Patent GB-224990-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to electric coupling devices for railway vehicles
IPC: B61G5/06
Filed: 1923-09-11
Abstract: 224,990. Tomlinson, A. V., (Westing- house Air Brake Co.). Sept. 11, 1923. Plug couplings; two-part couplings combined with electric switches. Relates to train couplings of the type in which a contact-carrier is projected. to engage a counterpart on an adjacent vehicle. The mechanism, which is actuated by the coming together of the coupling is relieved of the pressure of the contact-carrier restoring-spring before the mechanism has completed its motion so that substantially no reaction occurs in the coupled position and the proper locking of the mechanical car couplers is not interfered with; these may be of the type described in Specification 9560/01. The contactcarrier is hung on and steadied by swinging links and is operated through toggles so as to be locked by over-shcoting these in the coupled position. Fluid pressure operated means is arranged to break the toggles and permit the restoring spring to withdraw the contact-carrier before the mechanical couplers are unlocked. The actuating rod is disconnected from the contact-carrier in the coupled position and variations in contact pressure thereby are avoided, the pressure exerted on the contacts being only that due to their spring mountings. The contacts on the centre line and to one side thereof are resiliently mounted the remainder being fast in the carrier. Means are incorporated for automatically closing certain circuits upon the withdrawal of the contact carrier and opening them upon coupling. The carrier may be withdrawn manually by a loosely-coupled hand lever and a cover for the face of the coupling is operated through a lostmotion connection. The contact-carrier 2 is hung inside the casing 1 upon three links 3 and steadied by two horizontal links 8, 9 at front and rear. A restoring spring 65 tends to retain it in retracted position. It is projected by a tappet rod 10 which rocks a square shaft 16 through links 12 and a dog 15 engaging a notch in a boss 14 fast on the shaft. This shaft is coupled to the contact-carrier at each side thereof by a toggle consisting of an arm such as 17 fast on the shaft and a link 23 pivoted to the contactcarrier. Near the end of the coupling movement the toggles are overshot and the links 23 thrown against stops 69, locking the carrier in a position slightly behind its fully advanced one. At the same lime the heel of the dog 15 is engaged by an adjustable stop 70 in the casing to disconnect the rod from the boss 14 and shaft 16. The links 23 are pivoted on a rod 24 in the carrier which may be mounted in adjustable eye-bolts 101. The arm 17 actuates also a rod 31 in engagement with a roller 30 which turns a shaft 27 carrying arms 33 to which a cover 26 is pivoted at each side; this cover is thus drawn down against a spring 37 coiled round the shaft 27, rollers 35 on its upper extremity travelling down grooves 36 in the sides of the casing 1. The rod 31 works between rollers 32 and is so shaped as to slip over the roller 30 and lock the cover door when this has been withdrawn. Fouling of the contacts upon uncoupling may be prevented by projections from the sides of the contact-carrier which enter the track of the cover. Each toggle 17, 23 comprises a slot 22 and a spring pin 67; the contact-carrier is not therefore moved until the cover has been withdrawn. To retract the contact-carrier before unlocking the mechanical coupler a valve 76 is operated manually 'to supply fluid pressure from a pipe 83 through a passage 79 to a piston which presses a pin 75 in one of the stops 69 upon a link 23 and breaks the toggles. The spring 65 throws back the ccntactcarrier while the cover and the mechanism are returned to their original positions by the other springs. A channel 80 and tappet 84 simultaneously convey fluid pressure to operate the counterpart coupler, and the movement of the toggle-breaking piston uncovers a port leading to a pipe 85 leading to the mechanical coupler mechanism. The tappet 84, Fig. 2, carries a spring ring 108 in a groove so that it may be insulated in position by screwing in a sleeve 107. The contact-carrier may be withdrawn and the mechanism reset by a hand lever 91. To use the lever it is freed from a swinging link on the casing and drawn sideways to engage a channel 99 in its boss with a pin 98 projecting from the shaft 16. When the lever is not in use the pin, 98 lies in a circumferential groove communicating with the channel 99. The contact members 41 have square faces to give a maximum contact area and are kept bright by the relative sideways movement due to the type of mechanical coupler used and by the slight vertical movements due to the link suspension of the carrier. They have recesses filled with moulded insulating material 51 to decrease the liability to leakage. They are mounted in the two parts 39, 40 of an insulator secured by a frame 57 and bolts 58 in the carrier. The contacts are connected to terminals 47 having split plugs 48 by sleeves 49 and springs 50. The resilient contacts enclose springs 55 and slide in sleeves 53 with which socket terminals connect as just described. The leads carry plugs 56 to engage the socket terminals. The train cable is clamped to the carrier by bolts and a sleeve 60 which forces segments 59 into tight engagement with the cable covering. A dust excluding washer 104 is carried by the sleeve. In order to close certain circuits upon uncoupling, metal sleeves carrying insulating material 88 are fixed by split pins on the shaft 16 and contact members moulded in the insulating material are arranged to bridge spring contacts 89 carried by insulating blocks 90 bolted to the carrier 2. The relative motion between these contacts keeps them clean.