CA1125236A - Coupler carrier arrangement for railroad cars - Google Patents

Abstract

COUPLER CARRIER ARRANGEMENT
FOR RAILROAD CARS

Abstract of the Disclosure A coupler carrier arrangement for railroad cars, in which the car center sill ends are equipped with a striker casting through which the car coupler shank extends for connection to the car center sill, with the striker casting having the familiar cage, in which the coupler carrier is mounted, including an upwardly opening socket on the underside of the casting defining a coupler carrier chamber, in which the coupler carrier itself comprises a body formed from an ultra high molecular weight polymer of dry self lubricating characteristics that replaces both the conventional coupler carrier and the carrier iron, and is shaped to define a horizontally disposed upwardly facing load support surface on which the coupler shank rests, and oppositely facing forward and rearward side walls defining vertically disposed slide surfaces formed for close fitting relation to the coupler carrier chamber inner and outer walls. The coupler carrier load support and side slide surfaces are of integral one piece construction, and are characterized by effecting resurfacing of the coupler shank and striker casting surfaces they engage to make such surfaces effectively resistant against wear.

Description

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COUPLER CARRIER ARRANGEMENT
FOR RAILROAD CARS

This invention relates to a coupler carrier arrrange-ment for railroad cars, and more particularly, to the sprung or resiliently supported type coupler carrier for type F
couplers that are commonly associated with the familiar open centered striker castings through which the coupler shank extends for anchoring to the car sill.
Couplers of railroad cars are commonly operatively connected to the car in association with the well known striker casting that is fixed to the projecting end of the car center sill at the car end in question. The striker castings involved are normally of open centered configuration defining the usual striking face disposed in a vertical ~;
plane, with the coupler shank extending through the casting and bearing a wear plate that rests on the so-called coupler carrier iron supported by the striker casting at the threhhold of the striker casting window opening. -This invention is concerned with the resiliently supported type carrier in which the familiar carrier iron is secured on top of the carrier casting that is in turn resiliently ~-supported in the striker casting cage that is in the form of an upwardly facing socket formed in the lower side of the casting at the threshold of the striker casting window opening.
The socket in question defines a coupler carrier chamber deflning inner and outer side walls disposed crosswise of the center line of draft between which the carrier casting is . . . ~

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-received. The carrier casting defines oppositely facing side walls, that are in close fitting rel~tion to the indicated coupler carrier chamber side walls, and inwardly indented end portions at either side of the s-triker casting that are formed for cooperation wlth vertical movement limiting stops secured to the car center sill on either side of the striker casting. Several coil springs interposed between the carrier casting and the bottom of the striker casting cage in question resiliently support the coupler carrier and the coupler that rests on the carrier iron.
This type of coupler carrier arrangement is commonly employed in AAR standard F type interlocking coupler applica-tions, an illustration of which shown at page S8-19 of the 1974 Edition of Car & Locomotive Cyclopedia published by Simmons-Boardman Publishing Company. Resiliently supported coupler carrier arrangements of this type are commonly employed in cars designed for use in the so-called unit trains.
A major problem that has long plagued railroads has to do with repair requirements of the striker casting cage in which the resiliently supported coupler carrier is mounted, ~' and especially ln the case of the high mileage unit train cars.
The fundamental problem involves the fact that when the striker casting cage side walls become worn, the car has to be shopped to repair such walls, either by welding wall liners in place, or by replacing the entire striker casting.
~hile either of these approaches is inordinately expensive, the cage walls in question all too soon wear out after repair, z, ;':
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~5'~3Çi thus resultincJ in repeate(l expensive car clown -time as well as expensive repair procedure~ hich ordlnarily will invo]ve hea-t t~atment of the s-triker castinq after welding where weldin~ is employed.
l~nalysis of the problem has revealed -that a major cause of excessive caster striking cage wear lies in the fact that as trains ~ove over hills, gravity ac-~iny on the coupler wi.ll tend to brina one or the other of the carrier side walls into rubbin~r or ~)inding engagement with the striker casting cage side wall opposing same, the specific surfaces involved depending on whether the car is ~oing up or down hill.
Further~ore, the coupler shank is suhject to considerable vibration as the car ~oves along the track, induced due to -the car wheels riding over rail joints and the like, resulting in oscil]ation of the coupler carrier and thus excessive rubbing or galling of the - coupler carrier aqalnst the cage surfaces involved.
The present invention therefore resides in a . . ;
railroad car wheeled for riding on track rails and having a body including a center sill projecting from "- the car end and eauipped with a coupler striker casting, a draft gear riqging includina a draft aear applied -;
within a draft gear pocket between stops spaced longitu-dinally of the car and within the center sill, and a yoke embracing the draft gear, the striker casting including ~-:
a striker portion having a striking face disposed in a - vertical plane and transversely of khe car center line of ~ j .
~` draft and a window opening disposed transversely of and ~ i ~
~` 30 allaned with the car center line of dra~t. A coupler has a coupler head disposed outside of the striker casting window and a shank extending through the striker casting "~

