Railway Coupler

Abstract

An improved railway vehicle coupler structure having a housing in which the length of the front face is extended and a horizontal shelf projects therefrom at a distance from the longitudinal center line greater than the height of a knuckle but no greater than the distance at which a knuckle on an adjacent railway vehicle would fail to couple therewith. A rib extends from the extended face and projects from the housing to define a slot above the knuckle pin.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to railway couplers and more particularly to an improved coupler structure which minimizes lateral and vertical passed couplers during coupling.

Coupling of railway vehicles along curved trackage and under conditions wherein the ends of cars to be coupled are at different elevations frequently results in lateral and/or vertical passing of the couplers to be coupled. This passing of couplers is undersirable because it may cause damage to the couplers or to the adjacent cars to be coupled.

By the present invention it is proposed to provide a coupler which minimizes the passing of couplers. This is accomplished generally by the provision on a coupler housing of horizontal shelf means vertically spaced from the longitudinal axis of the housing at a distance substantially greater than the height of the coupler knuckle but not greater than the distance at which a knuckle of another vehicle resting on the shelf means would fail to couple with the knuckle.

A feature of the invention is the provision of an upstanding rib projecting outwardly of the housing and about the knuckle pin opening to inhibit twist-out of the knuckle under derailment inducing conditions.

Further features will hereinafter appear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a coupler incorporating the structure of the present invention and showing a fragmentary top plan view of a similar coupler located to show the extent of lateral gathering achieved by the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the coupler.

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the coupler.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view similar to FIG. 3 but showing another coupler in cross section located to illustrate the lower level of vertical gathering of the coupler.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated a coupler 10 embodying the improved structure of the present invention. The coupler 10 comprises generally a coupler housing 11 and a shank 12 which is adapted to be mounted in the usual draft gear (not shown) on the end of the center sill of a railway vehicle.

The coupler housing 11 includes a knuckle side 13 and a guard arm side 14. A lock-lift assembly 15 is mounted on the housing to release a knuckle 16 from its closed position. The knuckle 16 is pivotally mounted for movement between the closed position and an open position by means of a knuckle pin 17 which is inserted in pivot pin openings 18 of pivot lugs 19.

A front face 20 extends between pivot lug 19 and a guard arm 21 on the guard arm side 14. The front face 20 is recessed inwardly of the pivot lug 19 and a guard arm nose 22 in the conventional manner.

In accordance with the present invention the front face 20 is provided with a web extension 23 which extends beyond the horizontal place X--X containing the outer face of the pivot lug 19. A horizontal shelf 24 integral with the front face web extension 23 projects outwardly between the guard arm side 14 and the knuckle side 13. As shown, a front face web extension 23 and an integral horizontal shelf 24 is provided on both the upper and underside of the housing. It should be understood, however, that only a single front face web extension 23 and projecting shelf 24 may be used. The front face extension 23 and projecting shelf 24 may be either on the upper or underside of the housing 11.

A guard arm extension 26 extends from the guard arm 21 and is in approximate horizontal alignment with the respective shelves 24--24. The guard arm extension 26 includes extension guard arm faces 27 extending from an extension guard arm nose 28 and merging with a guard arm face 29 of the guard arm 21. In the embodiment shown, the extension guard arms 26 are vertically spaced and the extension guard arm faces 27 and the guard arm faces 29 are inclined relatively to each other and provide a continuous and smooth face which merges with the front face 20 in the usual manner. In this connection it is to be noted that the shelves 24--24 project over the guard arm face 29 so as to vertically limit the gathering range of a coupler knuckle of an adjacent railway car. Moreover, the guard arm faces 29 are inclined to provide a guiding surface which is engageable with the pivot lugs 19 to permit an open knuckle to clear the guard arm nose 22 of a mating coupler. This assures that the open knuckle remains open until it is in coupling relationship with a closed knuckle.

A rib 31 projects from the housing 11 over the lug 19 and is formed as a continuation of the front face web extension 23. The rib 31 partially encircles the pivot pin openings 18 and provides a generally U-shaped slot 37 through which the knuckle pin 17 may be inserted into the pivot pin openings 18. The rib 31 serves to inhibit twist-out of the knuckle 16 during derailment conditions by strengthening this area of the housing.

In operation, assume conditions wherein a coupler 33 on a car with which the coupler 10 of the present invention is laterally displaced, as shown in FIG. 1, and vertically displaced, as shown in FIG. 4, relataive to a mating coupler 33. As shown in FIG. 1, it is readily apparent that the guard arm extension faces 27 on the guard arm exentions 26 are operative to laterally gather and guide the coupler 33 toward the knuckle 16 at a wider range than has been possible heretofore. The guiding surface 27 assures that the open knucke 34 clears the guard arm nose 22 and remains open until the knuckles 34 and 16 are in coupled relationship as shown in FIG. 4. At the same time, the lower shelf 24 is operative to guide and retain the knucke 34 of the coupler 33 in position for coupling with the knuckle 16 of the coupler 10.

It should be understood that the arrangement discribed above constitues the preferred embodiment and that many adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway vehicle coupler having a coupler housing including a knuckle side, a guard arm having a guard arm nose, and a guard arm face extending from said nose, a front face extending between said knuckle side and said guard arm, and a knuckle mounted on said knuckle side; the improvement comprising horizontal shelf means projecting beyond said front face and vertically spaced from the longitudinal center line of said coupler and extending between said knuckle side and said guard arm, said horizontal shelf means being spaced from the longitudinal center line of said housing a distance at least as great as the height of said knuckle but not greater than the distance at which said knuckle would fail to couple with another coupler resting on said shelf means.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein front face extension web means extends to said shelf means.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said guard arm includes gaurd arm extention means disposed at substantially the same level as said shelf means and having an extension guard arm nose at the terminal end thereof spaced longitudinally outwardly from said guard arm nose.

4. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said guard arm extension means is inclined at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of said coupler housing and includes an extension guard arm face extending from said extension guard arm nose to said guard arm face.

5. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein a rib means projecting from said housing is provided along the knuckle side of said front face extension web means, said rib means defining a generally U-shaped slot above the knucke pin about which the knucke is turnable.

6. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said guard arm extension means is inclined at an acute angle relataive to the longitudinal axis of said coupler housing and includes a guard arm extension guiding face extending from said extension guard arm nose and which merges with said guard arm face and is arranged to provide a guiding surface for maintaining an open knuckle of a mating coupler clear of said guard arm nose.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein rib means projects from said housing along the knuckle side of said front face extension web, said rib means defining a generally U-shaped slot above the knuckle pin about which the knuckle is turnable.