Coupling head of a central buffer coupling

Abstract

A coupling head for a central buffer coupling for vehicles that are able to be coupled has a coupling head housing and an end plate that terminates the coupling head housing on the end face and is releasably connected to the coupling head housing. The coupling head housing has a first connection region for coupling to the end plate and a second connection region for establishing the connection to a coupling rod. The coupling head housing is designed in one piece as a forged component. The first connection region is formed on the coupling head housing by at least two contact surfaces arranged separately from one another in order to be at least indirectly supported on partial surfaces of the end plate and the coupling head housing is connected to the end plate in the first connection region by non-positive connections.

Claims

1. A coupling head for a central buffer coupling for vehicles which are able to be coupled, the coupling head comprising: a coupling head housing being a forged component formed in one piece and having an end face; an end plate releasably connected to said coupling head housing and terminating said coupling head housing on said end face; said coupling head housing having a first connection region for coupling to said end plate and a second connection region for establishing a connection to a coupling rod; said first connection region being formed on said coupling head housing by at least two contact surfaces arranged separately from one another and defining locally limited force introduction regions, said at least two contact surfaces being configured to be supported on partial surfaces of said end plate; and said coupling head housing being connected to said end plate in said first connection region.

2. The coupling head according to claim 1, wherein said at least two contact surfaces of said coupling head are connected to said partial surfaces of said end plate by non-positive connections.

3. The coupling head according to claim 1, wherein said first connection region is formed by at least four finger-shaped or fork-shaped projections configured on said coupling head housing and comprising said contact surfaces.

4. The coupling head according to claim 1, wherein said contact surfaces of said first connection region are arranged on both sides of a plane described by a longitudinal axis extending in a longitudinal direction of said coupling head and a line perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

5. The coupling head according to claim 1, wherein the individual connection between the coupling head housing and the end plate is designed as a non-positive connection and is formed by a bolt connection or screw connection.

6. The coupling head according to claim 1, wherein said at least two contact surfaces of said coupling head housing are directly supported on the partial surfaces of said end plate.

7. The coupling head according to claim 1, which comprises at least one compensating element arranged between said end plate and said coupling head housing, and wherein said coupling head housing is supported on said contact surfaces via said at least one compensating element on said end plate.

8. The coupling head according to claim 7, which comprises at least one centering device for centering said coupling head housing and said end plate and/or said at least one compensating element.

9. The coupling head according to claim 8, wherein said at least one centering device comprises pin-shaped elements which are arranged so as to engage in respectively opposing components, namely, said coupling head housing and said compensating element and/or said end plate.

10. The coupling head according to claim 9, wherein each individual said pin-shaped element is configured in one piece with one of the opposing components or is connected thereto.

11. The coupling head according to claim 1, which comprises at least one centering device for centering said coupling head housing and said end plate.

12. The coupling head according to claim 1, wherein said end plate is a forged component.

13. The coupling head according to claim 1, wherein said second connection region is disposed on said coupling head housing on a side opposite said end plate and is formed by an end piece that is configured for coupling to a coupling rod.

14. The coupling head according to claim 1, which comprises coupling members received in said coupling head housing.

15. The coupling head according to claim 14, wherein at least one portion of said coupling members is configured in one piece with said coupling head housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the embodiment according to the invention of the coupling head of a central buffer coupling in an exploded view;

(2) FIG. 2 shows a mounted coupling head.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(3) In FIG. 1 a coupling head 1 which is a component of a central buffer coupling for vehicles, in particular railed vehicles, is shown in an exploded view. The coupling head 1 consists of a coupling head housing 2 and an end plate 3 which is able to be connected on the end face to the coupling head housing 2. Between the coupling head housing 2 and the end plate 3, but not shown in this case, at least one compensating element may be provided for compensating for coupling play and production tolerances. The compensating element may be designed as a spacer plate.

(4) The coupling head housing 2 and the end plate 3 are connected together via at least one non-positive releasable connection, which are preferably designed as bolt connections 5. The bolt connections 5 provide that screws 6, which are passed through bores 7 which are provided locally on the coupling head housing 2, are used and cooperate in either a spacer plate, not shown here, or threads 4 provided at least in the end plate 3 (not shown in more detail in the drawings). As a result, a releasable connection is achieved between the coupling head housing 2 and the end plate 3.

