Railcar Coupling Aid and Method of Using the Same

Abstract

A railcar coupling aid is provided to link a sequentially aligned pair of railcars having unactuated couplers so that such couplers may become engaged on a portion of rail more conducive to their actuation or so that such couplers may be serviced at a more convenient location along the rail. It may comprise a first and second length of rugged and flexible material spaced apart by a first and second crossed portion of such material. The crossed portions define a space configured to receive both of a pair of opposing coupler draw heads therethrough. When the net is draped over the opposing draw heads, each of the first and second lengths may be secured to themselves around one each of the coupler's draw shafts. Thus, each railcar may be at least temporarily linked to one another in a manner that avoids risking injury to railworker limbs.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.