Abstract: A railway coupler arrangement which eliminates the conventional yoke strap, thereby enabling a larger draft gear to be employed in the coupling without increasing the overall size of the sill. The invention also provides a novel assembly for facilitating a rotary coupler arrangement in which the diameter of the rotary shank can be increased over prior art rotary butt couplers.

Abstract: A striker for a railway vehicle comprises a casting having an endless rib projecting outwardly from each side wall to reinforce a key slot for a draft key. The endless ribs present continuous surfaces for welding the striker to a sill of a railway vehicle. Above and below the endless rib on each side wall are inwardly-displaced side wall sections to inwardly shift the neutral axes of the wall sections for resisting imposed loads. In a second embodiment, weld sites above and below the endless ribs are formed. High-strength load transfer for pull forces is achieved at weld sites at the rear portion of the casting. Load transfer is supplemented by lower-strength weld sites at the forward portion of the casting. Other weld sites are formed along vertical parts of front draft lugs.

Abstract: A railway coupler housing includes a bottom wall section with a thrower hole extending therethrough and spaced from a side wall diverging outwardly from the horn line at the knuckle side of the housing. The side wall continues vertically from the bottom wall section at a rearwardly-spaced relation from the thrower hole along a sufficient height to permit a generally vertical dropping of the thrower within the interior of the coupler head for engaging a trunnion of the thrower in the thrower hole. The thrower in one embodiment has an extended trunnion provided with a diametrically-extending bore to receive a cotter used to retain the thrower in the coupler head. In another embodiment, the end surface of the trunnion includes a tapped hole for receiving a threaded shank of a stop piece. The stop piece includes projecting wing portions that engage with the outer surface of the bottom wall to prevent inadvertent dislodgement of the thrower in the coupler head.

Abstract: A knuckle casting for a railroad coupler is carried by a conveyor to successively-disposed stations. At a first station, the knuckle casting is positioned relative to reaming tools at opposite sides of the conveyor. Position control arms carry conical members to engage with a pivot pin opening in the knuckle casting and hold-down arms support the casting while the pivot pin opening is reamed to a desired size. Thereafter, the knuckle casting is moved to a rough-grinding station where it is engaged by pin members, one of which extends into the reamed pin hole opening. The knuckle casting is raised to a position above the conveyor where it is rotated for contact with a grinding wheel. The position of the grinding wheel is controlled by a cam driven by an arbor shaft used to support the casting. A cam follower moves a frame that supports the grinding wheel to position the grinding wheel according to a desired contour.

Abstract: A novel core assembly is used in a sand mold for casting a hollow section in a coupler head extending beyond a horn line into a coupler shank of a coupler for a railway vehicle. The core assembly includes head and shank core members having face surfaces each including a recess surface and a projected surface arranged such that the recess surface in the head core receives the projected surface in the shank core. In a similar way, the recess surface in the shank core receives the projected surface in the head core to maintain the head and shank cores in an aligned abutting relation while supported in the sand mold. The face surfaces extend transversely to the coupler shank along a parting line spaced rearwardly of the plane containing the horn line of the coupler. The face surfaces are further characterized by a conically-shaped projection extending from one core member into a conically-shaped opening in the other core member to mechanically interconnect and align the two core members.

Abstract: The drag pattern for a standard AAR coupler is modified to increase the thickness of the bottom wall of a coupler casting forwardly and rearwardly of a plane containing the horn line. The increased thickness is achieved by forming a substantially planar bottom wall surface for a distance of at least two inches at either side of a plane containing the horn line. Head and shank pattern parts are interchangeable and releasably secured onto a pattern plate for molding foundry sand in the drag portion of a foundry mold to produce E, E/F and F-types of coupler castings.

Abstract: In a railway vehicle coupler, the lock includes a leg portion depending from an upper lock body which is solid. The rear part of the upper lock body has a substantially vertical planar surface or stepped planar surfaces across the most rearwardly-extending surface. A beveled and substantially planar rear face or stepped planar rear faces commence at the lower edge of the vertical planar surface and extends downwardly and forwardly to the lock ledge at the guard-arm side of the lock. Above the vertical planar surface, there is a beveled rear surface with or without a step extending downwardly and forwardly from the rear guide at the knuckle side of the lock to the guard-arm side. This surface extends arcuately and commences at the upper edge of the vertical planar surface and extends to the top of the lock.

Abstract: A hard-facing deposit of weld metal in the form of parallel, spaced-apart tracks extends along the external bottom wall of a railroad coupler shank for engagement with the working face surface of a coupler carrier. The tracks of weld metal are arranged longitudinally within the shank area located, in part, between the horn line and connector opening in the coupler shank. The weld metal is usually 1/4-inch or less in thickness, 1-inch wide with a 1-inch space between the track deposits of weld metal.