US3580399A

US3580399A - Automatic trainline connector

Info

Publication number: US3580399A
Application number: US872036A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald Willison; Kenneth L Depenti
Original assignee: Midland Ross Corp
Current assignee: Midland Ross Corp; National Casting Inc
Priority date: 1969-10-29
Filing date: 1969-10-29
Publication date: 1971-05-25
Anticipated expiration: 1988-05-25
Also published as: CA922338A

Abstract

A railway automatic trainline connector has a connector head provided with a pair of forwardly extending and outwardly diverging gathering wings, with one of the wings being provided with a guide rib facing the horizontal plane containing the longitudinal axis of the connector.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventors DonaldWlllison Lyndhurst; Kenneth L. Depenti, Mayiield Heights, Ohio [21] Appl No. 872,036

[22] Filed Oct. 29, 1969 {45] Patented May 25, 1971 [73] Assignee Midland-Ross Corporation Cleveland, Ohio [54] AUTOMATIC TRAINLINE CONNECTOR 6 Claims, 14 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 213/76,

285/63 [51] Int.Cl B6lg7/06 mmlll Primary ExaminerDrayton E. Hoffman Attorneys-Henry Kozak and Woodrow W. Portz ABSTRACT: A railway automatic trainline connector has a connector head provided with a pair of forwardly extending and outwardly diverging gathering wings, with one of the wings being provided with a guide rib facing the horizontal plane containing the longitudinal axis of the connector.

w '7 PATENTED HAY25I97I 35 0399 sum 2 or 2 cm mug y/ 95" m mausau AUTOMATIC TRAINLINE CONNECTOR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Existing Robinson type trainline connectors that are pro vided on railway vehicles having a length of less than 60 feet are generally capable of automatically aligning themselves along their longitudinal central axes during car coupling operations on sharp railway curves. With car builders presently constructing railway vehicles in excess of 60 feet and coupler manufacturers increasing the length of the coupler shank of the associated railway car coupler to overcome derailment problems associated with increased railway vehicle body length, the longitudinal distance between the coupling line of the car coupler and the adjacent railway car truck center has been increased. Because of this latter increase, two opposed trainline connectors of the above type are now generally disposed at greater angles of deviation from each other during coupling operations on sharp railway curves than heretofore encountered. Under such adverse conditions of misalignment, the gathering characteristic of this type of a connector is insufficient to prevent a jamming or binding of two opposed connectors approaching each other during a coupling operation.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a railway automatic trainline connector of the type having a pair of outwardly diverging gathering wings with supplemental guide means on one of the wings for improving the gathering characteristics of the connector.

Another object is to provide an additional bearing surface on the connector head to assist in the coupling operation of two similarly opposed trainline connectors that are horizontally, vertically and angularly misaligned with respect to each other.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, with respect to which the invention is described below:

FIG. I is a perspective view of a railway trainline connector containing improved guide means for aligning two similarly opposed connectors;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the connector shown in FIG. 1, with the connector mounted upon a support that is rigidly connected to a bracket;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation, as viewed from the left of FIG. 2, showing the front view of the connector head;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation view of the connector illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top view of the connector illustrated in FIG. 2; I

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of one of the guiding wings of the connector illustrating the improved guide means;

FIG. 7 and 8 are enlarged sectional views taken along lines 7-7 and 8-8 in FIG. 6 showing the shape of the guiding wing; and

FIG. 9 through 14 are fragmentary plan views of two opposed connectors illustrating various stages of automatic connection during coupling operations of two opposed railway car couplers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, a trainline connector 25 is shown yieldably mounted at its base 26 upon a support 27 for automatically connecting an airline 28 of one railway car with a corresponding airline of an adjacent railway car. Support 27 is rigidly mounted to a downwardly extending bracket 29 that is connected to an associated railway car coupler (not shown). The connector is yieldably supported along a general longitudinal central axis L-L and is permitted to move to the various longitudinal and angular positions required during service as described in Assignees copending US. Pat. application Ser. No. 760,912, filed Sept. 19, 1968 in the name of William .I. Metzger. Connector head 33, in its uncoupled position,

is normally disposed forward of the coupling line C-C of the supporting car coupler. In this position the connector will automatically couple with an opposed mating connector when two adjacent railway cars are brought together for the purpose of coupling.

