US3140784A - Spreadable coupler for ho gage model railroad vehicles - Google Patents

Description

SPREADABLE COUPLER FOR HO GAGE MODEL RAILROAD VEHICLES Filed Nov. 3. 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS ATTORNEY y 1964 B. H. GOLDBECK ETAL 3,140,734

SPREADABLE COUPLER FOR HO GAGE MODEL RAILROAD VEHICLES Filed Nov. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l NVENTO RS Vie/bot W I 10 BY ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,140,784 SPREADABLE COUPLER FOR HO GAGE MODEL RAILROAD VEHICLES Bernard H. Goidheck, West Haven, and Victor V. DAmato, New Haven, Conn., assignors to The A. C. Gilbert Company, New Haven, Conn a corporation of Maryland Filed Nov. 3, 1960, Ser. No. 67,015 4 Claims. (Cl. 213--75) This invention relates to couplers unified with or separate from wheeled railway trucks to serve as draft connection between miniature cars in toy or model railroading, and particularly to coupler equipped car trucks based on new principles of simplified construction set forth and claimed in a copending application, Serial No. 60,515, filed October 4, 1960.

The truck and coupler construction disclosed in the copending application is of a style wherein uncoupling is mechanically accomplished automatically by the travel of interengaged coupler heads past diverging lateral cam surfaces of a ramp stationed on the track bed, which diverging surfaces are encountered by uncoupling lugs or strikers that depend from the traveling interengaged coupler heads in a manner to spread them laterally to cause uncoupling.

In a still smaller size of model railroad rolling stock known as HO gage it has been the practice to cause uncoupling by means of a ramp stationed on the track bed presenting converging instead of diverging lateral cam surfaces. Such converging ramp surfaces can likewise be made to spread apart the component sections of interengaged coupler heads to cause uncoupling and are shown so to act in the herein disclosed form of the invention. An uncoupling ramp of this style is adapted to cooperate with a conventional type of NMRA coupler as herein illustrated and also with a modified version of a coupler having all of the structural advantages that characterize the coupler disclosed in the aforesaid copending application. Such modified version is shown herein to cooperate optionally with a mating coupler of like kind with the advantage that both kinds of couplers become universally interchangeable.

Accordingly an object of these improvements is to adapt the improved style of coupler disclosed in the aforesaid copending application to the very small HO gage size of model railroad rolling stock so modified in construction that it will releasably engage with a like coupler or with a conventional type of NMRA coupler which latter, accordingly to current practices of the National Model Railroad Association, incorporates a drawbar that swings horizontally from a pivotal connection directly to the chassis or body of the railroad vehicle and is independent of the wheeled truck which supports the vehicle.

The foregoing and related objects of the invention will appear in fuller particular from the following description of a preferred form of the invention having reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of fragments of HO size miniature railway vehicles riding on a toy or model railway track with draft connection in the form of coupling means releasable by the camming action of converging sides of an uncoupling ramp stationed on the track bed.

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the parts shown in FIG. 1 taken partially in section on the planes 222 in FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

3,140,784 Patented July 14, 1964 FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the coupler hooks disengaged.

FIG. 4 is a view taken in section on the plane 44 in FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view looking downward on an integral truck and coupler detached from associated parts.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view looking endwise at the spreadable coupler head of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing one of the couplers of the latter figure engaged with a conventional NMRA coupler in a manner to respond to the uncoupling effect of the ramp of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a view taken in section on the planes 8-8--8 in FIG. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view showing the coupler hooks of FIG. 7 disengaged.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the coupler heads of FIG. 9 separated by the drawing apart of the vehicles after uncoupling has taken place.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, parts of the body of a miniature railroad vehicle, such as a car or locomotive of a toy or model train, are designated 12 and are pivotally supported on trucks 13 whose wheels 14 ride on track rails 15 that are fixedly connected by the usual ties or sleepers 16. Two such trucks are shown with draft connection whereby either car can haul the other. For this purpose the draft connection includes couplers comprising a spreadable coupler head 20 at the free end of a drawbar shank that is divided longitudinally to provide the separate side-by- side arms 22 and 23 which characterize the present improvements.

The arms 22 and 23, as is the entire framework of the truck shown in FIG. 8, are parts of an integral body of molded plastic material having such resilient properties that the lateral thinness of each arm makes the arm so limber or flexible that the spreadable sections of the coupler head 20 are easily separable laterally to an extent that is positively limited by engagement of a stop lug 24 on the arm 22 with a similar stop lug 25 on the arm 23. The stop lugs 24 and 25 herein illustrated are L-shaped so as to interengage at their respective terminals and are further of such disposition that their terminals are slightly spaced laterally when the arms 22 and 23 normally occupy a head closing position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5.

