ADAPTER COMPONENT FOR ADAPTING A COUPLING HEAD, COUPLING HEAD HAVING AN ADAPTER COMPONENT AND A METHOD FOR ADAPTING A COUPLING HEAD

Abstract

An adapter component for adapting a coupling head of a first construction type with a coupling head of a second construction type. The adapter component is constructed, in place of the articulated jaw of the coupling head of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted, to be releasably connected to the coupling head of the first construction type and in particular to the coupling head body of the coupling head of the first construction type.

Claims

1. A coupling head of a track-bound vehicle, comprising: a coupling head body with a first contour and a coupling mouth; a closure mechanism; and an adapter component being at least partially complementary to the coupling mouth, the adapter component being at least partially received in the coupling mouth and detachably fixed therein by the closure mechanism, the adapter component including an interface region which faces away from the coupling mouth, the interface region being configured to either detachably connect to a coupling head of a counter-coupling, wherein the interface region is at least partially complementary to the coupling head of the counter-coupling or removably retains a transition portion being at least partially complementary to the coupling head of the counter-coupling in such a manner that the transition portion is detachably connected to the coupling head of the counter-coupling.

2. The coupling head according to claim 1, further including a pin connected to the coupling head body, wherein the adapter component includes a perpendicular through-hole for receiving the pin.

3. The coupling head according to claim 1, wherein the adapter component further includes a first region being adapted to the coupling mouth.

4. The coupling head according to claim 3, wherein the adapter component further includes a second region configured for cooperating with the closure mechanism.

5. The coupling head according to claim 4, further including an articulated jaw, wherein the second region of the adapter component has a contour which corresponds to a contour of a region of the articulated jaw which cooperates with the closure mechanism.

6. The coupling head according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the first region and the second region of the adapter component is configured to form a detachable connection of the adapter component, which is substantially free of play, for detachably connecting the adapter component to the coupling head body.

7. The coupling head according to claim 1, wherein the interface region has a tooth arrangement which is constructed for receiving a corresponding counter-tooth arrangement of the transition portion in a positive-locking manner.

8. The coupling head according to claim 1, wherein the first contour of the coupling head body is a Janney contour.

9. An adapter component for adapting a coupling head of a first construction type with a coupling head of a second construction type, the coupling head of the first construction type including a coupling head body, a pin, an articulated jaw configured for rotating horizontally about the pin relative to the coupling head body between a ready position for coupling and a closed position, and a closure mechanism for locking or unlocking the articulated jaw in the closed position, wherein the adapter component is constructed in place of the articulated j aw of the coupling head of the first construction type, the adapter component being configured for detachably connecting to the coupling head body of the coupling head of the first construction type.

10. The adapter component according to claim 9, wherein the coupling head body of the coupling head of the first construction type includes a coupling mouth which is constructed, in a state when the coupling head of the first construction type is coupled to a complementary counter-coupling head of the first construction type, for receiving at least in regions an articulated jaw of the counter-coupling head, wherein the adapter component includes a first region which at least partially faces the coupling head of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted and which has at least in regions a contour which is adapted to the coupling mouth of the coupling head of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted.

11. The adapter component according to claim 10, wherein the adapter component includes a second region which at least partially faces the coupling head of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted, and the second region is constructed such that the second region is configured for cooperating with the closure mechanism of the coupling head of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted in such a manner that the adapter component in a state of being at least partially received in the coupling mouth of the coupling head of the first construction type is fixed to the coupling head body by the closure mechanism.

12. The adapter component according to claim 11, wherein the second region of the adapter component has at least in regions a contour which corresponds to a contour of a region of the articulated jaw which cooperates with the closure mechanism of the coupling head of the first construction type.

13. The adapter component according to claim 12, wherein at least one of the first region and the second region of the adapter component is configured to form a detachable connection of the adapter component, which is substantially free of play, for detachably connecting the adapter component to the coupling head body.

14. The adapter component according to claim 9, wherein the adapter component includes a perpendicular through-hole for receiving the pin of the coupling head of the first construction type.

15. The adapter component according to claim 9, wherein the adapter component includes a third region which faces away from the coupling head of the first construction type, the third region is configured for being at least partially complementary to the coupling head of the second construction type, and the third region is constructed such that the third region is configured for forming a releasable connection to the coupling head of the second construction type.

16. The adapter component according to claim 9, wherein the adapter component has a third region which faces away from the coupling head of the first construction type, the third region is configured as an interface region and is constructed to removably retain a transition portion which is configured for being at least partially complementary to the coupling head of the second construction type in such a manner that the transition portion is releasably connected to the coupling head of the second construction type.

17. The adapter component according to claim 16, wherein the interface region has a tooth arrangement which is constructed to receive a correspondingly complementary counter-tooth arrangement of the transition portion in a positive-locking manner.

