US3157290A

US3157290A - Rotary coupler arrangement

Info

Publication number: US3157290A
Application number: US258201A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick C Kulieke
Original assignee: Amsted Industries Inc
Current assignee: Amsted Industries Inc
Priority date: 1963-02-13
Filing date: 1963-02-13
Publication date: 1964-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 1981-11-17

Description

Nov. 17, 1964 F. c. KULIEKE ROTARY COUPLER ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 13, 1963 N w 7 7 w 2 d w aw, aw 4 y $13 5% Q 7 i A y 8 2 & EX 4.

Nov. 17, 1964 F. c. KULIEKE ROTARY COUPLER ARRANGEMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 13, 1963 INVENTOR- United States Patent 3,l'7,290 RGTARY CQUPLER ARRANGEMENT Frederick C. Kuliehe, Alliance, Ghio, assignor to Amsted industries Incorporated, (Ihicago, iii, a corporation of New l'ersey Filed Feb. 13, 1963, Ser. No.258,2tl1

2 Claims. (6i. 213-62) This invention relates to railway car couplers and more particularly to a rotary coupler arrangement adapted to permit a car to be rotated during dumping operations while the car remains coupled to adjacent cars in a train.

Briefly, the present invention contemplates the provision of a rotary coupler arrangement in which a collar is mounted for axial and rotational movements within a a yoke, and a coupler shank is pivotally connected to the collar by means of a pivot pin. To facilitate assembly and disassembly of the coupler arrangement, an opening is provided in the lower side of the yoke for the removal of the pivot pin when the coupler is rotated 180 from its normal position to its inverted position. To prevent accidental displacement of the pivot pin when the coupler is rotated to its inverted position, the opening in the yoke is closed by a pin retainer member.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a rotary coupler arrangement embodying means to facilitate assembly and disassembly of parts.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of means for removing the coupler shank pivot pin when the coupler is rotated to its inverted position.

The invention embodies other novel features, details of construction and arrangement of parts which are hereinafter set forth in the specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating a rotary coupler arrangement embodying features of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse section taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view illustrating the pin retainer member detachably mounted on the yoke.

FIGURES 4 and 5 are detail side and end elevations, respectively, showing the pin retainer member.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 6d of FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, the rotary coupler arrangement is shown as comprising a center sill 2 having a top wall 3 and depending side walls 4 provided at their lower ends with lateral flanges 6. A striker casting '7 has vertical walls 8 mounted within the center sill 2 and secured to the top and

side walls

3 and 4 by means of rivets 9. A front support plate N is mounted in horizontally aligned openings it in the striker walls 3, and stop lugs 12 are secured to the flanges 6 by means of rivets 13 for abutting engagement against the ends of the support plate.

A yoke 14 is mounted on the support plate it? within the center sill 2 and formed with a head portion 16 having an inner cylindrical surface 17 terminating at a front wall 18. A collar 19 is mounted for rotational movement within the head portion 16 and formed with diametrically opposed

openings

21 and 22 to receive a pivot pin 23. The collar 19 is formed with an annular flange 3,l57,296 Patented Nov. 17, 1964 24 at the outer end of the opening 22 to en age the adjacent end of the pivot pin 23. The shank 2d of a conventional coupler 27 extends rearwardly into the collar 19 and is pivotally connected thereto by means of the pivot pin 23. The inner end of the shank 26 engages a front follower 28 of a conventional draft gear mounted within the yoke.

The lower side of the yoke head portion 16 is formed with an elongated opening 29 to receive an elongated pin retainer member 31 having a head portion 32 positioned below the pivot pin 23. A lip 33 is formed on the front end of the head portion 32 to rest upon a shoulder 34 formed on the head portion 16, and lugs 36 are provided on opposite sides of the member 31 to rest upon ledges 3? formed on the head portion.

To secure the pin retainer member 31 in fixed position on the yoke, the member is formed with a depending boss 38 having a transverse hole 39 for registry with openings ll formed in cars 42 on the yoke. A bolt 43 extends through the hole 39 and openings 41. The head portion 32 of the pin retainer member 31 is formed with an arcuate surface 434 which is curved to form a continuation of the cylindrical inner surface 17 of the head portion 16 0f the yoke 14.

To disconnect the coupler shank 2i; from the collar 19, a stop 12 is first removed from its flange 6 to permit removal of the support plate It). The bolt 43 is then removed to permit removal of the pin retainer member 31 from the yoke 16. The coupler 27 is then rotated to permit the pivot pin 23 to fall downwardly through the opening 29 in the yoke.

I claim:

1. In a rotary coupler arrangement, a yoke having a head portion provided with a cylindrical inner surface, a collar engaging said surface and rotatable relative to the yoke, a coupler shank within said collar, a pivot pin connecting said shank to said collar, said head portion having an elongated slot below said pivot pin, ledges provided on said head portion on opposite sides of said slot and intermediate the ends thereof, a shoulder provided on the head portion at one end of said slot, a pin retainer member within said slot and having lugs seated on said ledges, and having a lip on one end thereof seated on said shoulder, a depending boss on the end of said member remote from said lip, spaced ears depending from said head portion on opposite sides of said boss and having aligned apertures in registry with an opening in said boss, and a bolt extending through said apertures and said opening to secure said member to said head portion.

2. A rotary coupler arrangement according to claim 1 in which said pin retainer member is provided with an enlarged head underlying said pivot pin and having an arcuate upper surface forming a continuation of said cylindrical inner surface, said lip projecting outwardly from the end of said head.

References (fitted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,973,105 Metzger Feb. 28, 1961 2,990,962 Nystrom July 4, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 636,225 Canada Feb. 13, 1962

Claims

1. IN A ROTARY COUPLER ARRANGEMENT, A YOKE HAVING A HEAD PORTION PROVIDED WITH A CYLINDRICAL INNER SURFACE, A COLLAR ENGAGING SAID SURFACE AND ROTATABLE RELATIVE TO THE YOKE, A COUPLER SHANK WITHIN SAID COLLAR, A PIVOT PIN CONNECTING SAID SHANK TO SAID COLLAR, SAID HEAD PORTION HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT BELOW SAID PIVOT PIN, LEDGES PROVIDED ON SAID HEAD PORTION ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SLOT AND INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF, A SHOULDER PROVIDED ON THE HEAD PORTION AT ONE END OF SAID SLOT, A PIN RETAINER MEMBER WITHIN SAID SLOT AND HAVING LUGS SEATED