Abstract: A railway car coupler knuckle includes integral nose, hub, and tail portions. The tail portion has a lock shelf and an associated locking face as well as pulling lugs associated therewith. A tail core support aperture in the tail portion communicates with internal tail portion coring extending from a free end of the tail portion toward coring in the hub portion. The core support aperture and tail portion coring have been strategically relocated and reconfigured to reduce stresses imposed at critical areas during loading of the knuckle pulling lugs and locking face to thereby increase the resistance of the tail portion to fatigue failures.

Abstract: A coupler for a railway car coupling system includes an elongated shank terminating in a generally rectangular butt portion. The shank is generally octagonal in cross-section for strength, and the coupler butt portion has an end face provided with a convex spherically radiused contact area. The contact area is adapted to cooperate with a follower having a correspondingly concave spherically apertured recess. The butt portion end face is also provided with relieved corners to reduce wear and scoring thereon as it contacts and rotates against the follower. Relieved portions are provided in the coupler butt portion adjacent a transverse pin receiving aperture for accommodating limited angling of the coupler within the coupling system.

Abstract: A yoke for a railway car coupler assembly includes a yoke body having a generally rectangular front portion. A central opening provided in the front portion extends longitudinally therethrough. A pair of opposed first and second straps extend rearwardly from the front portion and are connected by a bridge portion. The side walls of the front portion are tapered inwardly toward the bridge portion to accommodate a striker having thickened side walls. Also, recessed portions are provided in the yoke central opening to accommodate the shank of a strengthened coupler. A bearing pad provided on the yoke bridge portion has relieved areas to prolong the service life of the yoke.

Abstract: A rotary coupling system for railroad cars and the like includes a rotary connector which is mounted in a yoke and to which a car coupler is attached for unitary rotation. The yoke has an aperture or opening through which a pivot pin is inserted into aligned pin receiving holes in the rotary connector and a shank of the car coupler. An improved pin retainer block is provided to selectively close the opening and retain the pin in the receiving holes. Plural flanges extending radially outward of the retainer block provide support therefor in the yoke pivot pin opening between inner and outer radially inward extending support surfaces. The support surfaces are axially spaced apart from each other a predetermined distance for accommodating predetermined limited axial movement of the retainer block in the pivot pin opening.

Abstract: A rotary railroad car F. coupler assembly which employs a rotary connector between the yoke and car coupler, is described as having a yoke with a larger diameter opening in which a bigger rotary connector is mounted. The rotary connector in turn, is designed to receive an AAR standard F coupler head with a heavier shank that has sidewalls, bordering the pinhole in the shank, which are thicker and have greater cross-sectional areas than similar sidewalls of shanks of AAR standard non-rotary type F car couplers.

Abstract: A rotary railroad car F coupler assembly which employs a rotary connector between the yoke and car coupler, is described as having a yoke with a larger diameter opening in which a bigger rotary connector is mounted. The rotary connector, in turn, is designed to receive an AAR standard F coupler head with a heavier shank that has sidewalls, bordering the pinhole in the shank, which are thicker and have greater cross-sectional areas than similar sidewalls of shanks of AAR standard non-rotary type F car couplers. A pair of twin, parallel wearplates are provided between the top of the yoke and the adjacent housing. The top ridged portion of the yoke extends between these wearplates. In this way, the diameter of the yoke opening and the consequent cross-sectional area of the opening are increased. This enables a larger, sturdier coupler shank to be received in the aperture of the yoke while the overall coupler assembly may still be mounted in an AAR standard carsill.

Abstract: A rotary F coupler is described as having an improved pinhole design, wherein the backwall of the pinhole has a generally cylindrical, rectangularly shaped pin bearing surface which projects into the pinhole about three-quarters of an inch, compared to the conventional projection or crown of one-quarter of an inch, and in such a way as to prevent unduly high stress concentrations in the coupler shank caused by contact of the shank and pivot pin during vertical angling of the coupler.

Abstract: A rotary F coupler is disclosed as having a rotary connector and pivot pin arrangement which provides increased bearing contact between these two components. This is accomplished by the provision in the rotary connector of a dual diameter pinhole opening which is designed to receive a matingly configured dual diameter pivot pin which is distinct from prior art pivot pins that have a uniform diameter between its opposing ends.

Abstract: A rotary railroad car coupler is described as having a rotary connector with a spherical butt end for seating engagement in a spherical cavity formed in an adjacent front follower.