18. The adapter component according to claim 9, wherein the coupling head body of the coupling head of the first construction type has a Janney contour.

19. A method for adapting a coupling head of a first construction type to a coupling head of a second construction type, the coupling head of the first construction type including a coupling head body having a coupling mouth, an articulated jaw configured for being horizontally rotated about a pin relative to the coupling head body between a ready position for coupling and a closed position, and a closure mechanism for locking or unlocking the articulated jaw in the closed position, the method comprising the steps of: providing an adapter component configured for adapting the coupling head of the first construction type with the coupling head of the second construction type, the adapter component including a first region which at least partially faces the coupling head of the first construction type, the first region being adapted to the coupling mouth; and replacing the articulated jaw with the adapter component.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the adapter component includes a second region which at least partially faces the coupling head of the first construction type, the second region is configured for cooperating with the closure mechanism of the coupling head of the first construction type in such a manner that the adapter component in a state of being at least partially received in the coupling mouth of the coupling head of the first construction type is fixed to the coupling head body by the closure mechanism.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0022] FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a known coupling head;

[0023] FIG. 1B is another schematic view of the coupling head of FIG. 1A, wherein the articulated jaws of the respective couplings engage one another during the coupling operation;

[0024] FIG. 1C is another schematic view of the coupling head of FIGS. 1A-1B, wherein the coupling head is in its closed position;

[0025] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a coupling head of a first construction type;

[0026] FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the exemplary embodiment of the coupling head of FIG. 2;

[0027] FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a first exemplary embodiment of an adapter component according to the present invention;

[0028] FIG. 4B is another perspective view of the adapter component of FIG. 4A;

[0029] FIG. 4C is another perspective view of the adapter component of FIGS. 4A-4B;

[0030] FIG. 4D is a top view of the adapter component of FIGS. 4A-4C;

[0031] FIG. 5A is a top view of the first exemplary embodiment of the adapter component according to the present invention in a coupling head assembly in a state connected to the coupling head of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted;

[0032] FIG. 5B is another perspective view of the first exemplary embodiment of the adapter component connected to the coupling head of FIG. 5A in the coupling head assembly; and

[0033] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a second exemplary embodiment of an adapter component according to the present invention.

[0034] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0035] In order to explain the coupling principle with coupling heads of the Jenney construction type, reference is made below to the illustrations in FIGS. 1A to 1C. FIGS. 1A to 1C schematically show the coupling principle of a coupling head of the first construction type which in this instance is the Janney construction type.

[0036] In detail, FIG. 1A schematically shows a first coupling head 1 of the Janney construction type and a corresponding counter-coupling head 1 of the same construction type in the state ready for coupling. The coupling head body 2, 2 of these coupling heads 1, 1 of the Janney construction type have a Janney contour having a lateral rigidifying horn 3, 3 and pocket 4, 4 and an articulated jaw 6, 6 which can be rotated horizontally on a perpendicular pin 5, 5. In FIG. 1A, the two coupling heads 1, 1 are each shown in a state ready for coupling.

[0037] During the coupling operation (cf. FIG. 1B), the articulated jaws 6, 6 of the respective couplings engage in the coupling mouth 8, 8 of the counter-coupling and in this instance pivot the articulated jaw 6, 6 of the counter-coupling in a horizontal plane about the corresponding perpendicular pin 5, 5, by way of which the articulated jaw 6, 6 is pivotably supported with the corresponding coupling head body 2, 2.

[0038] When the two coupling heads 1, 1 meet, the articulated jaw 6, 6 of each coupling head 1, 1 by way of action of the counter-coupling head is rotated into the closed position, in which they are locked by components of a locking system which are located inside the coupling head body 2, 2, such as a drop bolt and bolt lifter (FIG. 1C). For decoupling, it is sufficient for an articulated jaw 6, 6 to be unlocked by lifting a closure bolt. When the coupling heads 1, 1 are separated, the articulated jaws 6, 6 are then moved again into the ready position for coupling (if the articulated jaws 6, 6 are located in the closed position, a coupling is not possible).

[0039] In the coupled state, there is produced a tensile force transmission between the coupling heads via the articulated jaws. However, pressure forces are transmitted via the pressure seat of the articulated jaws in the mouth of the coupling head body.

[0040] If, in order to adapt a coupling head of the Janney construction type, a corresponding intermediate piece generally known from the prior art is now inserted into the mouth of the coupling head which is intended to be adaptedas already indicatedadditional components are necessarily required in order to achieve vertical fixing of the intermediate piece. These additional components are necessarily located in the force path of a tensile force transmission which, in the event of a tensile force transmission, results in the tensile forces being carried out via the additional components which are provided to vertically fix the intermediate piece, which in turn significantly limits the maximum permissible tensile force.