Connector head 33 is, with the exception of one corner thereof, substantially rectangular in outline as viewed from the front, as in FIG. 3. The forward facing portion of head 33 is defined by upper and lower coplanar faces 34 and 35, and a rearwardly depressed planar face 36. An opening 37 is provided in the head in coaxial alignment with the L-L axis for receiving the terminal portion of an airline fitting 38. The fitting is removably mounted to the connector by a pin 39 in a manner well known in the art. Fitting 38 carries at its forward end a gasket 40 that projects through the connector head for engagement with a similar gasket of an opposing mating connector when the two connectors are in a coupled relationship. When two connectors are in a coupled condition, faces 34 and 35 of one connector are in abutting engagement with cor-- responding faces of the mating connector to maintain the heads of both connectors parallel to the coupling line C-C of the two opposed coupled railway car couplers.

Connector head 33 is also provided with diagonally spaced vertical side bearing

surfaces

43 and 44, and diagonally spaced

guide wings

45 and 46.

Wings

45 and 46 diverge in vertical and horizontal directions as they extend forwardly from the sides of the head and'serve to align two similarly opposing connectors approaching each other in .a coupling operation under conditions of vertical, lateral and angular misalignment of the respective central axes of the connectors.

As best viewed in FIGS. 3, 6, 7 and 8, wing 45 extends laterally and forwardly of head 33 in a downward direction. The wing is angularly shaped in cross section and comprises

leg portions

47 and 48. Leg

portions

47 and 48 extend the full length of the wing and form the top and side portions thereof. Leg portion 47, adjacent to head 33, is provided with a lateral shoulder segment 49 having a top surface 50 which extends both forwardly and rearwardly of face 36. Surface 50 is parallel to and in close proximity to the horizontal plane of the head that contains the horizontal axis LL and is adapted to engage during coupling operations, with a similar surface of an opposing connector. Shoulder 49 merges with a curved segment 51 having a convex surface 52. As seen in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, segment SI curves downwardly and away from the longitudinal axis L-L and merges with a tapering segment 54 having a flat surface 55 that extends to the forward end of the wing.

Leg portion 48 of wing 45, commences from face 36 of the head as a curved segment 58 having a convex surface 59 and continues forwardly to approximately the midpoint of the wing. Surface 59 faces the longitudinal vertical plane of the head and blends into a flat surface 60 formed on a tapering segment 61 that extends to the end of the wing.

Wing 45, as best seen in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, is further provided with a guide rib 65 which extends laterally outwardly from the edge of leg portion 47 and has a ridge portion 66 commencing forwardly of segment 49, reaching a maximum height of approximately the line 7-7 location and gradually decreases in height towards the end of the wing. For purposes of illustration, the area defined as the rib 65 is shown in phantom cross section in FIGS. 7 and 8. Rib 65 extends forwardly from shoulder segment 49 to approximately the midpoint of segment 54 where it blends back into theedge of portion 47. Ridge portion 66, forwardly of shoulder segment 49, provides a concave surface 67 that extends above

surfaces

50, 52 and 55. Surface 67 provides supplemental guiding means for the connector and facilitates coupling of similarly opposed connectors when the connectors are in a condition of extreme vertical and angular misalignment.

Wing 46, as seen in FIGS. 3; 4 and 5, extends laterally and forwardly of head 33 in an upwardly direction. Wing 46 is best described as an inverted mirror image of wing 45, with the guide rib 65 omitted. That is, the inverted mirror image of wing 45 extends upwardly and laterally outwardly from the head 33 with portion 47a having downwardly facing convexly curved surfaces 50a, 52a and 55a. The inverted mirror image of portion 48 appears as a vertically disposed portion 48a providing a laterally facing curved plane containing convexly curved side surface 58a and flat surface 60a. It will be understood, therefore, that the various surfaces of wing 46 are similar to the surfaces disposed on wing 45 with leg portion 47a comprising segments 49a, 51a and 54a, and with leg portion 48a comprising segments 58a and 61a.

FIG. 9 illustrates two opposed connectors embodying the invention approaching each other during a coupling operation. For purposes of explanation, the two opposed connectors and their corresponding elements will be distinguished from each other by adding the numeral l before the numerals of one of the mating connectors. The

connectors

25 and 125 are angularly disposed relative to each other with connector 25 being vertically offset from connector 125 in such a manner that surface 55a on wing 46 of connector 25 is first adapted to slidably engage surface 155 on wing 145 of connector 125.

