US2747750A

US2747750A - Coupler lock operating mechanism

Info

Publication number: US2747750A
Application number: US335850A
Authority: US
Inventors: Harry H Wolfe
Original assignee: Buckeye Steel Castings Co
Current assignee: Buckeye Steel Castings Co
Priority date: 1953-02-09
Filing date: 1953-02-09
Publication date: 1956-05-29
Anticipated expiration: 1973-05-29

Description

y 29, 1956 H. H. WOLFE 2,747,750

COUPLER LOCK OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Feb. 9, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VENT OR //m /Py .WOLl-TE,

I Q H BY ATTORNEY May 29, 1956 H. H. WOLFE COUPLER LOCK OPERATING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 9, 1953 INVENTOR ATTORNEY May 29,1956 H. H. WOLFE COUPLER LOCK OPERATING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 9, 1955 IN VENTOR ///7/P/Fy/. W04 F5,

BY kiawg ATTORNEY United States Patent COUPLER LOCK OPERATING MECHANISM Harry H. Wolfe, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, 01110 Application February 9, 1953, Serial No. 335,850

13 Claims. (Cl. 213-148) The present invention relates to railway car couplers and pertains to improvements in the mechanism for unlocking the coupler and improvements in means for preventing inadvertent movement of the lock to an unlocked position.

It is now a standard practice in railway car couplers to provide the mechanism for operating the lock with a toggle connected to the lower end of the lock leg and adapted to engage an abutment on the coupler head or a surface on the knuckle tail to prevent accidental unlocking of the coupler. It is also known in the art to incorporate auxiliary or secondary anticreep means in the lock operating mechanism to prevent unintentional unlocking of the coupler when vertical bouncing of the railway vehicle takes place in combination with an abrupt horizontal movement of the coupler. The prior art includes an auxiliary anticreep arrangement embodying a two-piece articulated rotor lever having a lug at the free end thereof for engaging a bottom surface on the coupler head to prevent upward movement of the lock in response to forces acting thereon and resulting from vertical bouncing of a railway vehicle in combination with an abrupt change in the horizontal movement of a car.

An object of the invention is to provide means in association with a two-piece articulated rotor lever of a coupler operating mechanism for limiting the forward movement of the free end of the composite rotor lever in response to forces which tend to throw it upwardly and forwardly to thereby prevent the anticreep nose on the rotor lever from engaging with the coupler head before the nose moves into engagement with horizontally disposed anticreep abutment on the coupler head.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge structure between two parts of an articulated rotor lever so constructed as to limit the downward pivoting movemen of one part of the rotor lever in relation to the other so that the lever in its swingable movement in response to vertical bouncing of the coupler and an abrupt change in its linear movement will prevent the anticreep nose on the rotor lever from engaging a vertical surface on the coupler head as the anticreep lug moves towards engagement with an anticreep abutment on the coupler head.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the mounting of the operating rod for the coupler and so con structing a portion of the rotor lever that a hook-shaped end of the operating rod may be mounted on an intermediate portion of the rotor lever and maintained in operative association therewith by an abutment depending from the coupler head.

Another object of the invention is to provide the lock operating mechanism with a rotor of simplified construction and to improve the mounting of the rotor on the coupler head to facilitate actuation of the lock operating mechanism and to reduce the energy required to turn the rotor and to move the lock operating elements during manual lifting of the lock.

A more specific object of the invention is to adapt an auxiliary anticreep and lock operating mechanism having 2,747,750 Fatented May 29, 1956 a two-piece articulated rotor lever to the type F coupler when the anticreep abutment is formed at the upper end of a recess or groove in the vertical wall at the front of the coupler head whereby the auxiliary anticreep lug moves through the recess as it approaches the abutment without being thrown against the wall.

Other objects and features of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a railway coupler taken on a longitudinal vertical plane through the cavity for the lock leg with the lock operating mechanism shown principally in side elevation with the parts in normal positions they assume when the coupler is locked.

Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the position of parts of the lock operating mechanism in response to forces which shift some of the elements forwardly and upwardly relative to the coupler head.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 1 showing the position of parts during manual unlocking of the coupler.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view partly in elevation and taken approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. l with the parts in the normal locked position.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the rotor and Fig. 6 is a perspective view.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the front of the rotor and Fig. 8 is an end view.

Fig. 9 is a front elevational view of one part of the rotor lever and Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the same part.

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the second part of the rotor lever and Fig. 12 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 13 is a front elevational view of the toggle or link and Fig. 14 is a side elevational view.

