Title of Invention

"AN IMPROVED TRANSITION TYPE OF CENTER BUFER COUPLERS HAVING HOOD AND SHELF ARRANGEMENT"

Abstract

This invention relates to en improved transition type of center buffer couplers having hood (13) and shelf (14) arrangement for use in Railway vehicle comprising a coupler body and knuckle (2) connected to the head of said coupler body (1) by means of a knuckle pin (3), said knuckle (2) is rotatable around said knuckle pin (3) so mat when pushed to its position by the corresponding knuckle of the adjacent coupler of the rail vehicle a lock (7) provided at said coupler body locks the knuckle (2) to prevent reverse motion, a screw coupling (11) being fitted to a clevis (9), which is fitted to the said coupler body (1) with a clevis pin (10) characterised in that said coupler body (1) is provided with hood (13) and shelf (14) integrally case to said coupler body (1) which allows entry of knuckle (2) of adjacent coupler of coupling between two couplers and to sustain the heavy vertical load in the hood shelf resulted from the strike of the knuckle on them due to the upward or downward sliding of two adjacent couplers while running by prolviding a smooth semi circular profiled opening in the coupler guard arm.

Full Text

- 2 - The invention relates to an improved transition type of center buffer couplers but having a hood and shelf arrangement for higher safety for use in Railway rolling stock particularly in a Locomotive and Wagons and Coaches in general. PRIOR ART There are two types of basic center buffer couplers presently being used by Indian and other Railways around the world. The mostly used standard type of Centre Buffer Couplers is the Non-Transition Type which is only used to couple a wagon or coach or Locomotive having a similar type of center buffer coupler and does not render itself coupled with any other type of coupler of the next railway vehicle. A transition Type of Centre Buffer Coupler is the one having an additional arrangement to enable couple with a wagon or coach or locomotive having a conventional screw coupling with draw hook and side buffers or any other dissimilar system. The inventor has already been granted a patent on Transition type Centre Buffer Coupler in 1966/67 which has been adopted on the Indian Railways. This new invention relates to improved Transition Type Coupler with Hood and Shelf Arrangement, The Transition Couplers are still in use on the Indian Railways Locomotives. The Indian Railway Locomotives apply the Transition Device when they haul the Indian Railway Coaches i.e. Passenger Trains with Screw Couplings or the few Wagon/Wagons still equipped with the conventional Screw Couplings and Draw hooks. - 3 - Recently Indian Railways have imported Passenger Coaches with tight lock Centre Buffer Couplers. When these imported Passenger Coach Trains are coupled with existing system of Transition Couplers of Locomotive the tight lock Centre Buffer Coupler of the Passenger Train get themselves detached vertically due to an intrinsic difference in their heights during operation and running and further accentually of the larger vertical movements of these Passenger Couplers, resulting in the vertical disengagement of the Locomotives from the Passenger Trains. The Couplers of the imported Coaches are so designed that they do not disengage vertically within themselves. But, such a feature is not possible to introduce in the Locomotive Coupler, as it is very complicated and very expensive. The subject invention provides as a simple solution to solve this problem. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a practice to provide non-transition type of center buffer couplers with hood and shelf in the coupler head to prevent the couplers of two wagon/coach joined together coming off while vertically sliding up and dowa The general feature of each hood and shelf in the non transition type of couplers are i. Not to ride one above the other during bunching or impacting between Wagon And thereby avoiding punching of the ends of the wagon during service. This feature is of very great help especially in Tank Wagons carrying petrol, oil or inflammables. In other covered or open wagons it will also help while carrying similar materials in drums and packages. - 4 - ii. Does aot allow the main link of the center Buffer Coupler i.e. 'KNUCKLE' in getting displaced vertically either from the bottom or from the top where there is more than permissible height variation between any two adjacent rail vehicles. The invention in the past pioneered successfully by effectively introducing the heavy Duty Transition Coupler with their invention of a special Clevis in the late 1960's when other similar devices did serve effectively in India. This transition device enables coupling of Centre Buffer Coupler with Draw Hook Screw Coupling System and Side Buffers. These Couplers effectively couple wife all 10A (AAR American) or (Japanese) types of Couplers including Tight Lock Types, Inter-locking Types and Controlled Slack Type Couplers. The main object of the present invention is to suitably provide a Hood and Shelf arrangement in the locomotive transition coupler head which would eliminate the problem of vertical separation as mentioned above while hauling passenger trains where tight lock center buffer couplers are used. This