GB1030481A - Railway car coupler - Google Patents

Abstract

1,030,481. Railway vehicle automatic couplings. AMSTED INDUSTRIES Inc. Jan. 14, 1964, No. 1590/64. Heading B7T. A coupler shank 3 provided with a pivot pin hole 6, Fig. 1, a bearing block 8 and a spherical end surface 7 for universal movement mounts a head provided with upper and lower sections 5, 10, Fig. 2, angled at 45 degrees to the horizontal and having walls 9, 11 spaced apart by walls 12, 13, 14 and 24 defining a throat 16 and a chamber 26, Fig. 4, containing a gravityoperated sliding lock 27 shaped to engage with a similar lock of a mating coupler. The lock, Figs. 6, 7, has a slot therein accommodating a cranked latch 33 pivoted to the lock at 36 and has a further slot containing a lever 34 pivoted to the lock at 37 and having a bevelled edge to engage the latch. When in the operative position, Fig. 4, a lug 28 on the lock extends through a slot in the wall 24 to engage a stop shoulder 31. The head is provided with hollow guide wings 39 pivoted at 41, the wings being retractable against springs 42 to abut the front walls 14, Fig. 4, when abutted by aligning walls 19, 21 projecting from a mating head and defining wing pockets 22, 23, Fig. 2. In the retracted or coupled position, Fig. 7, a shoulder 43 on a wing 39 is positioned close to the latch 33 to prevent accidental displacement of the lock 27. When coupling up, the lock 27 which is free of the shoulder 43 on the extended wing 39 is first moved up by the mating coupler lock to pass the mating lock and allow it to enter the throat 16. The lock then moves downwardly to trap the mating lock. The final coupling movement causes the wings to press back and move a shoulder 43 to a holding position behind the latch 33. When uncoupling, the lock is retracted into its housing by manual operation of a lever and rod mechanism, Figs. 11-13 (not shown) which rotates a rotor 40 and an arm 38, Fig. 6, and the lever 34. By means of its bevelled edge, Fig. 7, the lever 34 first retracts the latch 33 away from the shoulder 43 on the wing 39 and then moves the latch and lock into a lock-set position within the chamber 26. After uncoupling, the lock is free to move downwardly again and the springs 42 pivot the wings 39 forwardly. To permit shunting without coupling the rod mechanism may be further moved and latched to hold the lock entirely withdrawn from the throat.