Membrane system for connecting railway vehicles or the like

Abstract

A preferred membrane system is for connecting railway vehicles or the like. Each of the vehicles has longitudinal walls extending along a direction of movement of the vehicle and ends extending substantially transverse to the longitudinal walls. The system comprises an elastically deformable membrane having a tubular form for substantial alignment with the longitudinal walls between the ends of the vehicles being adjacent to one another. The membrane has opposite ends for being respectively connected to the ends of the vehicles being adjacent to one another. The membrane includes a plurality of corrugations with each of the corrugations extending around the tubular form. Elements for connecting the vehicle provide a predetermined distance between the ends thereof. The membrane and the corrugations thereof are partially compressed when the opposite ends are disposed from each other by the predetermined distance. Additionally, the membrane can include a plurality of longitudinal sections with at least some of the longitudinal sections being generally curved about a longitudinally extending axis and at least others of the longitudinal sections being generally planar to be parallel with the longitudinally extending axis.