US2066009A

US2066009A - Coupler centering device

Info

Publication number: US2066009A
Application number: US65849A
Authority: US
Original assignee: BESSIE D LAUGHLIN SPOOR; CONS METAL PRODUCTS CO
Current assignee: BESSIE D LAUGHLIN SPOOR; CONS METAL PRODUCTS CO; CONSOLIDATED METAL PRODUCTS Co
Priority date: 1936-02-26
Filing date: 1936-02-26
Publication date: 1936-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 1953-12-29

Description

De@ 29, 1936 l E. A. LAUGHLIN 2,055,009

COUPLER CENTERING DEVICE Original Filed Feb. 18, 1929 Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE COUPLER CENTERING DEVICE Delaware Refled for abandoned application Serial No. 340,850, February 18, 1929. This application February 26, 1936, Serial No. 65,849

6 Claims.

yThe, invention relates to improvements in coupler centering devices for use on railway cars and has for its primary.v object the provision of an improved vconstruction of this character capable of economical construction and highly efficient in use, the present invention being an improvement on the construction disclosed in a prior Patent No..1,586,252, granted on May 25, 1926, for Coupler centering devices, and constituting the subject matter of abandoned application, Serial No. 340,850, `iiled February 18, 1929.

`Another object of the invention is the provision of an improved construction of this character soconstructed and arranged as to prevent disrupting of the same from any cause during use.

Other objects will'appear hereinafter. i: The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

lThe invention will be best understood by reference to the ,accompanying drawing Vforming a part hereof and in which Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse section taken through the lower portion of a coupler stem support of 4a railway car and showing a coupler centering device embodying the invention in position of use;`

*.Fig. 2, a similar view of the centering device detached and showing the parts in position for disengagement or re-engagement; and Fig. l3, a section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Y

The preferred form of construction, as illustrated in the drawing, comprises a base 5 in the form of a flat bearing plate having a central up-standing post 6 provided at its top with a T- head 'I. Arranged on the base 5, on opposite sides of the post 6, are two rocker members 8 having teeth 9 on their upper and lower bearing surfaces, said rockers being eccentric in form so as to exert alifting or elevating action when rocked either away from the center, said rockers' being in all substantial and material respects the same as the corresponding rockers disclosed in vmy said prior patent. The upper and lower bearing surfaces IU of said rockers 8 are each provided at their centers with a flat spot II, said flat spot having a tendency to maintain the parts in central `positions and causingv quick elevating action as the rockers depart from central position in either direction, as will be readily understood. The base 5 is provided with recesses I2 in the form of openings extending entirely through said base to receive and accommodate the teeth 9 on the lower bearing surfaces of the rockers 8, thereby maintaining said rockers inproper cooperative relationship with said baseO during normal operations thereof.

A coupler carrying member I3 is supportedy upon the rockers 8, said carrying member I3 being; provided with a recess or pocket I4 adapted and arranged to receive the coupler stem I5 and servev as a support therefor. A central shallow grease recess I 5 is also provided in the upper surface of the carrying member I3 for purposes of lubrication between said carrying member and said coupler stem. The carrying member I3 is provided with recesses or pockets Il to receive and accommodate the teeth 9 on the upper bearing surfaces of the rockers 8, thereby holding the carrying member in proper cooperative relationship with said rockers during operation.

The carrying member I3 is provided at its central portion with two depending flanges I8 embracing the upper portion of the post 6, and a T-slot I9 is provided in the under side of the carrying member I3 to receive the T-head I on the post ii. As best Shown in Fig. 2, the upper surfaces 2|! of the retaining ledges of the T-slot I9 `slope downwardly both ways from the center, thereby permitting elevation of the carrying member I3 due to the eccentricity of the rockers 8 as they rock either way from central position. Openings 2| are also provided at each end of the slot I9, thereby providing for engagement with and disengagement from the T-head I'I, as indicated in Fig. 2, when the carrying member I3 is rocked to extreme lateral position in either direction. By this arrangement, the mounting for the coupler carrying member I3 may be readily assembled or taken apart when removed from its normal support but cannot become disruptedA during use as long as the extreme lateral movement indicated in Fig. 2 is prevented.

In actual use upon a railway car, the parts of the device above described are inserted in a channel Or` pocket 22 provided in a cross-piece 23 of an ordinary coupler supporting member 24, said supporting member 24 having a central opening for the passage and lateral swinging of the coupler stem I5, as indicated in Fig. l. The length of the channel 22 is such that upon lateral movement of the carrying member I3 in either di-0 rection, the ends thereof strike the ends of the channel before the extreme lateral movement in-l dicated in Fig. 2 has been reached, so that, inV normal use of the device, it w impossible to disengage or disrupt the parts as long as the coupler supporting member 24 remains intact. Obviously, however, the assembled parts of the device space centrally in the bottom of the pocket 22` which Will just accommodate the base-5 and thus insure proper positioning of the parts in said pocket. Dirt escape openings or Vslots 21 arealso provided in the bottom 23 of the coupler support` 24 to register with the openings I2 and thereby permit of ready escape of dirt, cinders, or the like from the pocket 22.