The lock lifting mechanism and the anticreep means exhibiting the invention has particular utility in connection with a coupler having a wall which depends from the coupler head below the bufiing contour such as is embodied in the type F coupler. One of the objects of the invention is to prevent the nose of the auxiliary or secondary anticreep lug from engaging such a depending wall but the invention and some of the novel features thereof are not limited to a coupler having a shelf structure and a vertical wall positioned below the major portion of the coupler head.

Referring to the drawings the lower forward portion of a coupler head is shown at 10. A fragment of a knuckle is represented at 11 and a portion of the knuckle tail is illustrated at 12. A lock bearing face (not shown) is provided on the knuckle tail 12 and a shelf or an extension 16 (Fig. 4) affords support for a lock 17 when the knuckle 11 is in the closed position. The shelf 16 is provided with a bottom surface 18 of such shape as to provide an abutment for a toggle end of a main anticreep mechanism of a known type. A leg 19 is carried by the lock 17 which extends downwardly in a lock cavity 21 in the usual manner. The leg 19 of the lock 17 is provided with a slot 22 of elongated shape with the major dimension of the slot extending at an angle to the horizontal as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. A link or toggle 23 carries a trunnion 24 which extends into the slot 22 of the lock leg 19. The upper end 26 of the toggle in the normal position thereof when the knuckle 11 is closed underlies the anticreep surface 18 and any upward movement of the lock 17 as a result of vertical oscillations of the railway vehicle will move the end 26 of the toggle into engagement with the surface 18 to prevent inadvertent unlocking of the coupler. The lower end of the toggle or link 23 includes an otfset portion 27 having an opening therein as shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

A rotor of simplified construction is shown at 25 in Figs. 5 to 8. The pin which forms the rotor terminates at its ends in

cylindrical portions

28 and 29 in axial alignment with each other. The rotor pin carries a radial projection 31 on the intermediate portion having fiat sides 32 and 33. The central plane 36 of the radial projection 31 is displaced slightly from the axis of the cylindrical end portions 23 and 29 as shown in Fig. 8. The rotor 25 is journalled for rotation on the coupler head it: and for this purpose a lug 34 is provided on the knuckle side of the coupler having a circular opening 36 therein for receiving the end 28 of the rotor 25. A radial slot 35 is provided in the lug 34 above the opening 36 and of such size and shape as to permit the radial projection 32. to move endwise therethrough.

The lock cavity 21 is closed at the guardarm side of the coupler by means of a wall 37. When the coupler is provided with a shelf 38 and a central bottom lug 39 as shown in Fig. 2 the wall 3'7 preferably extends rearwardly therefrom and its lower edge 41 is substantially horizontal as shown by the phantom lines in Figs. 1 and 2. The wall 37 rearwardly of the lock cavity curves upwardly at its lower edge as shown at 42 in Fig. 1 and forms a portion of means for supporting the end 29 of the rotor 25. A boss 43 (Fig. 4) may be formed integral with the wall 37 and have a circular opening 44 therein for receiving the cylindrical end 29 of the rotor 25. The rotor 25 is mounted in position by introducing the end 29 through the cylindrical opening 36 in the lug 34 and when the radial projection 31 is aligned with the slot 35 the rotor may be moved into position so that the end 29 enters the cylindrical opening 44 in the boss 43 and the side wail 37. The cylindrical end 28 is then journalled in the cylindrical opening 36 and the projection 31 is accommodated between the inner surface of the lug 34 and the inner end of the boss 4-3. In the normal and all operated positions of the rotor the projection 31 cannot escape endwise through the slot 35. Accordingly the rotor 25 remains in operative association with the coupler head without auxiliary fastening elements and is freely rotatable in its bearings.

A first part of an articulated two-piece rotor lever is shown generally at 46 and includes a hook shaped jaw end 4-7 which fits over the projection 31 of the rotor 25. A flat surface 4-3 (Fig. within hook shaped end lies along the surface 33 of the lug 31 as shown in Fig. l. The element 46 of the rotor lever means is provided with another flat surface 49 which is substantially parallel to the surface 48 and lies along the fiat surface 32 of the projection 31. The hook shaped end 47 has an arcuate surface at 51 which fits the arcuate central portion of the rotor 25. The primary element or first part 46 of the rotor lever is formed with spaced ears 52 at one end as shown in Fig. 9. These ears are provided with aligned openings 53. A tie member 54 joins the cars 52 below the openings 53.

