Patent Description:
Railroad cars include couplers coupling adjacent railroad cars to each other to form the structure of a train, and each of the couplers is configured to rotate within a range of a predetermined angle in a horizontal direction to facilitate the coupling and movement of the railroad cars on a curved track.

That is, during the coupling of adjacent railroad cars to each other, the center of the coupler of each of the adjacent railroad cars is required to be arranged to be in alignment with the longitudinal axis of each of the railroad cars. Accordingly, when coupling the adjacent railroad cars to each other in a curved section of a railroad track, significant horizontal offsets exist between adjacent couplers in a lateral direction of each of the railroad cars, so the couplers are configured to rotate leftward and rightward as described above.

However, couplers are mostly coupled to each other on a straight track, and as described above, the couplers are configured to rotate leftward and rightward, so during the coupling of the railroad cars to each other, the couplers rotate leftward and rightward, and thus the railroad cars are not stably coupled to each other.

Accordingly, to solve this problem, a centering device is provided to prevent the random rotation of a railroad car coupler. Since such a conventional centering device maintains the centering of the coupler by using pneumatic or hydraulic pressure, the structure of the conventional centering device is very complicated and occupies much space, so the installation and maintenance of the centering device incurs much expense.

Furthermore, although the centering device is mounted to each of conventional couplers, the conventional couplers may be easily rotated leftward and rightward by external force, so it is difficult to couple the couplers to each other. Document <CIT> describes a cushioning apparatus, coupler cushioning apparatus, and railway train. Document <CIT> describes an automatic central buffer coupling. Document <CIT> describes a coupling device for railroad vehicle.

The present disclosure has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and the present disclosure is intended to propose a centering device, which includes side-part support members supporting opposite sides of a coupler provided in a railroad car, and a centering part coupled to a lower-part support member supporting a lower part of the coupler, whereby when the coupler is rotated leftward and rightward by external force, the coupler is restored to an initial position thereof, so when coupling railroad cars to each other, even without separate control of the position of the coupler by a manager, the railroad cars are easily coupled to each other.

In addition, the present disclosure is intended to propose a centering device, in which a rubber unit is provided inside the centering part so as to provide elastic force to the coupler for restoring the coupler to an initial position thereof when the coupler is rotated, wherein the rubber unit includes: a body made of rubber; wing parts formed at opposite sides of the body; and a press member provided at the front part of the wing parts, the press member rotating according to the rotation of the coupler, wherein the press member is configured to have a width larger than the width of space between the wing parts, and thus the wing parts at the opposite sides are pressed, whereby only when external force larger than the elastic force of each of the wing parts is applied to the coupler, the coupler is rotated, so during the coupling of railroad cars to each other, despite the application of external force to the coupler, the center of the coupler can be stably maintained such that the railroad cars are stably coupled to each other.

In order to accomplish the above objectives, according to the present disclosure,.

a centering device mounted to a railroad car coupler and restoring the coupler to an initial position of the coupler includes: a pair of side-part support members supporting opposite sides of the coupler; a centering part restoring the coupler to the initial position of the coupler by rotating the side-part support members; a mounting bracket installed under a hinge part of the coupler, the centering part being installed at an end part of the mounting bracket.

According to the invention, the centering part includes: a cover member configured to have a cylindrical shape having an open lower end part; a rubber unit provided inside the cover member and applying a restoring force to the cover member; and a coupling member having a first end part coupled to the cover member and having second end parts coupled to the side-part support members.

In addition, a lower part of the rubber unit may be fixed to an end part of the mounting bracket, a rotating shaft may be rotatably provided in a center part of the rubber unit by passing vertically therethrough, and an upper end of the rotating shaft may be mounted to a center part of the cover member.

In this case, the rubber unit may include: a center shaft having a lower end fixed to an end part of the mounting bracket; a body provided at an outside of the center shaft and made of rubber or synthetic rubber; wing parts formed at opposite sides of the body; and a reinforcing member installed at a side surface of each of the wing parts.

Here, a first spacing part and a second spacing part may be formed at a front part and a rear part, respectively, of the wing parts, and a press member may be fixed to a side of an inner circumferential surface of the cover member, the press member being inserted to the first spacing part.

Meanwhile, the press member may be formed to have a width larger than a width of the first spacing part, so an initial elastic force of the wing part may occur in a restoring direction of the coupling member.

In this case, the reinforcing member may be formed to protrude to upper and lower sides of the wing part, and a guide plate may be provided at each of upper and lower parts of the rubber unit, the guide plate having an outer diameter having the same size as a size of an inner diameter of the reinforcing member.

Here, an anti-rotation protrusion part may be formed at a side of the guide plate, the anti-rotation protrusion part being inserted to an upper or lower end of the first spacing part.