[0041] Furthermore, when an intermediate piece is used for adapting a coupling head of the Janney construction type, the force transmission would be dependent on the play of the articulated jaw of the coupling head which is intended to be adapted and the intermediate piece in the X and Y direction.

[0042] The solution according to the present invention is particularly suitable for adapting a coupling head which has a coupling head body, an articulated jaw which can be rotated horizontally about a perpendicular pin relative to the coupling head body between a ready position for coupling and a closed position and a closure mechanism for locking or unlocking the articulated jaw as necessary in the closed position thereof.

[0043] With regard to such a coupling head which is intended to be adapted and which can be a coupling head of the Janney construction type, according to the present invention there is proposed an adapter component which is constructed, in place of the articulated jaw of the coupling head which is intended to be adapted, to be releasably connected to the coupling head and in particular the coupling head body of the coupling head which is intended to be adapted.

[0044] That is to say, in place of an intermediate piece, as known, for example, from the document DE 26 32 751 A1, according to the present invention, in place of the articulated jaw of the coupling head which is intended to be adapted, an adapter component is used. It is thereby ensured that the adapter component can be securely fixed to the coupling head body of the coupling head which is intended to be adapted without additional components being required for this to vertically fix the adapter component.

[0045] It is particularly possible to dispense with such additional components for vertically fixing the adapter component since according to the solution according to the present invention the adapter component replaces the articulated jaw of the coupling head which is intended to be adapted and consequently in the same manner as the replaced articulated jaw is fixed securely by the structure of the coupling head body and the structure of the coupling head, in particular also in a vertical direction.

[0046] As already set out in the introduction to the description with reference to the illustrations in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the coupling head of the first construction type considered in particular in this publication (such as, for example, a coupling head of the Janney construction type) is characterized in that the coupling head body of the coupling head has a coupling mouth which is constructed in a state, when the coupling head is coupled to a complementary counter-coupling head, to at least partially receive the articulated jaw of the counter-coupling head.

[0047] Coupling head body closed position coupling head body closed position coupling head body coupling head body coupling head body coupling head body coupling head body ready position closed position closed position closed position 4A5A

[0048] It should be appreciated that the adapter components or transition couplings illustrated by way of example in the drawings relate in particular to coupling heads of the Janney construction type.

[0049] The Janney coupling is an automatic coupling for rail vehicles, extensively used in railways in North America and in South Africa. It is the coupling type with the highest level of durability and also enables the formation of trains a kilometer long. In the USA, this coupling is almost always referred to as an Automatic coupler. Officially, it is called the AAR coupler (AAR is the abbreviation of the standard organization Association of American Railroads) or Knuckle Coupler. There are a few compatible variants of this coupling, the non-rigid configuration used in particular in goods traffic or the embodiment which is also referred to in passenger trains and railcars as a Tightlock Coupler.

[0050] The coupling principle of these coupling types is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 1A to 1C.

[0051] The coupling head body 2 of the coupling head 1 of this construction type has a Janney contour with lateral rigidifying horn 3 and pocket 4 and an articulated jaw 6 which can be rotated horizontally on a vertical pin 5. Not illustrated are the components of a closure mechanism located inside the coupling head body 2, in particular the locking system, such as a drop bolt or bolt lifter, which can be activated, for example, by way of a bolt shaft which extends outwards.

[0052] The coupling head 1 is ready for coupling when the articulated jaw 6 protrudes outwards. When two coupling heads 1, 1 meet, the articulated jaw 6 is rotated by the action of the counter-coupling head 1 into the closed position in which it is blocked by way of a bolt of the locking mechanism which, for example, falls downwards. For decoupling, it is sufficient for an articulated jaw 6 to be unlocked by the closure bolt being lifted. When the coupling heads 1, 1 are separated, the articulated jaws 6, 6 which are also referred to as claws are then moved back into the ready position for coupling. When the articulated jaws 6, 6 are in the closed position, a coupling is not possible.

[0053] Referring now to FIGS. 2-3, there is shown schematic illustrations of another exemplary embodiment of a coupling head 1 of the first construction type, i.e., the Janney construction type, in the state thereof coupled to a counter-coupling head 1 of the same construction type.

[0054] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a region of a coupling head body 2 of a coupling head 1 of the first construction type, showing in detail correspondingly protruding regions 7 and recesses in the coupling head body 2, wherein these projecting regions 7 (protuberances) are highlighted using the circles in FIG. 3. The protuberances/components 7 provided in the coupling head housing of the coupling head 1 vertically fix the articulated jaw 6 of the coupling head 1 in the closed position thereof. In other words, these components 7 serve in the coupling head 1 according to the first construction type to fix the articulated jaw 6 in the closed position thereof, in particular to fix it in a vertical direction.

