US 4,344,542 AGranted

Railway gang car coupler

OwnerPete L. Knightinventor

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Abstract

A coupling device for railway motor cars includes a pole or tongue on the motor car with a cam member pivoted on the distal end thereof. A coupling box with converging side walls is secured to the end of the trailing car and has a coupling pin extending from top to bottom. When the pivoted cam enters the box it is cammed by first, a sidewall, and then the back wall to pivot and hook around the coupling pin. During the course of this movement, a spring-biased locking pin rides on the flat, top surface of the cam to drop behind it when the coupling is complete, thus preventing reverse pivotal movement. A chain, is secured from the locking pin to an arm extending radially from a long shaft extending laterally to the side of motor car and terminating in an operating arm which, when raised, lifts the locking pin to release the pivoted cam for uncoupling.

Claims3

Dependent claims

A coupling assembly for a pair of railway cars comprising:

a pair of base members adapted to be mounted on a trailing end of a pulling car and a forward end of a pulled car, respectively;
a tongue having an end is carried on one of said base members;
a receptacle is carried on the other of said base members;
said receptacle having an inwardly angled side wall and a transverse back wall;
an upright coupling pin extending across said receptacle from top to bottom;
a cam member pivoted on the end of said tongue;
a hook-like recess on one side of said cam member of a size to nest around said lock pin;
a cam surface across a leading end and other side of said cam member adapted to engage said side and back walls to pivot said cam member around behind said coupling pin into engagement therewith;
a spring-biased lock pin carried on said tongue to ride on the top surface of said cam member adjacent the trailing edge thereof until one edge passes therebeneath;
a shaft rotatable on said one base member;
a release arm on one end of said shaft;
an operating lever on the other end of said shaft;
and
a tension member secured between said release arm and said lock pin so that upward pivotal movement of said lever will lift said lock pin.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.