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window inwardly of the s-triker casting and operab]y connected -to the ~oke for transmitting buff and draft forces to the car, and havincl swinginc3 movement sidewise of the car and li~ited movement longitudinally of -the car under ~ravity as -the car ascends and descends slopiny track grades. The striker casting striker portion defines below the window thercof an upwardly open socket forming the striker castin~ cage and defining spacecl apar-t inner and outer upright walls extending aenerally parallel to the vertical plane. A coupler carrier is resiliently supported in the cage for limited vertical movement on which the coupler shank rests with the caqe walls each defining a coupler carrier movement limiting wear surface for limiting movement of the coupler carrier lonaitudinally of the car when the coupler moves longitudinally of the car under gravity as the car ascends and descends sloping track qrades.
According to one aspect of the present invention the coupler carrier includes a body formed from polyethylene of dry self lubricating characteristics having a molecular weight in the ran~e of from apProximately 3,000,000 to approximately 9,000,000. The body is shaped to define an upper platform portlon deining a planar upwardly facing load support surface ormed by the polyethylene across the top of same on which the coupler shank rests and which spans the width of the striker castinq window. The bocly further deflnes below the load support surface a forwarcl side wall forming an outwardly facin~ slide surface formed by the polyethylene and opposing the cage outer upright -~
waIl movement limiting wear surface, and a rear side wall ~`~
forming an inwarclly facing slide surface formed by the polyethvlene and opposing the cage inner upright wall ~ .
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movemellt limiting wear surface. 'rhe body outwardly facing slide surEace bears a~ainst the cagc outer upright wall movemen-t limiting wear surface wh~n gravi~y induces the coupler lon~itudinal movement outwardly of the striker castin~ window, and the body inwardly facing slide surface bears a~ainst the cage inner uprigh-t wall movement limiting wear surface when gravity incluces the coupler longitudinal movement inwardly of the striker castin~ window. The body is characterized by having the slide surfaces thereof effecting during transit of the car resurfacing of the cage respective movement limiting wear surfaces they engage under gravity and under vertical vibrations of the body induced by vibration of the coupler shank as the car is moved along a track having a sloping grade, to have a wear free finish over the portions of same that are respectively engaged by the respective body slide surfaces, with the slide surfaces and the finishes tending to harden `- in use so that the cage movement limitinq surfaces become effectively resistant to wear under the vertical vihrations of the bodyA
`` ~ccording to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making the striker ~` casting cage movement limiting wear surfaces effectively resistant against wear due to ver-tical vibrations of the coupler carrier when engaged thereby. The method includes the step of using as the coupler carrier a body formed ~ from polyethylene of dry self lubrica-ting characteristics -; havinq a molecular weight in the range of from approximately 3,000,000 to approximately s,ooo,oon and shaped to closely ~` 30 fit within the cage and define slide surfaces respectively i ~ .
opposln~ the cage respective movement limiting wear surfaces for engagement therewith when the couplqr moves `
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B "~ 5 -'' ' ' ' ' 25~6 longitlldinally and ~escends track cJrades. When the car is in -transit the metllod fur~her involves the causing of the bocly slide surfaces to r~surface the cage movement limitin~ wear sur~aces, the respective caye movement limiting wear surfaces being engaged by the respective body slide surfaces, under vertical vibrations induced in the body relative to the cage when the car is in transit over sloping track grades so as to provide the surfaces with a wear free flnish.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a coupler carrier arrangement of the sprung type which eliminates the striker casting cage side wall wear problem without requiring modification of the striker casting itselP, or the introduction of wet lubricants or movement guides to protect the striker casting surfacing involved.
Another principal object of the invention is to provide a coupler carrier arrangement in which the so-called carrier iron as a separate e~pendable piece is replaced by a coupler support platform portion at the coupler carrier upper end which is of integral one piece construc-tion with the carrier.
Still other objects of the invention are to provide ~ -a coupler carrier arranqement that is economical of manufacture, that may be installed at least as readily as conventional coupler carriers, and that is ]ong lived in use. ~`
Other objects, uses and advantages will be obvious or become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description and the application drawings iTI
which like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views.