In addition, a lower-part support member supporting a lower part of the coupler may be provided between the side-part support members, wherein the lower-part support member may include: a lower plate member provided at lower ends of the side-part support members; a buffer member installed on the lower plate member; and a lower-part support plate installed on the buffer member and supporting the lower part of the coupler.

According to the present disclosure having the above configuration, the centering device includes side-part support members supporting opposite sides of a coupler provided in a railroad car, and a centering part coupled to a lower-part support member supporting a lower part of the coupler, whereby when the coupler is rotated leftward and rightward by external force, the coupler is restored to an initial position thereof, so when coupling railroad cars to each other, even without separate control of the position of the coupler by a manager, the railroad cars are easily coupled to each other.

In addition, in the centering device of the present disclosure, the rubber unit is provided inside the centering part so as to provide elastic force to the coupler for restoring the coupler to an initial position thereof when the coupler is rotated, wherein the rubber unit includes: the body made of rubber; the wing parts formed at the opposite sides of the body; and the press member provided at the front part of the wing parts, the press member rotating according to the rotation of the coupler, wherein the press member is configured to have a width larger than the width of space between the wing parts, and thus the wing parts at the opposite sides are pressed, whereby only when external force larger than the elastic force of each of the wing parts is applied to the coupler, the coupler is rotated, so during the coupling of railroad cars to each other, despite the application of external force to the coupler, the center of the coupler can be stably maintained such that the railroad cars are stably coupled to each other.

Hereinbelow, the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are used for the same components in the drawings, and duplicate descriptions for the same components are omitted. Additionally, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be embodied in multiple different forms, and is not limited to the described embodiment.

<FIG> is a perspective view of a railroad car coupler to which a centering device according to the present disclosure is mounted; <FIG> is a perspective view of the centering device according to the present disclosure; <FIG> is an exploded perspective view of the centering device according to the present disclosure; <FIG> is an exploded perspective view of a centering part of the centering device according to the present disclosure; <FIG> is a vertical sectional view of the centering part of the centering device according to the present disclosure; <FIG> is a cross-sectional view of the centering part of the centering device according to the present disclosure; <FIG> is a state view of a rubber unit of the centering device during the manufacturing of the rubber unit according to the present disclosure; <FIG> is a state view of the rubber unit in which pretension is applied to the rubber unit of the centering device according to the present disclosure; and <FIG> is a state view of the rubber unit provided in the centering device according to the present disclosure when the coupler is rotated.

The present disclosure relates to the centering device <NUM> which is mounted to the railroad car coupler and restores the coupler to an initial position thereof. As illustrated in <FIG>, the centering device <NUM> is configured by including a pair of side-part support members <NUM> supporting the opposite sides of the coupler <NUM> coupling railroad cars to each other; the centering part <NUM> restoring the coupler <NUM> to an initial position thereof by rotating each of the side-part support members <NUM>; and a mounting bracket <NUM> installed under a hinge part <NUM> of the coupler <NUM>, the centering part <NUM> being installed at an end part of the mounting bracket <NUM>.

Accordingly, when the coupler <NUM> mounted to a railroad car is rotated relative to the hinge part <NUM> by external force, the coupler <NUM> is restored to the initial position thereof by the centering device <NUM> of the present disclosure. Accordingly, during the coupling of railroad cars to each other, the coupler is located at a normal position thereof even without the separate control of the coupler <NUM> by a manager, so the railroad cars can be stably coupled to each other.

In addition, the centering part <NUM> is configured by including: a cover member <NUM> configured to have a cylindrical shape having an open lower end part; the rubber unit <NUM> provided inside the cover member <NUM> and applying a restoring force to the cover member <NUM>; and a coupling member <NUM> coupling the cover member <NUM> to the side-part support members <NUM>.

Here, a central protrusion part <NUM> is formed at the center part of the upper surface of the cover member <NUM> by protruding upward therefrom. A first end part of the coupling member <NUM> is coupled integrally to a side of the central protrusion part <NUM>. The coupling member <NUM> is formed to have a "V" shape, and the side-part support members <NUM> are coupled to second opposite end parts of the coupling member <NUM>, respectively, so the cover member <NUM>, the coupling member <NUM>, and the side-part support members <NUM> are configured to simultaneously rotate.

Meanwhile, as described above, the lower end part of the cover member <NUM> is configured to be open, so the lower part of the rubber unit <NUM> provided inside the cover member <NUM> is exposed to the outside, wherein the lower part of the rubber unit <NUM> is mounted to the end part of the mounting bracket <NUM>.

