Pulling device for a vehicle, in particular for a railway vehicle, having an improved security

A railway vehicle that includes at least one bogie provided with at least one axle, wherein in that it includes at least one pulling device that includes at least one motor comprising an output shaft, the pulling device comprising:

• an epicyclic gear train, comprising a first element, a second element, and a third element all selected from an internal sun gear, an external ring gear, and a planet carrier carrying planet gears that engage by intermeshing with the internal sun gear and with the external ring gear, the first element being integrally secured in rotation with the output shaft, the second element being designed to drive an axle of the vehicle in rotation;
• an anomaly detector detecting an anomaly with respect to the motor;
• a releasable locker, that is capable of assuming a locking configuration in which it immobilises the third element in rotation, and a release configuration in which the third element is released so as to be freely rotatable;
• and
• a controller controlling the releasable locking means, that is capable of maintaining the releasable locker in the locking configuration when the anomaly detector does not detect any anomaly, and moving the releasable locker into the release configuration when the anomaly detector detects an anomaly, and in which the epicyclic gear train is kinematically connected to the said axle.

A protection method for protecting a pulling device that includes at least one motor comprising an output shaft, the pulling device comprising:

• an epicyclic gear train, comprising a first element, a second element, and a third element all selected from an internal sun gear, an external ring gear, and a planet carrier carrying planet gears that engage by intermeshing with the internal sun gear and with the external ring gear, the first element being integrally secured in rotation with the output shaft, the second element being designed to drive an axle of the vehicle in rotation;
• an anomaly detector detecting an anomaly with respect to the motor;
• a releasable locker, that is capable of assuming a locking configuration in which it immobilises the third element in rotation, and a release configuration in which the third element is released so as to be freely rotatable;
• and
• a controller controlling the releasable locker, that is capable of maintaining the releasable locker in the locking configuration when the anomaly detector does not detect any anomaly, and of moving the releasable locker into the release configuration when the anomaly detector detects an anomaly,
• wherein the anomaly detector continuously monitors the motor so as to detect the presence of an anomaly therein;
• and
• wherein when an anomaly is detected, the controller moves the releasable locker into the release configuration.