US2754979A

US2754979A - Coupler support

Info

Publication number: US2754979A
Application number: US259800A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mcmullen John
Original assignee: JOHN F MCMULLEN; VIACENT J MCMULLEN
Current assignee: JOHN F MCMULLEN; VIACENT J MCMULLEN
Priority date: 1951-12-04
Filing date: 1951-12-04
Publication date: 1956-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 1973-07-17

Description

July 17, 1956 J. M MULLEN COUPLER SUPPORT Filed Dec. 4, 1951 INVENTOR- JOHN M MULLEN w I m Ill/Ill, A d/m/Mflm *ATTYW United States PatentO COUPLER SUPPORT John McMullen, Bufialo, N. Y., assignor of one-third each to John F. McMullen, Cleveland Heights, and Vincent J. McMullen, Youngstown, Ohio Application December 4, 1951, Serial No. 259,800

8 Claims. (Cl. 2136l) This invention relates to couplers and is directed more particularly to means for insuring adequate area of engagement between couplers of railway cars so as to prevent coupler disengagement upon impact to .such cars.

It is an object of this invention to provide means which shall cause couplers to lie in a horizontal position when initially assembled with coupler yokes so as to substantially minimize wear in the couplers and the parts associated therewith.

A further object is to provide means capable of compensating for the wear occurring in couplers and the parts associated therewith.

A further object is to provide means which shall prevent droop of couplers when initially installed and which shall be capable of compensating for any droop in the couplers which may occur in service.

A further object is to provide means of the character indicated which shall be simple in construction, inexpensive, and which shall be capable of compensating for droop or sag in couplers without having to remove the couplers from their cars.

A further object is to eliminate the expense now incurred in correcting the droop or sag in car couplers.

Other objects of this invention will become clear as the description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings forming part of this specification,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a coupler and associated parts embodying the instant invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the droop in the present couplers when first installed.

Referring to the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated, the reference numeral designates a yoke of the well known construction commonly used on railway cars. Accordingly, the yoke 10 comprises the side walls 11 and 12, the top and

bottom walls

13 and 14 which extend between the side walls, and a rear wall (not shown) which extends between the top and bottom walls. The side walls 11 and 12 terminate short of the end wall so as to provide openings such as 15 between the top and bottom walls. The top and

bottom walls

13 and 14 slope downwardly and upwardly, respectively, adjacent to the outer

rounded end portions

16 and 17 of the side walls as indicated at 18 and 19. These sloping portions of the top and bottom walls terminate short of the rounded outer end portions of the side walls as shown at 20 and 21. v

Horizontally disposed

elongated openings

22 and 23 are provided in the side walls. A key 24 narrower than the

openings

22 and 23 and of less thickness than thedepth of said

openings

22 and 23 extends through these openings and through an opening 25, of substantially the same width as the key 24, in the shank 26 of a coupler 27. The head of the coupler is designated by the reference numeral 28. The key 24 serves to retain the coupler in slidable relationship in the yoke.

A carrier iron 29 which may be part of the striking casting 3t and lies adjacent to the outer ends of the side walls 11 and 12 serves to support the coupler 27 which overhangs the carrier iron by a substantial amount. Wear plates such as 31 are customarily interposed between the carrier iron and the shank of the coupler. By virtue of my invention a surface bearing of substantial area is obtained between the shank of the coupler and the wear plate so that wear between these parts and between the walls of the

openings

22 and 23 and the key 24 is greatly reduced.

To this end and also to compensate for such wear that occurs without the necessity of removing the coupler from the yoke I utilize a wedge-shaped pad 32 which is disposed between the top of the shank 26 at the inner end thereof and the underside of the sloping portion 18 of the top wall 13. When the pad 32 is formed'as a separate member it is placed as noted through either of the openings in the side walls 11 and 12. The pad may, however, be cast integral with the yoke, if desired, in which event the feature of my invention of compensation for wear is sacrificed.

To obtain such compensation I provide the sloping portion 18 of the upper wall with an elongated slot 33 through which the pad 32 is accessible. A bolt 34 is utilized to impart movement to the pad when wear occurs so as to compensate for such wear and restore the large bearing area between the pad and the shank of the coupler and between the wear plate 31 and the shank. The bolt 34 has a portion 35 which extends downwardly through the slot 33 and into a hole 36 formed in the pad 32. Above the yoke the bolt is bent laterally as indicated at 37 and then outwardly as shown at 38 along one of the

end portions

16 and 17 of the side walls 11 and 12. A sleeve 33 is secured as by means of welding to this end portion and the bolt extends through the sleeve. The end of the bolt projects through the sleeve and is threaded so as to receive a nut 40 by the rotation of which the pad may be moved for the purpose set forth. The nut 40 is retained in position by a lock nut 41.

By locating the outwardly extending portion 38 of the bolt 34 along a side wall of the yoke it is made to lie in laterally offset relationship to the shank of the coupler so that the bolt may be reached to impart movement to the pad without removing the coupler from the yoke.