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In the drawings.
Figure 1 is a frac~mental plan view of the end of a car center sill showing the coupler and striker casting as applied thereto, and parti.ally broken away to show or indicate specific parts of the assembly involved;
Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the arrangement shown in Figure 1, with parts shown in elevation;
Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along ]ine 3--3 of Figure 2, but shown on an enlarged scale;
Figure 4 is a top plan view of the coupler : carrier arranged in accordance with the inventlon, showing the coupler carrier as shapecd for wide swing coupler applications;
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Figure 5 is a front si.de eleva-tional view of the coupler carrier shown in Fi.gure 4;
Figure 6 is a view sim:ilar -to that of Fi.g~re 4 showiny the coupler carrier as arranged for standa:rd s.i.de swin~ couple:rs; and Flyure 7 :is a fraymerl-tal view s:imilar -to tha-t of Figure 3 illus~ra-tlng a modified coupler carrier arrangement.
However, it is to be understood that the speci.fic drawiny illustrations provi.decl are supplied primarily to comply with the requirements of the Patent Laws, and tha~ the invention is susceptible of other embodiments that will be obvious to those skilled in the art, and which are intended to be covered by the appended claims.
Reference numeral 10 of FicJures 1 and 2 yenerally indicates an AAR type F in-terlock.i.ny coupler applied to conventional center sill 12 that i.s an integral pa:rt o:F
railroad car body 14 (-the latter being largely om:itted e~cept for the relevant parts in the area. of the operatinc3 location of the coupler. 10). Car body 14, of course, is wheeled in the usual manner for riding on the usual railroad track rails.
The cen-ter si:ll lZ is of the u,,ual inverted channel shaped type, deflning spaced side walls 16 each haviny la-terally directed ed~e ~langes 18. Suitably fixed to the terminal end port.ion 19 of end sill I2 is conventional striker casting 20 that includes forward draft gear s-top :Luys 21 (see Fiyure 1) agains-t which ls seated the usual f:rol~t fo:Llower 22 that is operably assoclated with:conventional draft gear 25 tha-t has its other end seated a~alilst t.he usua]. rear stop lugs that are not shown. The draft gear 25 (which. i.s shown only diagram-`

