US3840127A - Model railway coupler systems adapted for magnetic uncoupling - Google Patents

Model railway coupler systems adapted for magnetic uncoupling Download PDF

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Publication number
US3840127A
US3840127A US00346853A US34685373A US3840127A US 3840127 A US3840127 A US 3840127A US 00346853 A US00346853 A US 00346853A US 34685373 A US34685373 A US 34685373A US 3840127 A US3840127 A US 3840127A
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Prior art keywords
knuckle
uncoupler
coupler
uncoupling
car
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Expired - Lifetime
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US00346853A
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English (en)
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C Edwards
L Edwards
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Individual
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Priority to US00346853A priority Critical patent/US3840127A/en
Priority to GB1152274A priority patent/GB1413646A/en
Priority to DE2415497A priority patent/DE2415497C3/de
Priority to JP3688174A priority patent/JPS5714869B2/ja
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3840127A publication Critical patent/US3840127A/en
Priority to HK253/78A priority patent/HK25378A/xx
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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

Definitions

  • the present invention provides a novel and significantly improved uncoupler system which rocks one of the knuckles upward by magnetic repulsion to effect uncoupling. Modification of the coupler knuckle to adapt it for magnetic uncoupling does not diminish the capability of the coupler for respondin as before to the mechanical uncoupler.
  • the so-called standard coupler is the model railroad coupler most widely used in the United States and other countries for joining model railroad cars end to end. It employs C-shaped coupler knuckles, so constructed and arranged that when two such couplers are thrust together, one of them will swing upward for clearance and then drop down under the influence of spring tension or gravity into coupled relationship.
  • Each such conventional coupler includes a downwardly extending lifting finger for cooperation with a manually operable, lifting ramp.
  • the ramp is located in the trackway near one of the rails for engaging the lifting finger of only one of the connected couplers, so that one coupler of a connected pair will be lifted while the other remains in normal position for clearance by the lifted one.
  • the mechanical uncoupler has not been entirely satisfactory because the parts are necessarily small and fragile, and the users of the equipment are sometimes young, and unaware, or sometimes inept inthe use of the equipment. Uncoupling necessarily occurs with the cars in motion so there is some shock or blow when the tripping finger hits the manually raised ramp. The severity of the blow increases with speed of the vehicle. Derailments and damage to equipment are not infrequent.
  • Couplers of another type in which interlocked jaw members are swung laterally for uncoupling through magnetic attraction exerted at an uncoupling station are common and are very popular. These couplers, however, act through magnetic attraction, not magnetic repulsion.
  • the present invention for the first time, provides for lifting a liftable coupler magnetically by means of a switch energized electromagnet located at an uncoupling station.
  • the electromagnet is located near one rail and far from the other in position to lift one coupler knuckle while leaving the other coupler knuckle in its normal position.
  • the electromagnet has long upper and lower poles of opposite sign, the upper pole, illustratively, being the south pole.
  • the liftable knuckle member of each coupler has affixed to it a permanent magnet having long upper and lower poles of opposite sign, the lower pole, illustratively, being the south pole.
  • Our magnetic coupler does not require that it be a part of the car truck. It may be mounted on a car end, or over the cow catcher at the forward end of a locomotive. This is a particularly advantageous feature when two or more locomotives are coupled to one another at an end of a train.
  • the word car as used herein is intended to include a locomotive, tender or any other unitary component of a train.
  • FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing.two coupled freight cars approaching our novel, electromagnetic uncoupler;
  • FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the couplers over the electromagnetic uncoupler with the uncoupling operation in progress;
