US2944683A - Car uncoupler for toy trains - Google Patents

Description

H. J. JOSEPH CAR UNCOUPLER FOR TOY TRAIN-S,

July 12, 1960.

2 Sheds-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 13, 1959 INVENTOR. By Harold J. Joseph f. z f M H R F' H a F/G/ United tat atent s Patented July :12,

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UNcoUrLER non TOYTRAIINS V I I-Iarold'J. f. Ioseph,1018N. '5thAve.,Wausau,Wis. ':Filed:0ct..13,1959,53.No.846,121?- f '8 Claims. C l .T213-21'1). E

My, invention relates toiimproyements incar uncou- 'pl ers fortoy trains. v r

Although the car-carriedcoupling meansof toy .trains functions automatically after the fashion of the couplings of full sized trains to couple adjacent carslwhen :one is backed into another, the uncoupling of adjacent V I2 Fig. 11 is a fragmentary elevational view :showing'a modification. f a Referring to the drawings tbyrefer'ence characters, Fig. 1 :shows a conventional coupling for adjacent cca'rs 7 \of a toy train which :runs 'on. the rails '8 that are supported 'byties 9.. Since the 'interengageable 'carprovided ele-' ments of the conpling'sare identical except that .0116 is a right and the. other a ileft,'-so to speak,"a'description ofjone will-sufliceforboth. v T 1' "illhus; the ,iconventional :coupling 'disclos'ed comprises the two horizontally swingable-and :axi'ally alignable draw 7 bars ,10, eacho'f which has atits outer end "the integral, selongate'd and coplanar aearwardly inclined eamsfor'm my train cars using ones fingers, presents difficulties. 1

This is especially true with the popular smaller sizes of toy trains andifinger uncoupling'usually results in multiple car derailment. Thus, :tra'ck section-carried uncouplers have come into extensive use. These, while effective admit of carauncouplingonly at specific points .in the track .-ties to prevent over-manipulation ot the coupler-actuatitng elements ofadjacent cars.

Invention also resides vin certam novel features of con struction, combination and arrangement of the various parts, and in modes'of operation thereof as will :be apparent to toy train enthusiasts and others versed in the art. f 7 j In accordance with the patent statute requirements, I

have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a now preferred example of the invention. However, it is to be understood that my inventive concept is susceptible of other mechanical expressions within the spirit and scope of the subject matter claimed hereinafter.

In the drawings, wherein the same reference characters have been used to designate the same parts wherever they appear in the several views- 7 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a familiar toy car coupling, fragments of adjacent cars, and part, of a curved track being also illustrated;

Fig. 2 is another perspective showing disconnected the opposed coupling elements of Fig. 1 and alsoa familiar type of track section-carried uncoupler;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my improved portable hand operateduncoupler in use;

Fig. 4 is a section on thelined-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top view of the uncoupler of Figs. 3 and4;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4; but show ing portions of the coupling members broken away;

Fig. 7 is an elevation looking toward the inner surface of one of the duplicate arm sections of my uncoupler;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation looking toward the right side thereof as seen in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a back view of the Fig. 8 element; Fig. 10 is a top plan view thereof; and

tions of arms 19 they are angled inwardly as at 22 to track layout.

coupling :head ;1 1- whose :rear end provides zthe :draft .vhodk portion 11a. 'As '=will;be understood from Figs; -1xandr'2, when the draft bars 10 swing inwardlyfithese draft hooks 11a interengage to provide the coupling; 'The inner rend of each draft bar, 10 extends through the open lforward end-of a car 'truck-carried' casing .12 and-has :a bearing hole 13 (Fig. 2)athrou gh which a'verticalcasing-carrid pivot pin (not shown) extends.

It should also lie-explained thatthe draw bar-supporting casings .12 have the. usual springmeans .(notshown) tendfing to swing the drawbars-lt) inwardly; .andalso .a con- ..ventional stop means .(not shown) .to-Ylimit said inward swinging beyond the point when draft hooks 11a engage as'in Fig." 1. i 1 f L .Rarwardly spaced from each coupling ihead the Hinder surface "of each draw bar mlhas adependingin- :tegral lug v.14 which fixedly "carries the depending lat'er elly oifs'e t pin 15. As will be understood v'fronztfFig. 1', ,pins

15 are located on oppositelsides of the longitudinalfaxls of the sub'stantiallyrraligned and coupled .drawfbarsil}, 10,;

and also that .t'hefrespe'ctive pins lie outwardly the plane of the free rear end of the related head-provided coupling hook portion 11a. 2 ,j

Since; as mentioned earlier herein, itf is very'iiiificlilt andoften impossible to uncouple' the cars with the fingers without car derailment, various trackiseetiomcarried uncouplershave been provided :for'the illustrated and other toy-train couplings. However, these are objectio l as they facilitate uncoupling only'at specific points he An example of a track-provided uncoupler is shown in Fig. 2 wherein stiff, arched and inwardly bowed wires 16a, 16b which are secured at their ends to opposite endadjacent sides of the track-supported base 16. When a car connecting coupling located between the closely spaced'intermediate portions of wires 16a, 16b, pins 15 are actuated into alignment longitudinally of the draw bars 10 to disengage the head-provided draft hooks 11a, as indicated in Fig. 2. This means that theleft-most coupling unit 10, 15, as viewed in Fig. 2, is actuated outward- 'ly in the direction of arrow 17 by wire 16a; and that wire 16b actuates the rightmost unit 10, 15 outwardly in the direction of arrow 17a.

