END PIECE FOR A COUPLING ROD, DRAFT GEAR FOR A COUPLING ROD, COUPLER FOR A MULTI-CAR VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR BUILDING A DRAFT GEAR OR COUPLER

Abstract

An end piece for part of a draft gear of a coupler for a multi-car vehicle, comprising a first joint section for mounting to a car and rotatable about a generally vertical axis, a rod having a longitudinal axis (B) which, in use, is substantially horizontal, an elastic connection connecting the rod to the first joint section, whose elasticity allows the rod to swivel about its longitudinal axis (B) relative to the first joint section, and a first spreading element suitable to create a spreading force (F) and comprising: a first end in contact with the rod, a second end in contact with the first joint section, and a spring element arranged between the first and second ends, the spring element generating a spreading force (F) directed to increasing the distance between the first end and second end when the first end is moved towards the second end.

Claims

1.-16. (canceled)

17. An end piece suitable to be used as part of a draft gear of a coupler for a multi-car vehicle, the end piece comprising: a first joint section configured to be mounted to a car of a multi-car vehicle such that it can rotate about a generally vertical axis; a rod having a longitudinal axis (B) which, in use, is substantially horizontal; an elastic connection that connects the rod to the first joint section, the elasticity of the elastic connection allowing the rod to swivel about its longitudinal axis (B) relative to the first joint section; and at least one spreading element, including a first spreading element which is suitable to create a spreading force (F), the first spreading element comprising: a first end which is in contact with a part of the rod; a second end which is in contact with a part of the first joint section; and a spring element arranged between the first end and second end, the spring element generating a spreading force (F) which is directed to increasing the distance between the first end and second end when the first end is moved towards the second end.

18. The end piece according to claim 17, wherein the first spreading element comprises: a spreading element housing with a chamber, wherein the chamber comprises a chamber end wall; and a spreading element rod which is at least partially arranged in the chamber and moveable relative to the chamber end wall; wherein the spring element is arranged between the chamber end wall and a holding part of the spreading element rod.

19. The end piece according to claim 18, wherein the spring element comprises at least one disc spring, wherein the at least one disc spring is arranged between the chamber end wall and the holding part, wherein the holding part radially extends from the spreading element rod.

20. The end piece according to claim 18, further comprising a threading provided in the spreading element rod, the threading extending from an end of the spreading element rod along a longitudinal axis (C) of the spreading element rod, wherein the threading is an internal threading and wherein a screw is screwed into the internal threading, and wherein the second end of the first spreading element is provided by a surface of a head of the screw.

21. The end piece according to claim 17, wherein the at least one spreading element comprises a second spreading element which is suitable to create a spreading force (F), the second spreading element comprising: a first end which is in contact with a part of the rod; a second end which is in contact with a part of the first joint section; a spring element arranged between the first end and second end of the second spreading element, the spring element generating a spreading force (F) which is directed to increasing the distance between the first end and second end of the second spreading element when the first end of the second spreading element is moved towards the second end of the second spreading element.

22. The end piece according to claim 21, wherein the first end of the first spreading element is in contact with a first part of the rod and the first end of the second spreading element is in contact with a second part of the rod, the first part of the rod being arranged on a first side of the rod and the second part of the rod being arranged on a second side of the rod, the second side being opposite to the first side; and the second end of the first spreading element is in contact with a first part of the joint section and the second end of the second spreading element is in contact with a second part of the joint section, the rod being arranged between the first part of the joint section and the second part of the joint section.

23. The end piece according to claim 17, wherein the first joint section comprises a housing and the rod comprises a housing part arranged in the housing of the first joint section.

24. The end piece according to claim 23, wherein the housing part of the rod comprises at least one circumferential groove; the housing comprises an inward-facing surface with said at least one circumferential groove arranged on the inward-facing surface, and the elastic connection comprises one or more ring-shaped elastic elements, each of said one or more ring-shaped elastic elements having an inner part being arranged in one of the at least one circumferential groove of the housing part and an outer part being arranged in one of the at least one circumferential groove on the inward-facing surface of the housing of the first joint section.

