it is recalled that 
the intermediate portion of the carrying arms 5 and 6 is slidably carried 
by guide sleeves 12 which themselves are confined for pivotal movement 
about pins 13. 
Frame 18 forms a part of portal 1 and props the portal against arm 5 
through resilient and/or damping elements 23. The guide arm 6 at the 
bottom of the assembly extends below the passage opening and is similarly 
designed and mounted as arm 5. Arm 6 guides portal 1 in the same way as 
arm 5. Depending on the required conditions of oscillation and load 
distribution, guide arm 6 may be connected to portal 1 also through 
resilient or damping elements 23. In FIG. 4, which shows arm 6, all 
members designate similar parts as for the upper part of the assembly that 
center arm arm 5. 
Hinged to each of arms 5 and 6 is a transverse link 24 which extends toward 
the contour line and is horizontally pivotable, with a vertically 
extending spring loaded coupling rod 25 connecting the ends of links 24. 
While negotiating a curve, portal 1 between cars 2 is positively guided, in 
accordance with the spherical surfaces, into its position required by the 
geometry of the cars and the track, by means of the above described system 
of jointing. 
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described 
in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the 
invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied 
otherwise without departing from such principles.