Coupling devices for railway cars

An automatic air-hose coupling system for installation at each end of the undercarriage of a railroad car and for coupling to a substantially identical counterpart coupling system, in oppositely facing relation therewith, of an adjacent car so as to pneumatically connect the train-line hoses of the two cars, said air-hose coupling system comprising in combination a front-mating means for engaging and pneumatically coupling with a front-mating means of said substantially identical counterpart coupling system of the adjacent car and means for supporting said front-mating means and attaching it to the respective end of the undercarriage of the car,

• said front-mating means including,
• a male and a female mating heads, pneumatically connected to the train-line hose of the car, for engaging with respectively a female and a male mating heads of said substantially identical counterpart coupling system of the adjacent car, and
• means for employing air pressure from the train-line hose of the respective car to automatically and pneumatically seal the coupling juncture of said engaging,
• said car being a conventional railroad freight car, having a conventional center sill and a conventional draft assembly with a conventional yoke situated within and adjacent to each end of said center sill, said yoke having a lower strap,
• said means for supporting including,
• a coupler shank means substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the car, with the front portion thereof attached to and supporting said front-mating means,
• a front-support means for supporting the front portion of said coupler shank means, and
• means for utilizing the movement of said yoke for controlling the position of said front-mating means via said coupler shank means and keeping the front-mating means in close contact with that of said counterpart coupling system while the two coupling systems of said two cars being coupled with one another.

An automatic air-hose coupling system for installation at an end of the undercarriage of a conventional railroad freight car and for pneumatically coupling to a substantially identical counterpart coupling system in oppositely facing relation therewith . of an adjacent car so as to pneumatically connect the train-line hoses of the two cars, said air-hose coupling system comprising, in combination, a front-mating means, pneumatically connected to the train-line hose of the car, for engaging and pneumatically coupling with a front-mating means of said substantially identical counterpart coupling system of the adjacent car and means for supporting the front-mating means and attaching it to the undercarriage of the car,

• said conventional railroad freight car having a conventional center sill and a conventional draft assembly with a conventional yoke situated within and adjacent to each end of said center sill,
• said mean for supporting including means for utilizing the movement of said yoke for controlling the position of said front-mating means and keeping the front-mating means in close contact with that of said counterpart coupling system while the two oppositely facing coupling systems of said two cars being coupled with one another,
• said means for supporting further including a coupler shank substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the car,
• said front-mating means comprising, a substantially rectangular rigid housing structure attached to the front end of and supported by said coupler shank, and pneumatic mating means, mounted at the front portion of said rectangular housing structure and pneumatically connected to the train-line hose of the car, for engaging with the pneumatic mating means of said substantially identical counterpart coupling system of the adjacent car.