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mati,cally as its spec:i.f,ics have nothing to do wi.-th -the present invention), and its front Eoliower 22 are embraced, as is con~enti.onal in car clraEt gear rig~ing pocke-ts, by vert;,cal yoke 24 whi.ch i.s connected to the shank 26 of the coupler by connector pin 28 that is supported by support pla-te 30 that is suitably secured i.n place across the center sill 12 at the level :indicated. As usual, the spherically contoured inner end 35 of the coupler seats aga:inst -the correspondingly con-toured force transmit-ting recess 37 of the f.ront follower 22.
The yoke 24 compr:ises the usual upper and lower straps or arms 40 and 42 that are suitably apertured to receive the connector pin 28, and whlch are i,n-tegrally connected together at -the .i.nner end of the yoke i.n the usual manner (not shown).
The s-triker casting 20 comprises the usual vertically disposed striker portion 50 having the planar striking Eace 52 which is adapted to be engacJed by -the usual horn 54 of coupler head~56. The striker portion 50 is of generally planar configuratl.on and def ines an open center or window 58 throuyh which the coupler shank 26 extends for connection to yoke 24 and thus to center sill 12 through draft gear 25.:
The striker portion of cast.ing 20 defines in coplanar relation therewlth at the underside of sarne a cage 60 de.fined~
by a forward or outer wall~62 spaced from a rear or inner wal:L
64, and side walls 66 and 6~ (see Flgure 3) which .i.n turn form coupler carri.er chamber 70 i.n whi.ch is resil:ien-tly mounted coupler aarrl.er 72 that is arranged in accordance wi.tll the present invention to support coupler 10.

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The str:iker casting 20 also includes the usual side and back flange structu~es 74 and 76 that are sui-tably fixed to center sill in any sui.table rnanner, as by employi.ng rive-ting, etc. Cage 60 i.s forrned to clefine t'he usu~l drain openings 77.
In practice, the str.i.ker castiny may follow the general arrangement shown at payes S8-19 of -the Car & Locomotive Cyelopedia prevlously referred to.
As is well known in the art, the striker casti.ng eac~e 60 on the lnside of its forward wall 62 defines wear surface 80, while the rear wall X4 defines opposing wear surface 82. The surfaces 80 and 82 extend across the breaclth and depth of the chamber 70 and form movement limi-tiny wear surfaces for limiting movement of -the coupler carrier longi-tudinally of the car, as will be apparent from the deserip-tive material that ollows.
In accordance wit-h standard practices, the coupler earrier usually employed~ i9 a lower hollow steel castlng formed 'from~hlgh tensi.le~cast steel to -the upper slde~of which is~suitably fixed the usual carrier i.ron on which the coupler shank~rests. Conventlonally, coupler shanks 26 are pro~vided WlLh a wear plate /5, usually welded in place, whieh~
physieally enga~es the conventional carri.er iron.
0~ coursè, the conven-tional coupler carrier is resiliently mounted within chamber 70 between the surfaces 80 and 82 in the manner shown at the Car & Locomotive Cyclopedia :
: eitation referred to above.
: ~ Much of the stri.]cel casti.~ncl darna~Je that has plagued the ra.ilroads for a good many years has been in -the area of the cage walls 62:and 6~. rl'he Applicant's consideration of the~problem has revealecl to hirn that the major cause of this 1 0.
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2,5f~36 damage is due to the bindincJ or galliny encJagement that the conventional coupler carri.er has or makes with -the wal.ls 62 and 64 in service. Thus, it is we].]. knowrl tha-t the right of way of much railroad ~rackage involves ascendiny and descending grades in hi].ly, ro].ling, or mountainous te~rraine. I~hen railroad cars equipped with e~uipMent o~ the -type indicated are moved up or down sloping grades, at each end of the car the coupler i.s biased under the action of yravity to move lnwardly or outwardl~T of the center sill and striker casting thus bringing the coupler carrier into fi.rm rubbing contact with one of the other o~ the cavity side walls 62 and 64, and specifically, with one or -the other of the movement limiting wear sur~aces 80 and 82. ~he wall lnvo].ved for anq particular time will depend on whi.ch end of the car is being considered, and whether the car end .l.n ques-tion is at the leadlng or trailing end of the car:, and:whether or not the car is yoing up or down the slope in question. Assum;.ng that the car body 14 has ita end 15 at the leading end o:E the car,: and the car is movin~ up the grade, tne coupler carrier for the coupler lO will then be bearing against the cage wall 64.
~ssumi`ng that the same car is moving in the same direction down a slope, the coupler carrier will be bearing against the cage wall 62.
Another important aspect of the sit~ation is tha-t as the car moves along~the track, the coupler shank ls subject to a considerable amolln-t o~ v.ibratlon due to .the effect of the car~wheels passin~ over rail -jo:i.nts and the llke, and thi~s v.lbra-tion is passed on to the coupler ca~ri.er, with the result that as cars equipped wi.-th the equi.pment indicated are :~ :
: moved along sloping rlgh-t of ways, the con~Tentlona]. coupler .

