GB1236352A - Coupler for model railroad cars - Google Patents

Abstract

1,236,352. Toy railway vehicle couplings. C. K. EDWARDS and L. D. EDWARDS. 5 Sept., 1969 [13 March, 1969], No. 44174/69. Heading A6S. An automatic coupling device for toy railway vehicles, comprises a spring housing 43 having a chamber 44 with a rear wall 46 having a spring retaining projection 48. The forward, outer wall 50 of the housing has a slot 51 through which the two superposed shanks 54 and 60, project. The hook comprises a knuckle 52 on a shank 54, the knuckle having a hook portion 57 to prevent uncoupling on curves. The shank 54 also has a terminal crossbar 56 at its inner end. The retainer lip 58 is carried on a shank 60 which also has an inner terminal cross bar 62-64, the arm 64 being angled to facilitate easier pivoting in a clockwise direction. The cross-bars of shanks 54 and 60 each have a spring retaining means 66 in the form of a half cone, forming a full cone when the two shanks are superposed. The spring 18 is of the helical compression type is retained over projection 48 and projections 64 of the shanks, and maintains the latter pressing against the inside surface of wall 50, and also normally maintains a constant separation be tweenl lip 58 and hook 57. A soft iron magnetic detector is attached to shank 54 and passes through an elongate hole 78 in shank 60. The shanks are maintained in the housing and prevented from moving vertically by retainer 13 and clip 68. Detector 24 causes lateral movement of the hook, in a clockwise direction, when the vehicle is reversed over a magnet transverse to the track thus widening the gap between hook 57 and lip 58, so that when the pulling vehicle now moves forward, the hooks may be separated. The operation of the coupling in this respect is described more fully in the Spceification, with rspect to Figs. 4-7 (not shown).