Abstract: To avoid, after excessive shocks in the underframe in the forestructure and at the coupling of a traction/thrust pivoted joint or device of a vehicle, deformations of a central buffer coupling at the underframe of the vehicle is proposed. Arranged between the carrier plate for the support of the traction/thrust device and the coupling uptake at the underframe in each instance is a shock absorber which in case of excessive shocks becomes deformed elastically and/or plastically and permits a deformation path preset for the force acting at the time.

Abstract: In a rail vehicle with anticlimb equipment, the occurring normal shocks are absorbed by draw and buffer devices which are provided in tandem with the central buffer couplers. To take up excessive impacts, an excess-impact safety effective through deformation is built into the coupler bar of the central buffer coupler. The purpose of the inventive arrangement with an additional excess-impact safety is to be able, upon a collision accident, to take up further excess impacts, in addition to those which are absorbed by the excess-impact safety of the coupler bar. The additional excessive-impact safety is so disposed that it remains unaffected during the response of the excess-impact safety of the coupler bar.

Abstract: An energy absorbing bumper for attachment to vehicles, such as automobiles, is disclosed. The energy absorbing bumper includes a low density foamed plastic having a semi-rigid cellular structure, so that upon impact greater than a pre-determined minimum impact the energy absorbing material collapses, and absorbs substantially the entire impact, without any increase in its density. In particular, low density foamed plastics, such as urethane, are empolyed, having a density of less than 7 pounds per cubic foot. The bumper disclosed includes means for permitting collapse of the foamed plastic without any substantial increase in its density, so that the plastic itself absorbs substantially the entire force of impact upon the bumper.

Abstract: An energy absorption unit wherein a piston is movably mounted in a compressible solid chamber, the piston including first and second passages, the compressible solid material to be conducted only through said first passages during low energy damping levels, a valve means connected to said piston through a shear pin assembly, said valve means normally closing said second passages, at a predetermined high energy level said shear pin assembly being caused to fail also permitting conductance of said compressible solid material through said second passages.