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carriers will not only be riding against and bearing on one or the other of the striker casting walls 62 or 64, but also the coupler carriers will be oscillating or vibrating in the plane of the chamber 70 and thereby subjecting the respective cage walls 62 and 64 to extreme conditions of wear (metal upon metal).
This problem requires periodic inspections of striker castings to try to catch cars where striker casting wear at the cage 60 is excessive; where this is the case, the car in question must be shopped for repairing the walls 60 and 62, as by lining them with wear plates, or by replacing the entire striker casting.
Thus, striker casting wear at cage walls 62 and 64 presents a very serious maintenance problem for the railroads which is particularly critical in connection with unit trains where the cars involved are to remain coupled and in service for long periods of time to accomplish the high : ~:
mileage usage purposes intended for unit trains. Obviously, where one or more cars of the unit train have incurred severe ` striker cas-ting wear, which usually is found at the cage walls 62 and 64, a break up of the train is required to shop the defective cars in question, with the accompanying incon-venience and loss of pay load time.
In accordance with this invention, the coupler carrier 72 replaces the conventional coupler carrier and carrier iron combination.
The coupler carrier 72 comprises a body 90 of ;
molded one piece oonstruction that includes an upper flanged '` ` . ~.

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platform portion 92 defining a substantiall~ planar load support surface 9~ on which the coupler shank 26 is to rest.
The platform portion 92 is flanged as at 96 about its margln and is proportioned and shaped to fit within the mouth 97 of the striker casting 20 in close fltting relation to the side walls 99 of same. The coupler carrier body 90 below its platform portion 92 is of oblong confiyuration defining forward wall 98 and rearward wall 100 that respectively oppose the cage surfaces 80 and 82 when the coupler carrier 72 is mounted in the operating position shown in Figures 2 and 3.
The body 90 at its ends 102 and 104 below platform portion 92 is notched as indicated at 106 and 108 for cooperation with the conventional stops or retainer pla-tes 55 and 57 that are fixed to the center sill 12 employing suitable rivets 59.
The body 72 is formed to define a plurality of rectilinear recesses each terminating in a spring seat 112 at the inner end of same for receiving the respective load support springs 114 that are interposed between the body 90 and the floor 65 of cage 62. The platform portion 92 of body 90 is formed with the respective drain openings 116 aligned :
with the respective spring receiving bores or openings 110.
Springs 114 each seat on a spring seat portion 117 of the cage bottom wall 65 that are formed with the respective drain openings 119.
The notches 106 and 108 are respectively shaped to define opposed stop surfaces 118 and 120 at either end of the .
~`~ body 90 which serve to limit the range of vertical movement ` :B ~. :