As the connectors move toward each other, wing 46 slides over wing 145 to partially align the connectors both vertically and horizontally. Continued coupling movement of the two connectors causes surface 52a on wing 46 to engage both curved surface 167 of ridge 166 and surface 152 on wing 145. As the connectors advance further toward each other, ridge 166 function as a guiding means to assist in guiding the opposed connectors laterally into alignment. Ridge 166 provides such guiding action that as surface 52a on connector 25 overrides wing 145 on connector 125, sufficient lateral alignment of the connectors occurs. Further movement of the connectors toward each other, as shown in FIG. 10, aligns the connectors sufficiently'to cause surface 59 on wing 45 to engage vertical side bearing surface 144 on connector head 133 of connector 125 and surface 159 on wing 145 to engage vertical side bearing surface 44 on connector head 33. Prior to the engagement of the opposed faces 34 and 134 of the mating connector heads, surfaces 50 and 500 on both wings of connector 25 cooperate with the associated surfaces 150 and 1500 on both wings of the opposed connector, while the

curved surfaces

67 and 167 on wings45 and 145, respectively, cooperate with portions of surfaces 150a and 50a on wings'l46 and 46, respectively, to align the connectors in such a manner than the last inch or so of longitudinal movement is substantially a straight-in movement along longitudinal axis L-L of the connectors.

FIG. 11 illustrates another condition of angular misalignment of the two opposed connectors wherein surface 160a of wing 146 on connector 125 is adapted to first slidably engage vertical side bearing surface 43 on connector head 33 of connector 25 at a point denoted as 70 on FIG. 3. As the connectors continue to advance toward each other, surface 52a on wing 46 progressively engages

surfaces

152 and 167 on the mating connector to effect vertical alignment of the connectors. During the movement of the connector heads into vertical alignment, ridge 166 assists in guiding the heads laterally. Further movement of the connectors toward'each other permits the opposed vertical edges of

faces

34 and 134 to engage as seen in FIG. 12. This engagement results in an offcenter longitudinal coupling force which acts to align the connectors along their longitudinal central axes to complete the coupling operation.

Under another condition of extreme angular misalignment of two opposed connectors, the upper horizontal edges of

faces

34 and 134 of the two opposed connector heads assist in the alignment of the connectors. FIG. 13 illustrates a vertical offset condition wherein surface 160 on wing 145 of connector 125 is adapted to engage the extreme outermost end portion 71, as seen in FIG. 3, of vertical side bearing surface 44 on connector head 33. As this engagement occurs, the opposed connectors are urged laterally toward each other as previously explained in connection with FIG. 11. In addition, however, each of the opposed connector heads is urged downwardly so that their opposed faces diverge in a downward direction. As the opposed connectors continue to advance towards each other, peripheral corner edge 72 on upper face 34, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 14, engages the opposed face 134 adjacent to vertical side bearing surface 143. At this point of the coupling operation, the longitudinal central axes of the mating connectors are in a state of both horizontal and vertical angular misalignment. With the connectors disposed as shown in FIG. 14, the lateral component of forces at the point of contact 72 between the faces tends to urge the connectors toward a coupling relationship. That is, the offcenter longitudinal coupling force between faces 34 and 134 of the opposed connectors urges the connectors into horizontal alignment wherein the upper horizontal edges of the faces are in engagement. Thereafterthe connectors pivot about the engaged upper horizontal edges of the faces to align the connectors vertically, thereby completing the coupling operation.

Thus the improved trainline connector described provides an automatic connection between similarly opposed connectors under all conditions of service by improving the gathering characteristics of the connectors, while at the same time per- 7 mitting a tight'connection between the opposed faces of the connector heads.

We claim:

1. In an automatic trainline connector mounted on a support which yieldably supports the connector along a general longitudinal central axis and which is adapted to permit movement of the connector in various directions, said connector having a head provided with a pair of vertically spaced coplanar faces facing in the forward direction for engagement with a similar pair of faces of an opposing mating connector; said head having diagonally spaced outwardly diverging guide wings disposed on opposite sides of a horizontal plane passing through said axis, said wings being adapted for engagement with the wings and head of an opposing similar connector to effect horizontal and vertical alignment of said connectors during coupling operations, each of said wings being angularly shaped in cross section and comprising two leg portions, one of said leg portions having a continuous surface extending the length of the wing and facing a vertical plane passing through said axis, said second leg portion having a continuous surface extending the length of the wing and facing said horizontal plane; the improvement which comprises:

A. a guide rib on one of said wings, said rib extending laterally outwardly from the edge of said second leg portion, said rib having a ridge portion extending lengthwise of the wing and being adapted to engage the second leg portion of the opposing wing of a mating connector to effect alignment of the connectors along their longitudinal axes in advance of the engagement of their opposed faces.

2. In an automatic trainline connector according to claim 1 wherein:

A. said second leg portion comprises a shoulder segment disposed laterally adjacent said head, said shoulder segment extending forwardly of the head and merging with a curved segment that terminates with a tapering segment; and

B. said guide rib extends along the edge of said second leg portion from said shoulder segment to said tapering segment, said ridge portion having a surface lying above the continuous surface of said second leg portion to constitute supplemental guiding means.

