An energy absorption system for a railcar having an elongated sill with front and rear stops defining a pocket therebetween. To facilitate use of known railcar structures, the energy absorption system can be used in combination with a railcar also having a sill with center stops disposed between the front and rear stops. A coupler having a head portion and a shank portion is arranged in operable combination with the energy absorption system. The energy absorption system also includes a first cushioning assembly positioned in the sill pocket. A first follower is urged toward and engageable with the front stops under the influence of the first cushioning assembly and is operably engageable with a free end of the shank portion of the coupler. A second cushioning assembly is positioned in generally axial alignment with first cushioning assembly. A second follower is positioned and normally urged by the energy absorption system toward and configured to engage with the center stops. An axially elongated yoke encompasses the first and second cushioning assemblies, terminates in an open forward end, and is coupled to the shank portion of the coupler. The first and second cushioning assemblies act in series relative to each other to absorb and cushion impact forces directed against them when the energy absorption system operates in a buff direction. Advantageously, the second follower acts in concert with the center stops and the second cushioning assembly to minimize excessive system cycles while better dissipating train action energy when the energy absorption system operates in a draft direction.

An energy absorption system for a railcar having an elongated sill with front and rear stops defining a pocket therebetween. To facilitate use of known railcar structures, the energy absorption system can be used in combination with a railcar also having a sill with center stops disposed between the front and rear stops. A coupler having a head portion and a shank portion is arranged in operable combination with the energy absorption system. The energy absorption system also includes a first cushioning assembly positioned in the sill pocket. A first follower is urged toward and engageable with the front stops under the influence of the first cushioning assembly and is operably engageable with a free end of the shank portion of the coupler. A second cushioning assembly is positioned in generally axial alignment with first cushioning assembly. A second follower is positioned and normally urged by the energy absorption system toward and configured to engage with the center stops. An axially elongated yoke encompasses the first and second cushioning assemblies, terminates in an open forward end, and is coupled to the shank portion of the coupler. The first and second cushioning assemblies act in series relative to each other to absorb and cushion impact forces directed against them when the energy absorption system operates in a buff direction. Advantageously, the second follower acts in concert with the center stops and the second cushioning assembly to minimize excessive system cycles while better dissipating train action energy when the energy absorption system operates in a draft direction.

Buffer, in particular for a rail vehicle, includes a buffer sleeve, forming a pressure chamber, a jointed head securable to this sleeve on the face side by a connection flange, and a buffer piston rod, mounted opposite in the buffer sleeve to be displaceable longitudinally. The jointed head is connectable in a jointed manner to the rail vehicle, while the buffer piston rod is preferably connectable to a coupling head. The connection flange has an outer thread on its outer casing, screwed to an inner thread in a hole of the buffer sleeve to form a releasable connection of the jointed head with the buffer sleeve. The connection flange preferably has on the front side a centering tip element before the outer thread, which is slid or pressed essentially free of play into the hole of the buffer sleeve.

Buffer, in particular for a rail vehicle, includes a buffer sleeve, forming a pressure chamber, a jointed head securable to this sleeve on the face side by a connection flange, and a buffer piston rod, mounted opposite in the buffer sleeve to be displaceable longitudinally. The jointed head is connectable in a jointed manner to the rail vehicle, while the buffer piston rod is preferably connectable to a coupling head. The connection flange has an outer thread on its outer casing, screwed to an inner thread in a hole of the buffer sleeve to form a releasable connection of the jointed head with the buffer sleeve. The connection flange preferably has on the front side a centering tip element before the outer thread, which is slid or pressed essentially free of play into the hole of the buffer sleeve.

An anti-impact device includes a first connector, an upper outer cylinder, a lower outer cylinder and a second connector which are sequentially connected, where a top of the lower outer cylinder is sleeved with the upper outer cylinder to be movably connected to the upper outer cylinder; an aluminum honeycomb and a magnetorheological buffer outer cylinder are arranged inside the lower outer cylinder, the aluminum honeycomb is arranged at a bottom of a lower end cover, a piston rod is arranged inside the magnetorheological buffer outer cylinder, a top end of the piston rod extends out of an upper end cover and is connected to a collision head, and the piston rod between the collision head and the upper end cover is sleeved with a return spring; and an electromagnetic coil is wound around the piston rod, a damping piston is arranged at a lower part of the piston rod.