additional feature of hood and shelf in the transition Coupler used particularly in Locomotives will prevent the knuckles of the locomotives from disengaging vertically from the imported passenger coach train. Another object of the present invention is that the transition type coupler with Hoods and Shelf shall limit the vertical sliding between knuckles of two couplers of adjacent rail vehicles (Wagons, Coach or Locomotive) and shall thus prevent the coupler, to get uncoupled in service, and that this coupler with Hood and Shelf can be effectively coupled with similar Centre type Coupler of adjacent rail vehicle (Wagon, Coach or Locomotive) having Hood and Shelf and in both cases shall prevent uncoupling. - 5 - Still another object of the present invention is that the transition type coupler with Hood and Shelf can be effectively coupled with similar center type coupler (Japanese) or Normal Types, Tight Lock Couplers, Interlocking Type and Controlled Slack Type Coupler of adjacent rail vehicle (Wagon, Coach or Locomotive) and shall prevent vertical disengagement Further objects of the present invention is that the Coupler with Hood and Shelf can be retrofitted in the Locomotives i.e. the existing Coupler Head is removed and replaced by this new 'Hood & Shelf Transition Coupler.' An improved transition type of center buffer couplers having hood and shelf arrangement for use in Railway vehicle comprising a coupler body and knuckle connected to the head of said coupler body by means of a knuckle pin, said knuckle is rotatable around said knuckle pin so that when pushed to its position by the corresponding knuckle of the adjacent coupler of the rail vehicle a lock provided at said coupler body locks the knuckle to prevent reverse motion, a screw coupling being fitted to a clevis, which is fitted to the said coupler body with a clevis pin characterised in that said coupler body is provided with hood and shelf integrally cast to said coupler body which allows entry of knuckle of adjacent coupler of coupling between two couplers and to sustain the heavy vertical load in the hood shelf resulted from the strike of the knuckle on them due to the upward or downward sliding of two adjacent couplers while running by providing a smooth semi circular profiled opening in the coupler guard arm. The nature of the invention, its objective and further advantages residing in the same will be apparent from the following description made with reference to the non limiting exemplary embodiments of the invention represented in the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 shows the existing non-transition type coupler with hood and shelf, - 6 - Figure 1A shows the plan view of the existing non-transition type coupler head with hood and shelf of Figure 1 with sectional view taken on line A-A Figure 2 shows the transition type coupler head and hood and shelf of the present invention. Figure 2A shows the plan view of the bottom of transition type coupler head with hood and shelf of Figure 2 of the present invention with sectional view taken on line B-B for existing transition provision for no vertical load. Figure 2B represents a partial view of Fig. 2A with sectional view on C-C showing half round contoured provision for transition to take up the heavy vertical loads of hood and shelf coupler. DETAIL DESCRIPTION Figures 1 and 1A show the non-transition type of coupler with the hood and shelf as described in the prior art section of the description. The figure 1A which is the existing Hood and Shelf Coupler cannot operate with the Transition Device with no provision on the location where an appropriate Transition ' Device can be added Such provision has to be effectively be done so that the Transition Device works and the Coupler with such provision to get Transition Device fitted also performs to its present efficiency. It maybe understood that provision of the Hood and Shelf does not allow the Knuckle to escape either from the top or bottom of the Coupler which means, the Knuckle will strike the Coupler at the top or at the bottom creating additional heavy vertical load, when the - 7 - Knuckle is prevented from escaping. Therefore, the provision which is provided for fitment of the Transition has to be done very efficiently and skillfully on the Hood and Shelf Coupler so as to perform without any deficiency in the ability of taking up the vertical loads. Figures 2, 2A & 2B shows the transition coupler of the present invention primarily consisting of Coupler Body (1) which has integrated cast Hood (13) and Shelf (14) as an invention, knuckle (2) connected with Coupler Head by means of Knuckle Pin (3). The Knuckle (2) can rotate about the Knuckle Pin (3) and when pushed to its position by the knuckle of adjacent rail vehicles Coupler, the lock (7) drops by gravity at its lower position and do not allow any further reverse rotating of the knuckle (2) while the vehicle is drawn by locomotive. Uncoupling of Couplers is being effected by rotating the operating rod (12) fitted at the end of rail vehicle (Wagons, Coach or Locomotive) which with the help of Hook (4), Connector (5), toggle (6) and knuckle thrower (8) lifts the lock (7) and thus allows the Knuckle (2) to rotate outward to released the Coupler Knuckle of adjacent rail vehicle (wagon, Coach or Locomotive). The Clevis (9) along