Abstract: The present invention relates to a central buffer coupling for rail-mounted vehicles having a coupling shaft arranged to be vertically pivotable around an articulated housing of a railway vehicle and supporting a coupling head and a device for horizontal resetting to center at its free end. In order to realize a disengaging of the frictionally-locked connection between an actuating means of a center position device and a coupling shaft in the event of a crash; i.e., upon extreme impact/tractive force being transferred through the coupling shaft, a separable center position coupling in accordance with the invention is provided, which disengages the frictionally-locked connection between the actuating means and the center position guide upon a definable critical impact/tractive force being exceeded.

Abstract: A non-metallic wear plate assembly for railroad car couplers comprises a wear plate of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene having an upper surface with side edges and a middle portion therebetween, the upper surface of the wear plate sloping downwardly from the side edges to the middle portion, and a number of counter-bored holes in the wear plate with a larger diameter and a smaller diameter with the larger diameter of the counter-bored holes facing up, the wear plate being mounted on a steel filler plate by weld washers which are positioned in the holes and are welded to the filler plate, with optional weld washer plugs being positioned in the holes above the weld washers and flush with the upper surface of the wear plate. A method of using the non-metallic wear plate for railroad car couplers to center a coupler and protect it against wear.

Abstract: An alignment device for railroad car couplers including a central flexible portion with a pair of swivelable end portions connectable between couplers of adjacent cars. Each of the end portions includes a protruding stud adapted to engage an opening preformed in the knuckle body. The device end portions and their studs are inserted between misaligned adjacent couplers. One steady pull of the engine aligns the couplers so that two cars may then be quickly joined together without requiring the trainman to stand between the cars during the coupling operation.

Abstract: A detent apparatus for maintaining a draw bar in a centered position includes an indentation formed in a cylindrical surface of the pivotable taileye of the draw bar structure. A roller is arranged to ride along the surface and into the indentation, the roller being urged into the indentation by symmetrically arranged levers, pivoted as first class levers, with the inner, shorter arm of each lever urging the roller and the outer arm being urged by compression coil springs which are seated on the anchorage structure attached to a railroad car.

Abstract: An arrangement for horizontal central arresting and releasing of an intermediate buffer coupling has a horizontally swingable coupling rod, a guide member at a rear end of the coupling rod and following the swinging of the latter, two rocking levers pivotally mounted on a vehicle and having abutment faces, a roller supported on the guide member and located between the rocking arms so as to abut against their abutment faces, and an actuating device connected with the rocking levers and operative for opening of the latter in the sense of allowing free movement of the intermediate buffer coupling.