25. The end piece according to claim 17, wherein the first joint section comprises a pin and the rod comprises an opening in which the pin of the first joint section is arranged.

26. The end piece according to claim 25, wherein the elastic connection providing a connection between the pin of the first joint section and the opening of the rod is ring-shaped and comprises at least one of: a spherical outer surface facing the opening of the rod and a spherical inner surface facing the pin of the first joint section.

27. The end piece according to claim 17, wherein the at least one spreading element is arranged separately to the elastic connection that connects the rod to the first joint section.

28. The end piece according to claim 17, wherein the first end comprises two substantially perpendicular contact surfaces, where one of said contact surfaces is substantially parallel to a surface of the second end.

29. A draft gear for a coupler of a multi-car vehicle, the draft gear comprising: a bearing bracket configured to be attached to a car of a multi-car vehicle and having a bearing joint section; an end piece comprising: a first joint section configured to be mounted to a car of a multi-car vehicle such that it can rotate about a generally vertical axis; a rod having a longitudinal axis (B) which, in use, is substantially horizontal; an elastic connection that connects the rod to the first joint section, the elasticity of the elastic connection allowing the rod to swivel about its longitudinal axis (B) relative to the first joint section; and at least one spreading element, including a first spreading element which is suitable to create a spreading force (F), the first spreading element comprising: a first end which is in contact with a part of the rod; a second end which is in contact with a part of the first joint section; and a spring element being arranged between the first end and second end, the spring element generating a spreading force (F) which is directed to increasing the distance between the first end and second end when the first end is moved towards the second end; and a joint arranged between the rod of the end piece and bearing bracket and comprising the first joint section of the end piece, in the form of a joint pin, and the bearing joint section of the bearing bracket, in the form of an opening in which the joint pin is arranged, wherein the joint allows the joint section of the end piece to swivel relative to the bearing bracket.

30. A coupler for a multi-car vehicle, the coupler comprising: a draft gear; and a coupler head; wherein the draft gear comprises a bearing bracket configured to be attached to a car of a multi-car vehicle and having a bearing joint section; an end piece comprising: a first joint section configured to be mounted to a car of a multi-car vehicle such that it can rotate about a generally vertical axis; a rod having a longitudinal axis (B) which, in use, is substantially horizontal; an elastic connection that connects the rod to the first joint section, the elasticity of the elastic connection allowing the rod to swivel about its longitudinal axis (B) relative to the first joint section; and at least one spreading element, including a first spreading element which is suitable to create a spreading force (F), the first spreading element comprising: a first end which is in contact with a part of the rod; a second end which is in contact with a part of the first joint section; and a spring element being arranged between the first end and second end, the spring element generating a spreading force (F) which is directed to increasing the distance between the first end and second end when the first end is moved towards the second end; and a joint arranged between the rod of the end piece and bearing bracket and comprising the first joint section of the end piece, in the form of a joint pin, and the bearing joint section of the bearing bracket, in the form of an opening in which the joint pin is arranged, wherein the joint allows the joint section of the end piece to swivel relative to the bearing bracket; wherein the coupler head is attached to the rod.

31. The coupler according to claim 30, wherein the rod comprises: a first rod part directly or indirectly connected to the joint section; a second rod part; a rod joint arranged between the first rod part and second rod part; wherein the coupler head is attached to the second rod part; and wherein the rod joint allows the second rod part to be folded backwards towards the first rod part.

