US3518790A - Truck and coupler apparatus - Google Patents

Truck and coupler apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
US3518790A
US3518790A US713652A US3518790DA US3518790A US 3518790 A US3518790 A US 3518790A US 713652 A US713652 A US 713652A US 3518790D A US3518790D A US 3518790DA US 3518790 A US3518790 A US 3518790A
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truck
coupler
car
hook
piece
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US713652A
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Paul A Zamarra
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H19/00—Model railways
    • A63H19/16—Parts for model railway vehicles
    • A63H19/18—Car coupling or uncoupling mechanisms

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  • the invention relates to the field of railway equipment, and in particular to the car-truck and coupler apparatus used on railway equipment.
  • the invention arose in the art of model or toy railway apparatus.
  • Prior art car-truck and coupler arrangements are made up of several parts or pieces which are expensive to manufacture and which involve time and expense to assemble.
  • the multi-piece apparatus of the prior art causes frustrations for the model railroad builder due to the handling of a plurality of small pieces.
  • the prior art devices included small springs to provide resilient coupling members.
  • the present invention provides a one-piece construction which is easy to handle and inexpensive to manufacture.
  • the invention provides a one-piece car-truck and coupler for railway apparatus in which the car-truck and coupler are connected by a flexible web.
  • the coupler portion includes a hook having two horizontal beveled portions which meet at a protruding edge so that when two similar couplers abut they flex so one rides over the other far enough that they flex back to their normal horizontal position engaged.
  • the resilient web allows the hook to flex out of its normal horizontal position.
  • FIG. 1 is a top view of the one-piece car-truck and coupler of the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a side view of the one-piece car-truck and coupler of the invention.
  • FIG. 3 is an end view from the coupler portion hook.
  • FIG. 4 is an end view from the car-truck portion.
  • FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the car-truck and coupler.
  • FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the apparatus of the invention as seen from lines 66 of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view as seen from lines 7-7 of FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 8 is a side view of two coupler hooks illustrating the flexing action as the beveled portions ride on each other to accomplish the coupling action.
  • FIGS. 1-8 which are hereby made a part of the specification, a one-piece railway car-truck and coupler 2 is provided in which a car-truck portion 4 and a coupler portion 6 are joined by resilient web members 8 which are horizontally spaced apart in a common plane and are flexible along imaginary lines between said truck portion and said coupler portion and transverse of the path of travel of the truck.
  • the wheels 10 are mounted onto the car-truck and coupler 2 but do not form part of the one-piece construction of the invention.
  • the coupler portion 6 includes a hook piece 12 and beveled surfaces 14 and 16 which meet at the protruding edge 18. As illustrated in FIG. 8, when two similar cartruck and couplers 2 abut, the protruding edges 18 meet and deflect the hook and coupler members 6 and 12. Further movement of the couplers toward each other causes the resilient webs 8 to flex so that the beveled surfaces 14 and 16 ride or slide over each other to the position shown in the broken line of FIG. 1 where the two coupler hooks 12 engage. In this position the resilient webs 8 allow the couplers 6 to flex back to their normal horizontal positions.
  • Stop members 20, 22, 24- and 26 are provided to limit the extent of flex by the resilient web members 8. At one limit position of flex, the stop members 20 and 22 abut while at the other limit position stop members 24 and 26 abut.
  • the one-piece car-truck and coupler is molded of plastic material with the web portions 8 being relatively thin to provide their resilient characteristic.
  • webs 8 could be formed as one web rather than the two shown.
  • the preferred embodiment is directed to a toy or model railroad one-piece car-truck and coupler, the invention is intended to encompass full scale railroad equipment as well.
  • railway truck and coupler means comprising truck and coupler apparatus of single-piece construction, the coupler portion having a part in opposed horizontally spaced relation to a part of the truck portion, said parts being connected by at least one horizontal web portion which is resiliently flexible along imaginary horizontal lines transverse of the path of travel of said truck be-- tween said parts of the coupler portion and the truck portion, said coupler portion having a hook and flexing or said web providing for vertical movement of said hook to couple and uncouple the hook to and from a hook off a similar truck and coupler apparatus.

