IMPROVEMENTS IN AUTOMATIC CENTRAL BUFFER COUPLINGS

1275956 Automatic buffer couplings GERMANY MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT 24 Nov 1969 57338/69 Heading B7T [Also in Division H2] An automatic central buffer coupling comprises a coupling head 50 having an aperture 51 to accommodate a line connector assembly 52, the assembly 52 comprising a housing 1 which has an abutment surface 53 disposed so as to extend transversely to the coupling plane 54 of the coupling head 50 and therefore disposed to be abutted by a complementary coupling in the initial stages of coupling therewith, as well as a bearing or mating face 55 which is disposed parallel to the coupling plane 54 and which abuts the corresponding lateral bearing or mating face of the other coupling, when coupled therewith. The invention resides in an automatic central buffer coupling of the above type wherein the housing 1 is formed with a bearing arm 3 which extends into the aperture 51 and is pivotally connected to a support lever 7, which lever is swingable in a horizontal plane about a fixed pivot 8, against loading of a pressure spring 10, towards a position engaging a stop 14 of the coupling head by a pivot rod 12 which permits movement of the housing 1 inwards of the aperture 51, relative to the lever 7 and contrary to the spring loading of this lever. The rod 12 is connected to a flap guide rod 13 via a bearing arm 3 and pivot bearing 15 and the guide rod 13 carries a flap 17 for masking the line coupling assembly 52. The rod 13 also has a stop 14 which co-operates with a stop cam 9 on support lever 7 to preclude movement of the housing 1 inwards of aperture 51 relative to lever 7 and a restoring spring 16 loads the flap guide rod 13 towards a flap closed position in which the flap 17 masks the line coupling assembly 52 and the stop 14 is directed towards stop cam 9 to preclude such inward movement of the housing 1. A control arm 20 is pivotally mounted on the rod 12 and is connected to a closure lever 19 which engages electric contact connector 4 via a lever bearing 5 so that pivotal movement of lever 19 results in axial sliding movement of connector 4 within housing 1 while pivotal movement of the flap guide rod 13, upon opening movement of the flap 17 shifts the stop 14 away from engagement with the stop cam 9 to permit movement of housing 1 relatively inwards of aperture 51 and relative to support lever 7 so as to cause pivotal movement of the control arm 20 to shift the electric contact connector 4 axially towards a position projecting at the lateral