32. A method comprising providing a draft gear according to claim 29, and further comprising the steps of: removing at least one of the at least one spreading element from the draft gear; providing a corresponding spreading element for replacing the at least one removed spreading element, and attaching the corresponding spreading element to the draft gear.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0062] In the following, the invention will be described by reference to the appending drawings which show only exemplary embodiments. In the drawings:

[0063] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view onto a draft gear according to a first embodiment;

[0064] FIG. 2 shows a sectional side view through parts of the draft gear according to FIG. 1;

[0065] FIG. 3 shows a sectional front view through parts of the draft gear according to FIG. 1;

[0066] FIG. 4 shows a perspective schematic view onto a detail of the draft gear shown in FIG. 1;

[0067] FIG. 5 shows a schematic perspective view onto a draft gear according to a second embodiment;

[0068] FIG. 6 shows a sectional side view through parts of the draft gear according to FIG. 5;

[0069] FIG. 7 shows a sectional front view through parts of the draft gear according to FIG. 5;

[0070] FIG. 8 shows a perspective schematic view onto a coupler comprising a draft gear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] FIGS. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of a draft gear 1 with a rod 13, which rod 13 may form part of a coupling rod 2. The draft gear 1 comprises a bearing bracket 3 suitable to be attached to a car of a multi-car vehicle. The draft gear 1 further comprises an end piece 4. A joint 5 is arranged between the bearing bracket 3 and the end piece 4, the joint 5 being formed by a first joint section of the end piece 4 and a second joint section of the bearing bracket 3. The joint 5 allows the end piece 4 to swivel about a vertical axis A relative to the bearing bracket 3.

[0072] In the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the first joint section comprises an upper joint pin 7 protruding from the top of a housing 6 of the first joint section in the direction of the vertical axis A, the upper joint pin 7 being held in the second joint section of the bearing bracket 3, the second joint section being partly formed by a hole 8 in an upper bracket 9 of the bearing bracket 3, such that the upper joint pin 7 can swivel in the hole 8 about the vertical axis A, and [0073] a lower joint pin 10 protruding from the bottom of the housing 6 in the direction of the vertical axis A, the lower joint pin 10 being held in another hole 11 in a lower bracket 12 of the bearing bracket 3, such that the lower joint pin 10 can swivel in the hole 11 about the vertical axis A.

[0074] The upper bracket 9 and the lower bracket 12 can be designed to have a break-away section 44 each, said break-away section 44 containing the holes 8, 11. The break-away section 44 can extend through an opening 45 in the bearing bracket 3 to a plate 46 that is screwed to the back of the bearing bracket 3. The screws (not shown in FIG. 1) can be designed to break upon the application of a certain linear force. Breaking away of the screws sets free the plate 46 and the break-away sections 44, thereby allowing the end piece 4 to move relative to the remainder of the bearing bracket 3.

[0075] The end piece 4 comprises the housing 6 and a rod 13, which in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is a detachable end piece of the coupler rod 2. The rod 13 has a housing part 14 that is arranged inside the housing 6. An elastic connection 15 connects the housing part 14 to the housing 6. The elasticity of the elastic connection 15 allows the rod 13 to swivel about its longitudinal axis B relative to the housing 6. The swivel movement is a rotational movement around the longitudinal axis B as indicated by the arrow C in FIG. 1.

[0076] The housing part 14 of the rod 13 has circumferential grooves 16, and the housing 6 has an inward-facing surface with circumferential grooves 17 arranged on the inward-facing surface. The elastic connection 14 comprises ring-shaped elastic elements 18. Each ring-shaped elastic element 18 has an inner part arranged in one of the circumferential grooves 16 of the housing part 14 and an outer part arranged in one of the circumferential grooves 17 on the inward-facing surface of the housing 6.

[0077] The end piece 4 has a first spreading element 20 and a second spreading element 21, each being suitable to create a spreading force F. The first spreading element 20 has a first end 22 that is connected to a part of rod 15 by way of a screw 23. The first spreading element 20 also has a second end 24 which is in surface contact with a part of the housing 6. As part of the first spreading element 20, a spring element 25 is arranged between the first end 22 and the second end 24, the spring element 25 generating a spreading force F which is directed to increasing the distance between the first end 22 and the second end 24 when the first end 22 is moved towards the second end 24. The first end 22 comprises two perpendicular or substantially perpendicular contact surfaces, wherein one of said contact surfaces is parallel to or substantially parallel to a surface of the second end 24 and the second one is used to connect to the rod.

