Abstract: Improved telescoping railcar uncoupling levers have improved bearings that resist damage. Moreover, the uncoupling levers include removable lock lifter linkage hooks. In addition, the uncoupling levers comprise an improved handle loop shape allowing the levers to be more easily installed and/or removed when damaged. Methods of using the same are further provided.

Abstract: An uncoupling lever for a railcar has first, second, and third lever members slidably connected to each other for relative motion along their lengths. The second and third lever members are urged apart from one another along their lengths with a biasing member. The uncoupling lever has a handle configured for manual operation of the uncoupling lever, and a hook configured for actuating a lock of a coupler of the railcar. One of the handle and hook is operatively connected to the first lever member and the other of the handle and hook is operatively connected to the third lever member.

Abstract: A lower lockpin rotation shaft assembly includes a lower lockpin rotation shaft body, an outer end portion thereof having a first coupler lifting bar hole, an intermediate portion thereof having a connecting key; and a lower lockpin rotation shaft bush, an outer end portion of the lower lockpin rotation shaft bush having a second coupler lifting bar hole, and an inner end portion of the lower lockpin rotation shaft bush being operatively connected to an inner end portion of the lower lockpin rotation shaft body. Further, the present invention further provides a double-side operating coupler and a coupler draft gear having the above lower lockpin rotation shaft assembly. The coupler draft gear further includes two coupler lifting bars and two coupler lifting bar seats.

Abstract: A lower locking pin body for the hinge joint between a lower locking pin and a lower locking pin hook has a suspending hole of a coupler lock lifter to facilitate it rotating surrounding the lower locking pin hook under the effect of the hole. There are two coupler suspending holes which are respectively arranged on each side ends of the lower locking pin body to facilitate the workers opening the coupler on either side of a car. A two-side operating coupler with above said lower lock pin body and a draft gear are provided, wherein the draft gear also includes two lock lifters and two lock lifter seats. The lock lifters are mounted into a key-shaped hole of the lock lifter seats, and the lock lifter has a limiting segment on the matched position. Two hook head ends of the lock lifters pass respectively out from the key-shaped holes of the coupler lock lifter seats and hang with the coupler lock lifter suspension hole of the two-side operating coupler.

Abstract: An improved lever assembly for uncoupling railroad cars having a coupler that includes a lock lifter. The lever assembly has a handle on one end that is pivotally connected to the railcar and a hook located at the other end of the lever assembly that is connected to the lock lifter. The assembly has levers that slide relative to each other. The levers are held adjacent to each other by enclosures through which the levers slide. The enclosures contain U-shaped glides held stationary relative to the enclosures. Typically made of plastic, the glides provide low friction sliding contact with levers sliding through them. The glides are longitudinally shorter than their containing enclosures providing protection from ultraviolet light.

Abstract: A cut lever apparatus that automatically actuates a lock lift assembly to either lock or unlock a coupler knuckle of a freight car coupler. The apparatus includes a cylinder member having a piston disposed therein. A bracket member is attachable to the freight car coupler to support the cylinder. A linkage member is connected to the piston of the cylinder and the lock lift assembly to convert a lateral motion of the piston to a curvilinear motion of the lock lift assembly to either lock or unlock the coupler knuckle. A valve member is connected to the cylinder for communicating a pressurized fluid to the cylinder when a predetermined signal is sent to the valve and preventing pressurized fluid from entering the cylinder in an absence of the predetermined signal. Pressurized fluid in the cylinder is vented to atmosphere when the valve shuts off supply of pressurized fluid thereto.

Abstract: An elongated tubular glide housing for a telescoping, uncoupling lever for a railroad car. A tubular glide housing includes a rectangular seal enclosure having a top wall, a bottom wall, an outwardly located side wall, and an inwardly located side wall defining a passage extending through the enclosure. The top and bottom walls of the enclosure have leading and trailing edges. A circular tool opening is formed in each of the outwardly and inwardly located side walls. A pair of elongated plastic glide elements are positioned in the passage extending through the rectangular steel enclosure. Each of the elongated plastic glide elements is formed with a generally L-shaped transverse cross-section including a first leg and a second leg. The L-shaped elements are dimensioned to fit into the passage of the steel enclosure. Each of the first and second legs have a leading edge and a trailing edge. An outwardly projecting retaining tab is formed at each of the leading and trailing edges of the first leg.

