US3767062A

US3767062A - Coupling device

Info

Publication number: US3767062A
Application number: US00217736A
Authority: US
Inventors: R Holibaugh
Original assignee: Amsted Industries Inc
Current assignee: Amsted Industries Inc
Priority date: 1972-01-14
Filing date: 1972-01-14
Publication date: 1973-10-23
Anticipated expiration: 1990-10-23

Abstract

A railway coupling device incorporating a head having an upper corner and a front wall having a rearwardly extending lug, and a lock having an upper corner and a substantially flat front surface. The front surface is slidably engagable with the lug during initial movement of the lock and the upper corner of the lock is engagable with the upper corner of the head for subsequent pivotal movement.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Holibaugh 1 Oct. 23, 1973 COUPLING DEVICE [75] Inventor: 11511111 WilTiam ffomaugli, Park Forest, Ill.

[73 Assignee: AMSTED Industries Incorporated,

Chicago, Ill.

' 22 Filed: Jan. 14, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 217,736

[52] US. Cl. 213/127, 213/146 [51] Int. Cl. 861g 3/08 [58] Field of Search 213/127, 142, 146

[56] References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 2,948,414 8 1960 Metzger 213 127 1,294,343 2/1919 Kelso 213/127 1,144,024 6/1915 Blackmore 213/127 2/1916 Geddert ..2l3l127 8/1939 Metzger ..213/127 [57] ABSTRACT A railway coupling device incorporating a head having an upper corner and a front wall having a rearwardly extending lug, and a lock having an upper corner and a substantially flat front surface. The front surface is slidably engagable with the lug during initial movement of the lock and the upper corner of the lock is engagable with the upper corner of the head for subsequent pivotal movement.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures COUPLING DEVICE This invention relates generally to couplers for railway cars. More particularly it relates to an improved lock for use with couplers designated as standard by the Association of American Railroads (A.A.R.) and currently in general use.

Standard A.A.R. couplers have been in use for many years. Such use has shown that difficulty is often experienced in moving the standard lock from its lockset position to its knuckle-throwing position. This results from resistance to movement of the standard lock relative to the front wall of its associated coupler head. It normally requires a force in the range of 36 pounds to move the standard lock from its lockset position.

This invention involves pivoting a lock relative to its associated coupler head in an area remote from the pivoting area now used in standard A.A.R. couplers. This difference results in a requirement of less force to throw the knuckle and in more positive throwing under adverse conditions. I

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide an improved lock capable of being used with standard A.A.R. couplers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a coupling device incorporating an improved lock omitting the fulcrum lug.

Another object of this invention is to provide a coupling device incorporating an improved lock which pivots relative to its associated coupler head in an area remote from the pivoting area now used in standard A.A.R. couplers.

Another object of this invention is to provide a coupling device capable of throwing its associated knuckle as a result of less applied force than the force currently required in standard A.A.R. couplers.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification herein, including the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a standard A.A.R. coupler, partially in section, incorporating the improved lock in the lockset position;

FIG. 2 shows a standard A.A.R. coupler, partially in section, incorporating the improved lock in the knuckle-throwing position; and

FIG. 3 shows the improved lock as it differs from the standard lock. 1

Describing the invention in detail and with particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a coupler head generally designated 2 is in every respect a standard A.A.R. coupler head. Coupler head 2 includes an upper wall 4 and a front wall 6, the lower portion of which defines a rearwardly extending lug 8. A knuckle is pivotally mounted within coupler head 2 in the usual manner and comprises a nose portion 12 adapted to interlock with the nose portion of a mated coupler knuckle. A knuckle thrower 14 is pivotally mounted on a vertical axis within coupler head 2 and is pivotally movable into engagement with knuckle 10 so as to effect engagement and disengagement of knuckle 10 with an associated coupler knuckle.

The operating mechanism includes a rotary locklift assembly of conventional design mounted on arm 16 of a conventional rotor (not shown) for rotation therewith. Hook 18 is connected with a lever 20, which in turn is connected with a toggle 22 having a trunnion 24 thereon. Movement of arm 16 causes rotation of hook l8 and, through articulated

elements

20 and 22, causes movement of trunnion 24.

The improved lock 26 is shown in detail in Figure 3. Lock 26 conventionally has a head portion 28 and a leg portion 30 defining a slot 32. Trunnion 24 of toggle 22 is engaged in slot 32 of lock 26. Movement of trunnion 24 causes movement of lock 26.

Head 28 of lock 26 defines a front surface 34 which is flat in a generally vertical direction. Front surface 34 extends from a top corner 36 to a bottom corner 38 in the area which would be provided with a fulcrum lug 40 in a standard coupler lock. It is the removal of lug 40, thereby generating a flat front surface 34, which allows the improved operation resulting from this invention.

Referring once again to FIGS. 1 and 2, FIG. 1 shows the standard coupling device with the improved lock in its lockset position. In this position, surface 34 rests against lug 8. Because of the removal of fulcrum lug 40, there is no interlock with lug 8. Instead, lock 26 is free to slide rather than pivot relative to lug 8.

Movement of arm 16 causes rotation of hook l8 and, through

articulated linkage

20 and 24, movement of lug 24. Lock 26 is engaged and caused to leave its lockset position and move to its knuckle-throwing position shown in FIG. 2. Lock 26 slides relative to lug8 to a point where upper corner 36 of lock 26 engages the area at or near the intersection of top wall 4 and front wall 6 of coupler head 2. Upon engagement, lock 26 pivots about a point at or near its corner 36, and thereby causes knuckle thrower 14 to throw knuckle 10.

Lock 26 pivots about its corner 36 rather than lug 40 of a standard lock. Thus, the lever arm relative to knuckle thrower 14 is greater for the improved lock than would be the case for a standard lock. In addition, there is no resistance to the throwing of the knuckle due to scoring or misalignment of the lugs.

It has been found with this improved lock that the force required to throw the knuckle is 26 pounds. This represents a significant improvement over, the 36 pounds found necessary to throw the knuckle in a representative sample of a coupler incorporating a standardlock.

A significant advantage of this invention is that the improved lock may be used with standard A.A.R. couplers. The improved lock may be cast in its new form; it may be machined from a standard lock by removing fulcrum lug 40 to provide a smooth front surface 34.

The improved lock may be used with either the A.A.R. standard E or F couplers. Indeed, it may be used with any similar couplers.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein, it should be understood that variations and modifications thereof may be made without departing from its scope. It is intended that the invention be limited only by the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A coupling device comprising a head defining an upper corner and a front wall having a rearwardly extending lug, a knuckle throwably supported by said head, knuckle-throwing means associated with said head for throwing said knuckle, a lock associated with said head and said knuckle-throwing means for movement from a lockset position to a throwing position in which said knuckle-throwing means throws said knuckle, said lock having an upper corner and a sub- 3,767,062 3 i 4 stantially flat front surface, said surface being slidably subsequent movement of said lock from said lockset engageable with said lug during initial movement of position to said throwing position and means for movsaid lock and said corners being engageable for pivotal ing said lock. movement of said surface away from said lug during

Claims

1. A coupling device comprising a head defining an upper corner and a front wall having a rearwardly extending lug, a knuckle throwably supported by said head, knuckle-throwing means associated with said head for throwing said knuckle, a lock associated with said head and said knuckle-throwing means for movement from a lockset position to a throwing position in which said knuckle-throwing means throws said knuckle, said lock having an upper corner and a substantially flat front surface, said surface being slidably engageable with said lug during initial movement of said lock and said corners being engageable for pivotal movement of said surface away from said lug during subsequent movement of said lock from said lockset position to said throwing position and means for moving said lock.