30-08-2017, 11:15 AM
A coupling (or coupler) is a mechanism for connecting the rolling stock in a train. The coupling design is standard, and is almost as important as the track gauge, since flexibility and comfort are maximized if all the rolling stock can be coupled together. The equipment connecting the couplings to the rolling stock is known as the draw or draw gear. The different coupling types do not always have formal or official names, which makes it problematic to describe the couplings in use in any railway system.
The standard type of coupling on railroads following British tradition is the chain cushion and link used in the pioneering locomotive of the planet class of Liverpool and the Manchester Railway of 1830. These links followed previous tram practices but were more regular facts. The vehicles are coupled by hand using a hook and links with a tensioner that attracts vehicles. In Britain, this is called a screw coupling. The vehicles have dampers, one on each corner at the ends, which are dragged and compressed by the coupling device. This arrangement limits slack in trains and reduces shocks. The oldest dampers were fixed extensions of the wagon structures, but later spring dampers were introduced.
The standard type of coupling on railroads following British tradition is the chain cushion and link used in the pioneering locomotive of the planet class of Liverpool and the Manchester Railway of 1830. These links followed previous tram practices but were more regular facts. The vehicles are coupled by hand using a hook and links with a tensioner that attracts vehicles. In Britain, this is called a screw coupling. The vehicles have dampers, one on each corner at the ends, which are dragged and compressed by the coupling device. This arrangement limits slack in trains and reduces shocks. The oldest dampers were fixed extensions of the wagon structures, but later spring dampers were introduced.