Automatic pneumatic connector for air brakes and the like

In an automatic pneumatic connector for air lines and the like having a pair of substantially identical oppositely facing pneumatic couplings each comprising:

• A. an elongated pneumatic conduit having an end adapted for connection to an air line and an opposite end disposed toward the opposite coupling in substantial axial alignment therewith;
• B. means mounting the conduit for limited rotational, longitudinal and transverse displacement from a predetermined rest position;
• C. resilient means urging the conduit into said rest position;
• D. a male guide rigid with the conduit and disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation thereto having an end extended toward the opposite coupling providing endwardly convergent upper and lower surfaces;
• E. a female guide rigid with the conduit and disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation to the conduit on the opposite side of the conduit from the male guide, the male and female guides being in substantially equally spaced relation to the conduit and the female guide having a pocket therein disposed toward the opposite coupling having inwardly convergent upper and lower surfaces and side walls opposite to the conduit individually continuous with the upper and lower surfaces of the pocket and obliquely outwardly extended toward the opposite coupling;
• and
• F. means mounting the couplings for movement toward each other with the male guides juxtaposed to respective female guides to bring the male guides into engagement with the female guides to align the conduits and in which the resilient means urges the conduits in a rotational direction displaced from alignment in the direction of the male guides from the conduit whereby upon such movement toward each other the male guides initially engage the side walls of the pockets of their respective female guides and continued movement toward each other causes the side walls to guide the male guides into nested engagement in their respective female guides.

In an automatic pneumatic connector for air lines and the like, a pair of substantially identical oppositely facing couplings each comprising:

• A. a carriage;
• B. an elongated pneumatic conduit having an end adapted for connection to an air line and an opposite end disposed toward the opposite coupling, the conduit being mounted on the carriage for axial movement toward and from the opposite coupling and in approximate alignment therewith;
• C. a gasket mounted on said opposite end of the conduit in circumscribing relation thereto;
• D. resilient means urging the conduit in the direction of the opposite conduit;
• E. means mounting the carriage for limited elevational movement, rotational movement about a substantially vertical axis and lateral movement transversely of the conduit;
• F. a male guide mounted on the carriage in substantially parallel spaced relation to the conduit having a wedge-shaped end providing endwardly convergent upper and lower surfaces disposed toward the opposite coupling;
• G. a female guide mounted on the carriage in substantially parallel relation to the conduit and spaced therefrom a distance substantially equal to the spacing of the male guide therefrom, the female guide having a pocket disposed toward the opposite coupling providing inwardly convergent upper and lower surfaces substantially complementary to the upper and lower surfaces of the male guide, the pocket having side walls opposite to the conduit continuous with said upper and lower surfaces respectively of the female guide obliquely outwardly extended toward the opposite coupling to form a funnel;
• and
• H. resilient means urging the carriage rotationally to a rest position displaced from precise alignment of the conduits in the direction of the male guide from the conduit.