(5) The connection between the end plate 3 and the coupling head housing 2 takes place via a first connection region 13 of the coupling head housing 2. The arrangement of the connecting elements and/or means takes place within the first connection region 13.

(6) In order to permit a simple mounting and positionally correct fixing of the coupling head housing 2 relative to the end plate 3, centering bolts 8 are provided, said centering bolts being optionally arranged either on the side of the end plate 3 or on the side of the coupling head housing 2. When bringing together the coupling head housing 2 and the end plate 3, said elements penetrate the opposing component and thus achieve a central positionally correct arrangement of the coupling head housing 2 relative to the end plate 3. To this end, the centering bolts 8 may be inserted on one of the componentsthe coupling head housing 2 or end plate 3.

(7) The coupling head housing 2 is configured such that it preferably has four contact surfaces 9 (three thereof being visible in the drawings) on its side facing the end plate 3. The contact surfaces 9 are provided such that they are supported on only one part of the end plate 3, whereas the remaining part is provided with a recess 10. The individual contact surfaces 9 are thus designed to be separate from one another and in the connecting plane designed to be free from a connection to one another. This means that the coupling head housing 2 is supported in a finger-like manner on four regions on the end plate 3 and correspondingly connected there. The remaining recesses are preferably designed to be semi-circular. This is firstly required by the construction as it is a forged component in the present case but it is also required by the non-positive connection, wherein the force is transmitted from the end plate 3 to the coupling head housing 2 via the finger-like contact surfaces and correspondingly conducted to the second connection region 11 which may be designed as a coupling element and which is arranged on the side opposing the end plate 3.

(8) A coupling rod, not shown in the drawings, is adjoined to this further coupling element, said coupling rod in turn being connected to the vehicle, at least in the manner of a joint.

(9) The coupling members 12 required for the coupling process are arranged within the coupling head housing 2. The coupling member 12 provided here is directly arranged in the region of the second connection region 11, so that the tensile force produced by the coupling member 12 may act directly on the connection region 11 and thus on the coupling rod.

(10) The coupling head housing 2 itself is not loaded or only slightly loaded by the tensile loading on the coupling member 12. Due to the finger-like design and the corresponding contact surfaces 9 a large overall depth of the coupling head housing 2 is not necessary, which is why the whole coupling head 1 in its dimensions is designed to be smaller in comparison with the prior art.

(11) Due to the reconstruction of the coupling head housing 2 as a forged component and the reduction to individual, in particular four, contact surfaces, which are correspondingly connected to the end plate 3, a very compact coupling head 1 is produced which is reduced in the overall length of the component and is particularly suitable for specific commercial markets.

(12) The coupling head housing 2 is designed in the manner of a half-shell with four recesses 10 open on the edge, in particular openings, which form the four projections provided for forming the connection region 13. The projections forming the connection region 13 are thus designed to extend in a fork-like and/or finger-like manner on the coupling head housing. The projections run together in the direction of the second connection region 11 and/or are coupled together in the region of the second connection region. The contact surfaces 9 are thus separated from one another and/or arranged locally separate in the connecting plane. The contact surfaces are arranged outside the region of introduction of the forces transmitted by the coupling members. To this end, the contact surfaces 9 are preferably arranged on both sides of the coupling members 12. The arrangement is implemented relative to a theoretical longitudinal axis L which coincides with the coupling axis, preferably symmetrically relative to a plane which is formed by the coupling longitudinal axis and a line perpendicular thereto. The forces introduced via the contact surfaces are applied on the coupling head housing 2 in the second connection region 11.

(13) The support of the contact surfaces 9 of the coupling head housing 2 on the end plate 3 takes place on partial surfaces 14 which are preferably also configured as separate surfaces, i.e. arranged locally separate from one another on the end plate 3.

(14) The coupling members 12 may be configured in one piece with the coupling head housing 2 or connected thereto.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

(15) 1 Coupling head 2 Coupling head housing 3 End plate 4 Thread 5 Connection, bolt connection 6 Screws 7 Bores 8 Centering bolts 9 Contact surfaces 10 Recess 11 Coupling element 12 Coupling member 13 First connection region 14 Partial surfaces