Passageway system for vehicles

Abstract

A passageway system (vestibule system) for providing a space and passage for passengers to walk between two vehicles, especially railway cars. In order to provide complete protection from the elements, the entire passageway is surrounded by a sealing membrane and the two separable portal halves are joined together and are held in a well-defined central position. Due to the construction of the passageway as a framework held entirely within the fully surrounding bellows, the passengers are protected in all positions of the passageway and the associated railways cars. The support frame for the passageway may include support arms which carry the entire weight of the passageway and permit the use of vehicles couplers that cannot provide a support function. The passageway includes bridge members, one of which is attached to the threshold of the car and the other is attached to the threshold of the central portal and the two bridge elements cooperate by gliding on top of one another in the manner of fish scales. The passageway is able to accommodate any rotations and displacements which occur during the normal motion of coupled vehicles. When suspension failure occurs in one of the vehicles, the weight of the passageway is entirely absorbed by the intact car.