The second part of the rotor lever is shown at 63. An opening 64 is provided in the rear end of the part 63 and this secondary element is joined to the first part 46 by means of a rivet 65 which extends through the openings 53 and 64. The rear end portion of the second element 63 is provided with lugs having abutment surfaces 66 and 67. The forward end of the second part 63 of the rotor lever is provided with an anticreep lug or nose 68 which also forms an car at the end of the part 63. The other ear is shown at 63. These ears are provided with aligned openings 76. The offset portion 27 of the toggle 23 is accommodated between the ear 69 and the ear portion of the lug 63 and connected to the toggle 23 by a rivet 71.

The front portion of the coupler head 10 and in the area forwardly of the lock cavity 21 is shaped to provide a downward facing ledge surface 72 disposed in a substantially horizontal plane as shown in Fig. 1. The surface 72 serves as an anticreep abutment for the lug or nose 68 and defines the upper end of a recess or groove 73 in the vertical wall 87 which affords some of the support for the shelf structure 38.

The present invention provides improvements in the mounting and connection of the coupler operating rod to the lock operating mechanism. The coupler operating member in the form of a rod is represented at 76 and carries a handle (not shown) at its outer end and the rod is mounted for rotation adjacent the corner of a railway vehicle. The inner end of the operating member or rod 76 carries a hook shaped end (Fig. 4) which overlies an intermediate portion of the rotor lever means and the second part 63 thereof as shown in Fig. 1. The rod 76 extends downwardly along the guardarm side of the rotor lever part 63 and under the lever as shown at 77. The coupler operating rod is prevented from inadvertent detachment from the rotor lever structure by means of the inner surface 78 of the side wall 37 as shown in Fig. 4. The other side wall 79 terminates at its lower edge as indicated at 81 so as to provide an unobstructed area for the operating rod 76.

The inner end of the coupler operating rod 76 is supported on a central portion of the rotor lever means approximately midway between the rivets and 71 and the inoperative position is shown in Fig. 1. Under certain conditions of service horizontal and vertical oscillations are imposed on the coupler head and a combination of these movements produce a tendency for the lock lift arrangement to shift from the position shown in Fig. 1 and the part 46 turns in a clockwise direction about the axis of the rotor 25 so that the rivet 65 moves in the direction of the arrow 75. The tie bar 54 engages the surface 67 after a small amount of rotative movement of the part 46 and thereafter the rotor lever parts 63 and 46 rotate as a unit about the axis of the rotor 25. The weight of the operating rod 76 supported on the intermediate portion of the rotor lever to some extent restrains upward swinging movement of the rotor lever means but when the vertical and horizontal shocks are of sufficient intensity the forces resulting from a combination of such oscillations causes the rotor lever structure to swing upwardly. The surface 67 and the tie bar 54 are so dimensioned and located that the nose 68 follows approximately the arcuate path in Fig. 2 in moving towards the abutment surface 72 after the tie bar 54 is in engagement with the surface 67. Thus the nose 68 of the anticreep lug does not engage the vertical wall 87 within the recess or groove 73 during its upward movement towards the anticreep ledge 72. The engagement of the tie bar 54 with the lug surface 67 early in the operation of the auxiliary anticreep means limits the forward thrust of the end part 63 of the rotor lever assembly and prevents the lug nose 68 from peening the wall 87 in the groove 73 and excessive wear on the nose 68 of the anticreep lug is avoided. When the nose 68 engages the surface 72 as shown in Fig. 2, further upward movement of the lock 17 is prevented even though the primary anticreep means which includes the toggle end 26 and the surface 18 has been rendered ineffective.

When it is desired to unlock the coupler the operating rod 76 is rotated in a clockwise direction with reference to Fig. l. The portion of the operating rod 76 above the rotor lever part 63 then engages a lug 82 and the portion 77 of the operating rod forming a part of the hook shaped end and located below the intermediate unapertured portion of the rotor lever part 63 engages a lug 83. A continuation of the clockwise rotation of the operating rod 76 will swing the part 63 upwardly about the axis of the rivet 65. Such hinged movement of the part 63 shifts the nose 68 rearwardly of anticreep abutment surface '72 as shown in Fig. 3. The surface 66 of the lug 82 then engages a substantially flat surface $4 on the first part 46 of the rotor lever. Thereafter further clockwise rotation of the operating rod 76 will cause the rotor lever part 63 to swing about the axis of the rotor 25. The link 23 in a position with the end 26 free of the surface 18 is moved upwardly to raise the lock 17 to a position where the knuckle 11 is free to swing to an open position by actuation of the knuckle thrower 86.