  • FIG. 8 is a fragmentary view in side elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 7, the knuckle being shown in full lines in normal position and in broken lines in raised position;
  • FIG. 9 is an exploded, perspective, fragmentary view of a car truck and coupler assembly.
  • FIG. 10 is a fragmentary, assembled, perspective view of the structure shown in FIG. 9.
  • FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 two box cars 10 and 12, equipped with couplers 14 and 16, respectively, are shown in association with an electromagnetic uncoupler 18 on trackway 20.
  • the cars are connected to one another through the couplers and are being drawn from left to right, as indicated by arrows applied to the cars, with the couplers 14 and 16 approaching the uncoupling station.
  • the couplers have reached the uncoupling station and have become uncoupled through a rocking upward of a knuckle 21 (FIGS. 9 and 10) which forms part of the coupler 14.
  • the uncoupling is effected through magnetic repulsion of like magnetic poles of the coupler 14 and the uncoupler 18.
  • the uncoupler 18 comprises an electromagnetic coil 22 whose axis extends vertically and near to one of the track rails as clearly seen in FIGS. 4 and 5.
  • An elongated south pole piece 24 of the electromagnet extends near to the lower or righthand rail 25 and parallel to it.
  • the longitudinal center line of the pole piece 24 extends directly over the axis of the coil 22.
  • the electromagnet includes an identical north pole piece (not shown) at its lower end, which is functionally inactive so far as directly influencing the coupler is concerned.
  • the electromagnet also includes d.c. energizing means which, as shown, takes the form of a battery 26 or the equivalent.
  • the electromagnetic circuit as shown includes a conductor 28, the coil 22, conductor 30, a normally open, manually operable switch 31 and a conductor 34.
  • the track includes a suitable foundation structure 35 to which the electromagnet 22 is firmly and fixedly attached for maintaining the relationship above described.
  • the couplers 14 and 16 are of identical construction.-
  • Each includes a normally level, but upwardly rockable, C-shaped knuckle 21, to which is affixed a permanent magnet 36 (FIG. of which elongated upper and lower pole pieces form parts. Since the knuckle is designed to be rocked upward through magnetic repulsion, and the south pole of the electromagnet has been arbitrarily chosen for illustrative purposes as the upper pole, the south pole of the magnet 36 is made the lower pole of that magnet. Like poles are thus placed in directly confronting relation to one another when the leading end of a car passes through the uncoupling station with the coil 22 energized.
  • the uncoupling results because the south pole of the electromagnet, as illustratively disclosed, lies adjacent to the track 38 where the south pole of permanent magnet 36 will pass directly over it.
  • the coupler 16 is a duplicate of the coupler 14, but since the couplers 14 and 16 face in opposite directions, the south pole of the magnet carried by the knuckle 21 of coupler 16 will be located near the rail 39 where there is no electromagnetic pole piece. In consequence, the knuckle 21 of coupler 16 remains down, the knuckle 21 of coupler 14 is rocked upward for clearance, and it is because of this relationship that uncoupling occurs.
  • the couplers l4 and 16 are generally like the standard coupler, differing from that coupler chiefly in the fact that permanent magnets 36 are affixed to the knuckles 21.
  • Each knuckle 21 includes a downwardly extending lifting finger 40 for engaging a manually liftable, mechanical uncoupling ramp 42 (see FIG. 6). They are operable not only in connection with an electromagnetic uncoupler 18 but also with the standard mechanical uncoupler ramp 42 as shown in FIG. 6.
  • the ramp 42 is located near the rail 39 in position to be engaged by the knuckle lifting finger 40 of the coupler 16 when the ramp is manually raised to uncoupling position.
  • the ramp 42 is mounted for rocking movement on a supporting shaft 44, which shaft may be rotated in opposite directions through a limited range by a crank 46.
  • the active pole of the magnetic uncoupler has been shown adjacent the rail 25 which is nearer to the observer in FIGS. 1 to 3 so that it is the coupler 14 which is lifted for uncoupling.
  • the uncoupling ramp would desirably be located adjacent to the rail 39 to cause the coupler 16 to be lifted for uncoupling as shown in FIG. 6. This arrangement is desirable where a track layout includes both uncoupler types. Otherwise it is a mere matter of choice.