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Description

July 7, 1970 P. A. ZAMARRA 3,518,790
TRUCK AND COUPLER APPARATUS Filed March 18, 1968 INVENTOR. Paw A. Zamarra BY ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,518,790 Patented July 7, 1970 3,518,790 TRUCK AND COUPLER APPARATUS Paul A. Zamarra, Lake Road, Far Hills, NJ. 07931 Filed Mar. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 713,652 Int. Cl. A63h 19/00 US. Cl. 46-216 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention provides a one-piece car-truck and coupler apparatus as used in railway equipment and has application to toy or model railroad apparatus but is not limited thereto.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to the field of railway equipment, and in particular to the car-truck and coupler apparatus used on railway equipment. The invention arose in the art of model or toy railway apparatus.
Prior art car-truck and coupler arrangements are made up of several parts or pieces which are expensive to manufacture and which involve time and expense to assemble. In addition to the above, the multi-piece apparatus of the prior art causes frustrations for the model railroad builder due to the handling of a plurality of small pieces. In particular the prior art devices included small springs to provide resilient coupling members.
The present invention provides a one-piece construction which is easy to handle and inexpensive to manufacture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In brief, the invention provides a one-piece car-truck and coupler for railway apparatus in which the car-truck and coupler are connected by a flexible web. The coupler portion includes a hook having two horizontal beveled portions which meet at a protruding edge so that when two similar couplers abut they flex so one rides over the other far enough that they flex back to their normal horizontal position engaged. The resilient web allows the hook to flex out of its normal horizontal position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top view of the one-piece car-truck and coupler of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of the one-piece car-truck and coupler of the invention.
FIG. 3 is an end view from the coupler portion hook.
FIG. 4 is an end view from the car-truck portion.
FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the car-truck and coupler.
FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional side view of the apparatus of the invention as seen from lines 66 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view as seen from lines 7-7 of FIG. 1.
FIG. 8 is a side view of two coupler hooks illustrating the flexing action as the beveled portions ride on each other to accomplish the coupling action.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1-8 which are hereby made a part of the specification, a one-piece railway car-truck and coupler 2 is provided in which a car-truck portion 4 and a coupler portion 6 are joined by resilient web members 8 which are horizontally spaced apart in a common plane and are flexible along imaginary lines between said truck portion and said coupler portion and transverse of the path of travel of the truck. The wheels 10 are mounted onto the car-truck and coupler 2 but do not form part of the one-piece construction of the invention.
The coupler portion 6 includes a hook piece 12 and beveled surfaces 14 and 16 which meet at the protruding edge 18. As illustrated in FIG. 8, when two similar cartruck and couplers 2 abut, the protruding edges 18 meet and deflect the hook and coupler members 6 and 12. Further movement of the couplers toward each other causes the resilient webs 8 to flex so that the beveled surfaces 14 and 16 ride or slide over each other to the position shown in the broken line of FIG. 1 where the two coupler hooks 12 engage. In this position the resilient webs 8 allow the couplers 6 to flex back to their normal horizontal positions.
Stop members 20, 22, 24- and 26 are provided to limit the extent of flex by the resilient web members 8. At one limit position of flex, the stop members 20 and 22 abut while at the other limit position stop members 24 and 26 abut.
In the preferred embodiment the one-piece car-truck and coupler is molded of plastic material with the web portions 8 being relatively thin to provide their resilient characteristic.
It should be noted that the webs 8 could be formed as one web rather than the two shown.
Although the preferred embodiment is directed to a toy or model railroad one-piece car-truck and coupler, the invention is intended to encompass full scale railroad equipment as well.
It should be understood that this invention is not limited to specific details of construction and arrangement thereof herein illustrated, and that changes and modifications may occur to one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention; the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.
What is claimed is:
1. Railway truck and coupler means comprising truck and coupler apparatus of single-piece construction, the coupler portion having a part in opposed horizontally spaced relation to a part of the truck portion, said parts being connected by at least one horizontal web portion which is resiliently flexible along imaginary horizontal lines transverse of the path of travel of said truck be-- tween said parts of the coupler portion and the truck portion, said coupler portion having a hook and flexing or said web providing for vertical movement of said hook to couple and uncouple the hook to and from a hook off a similar truck and coupler apparatus.
2. Railway truck and coupler means as defined in claim 1 wherein there are two webs horizontally spaced apart in a common horizontal plane and resiliently flexible along a common imaginary horizontal line between said parts of the coupler portion and the truck portion and transverse of the path of travel of the truck.
3. Railway truck and coupler means as defined in claim 2; wherein said hook has a beveled surface to cause the hook to move vertically when butted against said hook of a similar truck and coupler apparatus to allow the two hooks to pass each other and become coupled as they move back to their normal positions.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,140,783 7/ 1964 Kretzmer et al. 3,140,784 7/1964 Goldbeck et al. 3,450,272 6/1969 Munzing 46-2l8 X F. BARRY SHAY, Primary Examiner E. KRAUSE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 213-
US713652A 1968-03-18 1968-03-18 Truck and coupler apparatus Expired - Lifetime US3518790A (en)