[0078] The element 21 is designed in the same manner as the element 20 and hence has a first end 22 which is connected to a part of the rod 13 by way of a screw 23. The element 21 likewise has a second end 24 that is in surface contact with a part of the housing 6. As a part of the element 21, a spring element 25 is arranged between the first end 22 and the second end 24, the spring element 25 generating a spreading force F which is directed to increasing the distance between the first end 22 and the second end 24 when the first end 22 is moved towards the second end 24.

[0079] The spreading element 20, 21 has a spreading element housing 26 with a chamber 27, whereby the chamber 27 has a chamber end wall 28. A spreading element rod 29 is partially arranged in the chamber 27 and moveable relative to the chamber end wall 28. The spring element 25 is arranged between the chamber end wall 27 and a holding part 30 of the spreading element rod 29. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, the spring element 25 comprises several disc springs 31. The disc springs 31 are arranged between the chamber end wall 27 and a holding part 30 which, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, radially extends from the spreading element rod 29.

[0080] As can best be seen in FIG. 3, an internal threading 32 is provided in the spreading element rod 29 and extends from an end of the spreading element rod 29 along the longitudinal axis C of the spreading element rod 29, whereby a screw 33 is screwed into the threading 32. The screw 33 has a head. The second end 24 is provided by an end surface of the head of the screw 33. A lock screw 40 can be used to lock the position of the screw 33 in the threading 32.

[0081] As can best be seen in FIG. 3, the first end 22 of the first spreading element 20 is in contact with a first part of the rod 13, and the first end 22 of the second spreading element 21 is in contact with a second part of the rod 13, the first part of the rod 13 being arranged on a first side of the rod 13 (in the embodiment of FIG. 3 on the top of the rod 13; which can also be described as being on one side of a horizontal plane that contains the longitudinal axis B of the rod 13) and the second part of the rod 13 being arranged on a second side of the rod 13 (in the embodiment of FIG. 3 on the bottom of the rod 13; which can also be described as being on another side of a horizontal plane that contains the longitudinal axis B of the rod 13), the second side being the opposite side to the first side.

[0082] As can best be seen in FIG. 3, the second end 24 of the element 20 is in contact with a first part of the housing 6, and the second end 24 of the further element 21 is in contact with a second part of the housing 6, the rod 13 being arranged between the first part of the housing 6 and the second part of the housing 6. The arrangement can also be described such that the first part of the housing 6 is arranged on one side of a vertical plane that contains the longitudinal axis B of the rod 13 and the second part of the housing 6 is arranged on the opposite side of this vertical plane.

[0083] As can best be seen in FIG. 1, the housing 6 may be made up of an upper shell 34 and a lower shell 35 which are screwed together by screws 33. The housing 6 may have a recess 36 adapted to receive the spreading element housing 26 when the rod 13 is made to move linearly relative to the housing 6 for a certain distance.

[0084] The part of the housing 6 with which the second end 24 of the first spreading element 20 is in contact (the end surface of the screw 33) may be a plate 38 protruding from the remainder of the housing 6. The plate 38 may have a wear plate 39 of a plastic material attached to it to facilitate movement of the second end 24 relative to the housing 6. FIGS. 1 and 4 show that the wear plate 39 may have a chamfered front edge which facilitates that the head of the screw 33 comes into contact with the wear plate 39 in situations where in certain driving conditions the rod 13 moves out of the housing 6 so much that the head of the screw 33 leaves contact with the wear plate 39.

[0085] FIG. 3 shows that the head of the screw 33 may have a crowned surface which forms the second end 24.