  • Magnetic repulsion uncoupling involves no forcible clashing of parts, regardless of the speed at which the train is moving;
  • Magnetic repulsion uncoupling is quieter and gentler
  • Magnetic repulsion uncoupling obviates fine clearances between an uncoupling ramp on the one hand and car tracks or axles on the other.
  • the standard coupler is generally mounted on a car truck 48 which is attached to the lower side of a car at one end of the car by a vertical bearing pin 50 with freedom to turn on, and relative to, the pin.
  • the truck carries the wheel axles 52 (one shown) and the wheels 54 (two shown in FIG. 9, one in FIG. 10).
  • the truck also includes, as an integral part 56 thereof, means for rockably mounting the C-shaped knuckle 21.
  • the part 56 includes an inner cavity 58 and an outer cavity 60.
  • the inner cavity 58 includes a pin 62 which, in connection with the standard coupler, is received within the inner end of a spring that thrusts the C-shaped knuckle outward. The spring is discarded when the standard coupler is replaced by our coupler, so that the pin is without function. It is simply shown because it is there.
  • the outer cavity 60 serves as an enclosure for the tail portion of our substitute knuckle 21.
  • the knuckle 21 is in most respects like the knuckle which it replaces. It has an outer wall which is bounded by upper and lower beveled faces 64 and 66 which meet in a horizontal line. When two couplers of this kind are brought face to face and thrust toward one another, the lower beveled face of one of them rides up and over the upper beveled face of the other and the raised arm then drops into the C-shaped knuckle of the other coupler.
  • the outer cavity 60 is fully open at the bottom for receiving the tail portion 68 of the knuckle 21.
  • the tail of the knuckle 21 is triangular in crosssection.
  • An outer, normally vertical face 82 bears against the inner face of the outer wall of the recess while a lower face 84 having a dimension extending lengthwise of the knuckle and equalto the width of the recess normally stands tilted and very slightly removed from contact with the inner face of the recess.
  • the face 84 bears squarely against the floor formed by the clip 78 and is maintained in fixed position against the floor.
  • a model railway car coupling system comprising a car having permanently connected thereto a coupler which includes a. a C-shaped knuckle adapted for interlocking engagement with a like, oppositely facing complementary knuckle on a companion car,
  • Model railway equipment comprising, in combination,
  • a track section which includes a magnetic uncoupler having long upper and lower poles of opposite signs
  • a car of the same gauge as said track section and operable thereon said car having as a permanent part thereof a coupler that includes a C-shaped knuckle and means normally supporting said knuckle in a horizontal attitude for interlocking engagement with an oppositely facing, complementary, like knuckle of an adjoining car, but with freedom for upward rocking during uncoupling, and
  • a permanent magnet having long upper and lower magnetic poles of opposite signs, affixed to said knuckle, the lower pole of the permanent magnet being of the same sign as the upper pole of the magnetic uncoupler in the track, whereby the knuckle is lifted for clearance by magnetic repulsion during uncoupling.
  • Model railway equipment comprising, in combination,
  • a track section which includes an electromagnetic uncoupler having long upper and lower poles of opposite signs
  • a car of the same gauge as said track section and operable thereon said car having as permanent parts thereof oppositely facing couplers at its opposite ends, each of which couplers includes a C- shaped knuckle and means normally supporting said knuckle in a horizontal attitude for interlocking engagement with an oppositely facing, complementary, like knuckle of an adjoining car, but with freedom for upward rocking during uncoupling, and each coupler including a permanent magnet having long upper and lower magnetic poles of opposite signs, affixed to the knuckle thereof, the lower pole of each such permanent magnet being of the same sign as the upper pole of the electromagnetic uncoupler in the track, the electromagnetic uncoupler being located near to one track rail and remote from the other, the construction and arrangement being such that when two connected couplers of adjacent cars, as described, pass an energized uncoupler, the magnet of one of the couplers passes directly over the electromagnetic uncoupler to be lifted by it through magnetic repulsion, while the magnet of the complementary coupler traverses

