COUPLINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES; DRAUGHT OR BUFFING APPLIANCES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES

Introduced: September 1968

Classification Context

Section:: PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
Class:: RAILWAYS
Subclass:: COUPLINGS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES; DRAUGHT OR BUFFING APPLIANCES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES

Description

B61G covers mechanical couplings and shock-absorbing devices specifically designed for joining and cushioning impacts between railway vehicles and train sets. This includes coupler heads, drawbars, buffer systems, and associated hardware that facilitate train formation while mitigating longitudinal forces during acceleration, braking, and coupling operations. The classification extends to both automatic and manual coupling mechanisms as well as the structural components that transmit draft and buffering forces between adjacent vehicles.

Filing statistics

IPC subclass B61G recorded 6,602 patent applications worldwide between 2013 and 2023. Annual filings grew from 378 in 2013 to 593 in 2023 (+57%), peaking at 832 applications in 2020. The most active applicants in class B61 are SIEMENS MOBILITY (2,749 applications), CRRC QINGDAO SIFANG COMPANY (2,215 applications) and SIEMENS (1,941 applications).

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

In class comparison

B61G ranks 8th of 9 subclasses with filings in B61, with 6,602 applications between 2013 and 2023, 4.0% of the class. Annual filings grew 57% from 2013 to 2023, below the class as a whole (+59%).

Subclasses of class B61 by patent applications, 2013–2023
Rank	Subclass	Title	Applications	Share
1	B61D, Body Details or Kinds of Railway Vehicles	Body Details or Kinds of Railway Vehicles	44,184	26.6%
2	B61L, Guiding Railway Traffic; Ensuring the Safety of Railway Traffic	Guiding Railway Traffic; Ensuring the Safety of Railway Traffic	37,431	22.5%
3	B61B, Railway Systems; Equipment Therefor Not Otherwise Provided for	Railway Systems; Equipment Therefor Not Otherwise Provided for	19,400	11.7%
4	B61F, Rail Vehicle Suspensions, e.g. Underframes, Bogies or Arrangements of Wheel Axles; Rail Vehicles for Use on Tracks of Different Width; Preventing Derailing of Rail Vehicles; Wheel Guards, Obstruction Removers or the Like for Rail Vehicles	Rail Vehicle Suspensions, e.g. Underframes, Bogies or Arrangements of Wheel Axles; Rail Vehicles for Use on Tracks of Different Width; Preventing Derailing of Rail Vehicles; Wheel Guards, Obstruction Removers or the Like for Rail Vehicles	17,602	10.6%
5	B61C, Locomotives; Motor Railcars	Locomotives; Motor Railcars	15,748	9.5%
6	B61K, Auxiliary Equipment Specially Adapted for Railways, Not Otherwise Provided for	Auxiliary Equipment Specially Adapted for Railways, Not Otherwise Provided for	15,143	9.1%
7	B61H, Brakes or Other Retarding Devices Specially Adapted for Rail Vehicles; Arrangement or Disposition Thereof in Rail Vehicles	Brakes or Other Retarding Devices Specially Adapted for Rail Vehicles; Arrangement or Disposition Thereof in Rail Vehicles	8,841	5.3%
8	B61G	Couplings Specially Adapted for Railway Vehicles; Draught or Buffing Appliances Specially Adapted for Railway Vehicles	6,602	4.0%
9	B61J, Shifting or Shunting of Rail Vehicles	Shifting or Shunting of Rail Vehicles	1,203	0.7%

Source: EPO PATSTAT, worldwide filings

Related Keywords

vehicle traction COUPLING(S) peculiar to rail vehiclesRAILWAY(S),RAILROAD(S) vehicle draught or buffing gearconnections peculiar to railway VEHICLES

6 direct subcodes

Child Classifications

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B61G 1/00 Couplings comprising interengaging parts of different shape or form and having links, bars, pins, shackles, or hooks as coupling means
B61G 11/00 Buffers
B61G 3/00 Couplings comprising mating parts of similar shape or form which can be coupled without the use of any additional element or elements
B61G 5/00 Couplings not otherwise provided for
B61G 7/00 Details or accessories
B61G 9/00 Draw-gear

Top Applicants

Top 10 applicants by patent filingsfor class B61, 2013–2023, worldwide · Source: EPO PATSTAT

SIEMENS MOBILITY DE 2,749
CRRC QINGDAO SIFANG COMPANY 2,215
SIEMENS DE 1,941
ALSTOM TRANSPORT TECHNOLOGIES FR 1,514
BYD COMPANY 1,371
CRRC CHANGCHUN RAILWAY VEHICLES COMPANY 1,205
CRRC ZHUZHOU LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY 1,165
CRRC TANGSHAN COMPANY 1,119
BOMBARDIER TRANSPORTATION DE 1,001
SOUTHWEST JIAOTONG UNIVERSITY 958