Here, the rubber unit <NUM> is made of a hard material such as synthetic resin or metal, and is configured by including a center shaft <NUM> provided at the center part of the rubber unit <NUM>; a body <NUM> made of rubber or synthetic rubber and provided at the outside of the center shaft <NUM>; wing parts <NUM> provided at the opposite sides of the body <NUM> and made of the same material as the material of the body <NUM>; and a reinforcing member <NUM> provided at a side surface of each of the wing parts <NUM> and made of synthetic resin or metal.

In this case, shaft holes (not shown) are formed at predetermined intervals at the edge of the center shaft <NUM> by passing vertically therethrough, and shaft holes (not shown) are formed at the end part of the mounting bracket <NUM> such that the shaft holes of the mounting bracket correspond to the shaft holes of the center shaft. Shafts <NUM> are inserted to the shaft holes to hold the center shaft <NUM> such that the center shaft <NUM> is not rotated.

In addition, a center hole (not shown) is formed vertically through the center part of the rubber unit <NUM> and through the center part of the center shaft <NUM>, and a rotating shaft <NUM> is provided in the center hole, wherein the upper end of the rotating shaft <NUM> is mounted to the center part of the cover member <NUM>, so the cover member <NUM> is rotatably provided at the outside of the rubber unit <NUM>.

Here, a first spacing part <NUM> and a second spacing part <NUM> are formed at a front part and a rear part, respectively, of each of the pair of the wing parts <NUM> formed at opposite sides of the body <NUM>, and a press member <NUM> is installed at a side of the inner circumferential surface of the cover member <NUM>, wherein the press member <NUM> is inserted to the first spacing part <NUM>.

In this case, the cover member <NUM> coupled to the side-part support members <NUM> by the coupling member <NUM> is rotated at the same angle as an angle at which the coupler <NUM> is rotated when the coupler <NUM> is rotated by external force, and the press member <NUM> installed at the inner circumferential surface of the cover member <NUM> is also rotated and presses a wing part <NUM> of a side of the pair of wing parts <NUM>, so the wing part <NUM> is transformed such that the wing part <NUM> is pushed rearward relative to the body <NUM>.

Accordingly, as illustrated in <FIG>, the shape of the rubber unit <NUM> is changed. Accordingly, due to elastic force of the wing part <NUM>, a restoring force of the wing part <NUM> by which the transformed state of the wing part <NUM> is restored to the initial state thereof acts in the wing part <NUM> made of rubber or synthetic rubber. When the external force is released, the restoring force of the wing part <NUM> is applied to the press member <NUM>, so the press member <NUM> is restored to the initial position of thereof.

Accordingly, as the press member <NUM> installed at the inner circumferential surface of the cover member <NUM> is restored, the cover member <NUM> and the side-part support members <NUM> are restored to initial positions thereof, and the coupler <NUM> is also restored to the initial position thereof by the side-part support members <NUM>, whereby the coupler <NUM> is stably restored to the normal position thereof although a manager does not directly control the direction of the coupler <NUM>.

Meanwhile, the press member <NUM> is formed to correspond to the shape of the first spacing part <NUM>. The press member <NUM> is formed to have a side-to-side width larger than the side-to-side width of the first spacing part <NUM>, so the press member <NUM> presses the wing parts <NUM> rearward.

That is, during the initial manufacturing of the rubber unit <NUM>, the rubber unit <NUM> is formed as illustrated in <FIG>. When the press member <NUM> is inserted to the first spacing part <NUM>, the wing part <NUM> is transformed as illustrated in <FIG>. Accordingly, due to the elastic force of the wing part <NUM>, the restoring force of restoring the wing part <NUM> to an initial shape thereof occurs in the wing part <NUM>.

Accordingly, due to the insertion of the press member <NUM> to the first spacing part <NUM>, initial elastic force which didn't occur in the wing part <NUM> prior to the insertion of the press member <NUM> occurs in the wing part <NUM>. Accordingly, when external force applied to the coupler <NUM> is smaller than the initial elastic force of the wing part <NUM>, the coupler <NUM> is not rotated randomly. When the coupler <NUM> is required to be rotated, the external force applied to the coupler <NUM> is increased more than the initial elastic force of the wing part <NUM> to rotate the coupler <NUM>.

Of course, it is natural that the initial elastic force is appropriately adjusted according to a situation of a railroad car to which the coupler <NUM> is mounted.

In addition, the reinforcing member <NUM> is made of a hard material such as synthetic resin or metal, and is formed to have an arc shape corresponding to the outer surface of the wing part <NUM> and is attached thereto. The reinforcing member <NUM> is formed to have vertical thickness larger than the vertical thickness of the wing part <NUM> such that the reinforcing member <NUM> protrudes to the upper and lower sides of the wing part <NUM>.

