GB2151573A

GB2151573A - Railway car coupling arrangements

Info

Publication number: GB2151573A
Application number: GB08431539A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Russell G Altherr
Original assignee: Amsted Industries Inc
Current assignee: Amsted Industries Inc
Priority date: 1983-12-15
Filing date: 1984-12-13
Publication date: 1985-07-24
Also published as: AU3635984A; GB8431539D0; ZW18884A1; MX161191A; KR850004214A; AU574412B2; BE901282A; PT79631A; BR8406436A; KR870000990B1; GB2151573B

Abstract

A railway car coupling arrangement comprises matingly interengaged male and female members 50, 60, a shim 69, and a follower block 70 interposed between the butt end 54 of the male member 50 and the rear wall 74 of the female member cavity. Mutually inclined planar surfaces 78, 79 of the shim 69 cooperate with mutually inclined planar surfaces 75, 76 of the follower block 70 whereby to resist lateral and/or rotational displacement of the components from the desired relative positions thereof. The surfaces 68, 74 may alternatively or additionally be formed by mutually inclined planar surfaces. The railway car coupling arrangement may be an articulation, as shown, or a drawbar coupling arrangement. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Railway car coupling arrangements The present invention relates to railway car coupling arrangements and, more particularly, to such coupling arrangements with slack adjusting wedges. This invention pertains to car coupling arrangements in the form of drawbar connections and articulated couplers and the like.

With the higher loads carried by modern railway trains, it is important to maintain close butted relationships between coupler draft components to lessen impact forces under buff conditions. Since most coupling arrangement parts are cast with little or no finish machining to provide dimensional control, it is desirable to provide a coupling device which is self adjusting under various wear conditions to lessen the slack in such connections. One type of self adjusting articulated connection is shown in U.S. Patent No. 3,716,146.

In coupling arrangements, a connecting means such as a drawbar extends into a pocket casting located between the sides of the car sill or a male connecting member extends into a female connecting member of an articulated connection. The butt end of either the drawbar or the male connecting member is arcuate convex and abuts a complementary front concave surface of a follower block. In a slackless connection of either type the back surface of the follower abuts the front surface of a wedge shim which has a rear surface that abuts the rear wall of the pocket casting or female connecting member.

Either or both of the front and rear surfaces of the shim member diverge upwardly to provide the gravity assisted wedging force which makes the coupling arrangement slackless.

When the abutting surfaces become worn, the shim member drops slightly to maintain the essentially slackless connection.

In the pocket casting of the drawbar cou pling arrangement, and in the female coupling member of an articulated arrangement, top, bottom and vertically disposed side walls provide a cavity for the follower block and the shim. The side walls limit the lateral translation and therefore rotation of the follower about the vertical axis of the arcuate butt end of the respective drawbar or male coupling member upon the horizontal angling thereof.

Such rotation of the follower block may cause the wedge shim to rotate about the car longitudinal axis and possibly hang up between the vertical walls, especially when the shim is small in height relative to its width. The known method of controlling such rotation of the follower and the relative orientation between the shim and the follower is to provide for a very close tolerance between the vertical side walls of the cavity and the shim and the follower side edges. Due to the cast nature of such components the procedure requires an uneconomical amount of tolerance design and machining of finished parts.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved slackless coupling arrangement.

Accordingly, the invention provides a coupling arrangement for railway cars comprising a male part matingly engaged in a cavityofafemale part, a follower block and a shim being interposed between a but end of said male part and a rear wall of said cavity, wherein at least one surface of the shim and the corresponding surface of the part abutting said one surface are so shaped in horizontal crosssection to provide a complementary fit therebetween which resists lateral and/or rotational displacement of the components from the desired relative positions thereof.

