High capacity shear mechanism

• US 20050029215A1
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Sommerfeld, Howard R., Grau, Curtiss A.
• Granted Patent: US 6,981,599 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 213/160
• CPC Class Codes: B61G 7/14 Safety devices

Abstract

An emergency release mechanism for a railway drawbar, which reduces stress in two piece machine bolt inserts in emergency release mechanisms, includes a two sided threaded stud which screws into a release rail using one of the threaded stud ends, passes through a drawbar body, and is secured to the drawbar body by a nut screwed onto the other threaded stud end.

Claims

1. An emergency release mechanism for a railway drawbar comprising:

a) a two sided threaded stud, said stud passing through an opening in a drawbar body with a first threaded end screwed into a release rail; and

b) a nut screwed onto a second threaded end to hold said release rail proximate to said drawbar body, wherein a recess is formed in said release rail around a threaded opening in said release rail to receive said first threaded end, said recess being wider than a width of said body of said stud and being engageable with a body of said two sided threaded stud.

3. The emergency release mechanism, according to claim 1, wherein said recess has a width wider than any width of said body of said stud.

4. The emergency release mechanism, according to claim 1, wherein said nut is a lock nut.

5. The emergency release mechanism, according to claim 1, wherein said stud comprises a single threaded stud and a threaded bar screwed into a tapped opening of said single threaded stud.

6. The emergency release mechanism, according to claim 1, wherein said second threaded end includes a dowel extension having a wrench interface for attaching a wrench to said dowel extension during assembly of said emergency release mechanism.

7. The emergency release mechanism, according to claim 6, wherein said dowel extension includes a through opening for receiving a retaining wire.

2. (Cancelled)

8. An emergency release mechanism for a railway drawbar comprising:

a) a threaded fastener stud having an unthreaded body portion, said fastener stud passing through an opening in a drawbar body, and said body of said fastener stud engageable and secured to a release rail, wherein a recess is formed in said release rail to receive said fastener stud, said recess being wider than the body of said stud; and

b) a fastener secured to one end of said fastener stud to hold said release rail proximate to said drawbar body.

9. The emergency release mechanism, according to claim 8, wherein said body of said fastener stud is secured to said release rail by a first threaded portion of said fastener stud, said first threaded portion having been screwed into a tapped opening in said release rail.

11. The emergency release mechanism, according to claim 9, wherein said body of said fastener stud has a flat bottom such that said recess surface is engageable with said flat bottom of said fastener stud.

12. The emergency release mechanism, according to claim 8, wherein said fastener secured to one end of said fastener stud is a nut having been screwed onto a second threaded end of said fastener stud.

10. (Cancelled)

13. (Cancelled)

14. The method of attaching a shear mechanism to a railroad drawbar, comprising the steps of:

a) securing a body of a stud to a release rail;

b) passing said stud through an opening in a drawbar body;

c) forming a recess in said release rail;

d) forming an aperture in said release rail, a rim of said aperture being located in a surface of said recess; and

e) securing into said aperture a first connector of said stud, said stud having said first connector, said body, and a second connector, such that there is a tight fit between said surface of said recess and said body of said stud.

15. The method of forming a shear mechanism, according to claim 14, wherein said step of forming a recess includes forming a flat bottomed recess such that said recess is engageable with a surface of said body of said stud adjacent said first connector of said stud.

16. (Cancelled)