3. In an automatic trainline connector according to claim ll wherein:

A. said rib is disposed on the wing spaced below said horizontal plane.

4. In an automatic trainline connector according to claim ll wherein:

A. said head is provided with diagonally spaced-apart vertically parallel side bearing surfaces on opposite sides of said vertical and horizontal planes, each of said bearing surfaces commencing from an adjacent one of said wings and in proximity to said horizontal plane and extending to the outermost ends of the head; and

B. said faces of said head comprising an upper face and a lower face on opposite sides of said horizontal plane, said upper face having a horizontal peripheral edge adjacent to the outermost end of said head.

5. In an automatic trainline connector according claim I wherein:

A. said head is provided with diagonally spaced-apart vertically parallel side bearing surfaces on opposite sides of said vertical and horizontal planes, each of said bearing surfaces commencing from an adjacent one of said wings and in proximity to said horizontal plane and extending to the outermost ends of the head, each of said bearing surfaces being adapted to receive in sliding engaging relation the first leg portion of the wing on the other side of the vertical plane of an opposing mating connector to effect horizontal alignment of the connectors about their longitudinal axes in advance to the engagement of the faces of the opposed mating connectors; and

B. one of said bearing surfaces having a length greater than the length of said other bearing surface.

6. An automatic trainline connector having a head which is generally rectangular in outline with its major and minor axes arranged vertically and horizontally respectively, a lateral guide wing secured to one side of the head above said minor axis, said wing extending forwardly from said head in a direction upwardly and away from said minor axis, a second lateral guide wing secured to the other side of head below said minor axis, said second wing extending forwardly from said head in a direction downwardly and away from said minor axis, each of said wings being angularly shaped in transverse cross section and comprising two leg portions, one of said leg portions having a continuous surface extending the length of the wing and facing a horizontal plane passing through said minor axis, a guide rib extending laterally outwardly from the edge of said last-named leg portion on the wing disposed below said horizontal plane, and said rib having a ridge portion extending lengthwise of the wing and above said continuous surface.

Claims

1. In an automatic trainline connector mounted on a support which yieldably supports the connector along a general longitudinal central axis and which is adapted to permit movement of the connector in various directions, said connector having a head provided with a pair of vertically spaced coplanar faces facing in the forward direction for engagement with a similar pair of faces of an opposing mating connector; said head having diagonally spaced outwardly diverging guide wings disposed on opposite sides of a horizontal plane passing through said axis, said wings being adapted for engagement with the wings and head of an opposing similar connector to effect horizontal and vertical alignment of said connectors during coupling operations, each of said wings being angularly shaped in cross section and comprising two leg portions, one of said leg portions having a continuous surface extending the length of the wing and facing a vertical plane passing through said axis, said second leg portion having a continuous surface extending the length of the wing and facing said horizontal plane; the improvement which comprises: A. a guide rib on one of said wings, said rib extending laterally outwardly from the edge of said second leg portion, said rib having a ridge portion extending lengthwise of the wing and being adapted to engage the second leg portion of the opposing wing of a mating connector to effect alignment of the connectors along their longitudinal axes in advance of the engaGement of their opposed faces.

2. In an automatic trainline connector according to claim 1 wherein: A. said second leg portion comprises a shoulder segment disposed laterally adjacent said head, said shoulder segment extending forwardly of the head and merging with a curved segment that terminates with a tapering segment; and B. said guide rib extends along the edge of said second leg portion from said shoulder segment to said tapering segment, said ridge portion having a surface lying above the continuous surface of said second leg portion to constitute supplemental guiding means.

3. In an automatic trainline connector according to claim 1 wherein: A. said rib is disposed on the wing spaced below said horizontal plane.

4. In an automatic trainline connector according to claim 1 wherein: A. said head is provided with diagonally spaced-apart vertically parallel side bearing surfaces on opposite sides of said vertical and horizontal planes, each of said bearing surfaces commencing from an adjacent one of said wings and in proximity to said horizontal plane and extending to the outermost ends of the head; and B. said faces of said head comprising an upper face and a lower face on opposite sides of said horizontal plane, said upper face having a horizontal peripheral edge adjacent to the outermost end of said head.

5. In an automatic trainline connector according claim 1 wherein: A. said head is provided with diagonally spaced-apart vertically parallel side bearing surfaces on opposite sides of said vertical and horizontal planes, each of said bearing surfaces commencing from an adjacent one of said wings and in proximity to said horizontal plane and extending to the outermost ends of the head, each of said bearing surfaces being adapted to receive in sliding engaging relation the first leg portion of the wing on the other side of the vertical plane of an opposing mating connector to effect horizontal alignment of the connectors about their longitudinal axes in advance to the engagement of the faces of the opposed mating connectors; and B. one of said bearing surfaces having a length greater than the length of said other bearing surface.