The present invention provides an improved slackless coupling arrangement for both drawbar and articulated connections. Thus, the present invention reduces the possibility of relative lateral translation between the components of a railway coupler arrangement. The front surface of follower block preferably has an arcuate concave section which abuts an arcuate convex end the male part. In one embodiment the rear surface of the follower block is of a generally convex shape comprising two generally planar surfaces joined at a vertex substantially in the vertical center plane of the car. Each planar surface extends away from a vertical transverse plane at an angle of 0-20". A wedge shim islocated between the follower block and a rear cavity wall of the pocket.Either the front surface or the rear surface or both of the surfaces of the wedge shim may be sloped from the vertical to form an upwardly diverging member. In a preferred embodiment the front surface of the shim comprises two generally flat surfaces joined at a vertical center axis. Such surfaces extend from said axis at angles of 0-20 from a vertical transverse plane to form a generally concave surface which is complementary to and abuts the convex rear surface of the follower block. The rear surface of the shim may be generally flat or convex to correspond to and abut the rear cavity wall of the cavity or pocket.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the rear surface of the follower block is generally flat as is the front surface of the shim. However, the rear surface of the shim comprises two generally flat surfaces joined at a center vertical axis. Such surfaces extend from said axis at angles of 0-20" from a transverse plane to form a generally convex surface. A complementary concave surface is formed on the rear cavity wall of the pocket.

Other alternative embodiments of the present invention include the follower block-shim interface wherein the follower block rear surface is concave and the complementary front surface of the shim is convex. Another embodiment would include the follower block rear surface being concave the the rear cavity wall of the pocket being convex.

In one embodiment, the abutting surfaces of a wedge shim and a follower block are each comprised of two generally planar surfaces joined at a center vertical axis to form a convex surface on the follower block and a concave surface on the wedge shim. Accordingly, relative lateral translation between the shim and the follower is prohibited. In another embodiment, the abutting surfaces of the wedge shim and the rear wall of a pocket are each comprised of two generally planar surfaces joined at a center vertical axis to form a convex surface on the shim and a concave wall on the pocket. Accordingly, relative lateral translation between the shim and the follower is prohibited.In another embodiment, the abutting surfaces of the wedge shim and the follower block and the abutting surfaces of the wedge shim and the rear wall of the pocket casting are comprised of the concaveconvex surfaces described above. Accordingly, relative translation between the shim, the follower and the side casting is prohibited.Certain embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example. with reference to the accompanying drawings. wherein; Figure 1 is a top view in partial cross section of an articulated connection showing the interface of various members of the assembly and particularly the shim-follower block interface and the shim-pocket wall interface; Figure 2 is a side view in partial cross section of an articulated connection along lines 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front view of a follower block; Figure 4 is a cross section of a follower block along lines 4-4 of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a front view of a wedge shim; Figure 6 is a cross section of a wedge shim along lines 6-6 of Figure 5; Figure 7 is a top view in partial cross section of an articulated connection showing an alternative shim-follower block Interface and alternate shim pocket wall interface.

Figure 8 is a top view in partial cross section of a drawbar connection showing a shim follower block interface and a shimpocket wall interface with an alternative shim embodiment of Figure 9; and Figure 9 is a cross section of the alternative embodiment of a wedge shim as shown in Figure 8.

Referring now to Figures. 1 and 2. an articulated railway coupler connection is shown. A connecting means is illustrated comprising a male connection member 50 having an elongated shank portion 52 and an end or butt portion 54 with an arcuate convex surface 56. A vertical hole 58 is provided through the top and bottom of shank portion 52 near butt portion 54. A female connection member 60 comprises an elongated shank portion 62 and an end portion 64. End portion 64 comprises top wall 65, bottom wall 66 and connecting side walls which combine to form a cavity 67. Cavity 67 has a sloped rear wall 68. Abutting rear wall 68 is the sloped rear surface 74 of a wedge shim 69 which is located within cavity 67. Shim 69 has planar front surfaces 78 and 79. Also located within cavity 67 is follower block 70 which has planar rear surfaces 75, 76 and arcuate concave front surface 77.Arcuate convex surface 56 of butt section 54 abuts the concave front surface 77 of follower 70.

