Swivel coupling

Details Swivel coupling Swivel coupling

1998-10-01

2001-05-22

Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)

Joints and connections

Articulated members

Including static joint

C403S120000, C403S228000, C105S003000, C213S0750GT

Reexamination Certificate

active

06234702

ABSTRACT:

The present invention relates generally to link devices or linking together vehicles, in particular rail vehicles, to make up an articulated train set, and more particularly to a swivel coupling for coupling together two vehicles, in particular two rail vehicles.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The Applicant's Document EP-A-0 667 271 describes a swivel coupling for coupling together two rail vehicles. That swivel coupling rests on a shared bogie between said two rail vehicles, and it comprises:
a toroidal part connected to one of the vehicles;
a support part connected to the other vehicle;
a cylindrical pivot fixed to a soleplate, and engaged in a cylindrical bore; and
a toroidal swivel element fixed to said soleplate and enabling said soleplate to swivel relative to said toroidal part.
A toroidal swivel element enables a soleplate to swivel relative to the toroidal part.
That toroidal swivel element is a structure made up of multiple successive layers of metal and of rubber that can be of stiffnesses that are different and that vary progressively.
A major drawback with the swivel coupling for coupling together two rail vehicles as described in the prior art document is that the angular displacements which it permits are small.
In the particular case of body-tilting vehicles, the swivel coupling for coupling together two rail vehicles as described in the prior art document cannot accommodate displacement about the longitudinal axis without producing an opposing force.
The fundamental drawback of such an opposing force is that it twists the body.
The swivel coupling for coupling together two vehicles as described in the prior art document suffers from the drawback of being stiff and therefore of twisting the bodies of body-tilting vehicles as they go round curved portions of track.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a swivel coupling for coupling together two vehicles, in particular two rail vehicles, that accommodates displacement about the longitudinal axis without producing any opposing force so as to avoid any twisting of the bodies.
According to the invention, in the swivel coupling for coupling together two vehicles, in particular two rail vehicles, which swivel coupling rests on a shared bogie between said two vehicles and has both a rotation function and a shock-absorbing function, each function, namely the rotation function and the shock-absorbing function, is performed by distinct elements.
The swivel coupling of the invention also satisfies at least one of the following characteristics:
the swivel coupling comprises:
a toroidal central part having a frustoconical bearing surface;
a ball having a hollow conical central portion that fits over the frustoconical bearing surface of the toroidal central part;
resilient elements;
a disk; and
a holding screw including a vertical pivot;
the top portion of the toroidal part is provided with the frustoconical bearing surface, and its bottom portion is connected to the underframe of the body of one of the vehicles;
the ball associates a first element that is spherical in overall shape with a second element that is external and that is disposed to rotate freely on the first element;
there are two resilient elements, and they are semi-circular in overall shape and are disposed symmetrically on either side of the ball and of the longitudinal axis of the vehicle so as to bear against the outside surface of the second element of the ball;
the disk is disposed between the underframe of the body of one of the vehicles and a support part for supporting the swivel coupling;
the disk holds the second element of the ball on the first element of the ball;
the support part is connected to the underframe of the body of one of the vehicles;
the support part supports the toroidal central part via the bottom portion thereof;
the vertical pivot of the holding screw is engaged in the center of the toroidal central part, and it is fixed thereto by means of thread; and
the bottom portion of the toroidal central part is recessed to receive the body/bogie drive.
An advantage of the swivel coupling of the invention for coupling together two rail vehicles is that it is particularly flat because of its compactness.
Another advantage of the swivel coupling of the invention for coupling together two rail vehicles is that it can be integrated both into tilting articulated rolling stock and into non-tilting articulated rolling stock. Another advantage of the swivel coupling of the invention for coupling together two rail vehicles is that it enables the floor level of the connection corridor to be lowered by about 200 mm.


REFERENCES:
patent: 2886299 (1959-05-01), Heimaster et al.
patent: 4942824 (1990-07-01), Cros
patent: 5033722 (1991-07-01), Lammers
patent: 5271678 (1993-12-01), Bourgeot
patent: 5456185 (1995-10-01), Rother et al.
patent: 5507400 (1996-04-01), Long et al.
patent: 5520295 (1996-05-01), Wiebe
patent: 5560503 (1996-10-01), Daugherty, Jr.
patent: 5586506 (1996-12-01), Heubusch et al.
patent: 5615786 (1997-04-01), Hoyon et al.
patent: 5809898 (1998-09-01), Kaufhold et al.
patent: 1 040 063 (1958-10-01), None
patent: 0 667 271 A1 (1995-08-01), None
patent: 2 348 092 (1997-11-01), None

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