US1920410A - Railway car coupler - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets$heet l l 6 J BY ATTORNEYS R. LORENZ ET AL RAILWAY CAR COUPLER Filed March 15, 1932 Aug. 1, 1933.

Aug. 1, 1933- R ENZ ET AL RAILWAY CAR COUPLER Filed March 15, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS- TTORNEY Patented Aug. 1, 1933' res PATENT orrics RAILWAY CAR COUPLER Rudolf Lorenz and Heinrich'Egen,

many, assignors'to Fried.

Essen, Ger-v Krupp Aktiengesell-;

schaft,- Essen, Germany, a Corporation of Germany Application'March 15, 1932, Serial No. 598,900, and in Germany-May 1, .1931

Claims. (01. 21 3-12) IfIhis invention relates to railway car couplers.

In long railway trains, it sometimes happens that uponsudclenbraking, the brakes of the for--' ward cars in the train act more quickly than the brakes of the cars in the rear part of the train, thereby causing the cars bump violently into each other. In such cases, there arise inertia forces in the cars acting transversely of the direction of .the track, which forces 0 maybe due for example, to non-uniform loading of the cars and which tend to displace the cars transversely of the direction of the track.

An object of this invention is to provide the couplers with means forclamping the couplers to prevent turning movement thereof under the conditionsabove described and thereby oppose the tendency of the cars. to be displacedunder such conditions.

Other objects, novel features and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section ment of the invention;

, Fig. 2 is a section on the I Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig l; i Fig. sis a view similar to Fig. 1, but with the clamping means in operative position;

Figs. 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 1 of modified forms of the invention, and

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view.

Referring now more especially to Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, A is a coupler rod having arms a which lie on opposite sides of a bar 13 and a pivot pin C passes through the arms and the bar to pivotally connect the rod Ato the bar B. The bar B is provided with trunnions b w between plates E slidably mounted in guides (2 supported by the longitudinal beams D attached to the car body. The arms a of the rod A are provided with lugs a and a formed at their ends with bearing eyes a and a A pin is arranged in the eyes a and supports a lever F having its free end slotted and offset from the lever. A second pin is arranged in the eyes a and supports a lever G which lies in the slotted end of the lever F. A pin f connects the oilset end of the lever F to the lever G, thereby forming linkage effective to move the arms a toward and awayfrom each other upon swingingmovement of the lever G. The arrangement of the levers is such that when the lever G is moved clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 1, the arms a are pulled toward each other into to the bar B,thereby preventinghorizontal swingthrough one embodiline 2-2 of Fig. 1;

in the rear section to -ich journal the bar 7 the main portion of clamping relation.

ing of the rod A. Two yokes H and J are secured to the beams D, the horizontal portions of the yokes being at different elevations. One rod K of a continuous draft gear (not shown) is connected to the plates E;

During normal operation, the elements of the device are in the position shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and the arms a bear such relation to the bar B that the coupling rod A is free to swing horizontally. However, if the rod A receives a heavy thrust, it moves to the right against the action of the springs of the continuous draft gear, therebybringing the lever G into engagement with the yokeJ. The lever G is thereby moved clockwise into the position shown in Fig. t. Such movement of the lever draws the arms a toward each other into clamping relation to the bar B, thereby preventing ing of the moving rod A. couplers are locked to oppose horizontal swing- Accordingly, the the tendency of the cars to be displaced into the relation exagwill return'the rod A to its original position and the lever G will be turned counterclockwise to its original position, thereby releasing the clamping engagement between the arms a and the bar B and the coupling rod Ais again free to swing horizontally.

In the embodiments disclosed in Figs. 5 and 6, the force for clamping the rod A to the cross bar is obtained from the air brake system. In Fig. 5, the lever G is connected by means of a link L with a piston M mounted in an air cylinder N carried by the plates E. The cylinder N is connectedthrough a conduit 0 with the air system. A spring P tends to the position shown in Fig. 5 in which position the linkage is in its inoperative position and the coupler is free to swing. Introduction of air into the cylinder through the conduit 0 causes the piston M to move to the left, thereby moving the linkage into operative position and bringing the maintain the piston M in In the modification disclosed in Fig. 6, the arrangement differs from that disclosed in Fig. 5 merely in the mounting of the cylinder N. In this embodiment, the cylinder is carried at the inner end of the plates E, thus making it possible to obviate the necessity of any special stufiing box for the piston rod. The piston is provided with a tubular member which surrounds the piston stem and extends through one end of the cylinder, this member also serving as a-support for the spring P.

In this figure, as well as in Fig. 5, the piston M is slightly removed from its limit position so that it is capable of sliding movement to permit vertical oscillation of the coupler without actuating the toggle.

It is evident that various modifications'may be made in the device above described, without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim 1. In combination with a car frame, a bar slidably mounted thereon, a coupler pivotally attached thereto, and means to clamp said coupler to said bar to prevent swinging movement thereof.

2. In combination with a car frame, a bar, a coupler having arms between which said bar is arranged, a pin pivotally connecting said arms and bar,and means for drawing said arms into clamping relation to the bar to prevent swinging move ment of the coupler.

3. In combination with a car frame, a slide supported thereby, a coupler pivoted to said slide, and means efiective upon inward movement of the slide to lock said coupler against oscillation.

4. In combination with a car frame, a slide having a cross bar, a cou,ler having arms between which said cross bar is arranged, a pin tween which said cross pivotally connected to said arms and bar, and means effective upon inward movement of the slide to draw said arms together into clamping relation to said bar to prevent oscillation of the coupler.

5. In combination with a car frame, a slide having a cross bar, a coupler having arms bebar is arranged, a pin pivotally connecting said arms and bar, levers pivoted to said arms and to each other for drawing said arms into clamping relation to said bar, and means for actuating said levers.

6. In combination with a car frame, a slide having a cross bar, a coupler having arms between which said cross bar is arranged, a pin pivotally connecting said arms and bar, levers pivoted to said arms and to each other for drawing said arms into clamping relation to said bar, and means on said car frame for operating said levers upon movement of the slide relative to the car'irame.

'7. In combination with a car frame, a cross bar, a coupler having arms between which said cross bar isarranged, a pin pivotally connecting said arms and bar, levers pivoted to said arms and to each other to form linkage effective upon actuation of one of said levers to draw the arms into clamping relation to said bar, and means for actuating said lever.

8. In combination with a bar, a coupler having arms between which said cross bar is arranged, a pin pivotally connecting said arms and bar, leverspivoted to said arms and car frame, a cross to each other to form linkage effective upon actuation of one of said levers to draw the arms into clamping relation to said bar, and pneumatic means for actuating said lever.

9. In combination with a car frame, a slide having a cross bar, a coupler having arms between which said cross bar is arranged, a pin pivotally connecting said arms and bar, levers pivoted to said arms and to each other to form linkage efiective upon actuation of one lever to draw said arms into clamping relation to said bar, and means on said car frame to engage said lever to operate said linkage upon movement of the slide relative to the car frame.

10. In combination with a car frame, a slide having a cross bar, a coupler having arms between which said cross bar is arranged, a pin pivotally connecting said arms and bar, levers pivoted to said arms and toeach other to form linkage effective upon actuation" of one lever to draw said arms into clamping relation to said

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