Abstract: A railway Type H tightlock coupler locklift assembly for coupling railway cars comprises a Type H rotary locklift toggle, a Type H rotary locklift lever, and a rivet connecting the rotary locklift toggle to the rotary locklift lever. The Type H rotary locklift lever further comprises a standard flange or finger for operatively engaging a coupler operating rod and a second opposing flange or finger that abuts the coupler operating rod. The second opposing flange or finger prevents unintentional rotary motion of the rotary locklift lever by acting on or abutting against the locked operating rod, thereby preventing unintentional uncoupling of the railway cars when coupler components of such cars are struck by flying debris.

Abstract: An adjustable uncoupling lever with a shiftable wedge lock. The lever includes two longitudinally shiftable rods having parts spaced from one another. The wedge lock is driven between the two rod parts to secure the rods together.

Abstract: An uncoupling device (10) is provided with a handle (12) which is pivotably mounted on a bracket at the side of the car. The handle is connected to a bar (16) extending transversely of the car, at a level below a coupler extending out of a center sill. An uncoupling member (42) is slidingly attached to the bar with a connection allowing the uncoupler to slide longitudinally with respect to the bar when the coupler moves, and at the same time has sufficient interface with the bar to transmit torsion to the coupler (34) at a given position on the bar during rotation for uncoupling. The bar includes a stop (68) at its outer end to prevent the coupler member from escaping. The uncoupler member at its outer end includes an upwardly extending portion (70) having a hook (74) which is inserted into the opening (76) in a conventional E type coupler connection to operate the lock lifter mechanism (78) and disconnect coupled couplers.

Abstract: Two side-by-side housings each receive a telescoping member therein. Bearings captivated within each housing engage the telescoping members such that the bearings are free to slide both with respect to the housings and the telescoping members. A handle for operating the lever and an arm for engaging the car coupler are mounted to opposing distal ends of the telescoping members. The other ends of the telescoping members are free to extend beyond the housings and have stops which abut the bearings while these ends are disposed within the housings.

Abstract: A three-part telescoping uncoupling lever assembly is disclosed for railroad cars which are equipped with standard draft gear cushioning. The assembly includes a plastic sleeve formed from ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (U.H.M.W.) and a pair of unitary extension bars in sliding engagement within the sleeve. One end of each extension bar is bent to form a lock lifter hook or a handle for performing the uncoupling function. Each extension bar includes a shaft and an integral bent retainer, the bent retainers being positioned within the sleeve. The retainers are maintained in parallel sliding arrangement within juxtaposed channels extruded in the U.H.M.W. polyethylene sleeve. The hook and the handle are located on opposite ends of the assembly, the total length of which can be varied automatically between maximum and minimum lengths, dependent upon the corresponding distance between the coupler and sill bracket as that distance changes due to coupler impact and side swing.

Abstract: Two side-by-side housings each receive a telescoping member therein. Bearings captivated within each housing engage the telescoping members such that the bearings are free to slide both with respect to the housings and the telescoping members. A handle for operating the lever and an arm for engaging the car coupler are mounted to opposing distal ends of the telescoping members. The other ends of the telescoping members are free to extend beyond the housings and have stops which abut the bearings while these ends are disposed within the housings.

Abstract: An uncoupling device for rotary dump cars in which the car couplers are of the bottom operating type, wherein at each end of the car the uncoupling mechanism is made of the same type, and comprising both the rotary and non-rotary couplers of the car being equipped with paddle type lock lifters having a pivotal operating stroke that unlocks and opens the coupler knuckle, and a bail type actuator therefor, wherein the actuator comprises a bail member mounted on the end of the car to receive the center sill and swing about a horizontal axis extending crosswise of the car and located at approximately the level of the top of the car center sill and adjacent its striker. The bail member has a striker section that underlies the center sill and is equipped with a paddle striker that is arced to accommodate coupler side swing.

