Abstract: A device for placement between two adjacent spinous processes of a spinal column to treat a spinal condition, and a method for performing a procedure on a spine of a patient, are provided. The device may include a first member, a second member mounted onto the first member, and a locking plug configured to restrict movement of the second member relative to the first member. The method may include positioning a portion of a first member between two adjacent spinous processes of the spine, advancing a second member along a length of the first member, and restricting the second member from moving relative to the first member.

Abstract: A housing for a railway car draft gear assembly for cushioning buff and draft shocks includes a rear portion engageable with the rear stops of such railway car and a front portion configured for attachment to a coupler arm. Opposed ends of the front and rear portions are provided with complimentary flanges for removable attachment of the front portion to the rear portion with threaded fasteners.

Abstract: A housing for a railway car draft gear assembly for cushioning buff and draft shocks includes a rear portion engageable with the rear stops of such railway car and a front portion configured for attachment to a coupler arm. Opposed ends of the front and rear portions are provided with complimentary flanges for removable attachment of the front portion to the rear portion with threaded fasteners.

Abstract: A supporting device is provided to vertically support a coupling rod of a coupling pivotably articulated in the vertical direction to a car body underframe by a bearing block. The supporting device makes contact with the coupling rod by a support, wherein the supporting device includes a mount connected to the support which is fixed to the car body underframe of the vehicle. In order to enable the interference-free retraction of the central buffer coupling toward the car body in the event of a crash, the mount includes a connecting element by which the support is connected to the mount and which defines a rotational axis about which the support can rotate relative the connecting element.

Abstract: An articulated coupling for rail vehicles is composed of a fork head having two fork pieces and of a coupling link. The coupling link accommodates a spherical joint which is traversed by a pin secured in the fork head. To fasten the pin in the fork piece, there is provided a wedge which is arranged in the axial direction of the pin and has a concavely curved surface adapted to the cylindrical curvature of the surface of the pin.

Abstract: A housing for a railway car draft gear assembly for cushioning buff and draft shocks includes a rear portion engageable with the rear stops of such railway car and a front portion configured for attachment to a coupler arm. Opposed ends of the front and rear portions are provided with complimentary flanges for removable attachment of the front portion to the rear portion with threaded fasteners.

Abstract: An emergency release mechanism for a railway drawbar, which reduces stress in two piece machine bolts inserts in emergency release mechanisms, includes a two sided threaded stud which screws into a release rail using one of the threaded stud ends, passes through a drawbar body, and is secured to the drawbar body by a nut screwed onto the other threaded stud end.

Abstract: An extended end-sill assembly for a railcar, which assembly is produced by mating a front-sill casting and back-sill casting having a transition region therebetween wherein the endsill includes a cast-in-place center plate, a support arrangement for a cushioning apparatus and a wide-mouthed end for greater lateral travel of the coupler shank arm, and such dual casting assembly is inapposite to present production of such endsill assemblies that require fabrication of numerous plates, pieces and braces.

Abstract: The invention relates to an arrangement for a train system consisting of vehicles capable of connection in a row, which exhibit lifting devices to permit them to be lifted between a lowered position enabling them to be driven under loading cassettes functioning as load carriers and a raised position enabling the vehicles to be driven on a base with the load supported between designated loading locations on land or on a ship, in conjunction with which connecting devices are so arranged as to connect the vehicles together with one another in pairs. The aforementioned connecting devices are formed by telescopic bars, which are supported in such a way as to be capable of pivoting both vertically and horizontally.

Abstract: A bearing block for use in combination with a slackless drawbar coupler assembly for joining railway cars, wherein the bearing block is adapted for use in pivotally attaching a drawbar to a drawbar pivot pin and the drawbar is provided with a generally rectangular aperture through which such drawbar pivot pin is inserted, the bearing block comprising, a generally three-sided body having three generally rectangular side surfaces adapted to engage against the side surfaces of the generally rectangular aperture, and includes a fourth surface defining a concave cylindrical surface adapted to engage against a cylindrical side surface of the drawbar pivot pin, such that when properly inserted into the drawbar assembly, the drawbar will bias the cylindrical surface against the pivot pin.

Abstract: A coupler is provided for a railroad rotary dump car. The coupler comprises a coupler housing, a coupler head, a buff loading shim, and as most preferred, a plurality of spring tabs, and spring tab fasteners. The coupler housing defines a coupler cavity with a cavity end. The coupler head has a spindle, is mounted to the coupler housing, and is adapted for rotary movement relative to the housing. The spindle has a spindle end adjacent the cavity end. The shim interposes the spindle end and the cavity end. The spring tabs are spaced one from another. Each includes a spring portion and a fastener portion. The fastener portions provide for removable fastening of the spring tabs to the coupler housing. The spring portions bias the shim against the cavity end and away from the spring tabs. The spring portions are curved relative to the fastener portions. The spring tab fasteners removably fasten the spring tabs along the fastener portions to the coupler housing adjacent the shim.

Abstract: A lightweight and topless draft arm is disclosed for use in a railway car. The draft arm includes an open top surface with the metal layer removed, lateral support members and tiebars transversing the side walls for greater draft arm strength, and thinner side walls below the keyslots. Removal of the top surface of the draft arm eliminates the traditional double layer of material formed by the bottom of the car body and the top of the draft arm. Effectively, the bottom of the car body becomes the top of the draft arm resulting in a lighter weight railway car.