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US71365268A 1968-03-18 1968-03-18

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Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3634967A (en) * 1968-12-21 1972-01-18 Max Ernst Mounting of a clutch member at the end of toy and model vehicles
US3831776A (en) * 1973-01-22 1974-08-27 Rossler H One-piece coupling unit for model railroads
US4098411A (en) * 1977-03-28 1978-07-04 Rossler Ing Heinz Coupling for model vehicles
WO1986007278A1 (en) * 1985-06-11 1986-12-18 Wolfgang Schuller Coupling device for scale models of railway cars
US4765496A (en) * 1986-01-23 1988-08-23 Gebr. Fleischmann Claw coupling for toy and model trains
US5398619A (en) * 1993-08-20 1995-03-21 Lionel Trains, Inc. Model train truck assembly
US5620106A (en) * 1996-01-16 1997-04-15 Accurail, Inc. Model railroad car coupler
US5768999A (en) * 1997-02-03 1998-06-23 Kadee Quality Products Co. Model railroad truck
US20060102579A1 (en) * 2004-11-16 2006-05-18 Atlas O, Llc Adjustable coupler assembly for model trains
AT501445A1 (en) * 2005-02-07 2006-09-15 Maegdefrau Peter Dipl Wirt Ing MODELLBAHN VEHICLE
US20090014402A1 (en) * 2007-07-13 2009-01-15 Wolf Michael P Electro-mechanical coupler for use with model trains

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3140784A (en) * 1960-11-03 1964-07-14 Gilbert Co A C Spreadable coupler for ho gage model railroad vehicles
US3140783A (en) * 1960-10-04 1964-07-14 Gilbert Co A C Truck and releasable coupler for miniature trains
US3450272A (en) * 1966-06-20 1969-06-17 Max Ernst Coupling for vehicles of toy and model railroads with a device for predisengagement of the coupling

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3140783A (en) * 1960-10-04 1964-07-14 Gilbert Co A C Truck and releasable coupler for miniature trains
US3140784A (en) * 1960-11-03 1964-07-14 Gilbert Co A C Spreadable coupler for ho gage model railroad vehicles
US3450272A (en) * 1966-06-20 1969-06-17 Max Ernst Coupling for vehicles of toy and model railroads with a device for predisengagement of the coupling

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3634967A (en) * 1968-12-21 1972-01-18 Max Ernst Mounting of a clutch member at the end of toy and model vehicles
US3831776A (en) * 1973-01-22 1974-08-27 Rossler H One-piece coupling unit for model railroads
US4098411A (en) * 1977-03-28 1978-07-04 Rossler Ing Heinz Coupling for model vehicles
WO1986007278A1 (en) * 1985-06-11 1986-12-18 Wolfgang Schuller Coupling device for scale models of railway cars
US4765496A (en) * 1986-01-23 1988-08-23 Gebr. Fleischmann Claw coupling for toy and model trains
US5398619A (en) * 1993-08-20 1995-03-21 Lionel Trains, Inc. Model train truck assembly
US5620106A (en) * 1996-01-16 1997-04-15 Accurail, Inc. Model railroad car coupler
US5931322A (en) * 1996-01-16 1999-08-03 Accurail, Inc. Model railroad car coupler
US5768999A (en) * 1997-02-03 1998-06-23 Kadee Quality Products Co. Model railroad truck
US20060102579A1 (en) * 2004-11-16 2006-05-18 Atlas O, Llc Adjustable coupler assembly for model trains
US7431167B2 (en) * 2004-11-16 2008-10-07 Atlas O, Llc Adjustable coupler assembly for model trains
AT501445A1 (en) * 2005-02-07 2006-09-15 Maegdefrau Peter Dipl Wirt Ing MODELLBAHN VEHICLE
US20090014402A1 (en) * 2007-07-13 2009-01-15 Wolf Michael P Electro-mechanical coupler for use with model trains
US7694834B2 (en) 2007-07-13 2010-04-13 Mike's Train House Inc. Electro-mechanical coupler for use with model trains

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