It is to be noted that, owing to the eccentricity in shape of the rockers 8 when the coupler stem I5 swings to either side of its normal central position during uncoupling oper-ations, the said stem Will be slightly elevated so that its weight and the Weight of the associated parts will automatically return-said coupler stem to central position upon release by the Vuncouplingaction. In this way, the coupler head on the coupler stem will always be automatically maintained in central coupling position.

It is also to be noted that the carrying member is provided with lateral flanges, best shown in Fig. 3, which rest over and immediately adjacent the top edges of the pocket 22 so that, When the parts become slightly worn, these flanges rest upon said edges in central position but lift therefrom during lateral movement. This relieves the rockers of wear to some extent.

The construction disclosed provides al simpleV and efficient automatic coupler centering device which is capable of economical manufacture, may be readily assembled or taken apart as the exigencies of actual service may require, and which cannot become disrupted or disorganized in actual service. The specific form and arrangement of parts constitutes a simple and effective one for the purpose.

While I.have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying the inf vention into effect, this is capable ofk modicationY and variation without departing from the spirit of the invention. I therefore do not wish the patent to be limited to the precise details disclosed but to include also such variations and modications as fall Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a base; a central headed post on said base; rocker members on said base on opposite sides of said post; and a coupler stem carrying member supported on said rockers, there being a T-slot in the under side of said carrying member to receive the head of said post, adapted and arranged to prevent disengagement of said carrying member during normal operations of said rockers but permitting disengagement and re-engagement upon extreme lateral movement of said carrying member.

2. A device of the class described comprising a base; a central T-headed post on said base; rocker members on said base on opposite sides of said post; a coupler stem carrying member supported on said rockers, there being a T-slot in the under side of said carrying member to receive the head of said post, adapted and arranged to prevent disengagement of said carrying member during normal operations of said rockers but permitting disengagement and re-engagement upon extreme lateral movement of said carrying member; and a support for said base adapted and arranged to prevent such disengaging lateral movement of said carrying member when' the device is in operative position thereon.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a base; a central T-headed post on said base; eccentric rockermembers on said base on opposite sides of said post; a coupler stem carrying member supported on said rockers, there being a T-slot in the under sideof said carrying member to receive the head of said post, the retaining ledges of said slot sloping downwardly both ways from the center, adapted and arranged to prevent disengagement of said carrying member during normal operations of said carrying member but permittingdisengagement and re-engagement upon extreme lateral movement of said carrying member; and teeth on said rockers, there being recesses in said base and carrying membern toreceive said teeth. l l

4. A device of the class described comprising a base; a central T-headed post on said base; eccentric rockermembers von said base on opposite sides of said post; a couplerstem rcarrying meme` ber supported on said rockers, there being a T-'slot in the under side of said carrying member-to' receive the head of said post, the retaining ledges' of said slot sloping downwardly both waysv from the center, adapted and arranged to Vprevent 'dis'` engagement of said carrying member during normal operations of said carryingmember but per-V mittingdisengageme'nt and re-engagement upon extreme lateral movement of said carrying mem:- ber; teeth on said rockers, there kbeing recesses in said base and carrying,Y member to receive said teeth; and a support for `said base, adaptedand arranged to prevent such disengaginglateral movement of said carrying member when the device is in operative position thereon.

5. A device of the class described comprising a support having a central opening for the passage of a coupler stem, the lower portion of said support being in the form of an open-top `channel; a base fitting into said channel, there being positioninglugsat the endsof said channel forcing said base into central position therein a central T-headed post on said base; eccentric rocker members on'said base on opposite sides of said post; a couplerstem carrying member supported on said rockers and having dependinganges em-V bracing the upper portion of said post, there being a T-slot formed inthe under side of' said carrying member between said flanges'to receive the head of said post, the retaining ledges ofy said slot sloping'downwardly both ways from the cen` ter and adapted and arranged to 'prevent disen` gagement of said carrying member during nor-` mal operations thereof but permitting disengagement and re-engagement upon extreme lateral movement of said carrying member; means on said support adapted and arranged to prevent extreme lateral Vmovement of said carrying mem*- ber when the device is in operative position thereon;V and teeth on said rockers, there beingrecesses in said base and carrying member to re` ceive said teeth.

6. A device of the classV described comprising a support having a central opening forthe passage of a coupler stem, the lower portion of said sup' port being in the form of an open top channel ;l

a base iitting into said channel, there being positioning lugs at the ends of said channel forcing said base into central position therein; a central ment of said carrying member; means on said support adapted and arranged to prevent extreme lateral movement of said carrying member when the device is in operative position thereon; and teeth on said rockers, there being recesses in said base and carrying member to receive said teeth, the recesses in said base extending entirely through the same and there being registering openings in the bottom of said channel to permit the escape of dirt.

v BESSIE D. LAUGI-ILIN SPOOR, Formerly Bessie D. Laughlin Administratrirc of the Estate of Elmyr A. Laughlin, Deceased.