One of the advantages of the lock lifting mechanism is that an eyelet for supporting and connecting the inner end of the operating rod to the rotor or to the rotor lever is avoided and the inner end of the operating rod "76 overlies and embraces an unapertured intermediate portion of the rotor lever part 63. The hook shaped inner end is prevented from disengagement by means of the depending wall 37. The inner surface 78 of the wall 37 is spaced from the lock operating mechanism to permit the hook shaped inner end to be mounted on the rotor lever but prevents disconnection of the operating rod when the handle end (not shown) is secured to the railway vehicle. The rotor is simplified and terminates in cylindrical shaped ends 28 and 29 devoid of any eyelet for connection with the operating rod. The feature of the tie bar 54 engaging the surface 67 during action of the auxiliary anticreep mechanism limits the forward movement of the lever part 63 to prevent the anticreep nose from collision with the coupler head so that it may move freely into engagement with the surface 72.

While the invention has been shown and described with respect to specific structural features and with regard to one type of coupler it will be appreciated that changes may be made in the shape of the parts and the lock lift and auxiliary anticreep means may be applied to various types of couplers. Such modifications and others include changes in the general organization may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coupler, a coupler head having a cavity therein, a lock including a leg depending into said cavity, means providing a rotor lever mounted on the coupler head for swinging movements in a vertical plane, a link pivotally connected to the rotor lever and said lock leg, an operating member, a portion of said operating member extending across the entire width of an intermediate portion of said rotor lever and resting thereon, other portions on the operating member extending downwardly along a side and transversely along an under surface thereof, and means carried by the coupler head preventing disengagement of said hook shaped end from the rotor lever.

2. In a coupler, a coupler head having a vertically disposed cavity therein, a lock having a leg extending downwardly in said cavity, rotor lever means pivotally mounted at its rear end on the coupler head for swinging movements in a vertical plane, a link pivotally connected to the rotor lever means and connected to the leg of the lock supporting the rotor lever means in a generally horizontal position, an operating member, a U-shaped end on said member and extending transversely over the entire upper surface of an intermediate portion of said rotor lever means and supported thereon, said U-shaped end embracing a side and a lower portion of said rotor lever means, and means on the coupler head spaced from a closed end of the U-shaped end preventing escape of the U-shaped end from said rotor lever means.

3. In a coupler, a coupler head having a cavity therein, a lock including a leg extending downwardly into said cavity, rotor lever means mounted on said coupler head for turning about a substantially horizontal axis, a link pivotally connected to a free end of the rotor lever means and pivotally connected to the leg of the lock, a generally horizontally disposed operating rod at a knuckle side of the coupler, and inner end on the operating rod having a portion overlying an intermediate, portion of the rotor lever means, and a portion extending downwardly 'along a guardarm side of the rotor lever means and under the intermediate portion of the rotor lever means, and means integral with the coupler head providing an abutment limiting displacement of the operating rod towards the guardarm side of the coupler and preventing disengagement of the operating rod from the rotor lever means.

4. In a coupler, a coupler head having a cavity therein, a lock having a leg extending downwardly into said cavity, rotor lever means pivotally mounted on said coupler head rearwardly of said cavity for swinging movement about a substantially horizontal axis, a link pivotally connected to a free end of the rotor lever means and to the leg of the lock, an operating rod, a hook shaped end carried by the operating rod overlying an intermediate portion of the rotor lever means and extending downwardly along one side thereof and under an intermediate portion of the rotor lever means, a wall on the coupler head defining a side of said cavity and extending below the rotor lever means providing an abutment preventing disconnection of the hook shaped end of the operating rod from the rotor lever means in all operative positions thereof.

5. In a coupler, a coupler head, a two-part articulated rotor lever, means supporting a first part of said rotor lever on the coupler head for rotating movement about a substantially horizontal axis, a second part of the rotor lever terminating at its forward end in an anticreep nose, a horizontally disposed pivot below said horizontal axis connecting a rear portion of said second part with the first part, a generally horizontal abutment on the coupler head adapted to be engaged by said nose upon upward and forward movement of the second part of the rotor lever, a surface on the coupler head extending below and forwardly of said abutment, and means on the first and second parts of the rotor lever arresting pivoting of the second part with respect to the first part before said nose may engage said surface in moving towards said abutment.

6. In a coupler, a coupler head, a two-part articulated rotor lever, means supporting a first part of said rotor lever on the coupler head for rotating movement about an approximately horizontal axis, a second part of the rotor lever having an anticreep nose at its forward end, a horizontally disposed pivot below said horizontal axis connecting said second part with the first part, a generally horizontal abutment surface on the coupler head adapted to be engaged by said nose upon upward and forward movement of the second part of the rotor lever, a shelf supporting wall carried by the coupler head having a rear surface forwardly of said abutment surface and extending downwardly therebelow, and means on the first and second parts of the rotor lever limiting pivoting of the second part with respect to the first part and preventing said anticreep nose from engaging the rear surface of said wall in moving towards said abutment surface.

