TESTS ON AUTOMATIC COUPLINGS. COEFFICIENT OF REDUCTION K (TESTS MADE IN 1968-1969)

The possibility of coupling vehicles with an automatic coupler, reliably and without outside help, is governed strictly by the fields of action of the coupler heads and their position in relation to each other during coupling. This report contains an account of the tests and studies which served to ascertain one factor, the coefficient of reduction k, which will be multiplied by the value of the maximum theoretically possible transverse play in the running gear parts of the vehicles and of that in the track, so as to obtain the maximum transverse play likely to be encountered in service. Based on the tests mean values of k are proposed for application to the entire freight rolling stock. These values were selected taking into account the most important parameters (two-axle wagons, bogie wagons, long suspension short suspensions (or suspensions with a load-dependent friction damper for bogie wagons). Taking into account the transverse plays reduced by coefficient k to values acceptable for the calculations, it is possible to establish (see UIC Leaflet 530, formula in section III.3c) for a horizontal field of action (220 mm) of the automatic coupler a simply applied and realistic limit ratio between the principal dimensions of a vehicle (total length and wheelbase or distance between bogie pivots).

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Restrictions on the use of this document are contained in the explanatory material.
• Corporate Authors:

  International Union of Railways

  Office of Research and Experiments
  Utrecht,   Netherlands 
• Publication Date: 1970-4

Media Info

• Features: Figures;
• Pagination: 61 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Couplers; Design; Motor vehicles; Stability (Mechanics); Tests; Train track dynamics; Two axle cars
• Old TRIS Terms: Automatic couplers; Automatic coupling; Center buffer couplers; Question b51
• Subject Areas: Design; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00053044
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: International Union of Railways
• Report/Paper Numbers: B51/BP 10/E
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 3 1976 12:00AM