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perrni.tted by body 90 wherlltlounted i.n :i.ts opera-ting posi.ti.on shown in Figures 2 and 3.
In accordance wi~h -the i.nven-t:ion, body 90 is formed in one piece configurat;on from ultrahigh molecular weic~ht (UHMW) polyethylene havlng a molecular wei.ght in the range from about 3 mi.llion to about 9 m:i.llion. In the preferred embodiment, the body 90 i.s :Eormed :Erom the molecularly oriented UHWM polyethylene marketed by Ketrol Enterprises of York, Pennsylvania under the trademark TUFLAR (Grade PL).
. The material speci.fied is a h:igh density polymer of dry self lubrlcati.ng characteristics ~chat is suf:Eiciently compaction resistant to resist any substantial compaction under compressive forces up to its elast:ic Limit! and has a hi3h degree of elastic memory for :Eu].l return to original shape a~ter beinc3 stressed, up to its elastic limit. Th~s material also has a high deyree o:E ~Guc3hness and long weariny characteristlcs and is also receptive to fillers in the Eorm .
of glass, clay, sand, suitab:Le fabrics, and alumlna for .` modifyincJ sarne to adapt the body 90 for specific conditlons.
In accordance with the inventlon, the body 90 ls proporti.oned below its platform portion such tha-t its walls 98 and lO0 will be in closeiy spaced relati.on to the respective surfaces 80 and 82 of the cage walls 60 and 64 for making the - ~ rubbing contact therewith that has been -the source of -the wear problem i.n connect:ion wi.th conventiorlal coupler carri.er and carrier i.ron assembl:ies.
-~ ~ The polymer materi.al frvm which the body 90 is - formed has a c~oe.~fici.ent. of sli.di.ng or dynami.c :~r;.ction w.ith , : 14, B

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respect to the surfaces 80 and 82 of about 0.02. However, the contribution to the art provided by this invention involves signi~icantly more than merely providing for a reduced coefficient o~ friction at the interface between the coupler carrier and walls 62 and 64 of cage 60.
Specifically, the surfaces 98 and 100 of the body 90 effect on the surfaces 80 and 82 a polishing or honing resurfacing action such that, after a period of normal use, the surfaces 80 and 82, instead of being worn away, tend to become resurfaced so as to ~e effectively resistant against further wear.
What appears to happen is tha-t as the body 90 oscillates or vibrates when in bearing engagement with either of the surfaces 80 or 82, the polymer material of the body 90 tends to fill up the pores and level the irregularities in the metal surfacing forming the respective surfaces 80 and 82, so that the respective surfaces 80 and 82 become par-tially formed and defined by transferred polymer material from body 90. In service, the resurfacing of the surfaces 80 and 82 is effected where the body 90 engages same during rail transit, with the striker cage surfaces in question taking on a mirror like finish evidencing the protective resurfacing contempla-ted ~
by this invention. ~.
.~ Any metal worn off -the cage side 62 and 64 either drops to the bottom of the cage or becomes embedded in the body 90, and any foreign matter that is caught between the coupler carrier 72 and the striker casting cage walls also drops out of the way or becomes embedded in the body 90, and -:

