Air brake hose coupling with locking device

An air brake hose coupling member for an air brake hose assembly, such air brake hose assembly being suspendably supported by a hose support member attached at one end to one of a rail car and truck trailer, said air brake hose coupling member comprising:

• (a) a generally tubular body with a longitudinal axis and an inner coupling face at a first end that is aligned generally in a plane parallel to the longitudinal axis and extending around an air passage;
• (b) a neck extending from a second end of said generally tubular body for connection to such air brake hose;
• (c) a boss formed on said generally tubular body adjacent said neck, said boss having a cavity formed therein, said cavity being open at one end and having a longitudinal axis aligned generally parallel to said longitudinal axis of said generally tubular body, said boss further having an aperture with a longitudinal axis disposed substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said generally tubular body, said aperture enables connection of said coupling member to such hose support member;
• (d) an arcuate locking flange projecting outwardly from said first end of said generally tubular body;
• (e) an annular flange formed on said generally tubular body and projecting outwardly from a top portion thereof, wherein said arcuate locking flange and said annular flange are adapted to engage with an annular flange and an arcuate locking flange, respectively, of another air brake hose coupling member to couple said members together when inner coupling faces of said two coupling members are placed in an abutting relationship substantially along their entire inner coupling faces and rotated in said plane being parallel to said longitudinal axis of said tubular body and with respect to each other into a locked position;
• and
• (f) an elongated member mounted within said cavity for reciprocal movement in a first and a second direction, said elongated member movable in said first direction for enabling said rotation of said two air brake hose coupling members into said locked position, said elongated member movable in said second direction, after said two air brake hose coupling members completed said rotation with respect to each other, for preventing a complete rotational uncoupling of said two air brake hose coupling members, whereby one end of said elongated member moved into said second position is disposed external to said boss and is disposed external a stop formed on a body of an opposed coupling member, and whereby a subsequent movement of said elongated member in said first direction enables said complete rotational uncoupling of said two air brake hose coupling members.