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US00346853A 1973-04-02 1973-04-02 Model railway coupler systems adapted for magnetic uncoupling Expired - Lifetime US3840127A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00346853A US3840127A (en) 1973-04-02 1973-04-02 Model railway coupler systems adapted for magnetic uncoupling
GB1152274A GB1413646A (en) 1973-04-02 1974-03-14 Model railway coupler systems adapted for either mechanical or magnetic uncoupling
DE2415497A DE2415497C3 (de) 1973-04-02 1974-03-28 Magnetische Entkupplungsvorrichtung fur eine Kupplung von Modelleisenbahnfahrzeugen
JP3688174A JPS5714869B2 (ja) 1973-04-02 1974-04-01
HK253/78A HK25378A (en) 1973-04-02 1978-05-18 Model railway coupler systems adapted for either mechanical or magnetic uncoupling

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US00346853A US3840127A (en) 1973-04-02 1973-04-02 Model railway coupler systems adapted for magnetic uncoupling

Publications (1)

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US3840127A true US3840127A (en) 1974-10-08

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US (1) US3840127A (ja)
JP (1) JPS5714869B2 (ja)
DE (1) DE2415497C3 (ja)
GB (1) GB1413646A (ja)
HK (1) HK25378A (ja)

Cited By (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3942648A (en) * 1975-05-09 1976-03-09 Edwards Clarence K Model railway system providing uncoupling and delayed recoupling
US4195742A (en) * 1977-10-11 1980-04-01 Tomy Kogyo Co., Inc. Coupler for toy and model railway cars
US4219123A (en) * 1977-11-01 1980-08-26 Tomy Kogyo Co. Inc. Coupler for toy and model railway cars
US5620106A (en) * 1996-01-16 1997-04-15 Accurail, Inc. Model railroad car coupler
US5681202A (en) * 1996-01-25 1997-10-28 Brio, Ab Magnetic coupling device of a toy vehicle
US6647898B2 (en) * 2001-12-14 2003-11-18 Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation Spring assisted apparatus for ramp actuating mechanism and movable draft arm arrangement
US6722941B2 (en) 1999-02-12 2004-04-20 Learning Curve International Inc. Toy vehicle magnetic coupler
US20040144742A1 (en) * 2003-01-27 2004-07-29 Buchwald Philip P. Coupler for model trains
US6883758B2 (en) 2001-09-12 2005-04-26 Albert C. Ruocchio Reed relay for remote magnetic operation of model trains
USRE38990E1 (en) 1994-08-19 2006-02-28 Bachmann Industries, Inc. Magnetically-actuated coupler for model railroad cars
US7694834B2 (en) 2007-07-13 2010-04-13 Mike's Train House Inc. Electro-mechanical coupler for use with model trains

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS52112445A (en) * 1976-03-18 1977-09-20 Sekisui Kinzoku Yuugen Automatically releasable joint mechanism for model train
DE2739359C2 (de) * 1977-09-01 1985-06-05 Tomy Kogyo Co., Inc., Tokio/Tokyo Magnetische Entkupplungsvorrichtung
JPS57177090A (en) * 1981-04-24 1982-10-30 Sumitomo Chem Co Ltd Hydrogenation

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3160286A (en) * 1963-04-17 1964-12-08 Wilson Fraser Railway car coupler
US3659725A (en) * 1970-08-20 1972-05-02 Peter J Passalacqua Electromagnetic uncoupler for model trains

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3160286A (en) * 1963-04-17 1964-12-08 Wilson Fraser Railway car coupler
US3659725A (en) * 1970-08-20 1972-05-02 Peter J Passalacqua Electromagnetic uncoupler for model trains

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3942648A (en) * 1975-05-09 1976-03-09 Edwards Clarence K Model railway system providing uncoupling and delayed recoupling
US4195742A (en) * 1977-10-11 1980-04-01 Tomy Kogyo Co., Inc. Coupler for toy and model railway cars
US4219123A (en) * 1977-11-01 1980-08-26 Tomy Kogyo Co. Inc. Coupler for toy and model railway cars
USRE38990E1 (en) 1994-08-19 2006-02-28 Bachmann Industries, Inc. Magnetically-actuated coupler for model railroad cars
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
US5681202A (en) * 1996-01-25 1997-10-28 Brio, Ab Magnetic coupling device of a toy vehicle
US6722941B2 (en) 1999-02-12 2004-04-20 Learning Curve International Inc. Toy vehicle magnetic coupler
US6883758B2 (en) 2001-09-12 2005-04-26 Albert C. Ruocchio Reed relay for remote magnetic operation of model trains
US6647898B2 (en) * 2001-12-14 2003-11-18 Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation Spring assisted apparatus for ramp actuating mechanism and movable draft arm arrangement
US20040144742A1 (en) * 2003-01-27 2004-07-29 Buchwald Philip P. Coupler for model trains
US7694834B2 (en) 2007-07-13 2010-04-13 Mike's Train House Inc. Electro-mechanical coupler for use with model trains

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB1413646A (en) 1975-11-12
DE2415497C3 (de) 1979-04-05
JPS5714869B2 (ja) 1982-03-26
DE2415497B2 (de) 1978-06-01
JPS5030643A (ja) 1975-03-26
DE2415497A1 (de) 1974-10-10
HK25378A (en) 1978-05-26

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