Devices for automatically operating the locking members of automatic couplers for rail vehicles

• US 3,132,749 A
• Filed: 02/09/1962
• Issued: 05/12/1964
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1961
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Glenroy D. Whitehouse, John O. Cooke
• Original Assignee: Glenroy D. Whitehouse, John O. Cooke
• Inventors: Whitehouse, Glenroy D., Cooke, John O.
• Application Number:
  US04/172,162
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• US Class Current: 213/211
• CPC Class Codes: B61G 3/16 with coupling heads rigidly connected by rotatable hook plates or discs and balancing links, the coupling members forming a parallelogram, e.g. "Scharfenberg" type
• CPC Class Codes: B61G 7/04 Coupling or uncoupling by means of trackside apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/2101 Cams

Claims

1. A DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING THE LOCKING MEMBERS OF AUTOMATIC COUPLERS FOR RAIL VEHICLES, EACH COUPLER BEING OF THE TYPE HAVING A FIXED DOWNWARDLY-EXTENDING PROJECTION TOWARDS ONE SIDE OF THE COUPLER AND A DOWNWARDLY-EXTENDING MOVABLE PROJECTION TOWARDS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUPLER, MOVEMENT OF THE LOCKING MEMBER BETWEEN LOCKING AND RELEASE POSITIONS BEING CONSEQUENT UPON RELATIVE APPROACHING MOVEMENT OF THE PROJECTIONS, AND THE DEVICE COMPRISING A CARRIER FOR MOUNTING BETWEEN THE RAILS OF A TRACK, A TRANSVERSE SLIDE ON THE CARRIER, AND A PAIR OF UPSTANDING WALLS ON THE SLIDE CONVERGING FROM ONE END TO FORM BETWEEN THEM A TAPERING MOUTH FOR GATHERING IN BOTH THE MOVABLE PROJECTION AND THE FIXED PROJECTION ON A COUPLER OF A VEHICLE PASSING OVER THE DEVICE, THE WALLS ALSO FORMING A THROAT AT THE NARROWER TRALING END OF THE MOUTH THROUGH WHICH THE PROJECTIONS MUST PASS BEFORE LEAVING THE DEVICE, WITH THE WIDTH OF THE THROAT AT LEAST EQUAL TO BUT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN THE OVERALL SPAN OF THE PROJECTIONS WHEN THE MOVABLE PROJECTION IS IN ITS FIXED POSITION OF CLOSEST APPROACH TO THE PROJECTION, THE THROAT CONTINUING AT THE SAME WIDTH FOR SOME DISTANCE TOWARDS THE TRAILING END OF THE DEVICE, BUT BEING LIMITED IN LENGTH TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT THE PROJECTIONS ON THE TRAILING COUPLER OF A VEHICLE PASS OUT OF THE TRAILING END OF THE THROAT BEFORE EITHER OF THE PROJECTIONS OF A MATING COUPLER ENGAGED WITH THE TRAILING COUPLER COMES INTO CONTACT WITH THE APPROPRIATE WALL OF THE MOUTH.