[0086] FIGS. 1, 3 and 4 best show that a threading may be provided on the spreading element rod 29 at the end opposite the second end 24. A nut 41 with a locking screw 42 arranged in the nut 41 may be arranged on the threading. The nut 41 may be used to define the position of the spreading element rod 29 relative to the spreading element housing 26 and for pre-tensioning of the disc springs 31. As can also be seen from FIG. 3, the chamber end wall 28 may have a hole through which the spreading element rod 29 passes from inside the chamber 27 to the outside of the chamber 27. The nut 41 is arranged on that part of the spreading element rod 29 which is outside the chamber 27.

[0087] The holding part 30 which, in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 4, extends radially from the spreading element rod 29 may be used to seal the open end of the chamber 27 by way of arranging a circular sealing element, such as a wearing ring 43, on an outer ring-shaped circumferential surface of the holding part 30. The wearing ring 43, however, does not achieve a fluid tight seal as there remains a small gap, but the gap is sufficiently small to prevent dirt, dust, grease, etc. from entering the chamber 27.

[0088] FIGS. 5 to 7 show a second embodiment of a draft gear 1 with a rod 13, which rod 13 consists of two rod sections 13D and 13E and which may form part of a longer coupling rod 2. The draft gear 1 comprises a bearing bracket 3 suitable to be attached to a car of a multi-car vehicle. The draft gear 1 further comprises an end piece 4. A joint 5 is arranged between the bearing bracket 3 and the end piece 4, the joint 5 being formed by a first joint section of the end piece 4 and a second joint section of the bearing bracket 3. The joint 5 allows the end piece 4 to swivel about a vertical axis A relative to the bearing bracket 3. As is shown in FIG. 6, the end piece 4 comprises a joint pin 7 which forms the (first) joint section of the joint 5. The joint pin 7 has a vertical axis A so that the end piece 4 with the rod 13 can journal about such vertical axis A of the joint 5 when the multi-car vehicle drives along a curve.

[0089] The rod 13, more specifically the rod section 13E of the rod 13, of the end piece 4 comprises an opening 13A in the form of an eyelet in which the joint pin 7 of the end piece 4 is mounted and further comprises an elastic connection 15 which provides a connection between the joint pin 7 and the opening 13A of the rod 13. Thus, in this second embodiment the joint pin 7 of the end piece 4 has two functions, namely servingtogether with a corresponding bearing in the bearing bracket 3as a pivot about which the coupling rod 2 can rotate and serving as a mounting pin for mounting the rod 13 to the end piece 4 by means of the interposed elastic connection 15.

[0090] The elastic connection 15 providing the connection between the joint pin 7 of the (first) joint section and the opening 13A of the rod 3 is ring-shaped. More specifically, the elastic connection 15 has an inner metal ring 15A connecting to the joint pin 7, an outer metal ring 15C connecting to the opening 13A of the rod 13, and an elastic material 15B, such as rubber, joining the inner and outer metal rings 15A, 15C together. This three-piece elastic connection 15 is held in the rod opening 13A by means of two retaining rings 15D. The elastic material 15B is spherical, i.e. it has a spherical outer surface facing the opening 13A of the rod 13 and a spherical inner surface facing the joint pin 7. The elastic material 15B enables the rod 13 to slightly swivel upwards and downwards when the level between two connected cars of a multi-car vehicle changes.

[0091] The elastic material 15B is relatively thin and, thus, does not allow much movement of the end piece 4 relative to the bearing bracket 3 in an axial direction, i.e. in the longitudinal direction of the rod 13. In other words, the damping function of the elastic connection 15 is very limited as compared to the elastic connection 15 of the first embodiment. Therefore, in this second embodiment, the rod section 13 E comprises a shock absorber, e.g. in the form of a hydraulic damper, for absorbing forces acting axially on the rod during normal operation. In addition, the rod section 13 E comprises an energy dissipating structure configured to irreversibly dissipate energy by way of destruction in the case that overly strong forces are acting on the rod. The shock absorber and/or energy dissipating structure are not shown herein in further detail and may comprise a cylinder and a piston guided in the cylinder. In the embodiment shown, the cylinder forms part of the rod section 13E and the piston forms part of the rod section 13D.