with Screw Coupling (11) can be rotated about Clevis Pin (10). While using, Screw Coupling Clevis (9) ts engaged with the Knuckle (2) and when not in use, Clevis (9) with Screw Coupling (11) is rotated at its idle position. The Screw Coupling (11) is an important component forming the transition coupler and is used to couple to a rail vehicle having draw hook and side buffers (not shown) of the old conventional type. The sectional view on fi-B shows the opening of the coupler guard arm of the existing transition type coupler and the sectional view on C-C of Fig.2B shows the opening of the coupler guard arm of the present transition type coupler. - 8 - The appropriate feature for meeting the deficiency of taking up vertical loads is laid in the present invention and the same is explained in the figures 2A and 2B. In the figures 2A and 2B where the Transition Device is fitted, the existing provision is shown in a Sectional View BB and the present invention of the same provision is shown in Sectional View CC. It may be seen in Sectional View BB the opening is sharp with very less sectional material available to stand the extra vertical loads of the Hood and Shelf when the Knuckle will strike on either one of them creating such a load. The Sectional View CC which shows a special continuous half round profile with extra sectional strength to take the heavy loads encountered as explained above. This provision of a special continuous half round contoured configuration is the inventive feature of the present invention and this feature is not existent in any of the existing Couplers. The Hood (13) and Shelf (14) which are integrally casted with the Coupler Body (1) and so dimensioned that allows the entry of Knuckle (2) of adjacent coupler as well as effective coupling between two couplers but limits the upward or downward sliding of two adjacent couplers while running on rails. The improvement provided is the opening of the coupler guard arm end provided for the transmission arrangement of the coupler to fit in. The improvement is by providing a semi circular smooth profiled opening instead of the existing rectangular opening. The semi circular smooth profiled opening can sustain the heavy vertical loads in hood and shelf arrangement, the vertical loads being created in the hood and shelf stopping the knuckle from escaping and dislodging. - 9 -ICLAIM 1. An improved transition type of center buffer couplers having hood (13) and shelf (14) arrangement for use in Railway vehicle comprising a coupler body and knuckle (2) connected to the head of said coupler body (1) by means of a knuckle pin (3), said knuckle (2) is rotatable around said knuckle pin (3) so that when pushed to its position by the corresponding knuckle of the adjacent coupler of the rail vehicle a lock (7) provided at said coupler body locks the knuckle (2) to prevent reverse motion, a screw coupling (11) being fitted to a clevis (9), which is fitted to the said coupler body (1) with a clevis pin (10) characterised in that said coupler body (1) is provided with hood (13) and shelf (14) integrally cast to said coupler body (1) which allows entry of knuckle (2) of adjacent coupler of coupling between two couplers and to sustain the heavy vertical load in the hood shelf resulted from the strike of the knuckle on them due to the upward or downward sliding of two adjacent couplers while running by prolviding a smooth semi circular profiled opening in the coupler guard arm. 2. An improved transition type of center buffer couplers as claimed in claim 1 wherein the improved semi circular profiled opening is provided instead of the existing rectangular cross sectioned profiled opening. 3. An improved transition type of center buffer couplers having hood and shelf arrangement as herein described and illustrated with the accompanying drawings. This invention relates to en improved transition type of center buffer couplers having hood (13) and shelf (14) arrangement for use in Railway vehicle comprising a coupler body and knuckle (2) connected to the head of said coupler body (1) by means of a knuckle pin (3), said knuckle (2) is rotatable around said knuckle pin (3) so mat when pushed to its position by the corresponding knuckle of the adjacent coupler of the rail vehicle a lock (7) provided at said coupler body locks the knuckle (2) to prevent reverse motion, a screw coupling (11) being fitted to a clevis (9), which is fitted to the said coupler body (1) with a clevis pin (10) characterised in that said coupler body (1) is provided with hood (13) and shelf (14) integrally case to said coupler body (1) which allows entry of knuckle (2) of adjacent coupler of coupling between two couplers and to sustain the heavy vertical load in the hood shelf resulted from the strike of the knuckle on them due to the upward or downward sliding of two adjacent couplers while running by prolviding a smooth semi circular profiled opening in the coupler guard arm.

Documents:

00614-cal-2001 abstract.pdf

00614-cal-2001 claims.pdf

00614-cal-2001 correspondence.pdf

00614-cal-2001 description(complete).pdf

00614-cal-2001 drawings.pdf

00614-cal-2001 form-1.pdf

00614-cal-2001 form-13.pdf

00614-cal-2001 form-18.pdf

00614-cal-2001 form-2.pdf

00614-cal-2001 form-26.pdf

00614-cal-2001 form-3.pdf

00614-cal-2001 letters patent.pdf