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36, is thus positioned to avoid the wearing action on the critical cage metal surfaces involved.
The body 90 being formed from the indicated dry self lubrica~ing material eliminates the need for applyin~
separate lubricating materials to the caye 60, which in turn permits the cage 60 to be free of wet type lubricants that might otherwise be employed for this purpose, and which commonly accumulate foreign matter that aggrevates wear problems. The material employed also resists adherence thereto of foreign matter that thus will not accumulate where it could adversely affect the critical cage surfaces 80 and 82.
It has also been found that the surfaces 98 and 100 tend to harden in use thus increasing their ability to resist wear. This is also true of the polymer material transferred to the surfaces 80 and 82 thus further minimizing wear at these important load resisting surfaces. The resulting resurfacing also means that the coefficient of sliding friction at the surfaces 80 and 82 tends to decrease even below the 0.02 figure as the polymer material builds up on the metal surfaces involved.
The same sort of resurfacing action occurs on the coupler wear plate 75 as the coupler shank 26 moves with ' `::
` respect to the body platform portion 92. As a matter of fact, .. . .
in practice the wear plate 75 may be eliminated and the coupler shank itself rested directly on the coupler carrier 72.
` The result is that striker casting wear at cage 60 is eliminated, as well as at the coupler wear plate 75, with .
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~5236 the consequent relieving of the railroads from the troublesome maintenance problems caused by wear occasioned by use of con-ventional coupler carrier arrangements.
Furthermore the invention now makes it possible for an individual trainman to manually shift couplers equipped with coupler carrier 72, for proper aliynment with the coupler of another car to be coupled with the car in question, which is a frequent requirement in the field. It is well known that couplers are rather heavy and difficult to move at best, and strained backs are commonly experienced by trainmen attempting to manually move couplers for this purpose.
However, couplers equipped in accordance with this invention may be readily shifted to one side or ~he other of the center line of draft by the trainmen using one hand, and without requiring any lifting action on the coupler head at all.
The coupler carrier 72A of Figure 6 is the same as the carrier 72 except that its platform portion 92A is proportioned for use with striker casting in which the coupler is to have normal side swing.
In the form of Figure 7, the coupler carrier 72B
involves the body 90 having its notches 106 and 108 steel -~
lined as at 120 for cooperation with the respective stops or retainer plates 55 and 57. ~he steel lining 120 may be affixed in place in any suitable manner.
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It will therefore be seen that the invention provides a coupler carrier arrangement in which the conventional combination coupler carrier and carrier iron is eliminated in favor of a integral coupler carrier body shaped to define a , :, ~

platform-portion on which the coupler shank rests and forward and rearward slide surfaces adapted for rubbing engagement with the critical cage walls 62 and 64 that resurface the former wear surfaces 80 and 82 of same to effectively eliminate wear on the critical striker casting cage walls 62 and 64. A
similar wear free resurfacing action occurs where the coupler shank or its wear plate engages the platform surface ~4 of the new coupler carrier.
- In addition to the advantages described hereinbefore, the coupler carrier arrangemen~ of this application reduces ~`
friction in both vertical and horizontal movements of the coupler, and thus contributes to basic energy conservation in terms of train operation, as a train of cars all equipped with the invention will have less energy requirements during transit than a train of cars equipped with standard coupler carrier arrangements.
Another significant benefit provided by the in~ention is that the formerly required carrier iron no longer needs to be a separate item formed from an expendable material, as is the case with conventional coupler carrier arrangements wherein a material such as 1095 hot rolled steel is employed to form the carrier iron. Ih accordance with the invention, the platform portion of the new coupler carrier is in one piece integral relation with the remaining portion of the coupler carrier body.
The foregoing descrlption and the drawings are given merely to explain and illustrate the invention and the invention is not to be limited thereto, except insofar as :
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the appended claims are so limited, since ~hose skilled in the art who have the disclosure before them will be able to make modifications and varia-~ions -therein wi-thout depar-ting from the scope of the ;nvent.ion.

