Appliance for Covering the Locking Device of an Accordian Pleated Connection Bellows

It is common in the case of flexibly articulated vehicles, or vehicle elements, to cover the lock devices between the vehicle elements and the accordian folded connection bellows between two vehicle elements, in order to have the least possible permeability, since due to such permeability roadway dirt can gain access and thus make operation difficult when it is desired to open the lock device and dismantle the bellows. This inconvenience can be of great importance, particularly when quick removal of the bellows is necessary, for which purpose the bellows is fastened to the vehicle element with a quick-lock device. Furthermore, the cover employed to maintain the locking device clean and free of dirt is unsatisfactory if a considerable amount of time is necessary to dismantle the cover itself to gain access to the locking device.

An object of this invention is, therefore, the provision of a suitable appliance, intended for use as a covering for the locking device between vehicles and accordian pleated connection bellows, which makes possible quick assembly and disassembly of the lock device cover with minimal, or possible no, use of tools.

In the following description, an illustrative embodiment of the invention is described in detail with the aid of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of the lower portion of an accordian pleated connection bellows at the point at which it is closed and, for the purpose of assembly and disassembly, it is opened;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II--II of FIG. 1, at the inner end of the bellows, that is, at the end of the bellows which is nearest to a vehicle or vehicle element; and

FIG. 3 is a corresponding cross-sectional view in the region of the external connection ends of two bellows which are detachable from each other, that is, in the region of the median cross-section or the coupling level between two vehicles or vehicle elements coupled together; and

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the bellows, bracket, frame, and vehicle. An accordian pleated bellows 1 (FIGS. 2 and 4) forms a closed channel enclosing the connection between two vehicles or vehicle elements which are flexibly articulated with each other. The end of one such vehicle 15 is shown in FIG. 4. In order to permit assembly and disassembly of the folded bellows, it can be opened and closed at the bottom. The opening and closing is made possibly by a locking device 2. At the end of the bellows a bracing cable 3 is incorporated into the bellows around its entire circumference and by which the bellows is fitted in a bracket 4 formed with a groove. Bracket 4 is secured to a frame 12 which in turn is mounted on the end face 16 of vehicle 15. The two free-ends of the cable are connected with coupling pieces 5 and 6 (FIG. 1), which can be moved closer to each other or further from each other by means of a control mechanism of the lock device. If the cable ends are at their smallest distance from each other, then the bellows ends are held in the groove of bracket 4. If the ends of the cables are at a larger distance from each other, then the ends of the bellows can be lifted out of the bracket 4 or fitted into bracket 4 using the cable.

According to this invention, the region of the lock device 2 is covered reliably in a simple way, in order to keep the lock device free of dirt, which may be thrown up into the region of the lock device from the roadway. For this purpose there is, in the region of the lock device, a flap 7 made of the same, or at least of a corresponding, material as the bellows. It is rot or wear resistant and water and wind tight; it is not, or in all events only slightly, elastically strechable. The bellows itself consists of individual bellows sections, which are held together at their edges by clamps 8, the clamps 8 simultaneously providing a desirable limited rigidity in a vertical direction, as well as maintaining the necessary shape of the bellows.

In the region of the lock device 2, the flap 7 is fastened to the two last bellows sections 1a and 1b with its longitudinal edge 7' in the last clamp 8 at the end of the bellows. The opposite longitudinal edge 7" of flap 7 is free. In the region of this longitudinal edge there are, along its length sloping from the cover area, several holes 9, by means of which the flap can be fastened to an appropriate number of holding pins 10. Each holding pin consists essentially of a base 10a, a shaft 10b and a head 10c. The holes 9 are dimensioned in such a way that the flap, in spite of its inelasticity, can be buttoned over the head 10c of the corresponding holding pins 10, so that it lies in the region of the shaft 10b. After attachment of the flap 7 on the holding pins 10 a tension strap 11 is fastened over the holding pins 10. The tnesion strap is elastic; for example, it may be a rubber strap. While the holes 9 of the flap 7 have the same diameter as the heads 10c and the distances between the holes correspond to the distances between the pins, the diameter of the holes in the relaxed tension strap 11 is smaller than the diameter of the heads 10c, e.g., they correspond approximately to the diameter of the shaft 10b, and the distance between the holes is smaller than the distances between the pins. Therefore, the tension strap 11 must be appropriately stretched in order to be fastened to the holding pins 10. If the tension strap is fastened using suitable stretching, after which the stretch yields, then the tension strap will relax, but only to the extent permitted by the intervals of the pins, and there remains a residual tension which prevents the tension strap from falling from the holding pins, i.e., until such time that the appropriate stretching force is re-applied, such as is required to remove the strap. At the same time, the tension strap can be attached in a curved form, if necessary in the edge portion of the flap in the area to the side of the holding pins 10, to a frame 12 which is arranged at the end of the vehicle element and carries the bracket 4 and the holding pins 10. Thus no dirt or moisture from outside can gain acces to the bellows lock device 2. Furthermore, the assembly is uncomplicated in its construction and it can be brought quickly into its working and release positions without accessories, in order to protect the lock device 2, or to make it easily accessible.

The frame 12 is an end-frame at the extremity of one of two vehicles or vehicle elements, which are flexibly articulated to each other. The arrangement at the extremity of the other vehicle or vehicle element corresponds to the illustrated and described arrangement.

In general, it is common to bridge the area between two vehicles or vehicle elements not with one one-piece bellows but with two appropriately shorter bellows; the distal terminal ends of the shorter bellows are each coupled with one of the ends of the vehicle or vehicle elements using the invention as described above. The bellows ends lying opposite each other can, in accordance with the invention, be joined in the way illustrated in FIG. 3. FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-section along Line II--II in FIG. 1, at the inner ends of the bellows with reference to the vehicle elements, and FIG. 3 illustrates this aspect at the outside connecting bellows ends with reference to the vehicle elements.

Each bellows can be suspended in a bracket 4, 4a using a tensioning cable 3, 3a and both brackets 4, 4a are held on a middle bellows frame 12a. A lock device 2, 2a is assigned to each tensioning cable 3, 3a. At each bellows end, a flap 7, 7a is provided as described above, and the free ends of the flaps are fastened to the holding pins 10a so that they overlap and they are secured using the tension strap 11a, likewise in the manner described. The "a" indices refer to the similarity of the parts in FIG. 3. In the region of the connection of the two bellows the assembly, in accordance with the invention, is particularly simple in comparison to other known arrangements.

The invention has been shown and described in preferred form only, and by way of example, and many variations may be made in the invention which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are included in the appended claims.