Butt end section 54 of the male connecting member 50 has an inner arcuate concave surface 80. A pin bearing block 71 has an outer arcuate convex surface 81 that fits against the surface 80, and has an inner arcuate concave surface 82. A cylindrical pin 72 extends through holes in the top wall 65 and bottom wall 66 of the female connecting member 60, and the pin 72 passes through vertical hole 58 in male connecting member 50, and against the concave surface 82 of pin bearing block 71, thereby connecting male and female members 50, 60 in a coupled arrangement. A retaining pin 88 is located within a portion of top wall 65 and partially in a groove in the top of pin 72, and center pin 89 is located in a cavity 91 in the bottom of pin 72.

Butt end section 54 of male connecting member 50 has a generally circular lower surface 83 which rests on a spherical support ring 85. Support ring 85 itself rests on ring seat 86 which is located within a generally circular cavity 87 in bottom wall 66 of female member 60.

For a more detailed view of follower block 70 Figures 3-4 are now referred to. A front view of the follower block 70 is provided in Figure 3. Follower block 70 is of a generally rectangular shape, having an arcuate concave surface 77 on the front face. In Figure 4, a cross section of the follower block 70 is shown. Generally flat surfaces 75 and 76 comprise each half of the rear face of the follower block 70. Such surfaces are joined at a center vertical axis at an angle of from 140 1 80 to form a convex rear face or surface of follower block 70. Alternatively, this arrange ment could be described by stating that surfaces 75 and 76 each extend at an angle between 0 and 20 from a transverse plane containing said center axis.

For a more detailed view of the wedge shim 69, Figures 5-6 are now referred to. A front view of shim 69 is shown in Figure 5. Shim 69 is of a generally rectangular shape, with upper corners 92, 94 rounded and tabs 96, 98 extending from both sides. As shown in Figure 2, rear surface 74 is sloped outwardly from bottom to top to provide the wedging effect. In Figure 6, a cross section of shim 69 is shown. Rear surface 74 is generally flat.

Generally flat surfaces 78 and 79 comprise each half of the front face of shim 69. Such surfaces are joined at a center vertical axis at an angle of from 1 40 to 180 to form a concave face or surface of shim 69. Alternatively, this arrangement could be described by stating that surfaces 78 and 79 each extend at an angle of from 0 to 20 from a transverse plane containing said center axis and parallel to the longitudinal center line of shim 69.

In an alternative embodiment of the articulated connection of the present invention shown in Figure 7, elements similar to Figure 1 are numbered identically. However, follower block 100 has a flat rear surface 102. Shim 104 has a flat front surface 11 4 abutting the rear surface 102 of follower block 100. Female connecting member 60 has a cavity rear wall comprising two flat surfaces 106 and 108 joined at center vertical axis at an angle of from 140 to 180 to form a concave wall of the cavity.The rear surface of shim 104 comprises two flat surfaces 110 and 11 2 joined at a center vertical axis at an angle of from 1 40 to 180 to form a convex face of shim 1 04. The convex face of shim 104 and the concave wall of the cavity abut to keep the shim in generally vertical alignment and orientation within the cavity.

Referring now to Figure 8, a drawbar coupler connection is shown generally at 10.

Drawbar 1 2 extends along its longitudinal axis into car center sill 20. Drawbar 1 2 ends in arcuate butt section 1 6 having a convex surface 22. Pin or key 24 is of an elongated bar shape having cylindrical edge surface 25 in mating engagement with concave surface 33 of opening 26 in side casting 27, and extends through keyslot 1 4 and opening 26 in side casting 27. Key bearing block 35 has a concave cylindrical front surface 31 that abuts rear convex surface 23 of key 24 and has a convex curved surface 32 which abuts curved surface 1 8 of drawbar 1 2.

Pocket casting 28 fits within car center sill 20 at a predetermined longitudinal spacing from opening 26 of side casting 27. Follower block 41 is located within pocket casting 28.

