In the case of a rear end collision between two rail cars, there is the risk that a box of one rail car is shifted over the other one with a height offset and causes considerable destruction in the passenger compartment. This risk exists not only for colliding front and end cars, but also for cars located in a group of trains. In order to prevent the risk of climbing, anticlimber means are usually installed. These anticlimber means, so-called “anticlimbers,” are installed not only at the train ends, but also at the car ends, which are located within the group of trains.
A reliable meshing of two anticlimbers lying opposite one another can be guaranteed by means of the above-mentioned rail car in case of a collision even with a lateral offset of the colliding rail cars to one another.
A rail car of the type mentioned in the introduction has become known, e.g., from A 1735/2003. This rail car is schematically shown in FIG. 1 and shall be explained in detail below.
According to FIG. 1 the prior-art group of trains ZUV has at least two cars WA1, WA2, which are coupled to one another via a coupling KUP. Each of the two cars WA1, WA2 has an anticlimber means AC1, AC2, which is preferably made of steel, running essentially over the entire width of the car at a long-side end.
Between the rail cars WA1, WA2 is provided a bridge UEB, which has a fully closed corrugated bellows, which consists of at least two parts WB1, WB2: Namely, a first corrugated bellows WB1 assigned to the left car WA1 in the view and a second corrugated bellows WB2 assigned to the right car WA2 in the view. The corrugated bellows WB, WB2 may be connected to one another at their ends EN1, EN1 assigned to one another. To this end, each bellows WB1, WB2 may, for example, have a frame (not shown here) on the end side, wherein these frames can be bolted to one another or be connected via another coupling mechanism. Each of the corrugated bellows WB1, WB2 has bellows frames BR1, BR2, BR3, BR4 arranged in parallel to one another, which are preferably made of aluminum. These bellows frames BR1, BR2, is BR3, BR4 are indicated by broken lines in the view. One bellows frame BR1, BR2, BR3, BR4 each is located between two corrugations of the corrugated bellows WB1, WB2 in this case. The function of the bellows frames BR1, BR2, BR3, BR4 consists in maintaining the structure of the corrugated bellows and connecting the corrugations of the corrugated bellows to one another. The bellows frames BR1, BR2, BR3, BR4 are arranged such that the lower edges of the bellows frames BR1, BR2, BR3, BR4 come to lie above the upper edges of the anticlimber means AC1, AC2. Consequently, it is avoided that a meshing of the anticlimber means AC1, AC2 with one another by means of the bellows frames BR1, BR2, BR3, BR4 in case of a collision is prevented.
In order to make possible the arrangement of the bellows frames BR1, BR2, BR3, BR4 above the anticlimber means AC1, AC2, the lower edge of an end-side bellows frame BR1, BR4, which is placed on the box side, of each corrugated bellows WB1, WB2 is connected to the box WK1, WK2 via a profiled section arranged under the bottom area of the bridge and above the upper edge of the anticlimber means AC1, AC2 in front of a box WK1, WK2 of one of the rail cars WA1, WA2. The use of narrow profiled sections PR1, PR2 as screw-on frames in the horizontal bottom area of the bridge makes possible a simple mounting of the bridge UEB above the upper edge of the anticlimber AC1, AC2. The profiled sections PR1, PR2 may also be part of a frame that is mounted on the box WK1 or WK2.
In addition, bridge plates, so-called bridge plates, UB1, UB2, UB3, UB4, are provided in the bridge UEB, wherein every two bridge plates, designated as UB1, UB2, and designated below as “lateral bridge plates,” are mounted rotatably at a profiled section WP1, WP2 of the respectively assigned box WK1, WK2, each about an axis A, A′ running parallel to the rail plane and usually in the longitudinal direction of the car, wherein the bridge plates UB1, UB2, UB3, UB4 lie essentially at the level of the floor upper edges FN1, FN2.
In addition, the supporting structure of the front wall of each railroad car WA1, WA2 can be moved back in the longitudinal direction of the car to the end areas coupled to each other. Profiled sections WP1, WP2 made of a more readily deformable material are installed as the supporting structure of the front wall in the installation space that becomes free due to the moving back on both sides of an opening in the boxes WK1, WK2, by means of which a passenger may pass from one car WA1, WA2 into the other by means of the bridges UEB. As is evident from the drawing, the side bridge plates UB1, UB2 can be fastened at these profiled sections WP1, WP2 in the above-mentioned manner.
Due to the arrangement of profiled sections WP1, WP2 made of a more readily deformable material, for example, aluminum, as the supporting structure of the front wall, which can be made of steel, in a crash, a deformation of the softer profiled sections WP2, WP2 occurs, as a result of which the space needed for the block length of the bridge UEB is created.
A support ABS for a middle bridge plate or middle bridge plates UB3, UB4 is arranged above the coupling middle KPM of both rail cars WA1, WA2. The support ABS can be embodied in one part with the middle bridge plate at its upper area. The side bridge plates UB1, UB2 arranged respectively on the boxes WK1, WK2 lie on this bridge plate or bridge plates UB3, UB4. The free ends of the middle bridge plate or bridge plates UB3, UB4 may be beveled and lie under the side bridge plates UB1, UB2. Thus, the side bridge plates UB1, UB2 are supported on the middle bridge plates UB3, UB4 at their free ends. Due to the beveling of the free ends of the middle bridge plates UB3, UB4, an abutting surface is created for the side bridge plates UB1, UB2, as a result of which shiftings of the two cars WA1, WA2 in relation to one another can be compensated in the vertical and horizontal direction to one another.
The support ABS is movably arranged on a sliding plate GLP arranged above the coupling means KUP. The lower, solid section UAB of the support ABS, which cooperates with the sliding plate GLP, may be made of steel here, in order to improve the wear properties, as well as the slide plate support, to which the actual plastic sliding plate is fastened. According to the present invention, the sliding plate GLP and the lower section UAB of the support ABS are arranged under the lower edge of the anticlimber means AC1, AC2. Due to the arrangement of the sliding plate GLP as well as the base UAB of the support ABS cooperating with the sliding plate under the anticlimber means AC1, AC2, it can be avoided that a meshing with one another of the anticlimber means AC1, AC2 due to the sliding plate GLP or the base UAB of the support in a collision is prevented.
Furthermore, the support ABS may be made of aluminum in a vertical section MAB running essentially at right angles to the rail plane and located between the anticlimbers AC1, AC2 in an installed state. It is guaranteed by this embodiment that the anticlimber means AC1, AC2, in the case of a collision, can penetrate or deform the vertical, middle section MAB, which is made of aluminum, and thus mesh with one another.
In the above-described embodiment, the support of the bridge must be lowered as far as possible, i.e., the dimension between the sliding plate and the coupling longitudinal axis must be kept as small as possible.
The so-called clamp sleeve connection represents a very frequently used construction in a railroad car short coupling connection. It make it possible to produce a simple, safe and reliable connection of the two short coupling halves.
If the sliding plate now has a two-part design, wherein one part each of the sliding plate is rigidly arranged on each part of the coupling halves, then the sliding plate must be mounted at a height above the clamp sleeve connection that makes possible a raising of the upper clamp sleeve during the separation of the two rail cars to the extent that this no longer meshes with the clamp sleeve collar, and the connection can be separated.
However, in the bridge embodiment known from A 1735/2003, the distance between the sliding plate and the clamp sleeve needed for opening and closing the clamp sleeve cannot be met in a clamp sleeve connection, since, because of the design, a safe meshing of the anticlimbers lying with one another can consequently no longer be guaranteed.