# US 8,783,481 B2 · Use of no-bake mold process to manufacture railroad couplers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,783,481 B2 - Document ID: US8783481B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/916,114 - Filed: 2013-06-12 - Published: 2013-10-17 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2010-01-11 - Assignees: Bedloe Industries LLC - Applicants: Bedloe Industries LLC - Inventors: F. Andrew Nibouar; Jerry R. Smerecky; Ronald P. Sellberg; Arthur A. Gibeaut - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783481B2 ## CPC - B61G 3/04: with coupling head having a guard arm on one side and a knuckle with angularly-disposed nose and tail portions pivoted to the other side thereof, the nose of the knuckle being the coupling part, and means to lock the knuckle in coupling position, e.g. "A.A.R." or "Janney" type - B22C 1/00: Compositions of refractory mould or core materials; Grain structures thereof (refractory materials in general C04B35/00); Chemical or physical features in the formation or manufacture of moulds - B22C 9/02: Sand moulds or like moulds for shaped castings - B22C 9/22: Moulds for peculiarly-shaped castings - B61G: COUPLINGS; DRAUGHT AND BUFFING APPLIANCES (vehicle connections in general B60D) - B22C: FOUNDRY MOULDING (moulding refractory materials in general B28B) ## Abstract A railroad coupler assembly having at least a body and a knuckle both formed in a no-bake manufacturing process, the body and the knuckle having dimensional tolerances of distances between features that wear during operation that are about half those obtained from a body and a knuckle manufactured by a green sand process, resulting in increased fatigue life compared to the body and the knuckle manufactured by a green sand process. The body and the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process have no observable laps, scabs, chaplets or welding in critical areas of the body and knuckle, which are reflected in surface conditions matching SCRATA (Steel Castings Research and Trade Association) values of: D1 (laps); E1 (scabs); F1 (chaplets); and J1 (welds). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for casting a railroad coupler assembly, the method comprising: manufacturing a body and a knuckle made of steel in a no-bake manufacturing process including use of a chemically-bonded sand system that results in a sand mold from which the knuckle and body are cast, the coupler body and knuckle that result having dimensional tolerances of distances between features that wear during operation that are between about plus or minus 0.050 and 0.080 inches, resulting in increased fatigue life compared to a body and knuckle manufactured by a green sand process. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein pulling lugs of the body resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to coupler pin holes of the body within about a plus or minus 0.075-inch tolerance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein buffing shoulders of the body resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to coupler pin holes of the body within about a plus or minus 0.070-inch tolerance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein pin protector bosses of the body resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to coupler pin holes of the body within about a plus or minus 0.062-inch tolerance. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein pulling lugs of the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to knuckle pin holes within about a plus or minus 0.061-inch tolerance. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein buffing shoulders of the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to knuckle pin holes within about a plus or minus 0.056-inch tolerance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein pin protector bosses of the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to knuckle pin holes within about a plus or minus 0.049-inch tolerance. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the body and the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process includes draft angles comprising 1.0 (one) degree or less for a plurality of typical features of the body and the knuckle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the body and the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process have no observable laps, scabs, chaplets or welding in critical areas of the body and knuckle, which are reflected in surface conditions matching SCRATA (Steel Castings Research and Trade Association) values comprising: D1 (laps); E1 (scabs); F1 (chaplets); and J1 (welds), wherein the SCRATA values are defined by SCRATA comparator plates referenced in the 1981 publication of SCRATA values. ### Claim 10 A method of manufacturing a railroad coupler assembly having a body and knuckle, the method comprising: manufacturing the railroad coupler assembly in a no-bake manufacturing process including use of a chemically-bonded sand system that results in a sand mold from which the body and knuckle are cast, resulting in increased fatigue life compared to a body and knuckle manufactured by a green sand process; wherein the body and the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process have no observable laps, scabs, chaplets or welding in critical areas of the body and knuckle, which are reflected in surface conditions matching SCRATA (Steel Castings Research and Trade Association) values comprising: D1 (laps); E1 (scabs); F1 (chaplets); and J1 (welds). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the SCRATA values are defined by SCRATA comparator plates referenced in the 1981 publication of SCRATA values. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the surface condition of the body in non-critical areas matches SCRATA values comprising: A1 (surface roughness); B3 (surface inclusions); C2 (gas porosity); D1 (laps); E1 (scabs); F1 (chaplets); G1 (thermal dressing); H1 (mechanical dressing); and J1 (welds). ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the surface condition of the knuckle in non-critical areas matches SCRATA values comprising: A1 (surface roughness); B3 (surface inclusions); C2 (gas porosity); D1 (laps); E1 (scabs); F1 (chaplets); G1 (thermal dressing); H2 (mechanical dressing); and J1 (welds). ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein pulling lugs of the body resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to coupler pin holes of the body within about a plus or minus 0.075-inch tolerance. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein buffing shoulders of the body resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to coupler pin holes of the body within about a plus or minus 0.070-inch tolerance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein pin protector bosses of the body resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to coupler pin holes of the body within about a plus or minus 0.062-inch tolerance. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein pulling lugs of the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to knuckle pin holes within about a plus or minus 0.061-inch tolerance. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein buffing shoulders of the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to knuckle pin holes within about a plus or minus 0.056-inch tolerance. ### Claim 19 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein pin protector bosses of the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process are located relative to knuckle pin holes within about a plus or minus 0.049-inch tolerance. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the body and the knuckle resulting from the no-bake manufacturing process includes draft angles comprising 1.0 (one) degree or less for a plurality of typical features of the body and the knuckle.