FR2842157A1 - Device, for fixing train-carriage coupling device to railway train, has locking ring with wheels projecting through windows in conical body under action of hydraulic piston - Google Patents

Abstract

Device has conical body (1) having windows through which wheels on a locking ring project under the action of an internal piston (4). The projecting wheels (5) coupling in a groove (6) in an internal support (7) of the coupling (2) in a railway car. Translation of the piston is controlled by a key actuating a gear (10) and pinion (9) system. Pre-constraint is assured by a ring (13) actuated by hydraulic pressure and immobilized by a nut (17).

Description

The present invention relates to the field of railway equipment, and

  in particular coupling systems ensuring the connection between them of cars of a railway train, a metro train or a similar means of rail transport. As is well known, a train or a metro train consists of cars which are connected to each other by couplers comprising absorption and

energy dissipation.

  The energy generated by normal operation during acceleration and braking is absorbed by sets of metal ring springs, by hydraulic devices or viscoelastic devices contained

in the team.

  Connection efforts between cars pass through

  the coupling device on the car.

  This is conventionally formed by a ball joint placed at the end of the hitch and connected to the car by a pin and a yoke. The movements are managed by the patella. The fatigue resistance is ensured by a prestress obtained by screwing the end piece onto the body of the coupling until a tightening torque is obtained. This conventional fixing device has drawbacks, however. Indeed, mounting the hitch under the car requires a delicate procedure since it is necessary to bring the end piece into the yoke before forcefully inserting the axle. Maintaining and positioning the hitch possibly requires the use of sophisticated handling mechanisms. Conversely, disassembly requires precise positioning of the ball to allow the extraction of the axis. Torque tightening of the end piece on the coupling body requires a

  also sophisticated tools with difficult implementation.

  The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks mentioned above of the conventional fastening device and to this end it proposes a device for attaching to a car, intended to be fixed to a hitch, which is of robust and reliable construction, simple assembly and disassembly, and which performs the assembly and disassembly functions, the prestressing as well as the function of force recovery. According to the invention, the device for attaching a railway vehicle to a coupling system comprises a body, one end of which is designed to be fixed to said coupling system and the opposite end of which is intended to engage. in a bore of the rail vehicle, this opposite end comprising a locking means in said bore which is controlled by an actuating member carried externally by the. body of the attachment device, and a prestress member sliding along the body of the attachment device and integral with said bore under the action of hydraulic pressure. Advantageously, the locking means consists of a ring of rollers projecting from the body of the device, in response to a displacement of an internal piston, to engage in a groove in the bore. The displacement of said inner piston is ensured by cooperation of a rack secured to the piston with a pinion secured to a rotating pin projecting from the body of the device and carrying an actuation key. The prestressing member is advantageously constituted by a conical ring which determines, with the body of the attachment device, a chamber supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure from a hydraulic assembly associated with said device. A nut is screwed onto said conical ring, when the latter is in the pre-stressed state, by tightening it against the body of the device so as to maintain the pre-stress after release of

hydraulic pressure.

  It is thus understood that the attachment device according to the invention is of a particularly simple structure and of an easy assembly not requiring any particular tool, and that it effectively takes up the efforts

  and the coupling torque between the coupling and the car.

  To make the invention better understood, there will be described below, by way of example without limitation, a preferred embodiment with reference to the appended schematic drawing in which: FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device d 'hooking equipped with a prestressing system, according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is, on a larger scale, a vertical section of the hooking device of Figure 1 in

  position in a bore of a railway car.

  Referring to the drawing, there is shown a hooking device designed to be placed between a railway car and a hitch ensuring the connection with the following car. At one end, the attachment device comprises a tip 1 of frustoconical shape which is intended to engage in a bore 2 (see Figure 2) formed in the car (not shown in the drawing). At its other end, the attachment device is intended to be fixed to the bore by means of a fixing device (not shown in the drawing) of any suitable type, for example of the same type as that which will be described below. for the

  attachment of end piece 1 in bore 2.

  An internal piston device 4 can be actuated to push projecting outwards, through the windows of the end piece 1, a ring of rollers 5 which then come to hang in a groove 6 formed in a

  support 7 provided inside the bore 2 of the car.

  The attachment device also comprises a locking and unlocking control for the rollers 5, as well as a hydraulic control sub-assembly 8 (FIG. 1). To ensure the mounting and dismounting of the attachment device, the piston 4, for its translation control, is integral with a rack 9 which is engaged with the teeth of a pinion 10 fixed on a rotating pin 11 which projects outwards and is intended to receive an actuation key 12. The rotation of this key in one direction controls the output of the piston 4, and the rollers 5 pushed by the latter then allow the connection under stress between the device d 'hooking and bore 2 in the car. A rotation of the key 12 in the opposite direction ensures translation of the piston 4 towards a withdrawal position, by releasing the rollers 5 and then allowing disassembly

of the hanging device.

  After mounting of the attachment device, the prestressing is ensured by means of a conical ring 13 which moves along the device under the action of hydraulic pressure to engage in the bore 2 and become integral with this one. The chamber 14 determined between the body of the device and the ring 13 is supplied with pressurized hydraulic fluid from the hydraulic control sub-assembly 8 (FIG. 1), via the conduits 15, the control being provided by a system

screw nut 16 of the sub-assembly 8.

  A fluted nut 17 makes it possible to tighten the lower part of the ring 13 to immobilize the latter in the high position and maintain the preload while subsequently authorizing the drop in hydraulic pressure

thanks to the screw nut system 16.

  The prestress is released by re-applying the hydraulic pressure in the chamber 14, then by unscrewing the nut 17 to release the

conical ring 13.

  Unlocking and disassembly of the attachment device can only be achieved by pushing the key 12 into its housing, then turning it in the direction ensuring the withdrawal of the piston 4 and the erasure of the rollers 5. It will be noted that the repeatability of the pressurization of the oil controlling the prestressing is ensured by applying a torque to the pressurization screw 16,

  to carry out an always identical prestress.

  It will be understood that the above description has been

  given by way of example, without limitation, and that additions or constructive modifications could be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (7)

  1. Device for attaching a railway vehicle to a coupling system, characterized in that it comprises a body, one end of which is designed to be fixed to said coupling system and the opposite end of which (1 ) is intended to engage in a bore (2) of the rail vehicle, said opposite end (1) comprising a locking means (5) controlled by an actuating member (12) carried externally by the attachment device, and a prestressing member (13) sliding along the body of the attachment device and integrating with said bore (2) under the action of a hydraulic pressure.   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said locking means is constituted by a ring of rollers (5) projecting from the body of the attachment device by displacement of a piston interior (4).   3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the displacement of said inner piston (4) is ensured by cooperation of a rack (9) integral with the piston (4) with a pinion (10) integral with a rotating axis (11) projecting from the device and carrying a key actuation (12).   4. Device according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that said   prestressing member is constituted by a conical ring (13) which determines, with the body of the device, a chamber (14) supplied with hydraulic fluid under pressure from a hydraulic assembly (8) associated with the device. 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized by a nut (17) screwing onto said ring (13) to tighten the latter against the body of the device and maintain the preload after release of the hydraulic pressure. 6. Device according to claim 4 or claim 5, characterized in that the hydraulic pressure control is provided by a screw nut system (16) of the hydraulic assembly (8).   7. Device according to claim 6, characterized by the application of a torque on the screw (16) to   always obtaining the same prestress.