An anti-impact device includes a first connector, an upper outer cylinder, a lower outer cylinder and a second connector which are sequentially connected, where a top of the lower outer cylinder is sleeved with the upper outer cylinder to be movably connected to the upper outer cylinder; an aluminum honeycomb and a magnetorheological buffer outer cylinder are arranged inside the lower outer cylinder, the aluminum honeycomb is arranged at a bottom of a lower end cover, a piston rod is arranged inside the magnetorheological buffer outer cylinder, a top end of the piston rod extends out of an upper end cover and is connected to a collision head, and the piston rod between the collision head and the upper end cover is sleeved with a return spring; and an electromagnetic coil is wound around the piston rod, a damping piston is arranged at a lower part of the piston rod.

The present invention relates to a damper for a rail vehicle, the damper comprising —a cylindrical housing (1) wherein a hollow piston (2) is received axially movable, —a working chamber (5) of variable volume in the housing, —a overflow chamber (4) of variable volume in the piston, the hydraulic overflow chamber (5) being connected to the hydraulic working chamber (5) via a throttle (8) that is in a flow passage between the working chamber (5) and the overflow chamber (4), —a spring chamber (3) of variable volume in the piston, the spring chamber (3) being configured to hold a gas volume for acting as a spring, and the spring chamber being separated from the hydraulic overflow chamber (4) by a separator piston (6) that is axially movable, and the damper further comprising a pressure detector (7) that is configured to detect a pressure in at least one of the spring chamber (3), the working chamber (5) and the overflow chamber (4). The invention also relates to a monitoring system and to a method for monitoring a pressure in a damper.

The present invention relates to a damper for a rail vehicle, the damper comprising —a cylindrical housing (1) wherein a hollow piston (2) is received axially movable, —a working chamber (5) of variable volume in the housing, —a overflow chamber (4) of variable volume in the piston, the hydraulic overflow chamber (5) being connected to the hydraulic working chamber (5) via a throttle (8) that is in a flow passage between the working chamber (5) and the overflow chamber (4), —a spring chamber (3) of variable volume in the piston, the spring chamber (3) being configured to hold a gas volume for acting as a spring, and the spring chamber being separated from the hydraulic overflow chamber (4) by a separator piston (6) that is axially movable, and the damper further comprising a pressure detector (7) that is configured to detect a pressure in at least one of the spring chamber (3), the working chamber (5) and the overflow chamber (4). The invention also relates to a monitoring system and to a method for monitoring a pressure in a damper.

There is provided a method for detecting failure of a gas-hydraulic damper for a rail vehicle, comprising: - receiving a first input signal (S1) indicative of a stroke related parameter of the gas-hydraulic damper determined at a first time instance, - determining a first stroke value, based on the first input signal (S1), - receiving, at least one second input signal (Si), wherein each subsequent signal (Si) is indicative of a respective stroke related parameter measured at a respective subsequent time instance, - determining a respective stroke value based on each of the second input signals (Si), - determining a stroke value over time based on the determined stroke values, and - determining that there is a failure of the gas-hydraulic damper if the stroke value over time, fulfils a first criterion. Also provided are a system, a gas-hydraulic damper and computer program product.

There is provided a method for detecting failure of a gas-hydraulic damper for a rail vehicle, comprising: - receiving a first input signal (S1) indicative of a stroke related parameter of the gas-hydraulic damper determined at a first time instance, - determining a first stroke value, based on the first input signal (S1), - receiving, at least one second input signal (Si), wherein each subsequent signal (Si) is indicative of a respective stroke related parameter measured at a respective subsequent time instance, - determining a respective stroke value based on each of the second input signals (Si), - determining a stroke value over time based on the determined stroke values, and - determining that there is a failure of the gas-hydraulic damper if the stroke value over time, fulfils a first criterion. Also provided are a system, a gas-hydraulic damper and computer program product.