[0055] As will be set out in greater detail below, the adapter component according to the invention makes use of this function since the features which are provided in the coupling head body 2 of the coupling head 1 which is intended to be adapted and which are used to fix the articulated jaw 6 of the coupling head 1 which is intended to be adapted in the closed position thereof, are used accordingly to fix the adapter component 10 which is used in place of the articulated jaw 6.

[0056] FIGS. 4A to 4D are different schematic views of a first exemplary embodiment of the adapter component 10 according to the present invention.

[0057] In detail, the adapter component 10 according to the first exemplary embodiment is constructed as a modular adapter component since this adapter component 10 is constructed to connect a coupling head of the first construction type to a coupling head 1 of any second construction type. To this end, the adapter component 10 has a region 13 which is configured as an interface region and constructed to releasably fix or retain a transition portion which is not shown in the drawings. The transition portion which is not illustrated in the drawings is constructed in a complementary manner at least in some regions with regard to the coupling head of the second construction type in such a manner that it can be releasably connected to the coupling head of the second construction type.

[0058] As illustrated in FIGS. 4A to 4D, in the first exemplary embodiment of the adapter component 10, the interface region 13 is provided with a tooth arrangement 14. This tooth arrangement 14 is in particular constructed to receive a correspondingly complementary counter-tooth arrangement of the transition portion which is not illustrated in the drawings, preferably in a positive-locking manner at least in some regions. The advantage of such a tooth arrangement 14 is in particular that an additional fixing in the X and Y directions can be produced.

[0059] The adapter component 10 according to the first exemplary embodiment is in particular constructed to be releasably connected to the coupling head 1 of the first construction type, wherein for this purpose the coupling head 1 of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted has been changed in such a manner that, in place of the articulated jaw 6 which is generally used in this coupling head 1, the adapter component 10 is used. The adapter component 10 is consequently constructed, for the fixing thereof to the coupling head body 2, to make use of the features of the coupling head body 2 which, in the normal state of the coupling head 1 which is intended to be adapted serve to fix the articulated jaw 6 of the coupling head 1.

[0060] For example, the first exemplary embodiment of the adapter component 10 according to the invention has a first region 11 which at least in some regions has a contour which is adapted to the coupling mouth 8 of the coupling head 1 of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted. This region 11 of the adapter component 10 is in particular constructed to correspond to the features (for example, protuberances 7 as shown in FIG. 2) which are provided in the coupling head body 2 of the coupling head 1 which is intended to be adapted and which were originally provided to fix the articulated jaw 6 of the coupling head 1 which is intended to be adapted at least in the closed position thereof.

[0061] Furthermore, in the first exemplary embodiment of the adapter component 10 according to the invention, there is provision for it to have an additional (second) region 12 which, with regard to the closure mechanism of the coupling head 1 of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted, is configured in such a manner that the adapter component 10 in the state in which it is at least partially received in the coupling mouth 8 of the coupling head 1 of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted is fixed by the closure mechanism to the coupling head body 2.

[0062] This second region 12 of the adapter component 10 has at least in some regions a contour which corresponds to a contour of a region of the articulated jaw 6 of the coupling head 1 which is intended to be adapted and which cooperates with the closure mechanism of the coupling head 1 which is intended to be adapted.

[0063] The first exemplary embodiment of the adapter component 10 according to the invention, as schematically illustrated in FIGS. 4A to 4D, may also be characterized in particular in that the adapter component 10 has a perpendicular receiving member 15, in particular through-hole, which serves to receive the perpendicular pin 5 of the coupling head 1 of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted, which pin 5 in the normal operating state of the coupling head 1 of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted rotatably supports in a horizontal manner the articulated jaw 6 which is replaced by the adapter component 10.

[0064] In FIGS. 4A and 4B, the first exemplary embodiment of the adapter component 10 according to the present invention is shown in a state in which the adapter component 10 is connected to the coupling head 1 of the first construction type which is intended to be adapted, wherein in this state the adapter component 10 replaces the articulated jaw 6 of the coupling head 1 which is intended to be adapted.

[0065] FIGS. 5A to 5B illustrate a coupling head assembly wherein the first exemplary embodiment of the adapter component 10 is coupled to a coupling head 1 of the first construction type.

[0066] FIG. 6 is a schematic isometric view of another exemplary embodiment of the adapter component 10 according to the invention.

[0067] This second exemplary embodiment of the adapter component 10 according to the invention substantially corresponds from a functional and structural viewpoint to the first exemplary embodiment according to the illustrations in FIGS. 4A to 4D. However, the second exemplary embodiment the adapter component 10 is constructed without a perpendicular receiving member 15 or hole for receiving the perpendicular pin 5 of the coupling head body 2.

[0068] While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.