[0092] A spreading element 20 is mounted on the rod 13 so as to create a spreading force between the rod 13 and the (first) joint section comprising the joint pin 7. In the embodiment shown, the spreading element 20 is mounted on the rear rod section 13E of the rod 13, which rod section includes the shock absorber. However, since the front rod section 13D is connected to the rear rod section 13E in such a way that the two rod sections 13D, 13E cannot rotate relative to each other, the spreading element 20 may likewise be mounted on the front rod section 13D. As in the first embodiment described above, the spreading element 20 counteracts any torsional movement of the rod 13 about the rod's longitudinal axis relative to the joint section/joint pin 7. In this second embodiment, the spreading element is likewise mounted on the rod 13 (here on the rod section 13E) and in contact with an element of the joint section, namely with plate 38 shown in FIG. 5 which is in some way fixedly connected to the joint pin 7, so as to transfer such counter acting forces of the spreading element between the rod 13 and the joint section/joint pin 7.

[0093] The spreading element 20 is shown in a cross-sectional view in FIG. 7. The structure of the spreading element 20 in this second embodiment is basically identical to the structure of the spreading elements 20, 21 in the first embodiment. More specifically, the view of the spreading element 20 as shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the view of the lower spreading element 21 as shown in FIG. 3. Thus, the spreading element 20 has a first end 22 that is connected to the rod section 13E by welding, but may likewise be connected by way of a screw 23 as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 4). The spreading element 20 also has a second end 24 which is in surface contact with a part of the joint section, namely with a wear plate 39 mounted to the plate 38 of the joint section. As part of the spreading element 20, a spring element 25 is arranged between the first end 22 and the second end 24, the spring element 25 generating a spreading force F which is directed to increasing the distance between the first end 22 and the second end 24 when the first end 22 is moved towards the second end 24. The first end 22 comprises two perpendicular or substantially perpendicular contact surfaces, wherein one of said contact surfaces is parallel to or substantially parallel to a surface of the second end 24 and the second one is used to weld the spreading element 20 to the rod section 13E.

[0094] FIG. 8 shows a coupler 100 according to the invention. The coupler 100 has a draft gear 1 according to the invention and a coupling rod 2, of which the rod 13 forms a part. A coupler head 101 is attached to the coupling rod 2. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the coupling rod 2 has a first rod part 2a and a second rod part 2b, wherein the first rod part 2a is attached to the rod 13 of the end piece 4. The coupler head 101 is attached to the second rod part 2b, wherein the coupling rod 2 has a rod joint 102 arranged between the first rod part 2a and second rod part 2b, the rod joint 102 allowing the second rod part 2b to be folded backwards towards the first rod part 2a.

[0095] The coupler 100 may be brought into its operational state by aligning the first rod part 2a and the second rod part 2b into a straight line (not shown in FIG. 8). The coupler 100 also has a non-operational state shown in FIG. 8. In the non-operational state, the second rod part 2b has been swivelled to the side about the rod joint 102. The weight of the second rod part 2b and the weight of the coupler head 101 in the non-operational state are out of line relative to the longitudinal axis B and hence create a momentum around the longitudinal axis B, which momentum is directed to rotate the rod 13 about the longitudinal axis B. The spreading force F created by the first spreading element 20 and the second spreading element 21 at least partially counteracts this momentum.

[0096] However, even when the torsional forces are counteracted by the spreading elements 20, 21 when the coupler head 101 is folded back, the weight of the coupler head 101 may still cause downward movement of the rod 13 as well as movements towards the side due to centrifugal forces when the multi-car vehicle is driving along a curve.