Follower block 41 as an arcuate concave front surface 34 that abuts convex curved surface 22 of drawbar butt section 1 6. Follower block 41 has a rear surface comprising two flat surfaces 37 and 39 joined at a center vertical axis at an angle of from 140 to 1 80 to form a generally convex surface. Wedge shaped shim 38 has a rear surface comprising two flat surfaces 40 and 44 joined at a center vertical axis at an angle of from 1 40 to 1804 to form a generlly convex surface. Shim rear surfaces 40 and 44 abut interior rear wall of pocket casting 28. The rear wall of pocket casting 28 comprises two flat surfaces 30 and 36 joined at a center vertical axis at an angle of from 140 to 180 to form a generally concave wall.Shim rear surfaces 40 and 44 diverge from its front center axis vertically to provide the wedge gravity induced force of shim 38. Shim 38 has a front surface comprising two flat surfaces 42 and 43 joined at a center vertical axis at an angle of from 1 40 to 180 to form a generally concave surface.

Such shim front concave surface abuts the rear convex surface of follower block 41 to assure the alignment of the two elements.

Alternatively, shim rear surface 46 can be generally flat and rear wall 48 of pocket 28 can be generally flat and can meet along a generally flat surface that is vertically inclined to provide the wedge effect.

Details of the following block 41 are similar to those of the block shown in figures 3 and 4. Block 41 is of generally rectangular shape, having an arcuate concave surface 34 on the front face. Generally flat surfaces 37 and 39 comprise each half of the rear face of the follower block 41. Such faces are joined at a center vertical axis at an angle of from 140 180 to form a convex face of follower block 41. Alternatively, this arrangement could be described by stating that surfaces 37 and 39 each extend at an angle between 0 and 20 from a transverse plane containing said center axis.

Details of the wedge shim 38 are shown in Figure 9. A front view of shim 38 is similar to Figure 5. Shim 38 is of a generally rectangu lar shape, with upper corner 92, 94 rounded and tabs 96, 98 extending from both sides.

In Figure 9, a cross section of shim 38 is shown. Generally flat surfaces 40 and 44 comprise each half of convex rear face surface of the shim 38. Generally flat surfaces 42 and 43 comprise each half of the front face surface of shim 38. Such faces are joined at a center vertical axis at an angle of from 1 40 to 180 to form a concave face of shim 38.

Alternatively, this arrangement could be described by stating that surfaces 42 and 43 each extend at an angle of from 0 to 20 from a transverse plane containing said center axis and paralled to the longitudinal center line of shim 38.

Claims

1. A coupling arrangement for railway cars comprising a male part matingly engaged in a cavity of a female part, a follower block and a shim being interposed between a but end of said male part and a rear wall of said cavity, wherein at least one surface of the shim and the corresponding surface of the part abutting said one surface are so shaped in horizontal cross-section to provide a complementary fit therebetween which resists lateral and/or rotational displacement of the components from the desired relative positions thereof.

2. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the complementary fit is formed between the rear surface of said shim and the rear wall of the cavity.

3. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the complementary fit is formed between the front surface of said shim and the rear surface of said follower block.

4. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claim 2 and claim 3 wherein both surfaces of the shim are shaped to provide a complementary fit with the abutting surfaces of the end wall and follower block respectively.

5. A coupling arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said shim includes a convex abutting surface which cooperates with a complementary concave abutting surface of the respectivepart abutting therewith to provide said complementary fit.

6. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claim 5 wherein the rear surface of the shim is convex and cooperates with a concave abutting surface of said cavity rear wall.

7. A coupling arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said shim includes a concave abutting surface which cooperates with a complementary convex abutting surface of the respective part abutting therewith to provide said complementary fit.

8. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claim 7 wherein the front surface of the shim is concave and cooperates with a convex abutting surface of said follower block.

9. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claims 4, 6 and 8 wherein said shim has a convex rear surface and a concave front surface.

1 0. A coupling arrangement as claimed in any of claims 5 to 9 wherein each abutting surface comprises two generally flat mutually inclined surfaces which meet at a vertical center line of the respective abutting surface.

11. A coupling arrangement as claimed in claim 10 wherein each said inclined surface is disposed at an angle of between 0 and 20 to a transverse plane containing said vertical center line.

1 2. A coupling arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the but end of said male member is convex and engages in a concave front surface of said follower block.

1 3. A coupling arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the front and/or the rear surface of the shim issloped from the vertical so that the shim is wedge shaped. the corresponding surface of the rear wall of the cavity and/or the follower block being correspondingly inclined.