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Claims (5)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege or property is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a railroad car wheeled for riding on track rails and having a body including a center sill projecting from the car end and equipped with a coupler striker casting, a draft gear rigging including a draft gear applied within a draft gear pocket between stops spaced longi-tudinally of the ear and within the center sill, and a yoke embracing the draft gear, said striker casting including a striker portion having a striking face disposed in a vertical plane and transversely of the car center line of draft and a window opening disposed transversely of and aligned with the car center line of draft, and a coupler having a coupler head disposed outside of the striker casting window and a shank extending through the striker casting window inwardly of the striker casting and operably connected to the yoke for transmitting buff and draft forces to the car, and having swinging movement sidewise of the car and limited movement longi-tudinally of the car under gravity as the car ascends and descends sloping track grades, and with the striker casting striker portion defining below said window thereof an upwardly opening socket forming the striker casting cage and defining spaced apart inner and outer upright walls extending generally parallel to said vertical plane, and a coupler carrier resiliently supported in said cage for limited vertical movement, on which the coupler shank rests, with said cage walls each defining a coupler carrier movement limiting wear surface for limiting movement of the coupler carrier longitudinally of the car when the coupler moves longitudinally of the ear under gravity as the car ascends and descends sloping track grades, the improvement wherein:
said coupler carrier comprises a body formed from polyethylene of dry self lubricating characteristics having a molecular weight in the range of from ap-proximately 3,000,000 to approximately 9,000,000 said body being shaped to define an upper platform portion defining a planar upwardly facing load support surface formed by said polyethylene across the top of same on which the coupler shank rests and which spans the width of the striker casting window, said body further defining below said load support surface a forward side wall forming an outwardly facing slide surface formed by said polyethylene and opposing the cage outer upright wall movement limiting wear surface, and a rear side wall forming an inwardly facing slide surface formed by said polyethylene and opposing the cage inner upright wall movement limiting wear surface, said body outwardly facing slide surface bearing against the cage outer upright wall movement limiting wear surface when gravity induces said coupler longitudinal movement outwardly of the striker casting window, and said body inwardly facing slide surface bearing against the cage inner upright wall movement limited wear surface when gravity induces said coupler longitudinal movement inwardly of the striker casting window, said body being characterized by having said slide surfaces thereof effecting during transit of the car resurfacing of the cage respective movement limiting wear surfaces they engage under gravity and under vertical vibrations of said body induced by vibration of the coupler shank as the car is moved along a track having a sloping grade, to have a wear free finish over the portions of same that are respectively engaged by the respective body slide surfaces, with said slide surfaces and said finishes tending to harden in use, whereby said cage movement limiting surfaces become effectively resistant to wear under said vertical vibrations of said body.

2. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein:
said body including said slide surfaces is formed entirely of said polyethylene.

3. The improvement set forth in claim 1 wherein:
the coupler shank directly engages said body load support surface

4. In a railroad car wheeled for riding on track rails and having a body including a center sill projecting from the car end and equipped with a coupler striker casting, a draft gear rigging including a draft gear applied within a draft gear pocket between stops spaced longi-tudinally of the car and within the center sill, and a yoke embracing the draft year, said striker casting including a striker portion having a striking face disposed in a vertical plane and transversely of the car center line of draft and a window opening disposed transversely of and aligned with the car center line of draft, and a coupler having a coupler head disposed out-side of the striker casting window and a shank extending through the striker casting window inwardly of the striker casting and operably connected to the yoke for transmitting buff and draft forces to the car, and having swinging movement: sidewise of the car and limited movement longitudinally of the car under gravity as the car ascends and descends sloping track grades, and with the striker casting striker portion defining below said window thereof an upwardly opening socket forming the striker casting cage and defining spaced apart inner and outer upright walls extending generally parallel to said vertical plane, and a coupler carrier resiliently supported in said cage for limited vertical movement, on which the coupler shank rests, with said cage walls each defining a coupler carrier movement limiting wear surface for limiting movement of the coupler carrier longitudinally of the car when the coupler moves longi-tudinally of the car under gravity as the car ascends and descends sloping track grades, the method of making said striker casting cage movement limiting wear surfaces effectively resistant against wear due to vertical vibrations of the coupler carrier when engaged thereby, said method comprising:
using as the coupler carrier a body formed from polyethylene of dry self lubricating characteristics having a molecular weight in the range of from ap-proximately 3,000,000 to approximately 9,000,000 and shaped to closely fit within the cage and define slide surfaces respectively opposing the cage respective movement limiting wear surfaces for engagement therewith when the coupler moves longitudinally of the car under gravity as the car ascends and descends track grades, and when the car is in transit, interaction between the coupler carrier body slider surfaces and cage wear surfaces due to vertical vibrations induced in said body relative to said cage when the car is in transit over sloping track grades causing said body slide surfaces to resurface said cage movement limiting wear surfaces for providing said surfaces with a wear free finish.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein continued interaction between the body slide surfaces and cage wear surfaces causes the slide surfaces and finish to harden.