US2408877A - Coupling for model railway vehicles and the like - Google Patents

Description

' 2,4 3?? COUPLING FOR MODEL RAILWAY VEHICLES AND THE LIKE R E D m P t Filed April 5, 1943 in? W@ fiiwm 7120/14/45 PIA/DEF? Patented Oct. 8, 1946 COUPLING FOR MODEL RAILWAY VEHIGLES AND THE LIKE Thomas Pind'er, Scarborough, England ApplicationAprii 5, 1943, Serial No. 481,921

In Great Britain April 22,1942

3 Claims.

This invention relates to couplings for model railway vehicles and the like and has for its chief object to provide for the automatic coupling and uncoupling of model railway vehicles.

According to the invention, the automatic coupling and uncoupling of model railway vehicles, car and lorry trailers or the like, is effected by means comprising a lever supported approximately vertically on a pivot in the coupling with suitable movement allowed in either direction from the centre.

The pivot centre is on the vehicle side of a gap or opening in the coupling and below the level of the bottom of said gap, whether formed in one casting or by a suitable platform over which an inverted hook forms the necessary coupling arrangement.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be more fully describedbythe aid of the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view'of one construction of coupler embodying the invention, and showing a coupling member and link of an adjacent vehicle associated therewith.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of a modified construction, and showing a coupling member and link of an adjacent vehicle associated therewith.

Figure 4 is an end elevationof Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section taken through. line A--B of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of another modification showing a coupling member and link of an adjacent vehicle associated therewith, and Fig; 7 is an end view of Figure 6.

Like figures of reference indicate like parts throughout the views.

I represents the lever, 2 the coupling, 3 the nose of the coupling and 4 theflgap platform in the coupling.

The inner part of platform d-rises to form stops 5 on either side of the lever I,v said stops being positioned in such a way relative to the lever I that a coupling link II carried by an adjacent vehicle coming against the stops, 5 may move the,

lever- I and an arm 6 thereon, butnot to the extent of causing the lever to fall into its rearward position. To hold the arm 6 in its, raised position towards the inner side of the pivot point I the lever I has to be moved itsfull amount rearwardly and this is only efiected when a sud.- den or sharp impact is ,made whereby the velocity imparted to the lever vI carries the centre of 2 gravity to the inner sideof the pivot I and the, lever I comes to rest against a stop 8 asshown. in dotted lines, Figure 1.

The movement of the lever I raises the, arm. 6 to such a position that its upper face forms an incline from the inner end of the .platform 4 to above the top of the nose 3. V The coupling hook II is arranged so that as it is withdrawn from the gap platform 4 it raises up thetupper face of the arm 6 to just beyond the nose,3 when it contacts with the shaped end of the army 6, and forces it and the lever I to again change their centre of. gravity to the outer side ofpivot I.

The arrangement, is such that the .force re quired to bringthe lever I from its inner to the. outer centre of gravity, e. g. from the position shown indotted lines to thatshown in fulllines, is greater than the weight of the coupling, link II carried by the adjacent, vehicle when resting on the coupling. A coupling link Hat is carried by the vehicle carrying the casting, 2 and is shown in. Figure 1 in its raised or out-of-way position by reason of it having been engaged and lifted by, the coupling link II on theapproaching vehicle to be thrown back, into the position shown. in.the dotted lines.

Theaction of the coupler is a follows:

On two vehicles approaching each other, the coupling links II and. [la come into contact, Ila, surmounting II so as to cause the latter to contact with the nose end 3. of the platform 4 up,

which it. is forced to. fall onto, the platform 4- and the vehicles are coupled.

The vehicles can then be pulledor pushed provided in the latter event, the movement is. C011]: menced gently.

Inorder to uncouple a vehicle a sharp push followed byapull is given, and. the coupling link. II contacting suddenly with. the tumbler-lever I throws it over to stop 8 lifting in the first case the'arm 6 which forms a bridge on which the coupling link rises-over-the hooked nose-3 sothat the coupling link can slide along the platform-- beyondthe hooks range.

Further withdrawal of the coupling link con-' tacts with a projection arranged on the tumbler lever arm which action forces the tumbler'lever over to its other stop, i'. e. into its position before coupling took place and the vehicles are uncoupled.

An alternative construction is shown in Figures 3 to 5 where a separate inverted hook 9 is used to'form the coupling hook.

The lever I with, the arm 6 is pivoted at! and due to its weight rests on the bottom of the coupling or casing 2 through the extension l0.

An inverted hook 9 is also pivoted at 1 and at its inner end embraces the lever I, the two ends coming outwards to form an inverted hook. The inner end which connects the two sides is suitably cut away to allow the hook to lift without affecting the lever l but when the lever l moves inwards the inverted hook 9 is lifted up.

As shown in Figures 6 and 'l the inverted hook 9 may be integral with the lever l and the arm 6. In this case the arm 6 must be arranged of such a length relative to the hook 9 that a coupling book link II on an adjacent vehicle, coming up the ramp of the coupling or casing 2 has passed the submerged end of the arm 6 before lifting the hook 9. Again when the hook 9 is lifted by a coupling hook it must not move the lever I so as to change its centre of gravity.

