Patent GB-956676-A (GB)
Title: Apparatus for automatically coupling travelling railway vehicles
IPC: B61G7/04
Filed: 1961-02-03
Abstract: 956,676. Automatic devices for coupling railway vehicles. STAMICARBON N.V. Feb. 3, 1961 [Feb. 3, 1960; May 27, 1960; Aug. 25, 1960; Dec. 7, 1960; Dec. 13, 1960], No. 4241/61. Heading B7T. Apparatus for automatically coupling hook and link couplings on moving rail cars comprises means for spacing the cars a minimum distance apart for coupling, and a coupler mechanism which raises the hook and link of two respective cars and then displaces the raised link towards the hook on the other car prior to releasing the hook. The apparatus of Fig. 1 is housed in a well 3 beneath a depressed section of track 2 and is provided with a guide rail 4 which prevents the cars from leaving the rails, the cars abutting at their upper edges 6 as they pass over the well. In the path of the axles or axle boxes is a tumbler pawl 11 pivoted at 12 and movable along a guide 13 so that after a certain distance the pawl sinks below the axle boxes and topples over under the force exerted by its weighted portion 14. A rod 15 is connected to a carriage comprising side plates 16 guided for movement along a track 17 by the engagement of two bars 18 with a fixed pivot point 20 and slidable pivot points 21 on a spring returned lazy tongs 19. A bar 25 pivoted at 24 is slide guided on pivots 26 and supports a hook tilting member 27 pivoted at 28 and provided with a transverse bar 29 and a weighted part 30. Between the plates 16 is a coupling link supporting bed 31 which is slidable horizontally relatively to the carriage, and a bolt 52 fixed to the plates 16 engages a slot 53 in the sides of the bed which is supported at the rear end by a guide roller 40 on a slide 32 displaceable along a track 33 by a cam 38. The bed can be slid by engagement of a tumbler pawl 36 with a projection 34 connected by a rod 35 to the lazy tongs and guided by a slot 48. Forward movement of the bed 31 takes place against a spring 59 until a hook 41 engages a cam 50 when the projection 34 sinks in its slot 48 out of contact with the pawl 36. The link 9<SP>1</SP> of car 42 may be held on the bed 31 by spring urged claws 54, Figs. 3, 4, which are depressed when the bed is displaced relatively to the plates 16 by plates 56 fastened by springs 47 to the plates 16. In operation the pawl 11 is moved along the guide 13 by the front axle box of car 42 and moves the carriage 16 and the bars 18 at the same speed as the cars. This movement of the carriage extends the lazy tongs so that its pivot 21<SP>1</SP> advances faster than the ears, and the projection 34 engages the pawl 36 to move the bed 31 faster than the cars. During the initial forward movement of the cars relatively to the carriage 16, that is before the advance of the bed 31, the link 9<SP>1</SP> is drawn on to the bed, but as soon as the bed moves forward relatively to the carriage the link 9<SP>1</SP> is gripped by the claws 54 and moves with the carriage relatively to the car 42. The hook 44 then locks in front of the cam 50 and the projection 34 moves down the slot 48 to disengage the pawl 36 so that the bed 31 moves at the same speed as the carriage 16 and the cars. During extension of the tongs the hook raising member 27 moves forwards faster than the cars but slower than that of point 21<SP>1</SP>, and the bar 29 first pushes shackle 7 forwards and then directs hook 8 forwards and upwards, this movement being aided by slight sinking of the bar 29 owing to the downward movement of bar 25, meanwhile link 9<SP>1</SP> moves forward with the bed 31 faster than the cars. After the hook 8 has been raised the hook 41 strikes the fixed cam 51 and is released from cam 50 so that the bed 31 is retracted by the spring 59 with the link 9<SP>1</SP> gripped thereon until the link is under hook 8. At the same time the rear end of the bed is raised by roller 40 by the cam 38, the claws 54 release link 9<SP>1</SP>, and the pawl 11 is drawn downwards below the path of the axle box by the guide 13. The pawl 11 is thus disengaged and topples over so that the part 45 points upwardly, and the springs 23 then contract the tongs until the part 45 strikes against stop 46. The mechanism is so adjusted that first the hook raising member 27 moves back and releases the hook 8 into the link 9<SP>1</SP> and then the bed 31 sinks. The axle box 101 now strikes against the part 45 of the pawl 11 and topples it back into the Fig. 1 position where it is held against the stop 46 by the springs 23. The mechanism is now ready to effect the next coupling. In Fig. 5 the cars are spaced for coupling by a mechanism comprising a guided pawl 101 which may pivot about a pin 113 and is held in the position shown by a snap lock 108. As the cars move past, the axle or axle box 103 advances the pawl 101 together with carrier 114, rod 111, and lever 109 which is pivoted at 110 and guided by a track 112 and mounts a pivoted pawl 102. Lever 109 turns as it is guided by the track 112, and pawl 102 not only moves bodily forwards but also tilts forwards about the pivot 110 so that the point of the pawl in contact with axle or axle box 105 is moved forwardly more rapidly than pawl 101 so that the car 106 is moved away from the car 104 to space the cars for coupling. After travelling some distance, carrier 114 is lowered by the track 115 so that the pawl 101 clears the axle 103 which now runs over the pawl. As the pawl 101 was advanced from its Fig. 5 position the lock 108 was released, and as soon as the pawl moved clear of the axle 103 it pivoted under gravity so that its part 107 pointed upwardly. On release of the pawl 101, the carrier 114, rod 111, and lever 109 are returned to the position shown by spring or suspended weight operated means, and the second axle of car 104 returns the pawl 101 to the Fig. 5 position where it is held by the lock 108. Pawl 102 is pivoted to the lever 109 and when the axle 103 strikes it the pawl tilts forwards to allow the axle to pass and then resumes its upright position. The same effect is produced by the second axle of car 104 and the mechanism is now ready for a further operation. A similar mechanism in which the pawl 102 acts on the axle 103 for reducing car spacing is described with reference to Fig. 6 (not shown), but it should be noted that if either of the last two spacing mechanisms are used then there is no need to provide a depressed section of track as in Fig. 1. In other embodiments of spacer mechanisms, Fig. 7 (not shown), a third pawl similar to pawl 101 is provided close to the pawl 102 which serves to prevent the car 106 from moving too far from the car 104, or the third pawl can be used to limit relative approach of the cars. In Figs. 8 and 9 (not shown) a similar coupling system to that of Fig. 1 is combined with a car spacing system as described with respect to Fig. 7, but the track is not depressed and the link holding device on the bed is slightly modified, Figs. 10 and 11 (not shown). Specifications 945,550 and 956,677 are referred to.