Inversion protection for railroad car coupler

A rotary lock-lift assembly for a railway car knuckle coupler comprising:

• a lever having a recess formed in a lower surface and a generally tangentially extending hole formed through an upper surface, a toggle member pivotally connected to said lever and including a laterally extending trunnion for engaging a slot formed within the leg of the coupler lock, and a rotor member including a projecting surface configured to mate with the recess formed in said lever;
• and
• a gravity actuated linearly movable latching member retained in said hole, with the top surface of said latching member being normally disposed beneath the upper surface of said lever, said latching member moving axially within the hole upon inversion of said coupler whereby the top surface of said member extends below the upper surface of the lever.

Latching means for maintaining a railway car knuckle coupler locked when the coupler is placed in an inverted position comprising:

• a latching member connected to the lever of the rotary lock-lift assembly of said coupler and supported thereon in inoperative position when the coupler is in its normal working position;
• and
• abutment means extending into a chamber defined by the head of the coupler, with said latching member being spaced from said abutment means in the inoperative position and moving into engagement therewith when the coupler is inverted.