Arm 22 carries and is integral with a terminal hook formation 30 laterally spaced from a terminal guide tongue formation 31 that is carried by and integral with the free end of arm 23. Each of arms 22 and 23 stems from and is integral with a horizontal bolster plate 32 that is connected by cross beam sections 33 to the side bars 34, all of which are integral portions of the singlepiece framework of the truck.

The bolster plate 32 and cross beam sections 33 are completely split through at 35 in a manner to afford ability of the thus divided half portions of the bolster plate and cross beam to spring apart suificiently within their elastic limit to enable the bolster plate to snap over the head 36 of a pivotal stud that fixedly depends from the vehicle body 12. The bearing hole 38 in bolster plate 32 is normally a little smaller than the maximum girth of stud head 36. Stud 37 is long enough to afford free rotary movement between a lug 39 that depends from vehicle body 12 and the bolster plate 32. Thus the wheeled truck as a whole can swivel freely about the vertical axis of stud 37 relatively to the vehicle body.

shears i The side bars 34 of the truck contain bearing holes in the form of dead-ended sockets in which the ends of the wheel axles 47 are journaled. Each side bar is sufiiciently thin in cross section to make it so limber in a lateral direc tion that the corresponding ends of opposite side bars which contain bearing holes 46 can spring apart far enough to admit the wheel axle 47 to the bearing holes without exceeding the elastic limit of the resilient plastic material of the side arms. After the axle is assembled in place the side arms automatically restore themselves to their original normal spacing and thus hold each axle 47 with the wheels 14 fixed thereon in its bearings.

Depending from each hooked section 30 of each coupler head there is an uncoupling finger 50 that has a down ward extending striker 52 carried at the opposite side of the longitudinal center line of the coupler from the arm 22. On the track bed between rails 15 there is stationed a ramp 51 preferably of insulative material and of the narrowing channel style comprising spaced apart deflector bars 53 whose surfaces 54, that face each other, converge from an abutment 55 where bars 53 are mounted on the track bed to form a straight, narrow channel 56 of slightly greater width than the thickness of finger strikers 52. Bars 53 rise from the level of the track bed to a height to be encountered by the finger strikers 50 as their surfaces 54 converge so that when the hooked formations of mating coupler heads are interengaged as in FIG. 1 the strikers 52 come into wiping contact with the converging surfaces 54 of the ramp 51 in such manner that the strikers are cammed into common alignment with the longitudinal center line of the coupler thus causing the hooked formations of the coupler heads to disengage and uncouple the 'cars. Upon being brought together again by the approach of two cars, in the absence of ramp 51, the convex camming surfaces of the mutually meeting hook formations 30 will cause a sufficient spreading of the coupling head sections, as permitted by the limberness of arms 22 and 23, to pass through their position shown in FIG. 3 and into the interengaged relationship shown in FIG. 1.

In the relationship of interengaging shapes shown in FIG. 1 it will be found that no departure of the two coupled together trucks from rectilineal alignment, as occasioned for instance by traveling on curved track, can produce uncoupling of the hook formations because no force will be present to cause the coupling head sections to spread to suficient extent as for instance in FIG. 3. Spreading to such extent is occasioned only by encountering the camming action of the uncoupling ramp 51. At all other times the hook formations cling reliably together even though their tip ends are not sufficiently interlocked to resist the uncoupling action of the ramp.

The ability of the improved form of coupler shown in FIGS. 1 to 6 to co-act with a coupler for H scale rolling stock that is conventional in standardized practice of the National Model Railroad Association (herein referred to as NMRA) is illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 10, inclusive, wherein a typical NMRA coupler is seen to comprise a short draw bar 60 having integral therewith an end hook 61 and a guide tongue 62 along with an offset depending finger 63 carrying the farther downward depending uncoupling striker 63 that rides at the same level as striker 52 of the coupler head 20.

Drawbar 60 is pivotally anchored on the vertical shank of a screw 65 which secures the cover 66 of a box compartment 67 that depends from the chassis 68 of a conventional vehicle of HO gage size that is pivotally supported by and rides on a conventional wheeled truck 69. Drawbar 60 is constantly biased counterclockwise about pivot screw 65 in FIGS. 7 and by a spring 70 to a normal position of swing determined by engagement of the drawbar 60 with the side wall of box compartment 67 in which position the guide tongue 62, upon the coming together of two vehicles to be coupled, will cam against the hook formation 30 on coupler head and produce automatic coupling interengagement of the hooks and 61 just as will occur between two mating coupler heads like those of FIG. 1. A150 as in FIG. 9, the riding of :stnkers 52 and 64 into the narrowing channel 56 between theuncoupling bars 53 of ramp 51, brings these strikers f;fering points lengthwise of the ramp, such points being :spaced along the ramp to accord with the spacing along the track of strikers 52, 52 in FIGS. 1 and 3, or of strikers :52 and 64, in FIGS. 7 and 9, when cars are coupled to- ;gether. This results in the action of the ramp bars 53 -on the strikers of both couplers taking place simultaneiously as the couplers approach or leave the ramp.

