Horizontally Swinging Patents (Class 213/104)
  • Publication number: 20140263146
    Abstract: A railcar coupler assembly allowing rotation of a coupler between a stored position within the railcar and an extended position for engagement with the coupler of an adjacent railcar. The coupler can be locked into either the stored or extended position with a locking pin. A corresponding rotatable brake pipe is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: BRANDT ROAD RAIL CORPORATION
    Inventor: David Brodie
  • Patent number: 7497345
    Abstract: In combination with a railway freight car coupler. A coupler has a knuckle side, and includes a knuckle, knuckle pin, and an apparatus for automatically pivoting and maintaining the knuckle full open position. The improvement comprises a coiled torsion spring which is capable of continuously exerting a predetermined force. A sleeve in combination with a flange is secured to the bottom end of the knuckle pin for attaching the torsion spring onto the coupler head. A support member is attached to the knuckle and cages one arm of the torsion spring which exerts a continuous force on the knuckle to rotate and maintain the knuckle full open position. A compression spring may be employed in place of the torsion spring in combination with a locking mechanism which, rigidly secures the knuckle and knuckle pin therebetween to prevent independent movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2009
    Assignee: Sharma & Associates, Inc.
    Inventors: David C. Brabb, Harish K. Kandoth-Kannoth, Anand R. Vithani
  • Patent number: 6000564
    Abstract: An uncoupling cam is incorporated into a hook-type coupler. Couplers of this variety are typically found on railway transit vehicles, one hook-type coupler being fixed to each end of each transit vehicle. Moving two transit vehicles toward each other so that their ends come together will eventually cause their respective hook-type couplers to couple together automatically. It is in this manner that a passenger transit train is formed with each of its vehicles being mechanically linked to an adjacent vehicle. Each hook-type coupler has a pivotally mounted hook member that can be pivoted between a latch position and an unlatch position. A biasing means inside the hook-type coupler is used to keep the hook member normally biased to the latch position. The uncoupling cam features a solid body and a roller. The body of the cam has a uniform polygonal cross-section to an edge of which the roller is rotatably secured. The roller is adapted to rollably engage a surface of the hook member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1999
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Company
    Inventors: Curtiss A. Grau, Steven C. Rumsey
  • Patent number: 5954211
    Abstract: A hook-type coupler for attachment to an end of a railway transit vehicle for joining adjacent ends of a pair of railway transit vehicles wherein the hook-type coupler has a hook member pivotally mounted therein being pivotal between a latch position and an unlatch position and adapted to engage a second pivotally mounted hook member in a second hook-type coupler of compatible design and includes an uncoupling cam for forcibly pivoting the hook member to the unlatch position and a roller rotatably secured to the uncoupling cam to rollably engage a surface of the hook member when the uncoupling cam is activated through a partial rotation thereby pivoting such hook member to the unlatch position without significant sliding frictional engagement between the uncoupling cam and the hook member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1997
    Date of Patent: September 21, 1999
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Company
    Inventors: Curtiss A. Grau, Steven C. Rumsey
  • Patent number: 5499728
    Abstract: An electrically operated hook-type coupler for attachment to an end of a railway transit vehicle for joining adjacent ends of a pair of such railway transit vehicles, in which a gathering core is provided at the forward end of a coupler head, with a hook member pivotally mounted within the gathering core, and being pivotal between a latch position and an unlatch position for engaging and disengaging a comparable hook member, and further including a spring to bias the hook member to the latch position. A driving device is also included within the gathering core for forcibly pivoting the hook member to the unlatch position to uncouple the hook member from any other hook member, while an electrically operated actuator is provided outside of the gathering core, which in response to appropriate signal, will activate the driving device to disengage the hook member. A lever arm is also provided to permit manual operation of the driving device to disengage the hook member.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Company
    Inventor: Steven C. Rumsey
  • Patent number: 5316158
    Abstract: An improved coupler structure is intended for use on model railroad rolling stock. The coupler structure includes a coupler having a shank and a joining mechanism for joining to a companion coupler on another piece of rolling stock located at one end of the shank. A centering structure is located adjacent the other end of the shank for maintaining the coupler in an axially aligned condition with the rolling stock body axis. The centering structure includes a centering cavity formed in the shank other end and a centering mount attached to the rolling stock body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 1993
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1994
    Assignee: Kadee Quality Products Co.
    Inventors: Michael N. Dunham, Lawrence D. Edwards
  • Patent number: 5014864
    Abstract: A conveyor system, in particular a suspension conveyor system, comprising at least two transport units adapted to be moved on rollers and interconnected by a disconnectable coupling, the coupling including two identically formed hooks which are each provided with a hook opening, one of said hooks being arranged by an associated base member on one of the transport units to be coupled and the other hook being arranged by an associated base member on the other transport unit to be coupled in such a way that their hook openings face each other, each hook being loaded by a spring and being connected to its associated base member by means of a hub for rotation about an axis coinciding with a centerline of the hub, each hub forming a locking member by, in a coupled condition, being adapted to be engaged by the hook opening of the hook not associated with said transport unit while the hooks, in an uncoupled condition, being adapted to engage each other, and to be rotated by this engagement under tensioning of the spr
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: May 14, 1991
    Assignee: Veit Transpo GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Richter, Josef Hafner, Rolf Schonenberger
  • Patent number: 4984696
    Abstract: An improved railway coupler head is provided having a modified lock chamber which is asymmetrical about its longitudinal center line such that the rear horn wall has a greater length on the guard arm side than the knuckle side of the longitudinal center line and the knuckle side wall has a shorter length than the guard arm side wall. The modified lock chamber creates an increase in the section area of the top face of the coupler head and allows for a reduction in stress concentration as the forces transmitted through the top face are distributed over the increased section area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 1989
    Date of Patent: January 15, 1991
    Assignee: Amsted Industries Incorporated
    Inventor: Russell G. Altherr
  • Patent number: 4627545
    Abstract: A hook-type railroad car coupling includes a hook vertically centered and laterally offset in a pocket opening in the front face and a guide pin and hole at opposite top corners. At one side of the bottom a guide horn extends beyond the hook, the front plate having an opening beside the horn and below the hook. A guide wedge is inside the opening to contact the horn of the mating head and improve the parallelism of the front faces of the heads as they come together.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 1984
    Date of Patent: December 9, 1986
    Assignee: Harvey Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Donald L. Herbert, Lynn A. Schneider, Zoltan Kovacs
  • Patent number: 4073385
    Abstract: An automatic coupler for railway and other vehicles which includes an outer housing carried by the vehicle and formed of a plurality of welded metal plates, with a spring urged coupler hook mounted therein for horizontal pivotal movement for engagement with the hook of a coupler mounted on an adjacent vehicle. The coupler hook on the adjacent vehicle is urged into engagement position and retained therein by a keeper arm which is engaged with the coupler hook on the first vehicle for movement therewith. The coupler hook is unlocked by a cam bearing on it and which may also act on the opposed interengaged coupler hook from the adjacent vehicle, which cam may be operated manually or automatically.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 1977
    Date of Patent: February 14, 1978
    Assignee: Walton Products, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert T. Reed