14. A coupling arrangement as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said members are interconnected by means of pins or the like which extend laterally through aligned openings formed in the members.

1 5. An articulated railway coupler arrangement comprising a male member inserted into a female member, a shim member having a sloped rear surface abutting a sloped rear wall of a cavity in said female member and a generally concave front surface comprising two generally planar walls joined at a vertical central axis, and a follower block having an arcuate concave front surface abutting the arcuate convex end of said male member and a generally convex rear surface comprising two generally planar walls joined at a vertical central axis, said rear surface abutting the front surface of said shim member.

1 6. The articulated coupler arrangement of claim 1 5 wherein the shim member front surface walls extend 0-20" from a horizontal through the central axis and the follower block rear surface walls extend 0-20" from a horizontal through the central axis.

1 7. The articulated coupler arrangement of claim 1 5 or 1 6 further comprising a pin means extending through vertically aligned holes in said male and female members.

18. An articulated railway coupler arrangement comprising, a male member inserted into a female member, a shim member having a sloped generally convex rear surface abutting a sloped generally concave rear wall of a cavity in said female member and a generally concave front surface, said shim rear convex surface comprising two generally planar surfaces joined at a vertical center axis, said shim member concave front surface comprising two generally planar surfaces joined at a vertical center axis, said rear concave wall of said female member cavity comprising two generally planar walls joined at a vertical center axis, and a follower block having a generally convex rear surface comprising two generally planar surfaces joined at a vertical center axis abutting the front concave surface of said shim member and an arcuate concave front surface abutting the arcuate convex end of said male member.

1 9. In a railway coupler drawbar arrangement including a drawbar having an elongated shank portion, and a convex butt end received within a center sill, the improvement comprising: a pocket casting with a generally flat inclined rear wall located within the center sill, a follower block located within said pocket casting said follower block having a front concave surface for abutting the convex butt end of said drawbar and a rear surface comprising two generally flat surfaces joined at a central vertical axis to form a generally convex surface, and a shim having a generally flat inclined rear surface abutting said rear wall of said pocket, and a front surface comprising two generally flat surfaces joined at a central vertical axis to form a generally concave surface abutting the rear surface of said follower block.

20. The apparatus of clairn 1 9, wherein the shim front surfaces extend at an angle from 020' from a horizontal through the central vertical axis and the follower block rear surfaces extend at an angle from 0-20" from a horizontal through the central vertical axis.

21. In a railway coupler drawbar arrangement comprising a drawbar having an elongated shank portion, a convex butt end received within a center sill the improvement comprising: a pocket casting therein, the rear wall of said pocket comprising two generally flat surfaces joined at a central vertical axis to form a generally concave surface, a follower block located within said pocket casting said follower block having a front concave surface for abutting the convex butt end of said drawbar and a rear surface comprising two generally flat surfaces joined at a central vertical axis to form a generally convex surface, and a shim positioned between said follower block and said pocket casting said shim having a rear surface comprising two generally flat surfaces joined at a central vertical axis to form a generally convex surface abutting the rear wall of said pocket, and a front surface comprising two generally flat surfaces joined at a central vertical axis to form a generally concave surface abutting the rear surface of said follower block.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein at least one of the rear surface and front surface of said shim is sloped from the vertical to form an upwardly diverging member.

23. In a railway coupler connection for receiving the convex end of a drawbar, or the like, the combination comprising: a pocket casting adapted to be received within a railroad car center sill, said pocket casting having a rear wall; ; a follower block located within said pocket casting and having a front concave surface adapted to abut the convex end of a coupling means and a rear surface disposed toward said rear wall of said pocket casting, and a shim located between said pocket casting and said follower block, said shim having surfaces abutting each of said rear wall and said rear surface, wherein at least one of said shim surfaces comprises two generally flat surfaces joined at a central vertical axis to form an angled surface and the abutting one of said rear wall and said rear surface is of a complementary shape.

24. A coupling arrangement for railway cars substantially as herein described with reference to any of the accompanying drawings.