The simplified coupler of these improvements will be i :seen to react with the uncoupling ramp 51 according to :usual practice in the art, namely the constant bias of the :spring arm 22 or 22' in the improved coupler, as does :the spring 70 in FIG. 9, normally acts to urge the untcoupler hooks into mutual engagement. Such engagement :automatically maintains and keeps the cars coupled to- ;gether while passing the ramp as long as the leading car is ihauling the trailing car with enough pulling force to pre- -vent the hooks 3t), 30 or 30, 61 from being thrust laterally out of mutual engagement by the sidewise pressure of the bars 53 on strikers 52, 52 or 52, 64 which pressure op- ;poses the coupling tendency of spring arms 22, 22 or -;spring arm 22 and spring 70. However, if slack is per- 'mitted to develop in the drag of the leading car on the trailing car while the strikers are between the ramp bars the uncoupling pressure of the ramp bars on one or both pairs of strikers 52, 52 or 52', 64 is suificient to overcome the bias of spring arms 22, 22 or spring arm 22 and :spring 70, whereupon uncoupling automatically occurs .and maintains so that either car can be left at the ramp .and the other withdrawn therefrom along the track.

It is within the scope of these improvements that the shank arms 22 and 23 may stem from a hub pivotally connected to the chassis or body of vehicle 12 independently of the truck 13 as the drawbar 6t) stems from pivot '65 by which it is swung from vehicle 68 independently of truck 69 in FIG. 7. This and other departures from the exact construction and arrangement of parts embodying the invention are intended to be covered by the appended claims if coming within a broad interpretation of the recital thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A one-piece combined truck and releasable coupler for model railroad rolling stock comprising in a single body of continuous material, a wheeled truck frame adapted to underlie and pivotally support the rolling stock, separate resilient extensions of said truck frame forming sidewise limber arms spaced apart on respectively oppozsite sides of a medial vertical reference plane parallelling the path of travel of said truck, and coupler head members formed respectively by laterally spaced apart free end portions of said arms, whereby sidewise flexure of tone of said arms causes its said coupler head member to move toward or away from said median plane and the other coupling head member, one of the said coupler head members terminating in a guide tongue that diverges sidewise from said medial plane, and the other of said head members having a hook-shaped terminal together with an uncoupling striker depending therefrom on the opposite side of said medial plane.

2. A one-piece combined truck and releasable coupler as defined in claim 1, in which the said uncoupling striker is on the same side of the said medial reference plane as the said guide tongue.

3. A one-piece combined truck and releasable coupler as defined in claim 1, in which the said uncoupling striker is of angular shape and includes a portion that normally extends laterally across the said medial reference plane.

4. Coupling and uncoupling means for model railroad 3,140,784 5 6 rolling stock comprising a one-piece combined truck and References Cited in the file of this patent releasable coupler as defined in claim 1, together with UNITED STATES PATENTS at least two track-bed supported traction rails of a model railroad extending along respectively opposite sides of the 2,157,187 Rexford May 9, 1939 said medial reference plane, and a ramp stationed on 5 2,631,740 Watson Mar. 17, 1953 said track-bed between said rails presenting laterally to 2,944,683 Joseph July 12, 1960 the said uncoupling striker an operative camming edge arching toward said median plane in the normal path of FOIFEIGN PATENTS travel of said striker, whereby to force the latter into said 193,282 Austria 1 1957 medial plane for uncoupling said rolling stock.

Claims (1)

1. A ONE-PIECE COMBINED TRUCK AND RELEASABLE COUPLER FOR MODEL RAILROAD ROLLING STOCK COMPRISING IN A SINGLE BODY OF CONTINUOUS MATERIAL, A WHEELED TRUCK FRAME ADAPTED TO UNDERLIE AND PIVOTALLY SUPPORT THE ROLLING STOCK, SEPARATE RESILIENT EXTENSIONS OF SAID TRUCK FRAME FORMING SIDEWISE LIMBER ARMS SPACED APART ON RESPECTIVELY OPPOSITE SIDES OF A MEDIAL VERTICAL REFERENCE PLANE PARALLELLING THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID TRUCK, AND COUPLER HEAD MEMBERS FORMED RESPECTIVELY BY LATERALLY SPACED APART FREE END PORTIONS OF SAID ARMS, WHEREBY SIDEWISE FLEXURE OF ONE OF SAID ARMS CAUSES ITS SAID COUPLER HEAD MEMBER TO MOVE TOWARD OR AWAY FROM SAID MEDIAN PLANE AND THE OTHER COUPLING HEAD MEMBER, ONE OF THE SAID COUPLER

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