Abstract: An arrangement for resiliently absorbing forces in various operational conditions, has a housing, a resilient element located in the housing and formed as a friction spring with a plurality of inner and outer conical rings cooperating with one another with interposition of a lubricant, and an additional body of the lubricant accommodated in an inner chamber formed inside the rings and including such a quantity of the lubricant which is sufficient for continuously replenishing the lubricant between the rings during operation of the arrangement in various operational conditions.

Abstract: An arrangement for resilient absorption of forces, particularly for an intermediate buffer coupling of rail vehicles, has an elongated housing with a closed end and an open end, a friction device located in the region of the open end, and a resilient element in the housing, cooperating in series with the friction device and formed as a friction spring including a plurality of conical inner and outer rings cooperating with one another with interposition of a lubricant. An opening of the open end of the housing has a smaller diameter than a portion of the housing wherein the resilient element is accommodated. Two telescopable cup-shaped members are located in the housing and accommodate the rings of the friction spring. One of the cup-shaped members has a diameter exceeding the diameter of the opening of the housing and is constituted by an elastically deformable material.

Abstract: An apparatus for evacuating passengers from a passenger-carrying cabin having a floor suspended above the ground comprises upper and lower plates engageable over the upper and lower sides of a vertical hole through the floor. These plates are both secured tightly in place on the respective sides of the floor in a normal position and are released in an emergency position, with the lower plate dropping away from the car. A tubular life-saving chute is secured to the floor between the sides in the hole and is folded up between the plates in the normal position, but extends from the floor toward the ground in the emergency position to allow persons to be saved to slide down through this chute. A linkage normally rigidly interconnects the two plates together, but is operated in case of fire or the like to disconnect them.

Abstract: A suspended railway employs a suspension rail provided with two runway rails upon which respectively ride the first and second traveller wheel sections of a traveller from which a railway car, or the like, is suspended. A railway switch for the suspension rail has a stem section and two branch sections. Each of the two runway rails of the stem section also forms the outer runway rail of a respective one of the two branch sections. Each of the two branch sections furthermore has a respective inner runway rail. The inner runway rails of the two branch sections define together with the outer runway rails a switch gap over which one of the traveller wheel sections crosses unsupported as the traveller crosses the switch gap, so that in crossing the switch gap the traveller exhibits a tendency to tilt in a first direction towards the unsupported side of the traveller.