7. In a coupler, a coupler head, a two-part articulated rotor lever with one part hinged to another part, a horizontally disposed pivot supporting the first part on the coupler head for rotating movements about a substantially horizontal axis, an anticreep nose at the free end of the second part of the rotor lever, a generally vertical shelf supporting wall on the coupler head depending below a normal position of said nose, a horizontal anticreep abutment on the coupler head adjacent said wall, and means on both parts of the rotor lever arresting pivoting of the second part with respect to the first part before the anticreep nose may engage said wall in moving towards said anticreep abutment.

8. In a railway coupler, a coupler head, a bufiing surface on the coupler head, a shelf structure below and forwardly of said bufling surface, a vertical wall connecting the shelf structure to the coupler head, said wall having a vertically extending groove therein in a rear face thereof, and a horizontal abutment surface defining an upper end of said groove.

9. In a railway coupler, a coupler head, a buffing surface on a forward portion of the coupler head, a wall depending from the coupler head below said buffing surface, said wall having a vertically disposed recess in a rear face thereof, a horizontal abutment defining an upper end of said recess, a two-part articulated rotor lever with a first part hinged to a second part, means supporting the first part on the coupler head for swinging movement in a vertical plane, an anticreep nose at a forward end of the second part aligned with said recess, and means on the first and second parts limiting pivoting of the two parts and preventing engagement of said nose with said wall within said recess in moving towards said abutment.

10. in a coupler, a coupler head having a cavity therein, a lock including a leg depending into said cavity, rotor lever means pivotally mounted at its rear end on the coupler head for swinging movements in a vertical plane, a link pivotally connected to the rotor lever means and to said lock leg, a generally horizontally disposed operating rod, a first portion on said rod extending from one side of the rotor lever means transversely across and resting on the rotor lever means, a further portion on said operating rod extending downwardly along the other side of and under the rotor lever means, and an abutment rigid with the coupler head preventing disengagement of the operating rod from the rotor lever means when the first portion is in a substantially horizontal position.

11. in a coupler, a coupler head having a vertically disposed cavity therein, a lock and a leg therefor extending downwardly into said cavity, rotor lever means including a first part mounted on said coupler head rearwardly of said cavity for swinging movements in a substantially vertical flange, a second part of said rotor lever means being pivotally connected to said first part for swinging movements about a substantially horizontal axis, a coupler operating rod embracing substantially the entire intermediate portion of the second part and supported thereon centrally of its pivot ends, and a rigid abutment member carried by the coupler head preventing disengagement of the coupler operating rod from said second part.

12. In a coupler, a coupler head having a cavity therein, a lock including a leg extending into said cavity, a

two-part articulated rotor lever having a pivotal connection at one end to said coupler head and an operative connection at the opposite end to said lock leg, said two-parts being capable of relative pivoting movement durin unintentional swinging of the rotor lever whereby the utstance between opposite ends of the rotor lever is increased, an anticreep nose carried by the second part, a substantially horizontal abutment surface on the coupler head adjacent a lower end of the lock cavity, a wall on the coupler head depending below said abutment surface, said wall having a vertically extending recess therein below said abutment surface and in alignment with the path of movement of said anticreep nose, means carried by both parts of the rotor lever for engaging each other to prevent further pivoting of the two-parts and restricting the effective length of the rotor lever whereby said nose avoids engagement with said wall in moving towards said abutment surface.

13. In a coupler, a coupler head having a bufling surface thereon, a lock, a two-part articulated rotor lever having a pivotal connection at one end to said coupler head and an operative connection at the other end to said lock, said two-parts of the rotor lever being capable of relative pivoting movement during unintentional swinging or" the rotor lever whereby the effective length of the rotor lever is increased, an anticreep nose carried by the second part, a substantially horizontal abutment surface on the coupler head adjacent a lower end of said bufling surface, a wall carried by the coupler head depending below said hurling surface having a rear surface positioned forwardly of said abutment surface, means carried by said parts of the rotor lever for engaging each other preventing further pivoting of the twoparts whereby said nose avoids engagement with the rear surface of said wall in moving towards said abutment surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,393,912 Kayler Jan. 29, 1946 2,467,317 Kahler Apr. 12, 1949 2,498,958 Kinne Feb. 28, 1950 2,498,959 Kinne Feb. 28, 1950 2,568,312 Wolfe Sept. 18, 1951 2,585,889 Wolfe Feb. 12, 1952 2,585,958 Metzger Feb. 19, 1952