Abstract: An uncoupling device for rotary dump cars in which the car couplers are of the bottom operating type, wherein at each end of the car the uncoupling mechanism is made of the same type, and comprising both the rotary and non-rotary couplers of the car being equipped with paddle type lock lifters having a pivotal operating stroke that unlocks and opens the coupler knuckle, and a bail type actuator therefor, wherein the actuator comprises a bail member mounted on the end of the car to receive the car center sill and swing about a horizontal axis extending crosswise of the car and located at approximately the level of the top of the car center sill and inwardly of its striker. The bail member has a striker section that underlies the center sill and is equipped with a paddle striker that is arced to accommodate coupler side swing.

Abstract: An uncoupling lever arrangement for railway cars equipped with standard draft gear cushioning including an uncoupling lever assembly comprising a handle section and a lock lifter section, each including an elongate bar formed from tube stock of quadrilateral transverse cross-sectional configuration. The handle section has a U-shaped handle affixed to one end of its bar at the outboard end of the lever assembly, which handle is mounted in the car body bracket, and the lock lifter section bar has a lock lifter rod member affixed to the inboard end of same that is formed with the usual hook eye formed for conventional application to the coupler lock lifter. The lever assembly bars are of complementary configuration whereby one end of one of the bars is received in the other end of the other bar to support the bars, and thus the lever assembly, in their operative position from the car body bracket and the coupler lock lifter.

Abstract: A railroad car uncoupling lever assembly having a handle member, a lock lifter member, and means for connecting the two members and permitting their relative axial movement in response to lateral and longitudinal movements of the railroad coupler. The connecting means includes, in one embodiment, a plurality of guide sleeves formed of high lubricity plastic material snap fitted onto one of the members with a bearing face engageable with the other member to facilitate movement of the members and reduce wear. In a second embodiment the guide sleeves are mounted on opposite sides of a connecting member to permit extensive telescoping movement of the uncoupling assembly.

Abstract: An unlocking device for a rotary coupler on a freight car including a bail rotatably mounted adjacent the open end of the car center sill and adapted to be selectively swung from a rest position to an action position in contact with a rotor element on the locklift assembly linkage of the coupler. An operating rod rotatably mounted on the end of the car is interconnected through a mechanical linkage arrangement to the bail. As this rod is manually turned from the side of the car a mechanical advantage is achieved and force is applied through the bail against the rotor element to cause the knuckle of the coupler to open.

Abstract: An uncoupling lever assembly for railroad cars that includes an uncoupling lever with an improved slideway arrangement for accommodating extension and contraction of the lever assembly, which lever assembly comprises a handle section and a lock lifter section each including an elongate rectilinear bar. The handle section bar has an operating handle affixed to one end of same for pivotal connection to the car and the lock lifter section bar has a lock lifter rod member affixed to one end of same having a hook eye adapted for application to the coupler lock lifter. The lock lifter bar has secured to one side of same adjacent its other end a single elongate tubular member that defines a single slideway for the lever assembly having self-lubricating antifriction characteristics in which the handle section bar is slidably received.

Abstract: A three-part telescoping uncoupling lever assembly is disclosed for railroad cars which are equipped with standard draft gear cushioning. The assembly includes a plastic sleeve formed from ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (U.H.M.W.) and a pair of unitary extension bars in sliding engagement within the sleeve. One end of each extension bar is bent to form a lock lifter hook or a handle for performing the uncoupling function. Each extension bar includes a shaft and an integral bent retainer, the bent retainers being positioned within the sleeve. The retainers are maintained in parallel sliding arrangement within juxtaposed channels extruded in the U.H.M.W. polyethylene sleeve. The hook and the handle are located on opposite ends of the assembly, the total length of which can be varied automatically between maximum and minimum lengths, dependent upon the corresponding distance between the coupler and sill bracket as that distance changes due to coupler impact and side swing.