The action is similar to that of Figure 1, the engaging hook rising up the sloping end of the casing 2 on to the platform 4 so as to raise the inverted hook 9 and passing under the same when the hook 9 falls and closes the gap 4.

The vehicles are then coupled and provided any shunting of the coupled vehicles is commenced gently they remain coupled.

In order to uncouple the vehicles one is pushed sharply against the other, whereby theend of the opposing coupling hook strikes the lever l and carries its centre of gravity to the inner side of the pivot I Where it remains against the stop 8. This movement of the lever l raises both the arm 5 and the inverted hook 9 so that on the withdrawal of the coupling hook it passes under the hook 9 and later engages the shaped end of the arm 6 giving to this a motion about the pivot I so as to bring the lever I over into its original position resting on the stop l0.

The vehicles are now uncoupled and in a position to engage the next coupling hook that comes up the ramp of the coupling or casing 2.

Where the weights of vehicles vary considerably, such as form 4 may slope upwards for the lighter vehicles so that a coupling hook will come in contact with the lever I a greater distance from its fulcrum than when a horizontal platform is used so reducing the energy required to uncouple.

To ensure a light vehicle coupler being engaged and not that of the adjoining heavy vehicle, the light vehicles coupling hook in the section that contacts with the adjoining vehicles coupler hook when vehicles are coming together, should be 'chamfered on its vertical face downwards from the top so that an oncoming heavier coupler hook willpass underneath and engage the light wagons coupler. With two wagons coupling it is immaterial which coupler is engaged.

I claim:

1. An automatic cou ling and uncoupling mechanism for railway vehicles comprising a fixed couplin member arranged to detachably receive a coupling link of an adiacent vehicle; said coupling member having a gap platform thereon, a substantially L-shaped lever pivoted on said coupling member. said lever having a normally vertically disposed arm and a horizontal arm normally resting on the platform. said coupling member having means engaging the vertical arm when the latter is moved rearwardly to limit the movement thereof, and said coupling member having stops arranged to be engaged by the coupling hook link of the adjacent vehicle, the hook link of the adjacent vehicle, upon rear bogies and four wheelers, the platward movement of said hook link will rotate said vertically disposed arm about its pivot support to contact said rearward movement limiting means on said coupling member, said rotation of said arm will cause the front portion of said horizontal arm to be moved upwardly above said gap platform and said fixed coupling member, said horizontal arm thus serving as a guide means for said hook link to elevate said hook link above said coupling member during an uncoupling operation the parts being constructed and arranged so that when two vehicles are coupled together and the hook link is moved suddenly or sharply to impact against the vertical arm it moves the latter rearwardly and the horizontal arm upwardly to allow withdrawal of the hook link from the coupling.

2. An automatic coupling and uncoupling mechanism for railway vehicles comprising a fixed coupling member arranged to detachably receive a coupling link of an adjacent vehicle, said coupling member having a gap platform thereon, a substantially L-shaped lever pivoted on said coupling member, said lever having a normally vertically disposed arm and a horizontal arm normally resting on the platform, said coupling member having means engaging the vertical arm when the latter is moved rearwardly to limit the movement thereof, said coupling member having stops arranged to be engaged by the coupling hook link of the adjacent vehicle, the hook link of the adjacent vehicle, upon rearward movement of said hook link will rotate said vertically disposed arm about its pivot support to contact said rearward movement limiting means on said coupling member, said rotation of said arm will cause the front portion of said horizontal arm to be moved upwardly above said gap platform and said fixed coupling member, said horizontal arm thus serving as a guide means for said hook link to elevate said hook link above said coupling member during an uncoupling operation and an inverted hook member movably mounted on the coupling and coacting with the horizontal arm of said lever for connecting the coupling link of the adjacent vehicle to the coupling, the parts being constructed and arranged so that when two vehicles are coupled together and the hook link is moved suddenly or sharply to impact against the vertical arm it moves the latter rearwardly and the horizontal arm upwardly to allow withdrawal of the hook link from the coupling.

3. An automatic coupling and uncoupling mechanism for railway vehicles comprising a fixed coupling member arranged to detachably receive a coupling link of an adjacent vehicle, said coupling member having a gap platform thereon, a substantially L-shaped lever pivoted on said coupling member, said lever having a normally vertically disposed arm and a horizontal arm normally resting on the platform, said coupling member having means engaging the vertical arm when the latter is moved rearwardly to limit the movement thereof, said coupling member having stops arranged to be engaged by the coupling hook link of the adjacent vehicle, the hook link of the adjacent vehicle, upon rearward movement of said-hook link will rotate said vertically disposed arm about its pivot support to contact said rearward movement limiting means on said coupling member, said rotation of said arm will cause the front portion of said horizontal arm to be moved upwardly above said 1 gap platform and said fixed coupling member,

said horizontal arm thus serving as a guide means for said book link to elevate said hook link above said coupling member during an uncoupling operation and an inverted hook member extending from the vertical arm of said lever and coacting with the horizontal arm thereof for connecting the coupling link of the adjacent vehicle to the coupling, the parts being constructed and ar- 6 ranged so that when two vehicles are coupled together and the hook link is moved suddenly or sharply to impact against the vertical arm it moves the latter rearwardly and the horizontal arm upwardly to allow withdrawal of the hook link from the coupling.

T. FINDER.

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