The manually operated un coztpler of the present invention Referring now to my manually operable tong-like uncoupler 18, it is seen to comprise the'duplicate arm or jaw sections 19 having the inturned lower end portions 21 which carry the straight terminal portions. 23 which parallel the plane of arms 19 and are reinforced by backing ribs 24,- 'Arm terminals 23, during the uncoupling operation, are adapted to support the upright tool 18 on the surface which supports the track 8, 9 (see Fig. 4).

Extending inwardly from the curved lower arm end portions 21' are the opposed broad, flat and align-able coupling pin actuators 25. Above the intermediate porprovide the straight portions 26 which terminate in the 7 upper head ends 20.

Each upper arm head end provides at one side an arcuately curved bearing portion 27 and at the opposite :side. a bearing recess 28. The bearing portion 27 of one arm fits into the bearing recess 28 of the companion arm 19 as shown. The bearing portions 27 are connected by a pin 30 which extends through concentrically located .bearing holes 30a in said bearing portions. 7 As shown in-Figs. 5, 7, 9 and 10, the bearing portions thickened arm portions 32 have the opposed and communicating seat portions 33 for the substantially V-form leaf spring 34 which tends to spread the arms apart. The

outer surfaces of the thickened arm portions 31 have the finger-receiving surface recesses or seats 35 for the thumb 36 andforefinger 37 of the operator.

Operation summarized When the adjacent cars 7 of Fig. l are to be uncoupled,

the operator grasps the tool between thumb and forefinger as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4. Finger seats '35 enable him to readily control the inward movement of the normally separated jaws 19 and also to engage the jaw terminals 23, on the track supporting surface opposed the coupling to be uncoupled.

.The lower jaw terminals 23 elevate the actuators 25 to just the right height to engage the coupling member- 'operating pins 15 and actuate them inwardly to substantial coupling axis alignment as indicated in Figs. 4 and 6.

Such inward pin (15) movement actuates the inwardly n spring tensioned coupling elements 10, 15 and 10, 15 outwardly to disengage the load-sustaining hooks 11a, 11a of the coupling heads. Engagement of the opposed jaw terminals 23- with the outer ends of intervening ties 9 prevents such additional inward movement of jaws 19 as might-bring about car derailment. When the coupling hooks 11a, 11a have been disengaged and the cars are pulled apart, the depending pins 15 slide freely over the ends of 25, 25.

Obviously the device is adapted for various types of toy train couplings having depending actuators for coupling release means. This applies whetherthe said actuator pins 15 move in horizontal or vertical planes. But when such actuator pins 15 move in a vertical plane to effect coupling release, the opposed ends of actuators 25 will be frictionally cushioned by rubber, or otherwise, as at 25a in Fig. 11.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A portable manually operable uncoupler for the car couplings of toy railroadtrains and the like, comprising connected .inwardly shiftable members having opposed coupling release element-engaging portions, and a member carried by said shiftable members and engaging the train tracker equivalent supporting surface to dis pose the release element-engaging means in position.

thereabove to operatively engage said coupling release elements.

' 2. The structure of claim 1, and said inwardly shiftable members comprising pivotally connected jaws. I

3. The structure of claim 1,- and said inwardly shiftable members comprising pivotally connected jaws, and spring means normally urging said jaws outwardly.

4. The structure of claim 1, and said inwardly shiftable members comprising pivotally connected jaws, spring means normally urging said jaws outwardly, and means carried by said jaws and limiting outward movement of the same under the action of said spring means.

5. The structure of claim 1, combined with tie-supported rails resting upon said supporting surface and wherein the opposite ends of a rail-supporting tie engage said supporting surface-engaging members to terminate inward movement of the same at approximately the time that the coupling release elements are engaged thereby, whereby to prevent over inward actuation of said release element engaging portions.

6. The structure of claim 1, and said inwardly shiftable members comprising pivotally connected jaws, and

'theexterior pivot-adjacent surfaces of said jaws having finger-receiving recesses.

7. The structure of claim 1, and said inwardly shiftable members comprising pivotally connected jaws, the opposed pivot-adjacent jaw surfaces having opposed re- No references cited.

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