Here, a guide plate <NUM> formed to have a shape of a circular plate is provided at each of the upper and lower parts of the rubber unit <NUM>. The guide plate <NUM> is formed to have an outer diameter having the same size as the size of an inner diameter of the reinforcing member <NUM>, so the guide plate <NUM> is located inside the reinforcing member <NUM> protruding vertically.

In this case, an anti-rotation protrusion part <NUM> inserted to the first spacing part <NUM> is provided at a side of the guide plate <NUM>. The anti-rotation protrusion part <NUM> is formed to have an arc shape and to have length corresponding to a distance between the reinforcing members <NUM> which corresponds to the first spacing part <NUM>.

Here, a central hole (not shown) is formed at the center part of the guide plate <NUM> such that the rotating shaft <NUM> passes vertically through the central hole, and shaft holes are formed at the outside of the central hole by passing vertically therethrough such that the shaft holes of the center part correspond to the shaft holes formed at the center shaft <NUM>, so the guide plate <NUM> is also held by the above-mentioned shafts such that the guide plate <NUM> is not rotated.

Accordingly, the anti-rotation protrusion part <NUM> of the guide plate <NUM> is provided to be in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the reinforcing member <NUM> installed at the outside of the wing part <NUM>, whereby when the reinforcing member <NUM> is pressed rearward by the press member <NUM> and the wing part <NUM> is transformed, the guide plate <NUM> prevents the wing part <NUM> from being pushed inward, so the wing part <NUM> is transformed in the direction of being pushed rearward along the outer circumferential surface of the guide plate <NUM>.

Furthermore, the anti-rotation protrusion part <NUM> formed at a side of the guide plate <NUM> provided at each of the upper and lower parts of the rubber unit <NUM> is inserted to each of the upper and lower parts of the first spacing part <NUM>, whereby when a wing part <NUM> at a second side is about to be rotated at the same direction as the rotation direction of a wing part <NUM> of a first side while the wing part <NUM> at the first side is pushed rearward by being pressed, the anti-rotation protrusion part <NUM> prevents the wing part <NUM> at the second side from being rotated at the same direction as the rotation direction of the wing part <NUM> of the first side, so due to the transformation of the wing part <NUM> at the first side, the elastic force of the wing part <NUM> at the first side is further increased, and thus the wing part <NUM> of the first side can be more rapidly restored to the initial position thereof.

Meanwhile, a receiving part (not shown) is formed at the center part of each of the upper and lower guide plates <NUM> such each of the upper and lower ends of the center shaft <NUM> is inserted to the receiving part so as to more facilitate the assembly of the guide plates <NUM> with the center shaft <NUM>, and an inner receiving part (not shown) is formed even at the center part of the inner lower surface of the cover member <NUM> such that the receiving part protruding from the upper part of the guide plate <NUM> is received in the inner receiving part so as to facilitate the assembly of the guide plate with the cover member.

In this case, a central hole (not shown) is formed at the center part of the central protrusion part <NUM> formed at the center part of the upper surface of the cover member <NUM> such that the upper end of the rotating shaft <NUM> passes vertically through the central hole, and a through hole is formed horizontally through the central protrusion part <NUM>, whereby a fixing pin <NUM> is inserted to the through hole so as to pass horizontally through the rotating shaft <NUM> located inside the central protrusion part <NUM> such that the rotating shaft <NUM> is held inside the central protrusion part <NUM>.

In addition, a lower-part support member <NUM> is provided between the side-part support members <NUM>. The lower-part support member <NUM> is composed of a lower plate member <NUM> provided at the lower ends of the side-part support members <NUM>; a buffer member <NUM> installed on the lower plate member <NUM>; and a lower-part support plate <NUM> installed on the buffer member <NUM> and supporting the lower part of the coupler <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A centering device (<NUM>) mounted to a railroad car coupler (<NUM>) and restoring the coupler (<NUM>) to an initial position of the coupler (<NUM>), the centering device (<NUM>) comprising:
a pair of side-part support members (<NUM>) supporting opposite sides of the coupler (<NUM>);
a centering part (<NUM>) restoring the coupler (<NUM>) to the initial position of the coupler (<NUM>) by rotating the side-part support members (<NUM>);
a mounting bracket (<NUM>) installed under a hinge part (<NUM>) of the coupler (<NUM>), the centering part (<NUM>) being installed at an end part of the mounting bracket (<NUM>);
characterized in that the centering part (<NUM>) further comprises:
a cover member (<NUM>) configured to have a cylindrical shape having an open lower end part;
a rubber unit (<NUM>) provided inside the cover member (<NUM>) and applying a restoring force to the cover member (<NUM>); and
a coupling member (<NUM>) having a first end part coupled to the cover member (<NUM>) and having second end parts coupled to the side-part support members (<NUM>).