The important accomplishment of my invention is best understood by a comparison of Fig. 2, which shows my invention, with Fig. 4, which shows the condition now prevailing with couplers for railway cars. Fig. 4 shows the relationship between the coupler and wear plate and the relationship between the coupler key and the walls of the slots in the side walls of the yoke when the coupler is newly assembled with the yoke. The normal droop or sag of the coupler is clearly shown in this figure. The shank of the coupler has only a line bearing upon the wear plate. And one pair of diagonally opposite corners of the coupler key is brought into bearing engagement with the walls of the slots in the side walls by the large overhanging weight of the coupler.

As the coupler slides relative to the yoke substantial wear occurs in the wear plate and coupler shank and in the coupler key and yoke. This is brought about by the large overhanging weight of approximately 400 pounds of the coupler shank and head beyond the wear plate. Such wear increases the droop of the coupler. This brings about a seriou reduction in the bearing area between coupled couplers so that the coupling is broken upon impact to the cars. When this occurs parts must be replaced and to do this the car must be shopped and the coupler removed.

My invention, on the other hand, remedies the above noted evils in a simple and elficacious manner. The coupler assumes an initial horizontal position so as to establish substantial surface bearing area between the coupler shank and the wear plate and between the shank and pad. There is no droop or sag in the coupler. Wear between parts is therefore held to a minimum. Moreover, wear on the coupler key and yoke is substantially eliminated. When wear does occur the horizontal position of the coupler is restored without having to shop the car or remove the coupler from the yoke by releasing the lock nut and tightening up on the other nut so as to im part movement to the bolt and pad in an outward direction. The lock nut is then replaced. All this can be accomplished while the coupler is engaged with the yoke. Any droop which may have occurred in the coupler as a result of wear is removed.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprehended within this invention which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having a downwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and a head, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shank extending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent to said yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engaging said shank for supporting said coupler, and a wedge-shaped pad lying between and engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wall portion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally.

2. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having a downwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and a head, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shank extending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent to said yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engaging said shank for supporting said coupler, and a wedge-shaped pad lying between and engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wall portion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, said pad being movable relative to said yoke and said shank.

3. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having a downwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and a head, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shank extending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent to said yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engaging said shank for supporting said coupler, a wedge-shaped pad lying between and engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wall portion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, said pad being movable relative to said yoke and said shank, and means on said yoke for effecting movement of said pad.

4. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having a downwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and a head, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shank extending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent to said yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head,

said carrier engaging said shank for supporting said coupler, a wedge-shaped pad lying between and engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wall portion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, said pad being movable relative to said yoke and said shank, and means on said yoke for effecting movement of said pad, said latter means embodying a bolt extending in laterally spaced relationship to said shank.

5. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having a downwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and a head, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shank extending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent to said yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engaging said shank for supporting said coupler, a wedge-shaped pad lying between and engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wall portion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, a slot formed in said top wall portion of said yoke, a bolt having a downturned portion extending through said slot into engagement with said pad, said bolt having a forwardly extending threaded portion, a member on said yoke, said latter portion of said bolt extending through said member, and a nut threaded on said bolt and engaging said member.

6. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having a downwardly sloping top Wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and a head, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shank extending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent to said yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engaging said shank for supporting said coupler, a wedge-shaped pad lying between and engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wall portion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, said pad being movable relative to said yoke and said shank, and means on said yoke for effecting movement of said pad, said latter means being operable While said coupler is assembled with said yoke.

7. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having a downwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and a head, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shank extending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent to said yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engaging said shank for supporting said coupler, a wedge-shaped pad lying between and engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wall portion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, a slot formed in said top wall portion of said yoke, a bolt having a downturned portion extending through said slot into a hole in said pad, a laterally extending portion and a threaded portion extending forwardly along said yoke, sleeve secured to said yoke, said forwardly extending portion of said bolt projecting through said sleeve, and a nut threaded on said latter portion of said bolt and engaging said sleeve.

8. In a draft device for railway cars or the like, a yoke having a downwardly sloping top wall portion, a coupler embodying a shank and a head, means slidably securing said shank in said yoke, said shank extending forwardly beyond said yoke, a carrier disposed adjacent to said yoke in spaced relation to said coupler head, said carrier engaging said shank for supporting said coupler, a wedge-shaped pad lying between and engaging the top of said shank and the underside of said top wall portion of said yoke and positioning said shank horizontally, a slot formed in said top wall portion of said yoke, a bolt having a downturned portion extending through said slot into a hole in said pad, a laterally extending portion and a threaded portion extending forwardlly along said yoke, a sleeve secured to said yoke, said forwardly extending portion of said bolt projecting through said sleeve, and a nut threaded on said latter portion of said bolt and engaging said sleeve, said forwardly extending portion of said bolt being ofiset laterally from said shank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Martin Apr. 9, 1912 Schneider Ian. 18, 1916 OConnor Mar. 27, 1917 Haseltine Sept. 18, 1917 Haseltine Dec. 3, 1918 OConnor Dec. 3, 1918 6 Wright Jan. 14, 1919 Pletcher Ian. 30, 1923 Janney June 2, 1925 OConnor Dec. 19, 1933 Kinne et a1. May 6, 1941 Wilson Feb. 3, 1942 Barrows et a1 Aug. 17, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria May 10, 1933