Abstract: A railroad car coupling mechanism is described as having a yoke which is disposed within, I) a carsill which is attached to the underside of a railroad car adjacent each of the opposing ends of the car, and II) a striker which is secured to the subsill and railroad car. The striker and carsill carry front and rear stops between which the yoke extends and engages the front stops. At least one resilient load cushing device is disposed between the straps of the yoke for cushioning loads impacting the car coupling mechanism. At least one wedging device is disposed within the yoke straps, in tandem, with the load cushioning device, for taking up any slack which develops from worn parts within the yoke. At least one wedging mechanism is disposed outside the yoke between the back end of the yoke and the rear stops to, likewise, take up slack and insure that the yoke remains firmly, in place, between the front and rear stops.

Abstract: A coupler yoke for a coupler of a railway vehicle is constructed with a nose portion which is reinforced by a raised region which surrounds the forward end of the key slot. A tapered buttress extends along the length of both sides of the key slot. The width and depth of the buttress increase from minima at the rearward end of the key slot, and merge with the raised region reinforcing the nose of the yoke.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a railway car coupler arrangement whereby a standard yoke, follower, and draft gear are removed from the center sill and replaced with a short yoke member, a spacer block member and slackless drawbar arrangement, namely, a pocket casting wedge shim, and follwer, easily converting the coupler arrangement to a drawbar arrangement without modifying the center sill. The short yoke member, spacer block and slackless arrangement fit exactly within the space formerly occupied by the draft gear pocket casing. The drawbar arrangement maintains the same degrees of angling freedom as the coupler since the drawbar is connected and pivoted from the same pin location as when the coupler was installed. The short yoke member is also designed to more uniformly distribute draft loads to the center sill by transferring forces from the connecting pin into the short yoke member, which in turn transfers those forces into abutting center sill front stops, left intact from the coupler arrangement.

Abstract: A slackless railcar connection system includes a gravity wedge shim that has an extension means extending upwardly from the broad edge of the shim through an opening in a railcar center sill. A reference post may also be located adjacent the opening to visibly indicate the degree of wear of the wedge.

Abstract: A slackless railcar connector system includes a gravity wedge shim that has a tail piece extending from the narrow edge of the sim through an aligning groove in a sill pocket casting, or the like. A biasing member may also be located adjacent the aligning groove to engage the tail piece.

Abstract: A railroad car having universal coupling capability through provision of a coupling arrangement which permits connection to a standard coupler or a drawbar is disclosed. The coupling arrangement includes facing sill side frames which define key slots and spaced stops to accommodate force transfer of traction and buff loads from either a coupler or a drawbar.

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 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 railway draft sill and slackless draft assembly including a pair of lengthwise spaced draft sills having a drawbar extending therebetween. One of the drawbar ends is connected for rotation relative to one of the draft sills and the other end is fixed against rotation relative to the other draft sill. Slack take-up structure is are provided to maintain bearing surfaces at the respective attachment ends in engagement when wear occurs.

Abstract: An articulated railroad car including a plurality of platforms each supported by a single axle wheel truck at each end. The platforms are connected to rigid drawbars which allow relative motion therebetween in both horizontal and vertical directions. The drawbars and the platforms have cooperable surfaces which engage when the car is being pushed and tend to align the platforms and drawbars to prevent jackknifing and derailment.

Abstract: A railway coupler connection is provided for use in a coupler shank-yoke or a drawbar-yoke configuration. Self adjusting slack reduction is provided by a wedge shaped shim or an angled follower block. Vertical and horizontal angling of the coupler connection is provided for by the curved shape of the contacting surfaces of the butt portion of the shank or drawbar and the follower block and the yoke.

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 drawbar assembly comprising a drawbar and a buffing block device constructed and arranged so as to provide a turning moment which tends to align the horizontally displaced adjacent ends of the railway vehicle to which the drawbar is connected when said drawbar is operating under buff loading.

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 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.

Abstract: A rotary railway car coupler has a shank with a butt end portion for mounting to a coupler yoke and a head end portion on its opposite end portion. A coupler head has a guard arm side portion, a knuckle side portion and a knuckle mounted therewith for cooperative connection with another mating railway car coupler. The shank has on its head end portion a mount for rotatably mounting the coupler head. A mount within the coupler head rotatably connects the coupler head and the coupler shank for rotation of the coupler head relative to the shank.

Abstract: A rotary railroad car coupler and attached draft gear are provided with strategically located stops for maintaining a predetermined clearance between the butt end of the shank of the coupler and the adjacent front follower of the draft gear when the coupler is in a neutral position intermediate the buff and pull positions, whereby an operator can readily mount the coupler to the yoke of the draft gear, especially in a side entry pivot pin arrangement where it becomes necessary to rotate the car coupler.

Abstract: A coupler having a coupler head and a shank which extends from the coupler head and terminates at a butt end adjacent which a pinhole is formed for receiving a pivot pin that is used to pivotally mount the coupler on a railroad car, mine car, etc. A semi-cylindrical recess is formed in the backside of the pinhole closest the butt end of the shank for receiving a matingly configured wearplate that is held captive in the recess between the pivot pin and adjacent butt end of the shank. The wearplate is composed of an ultra high molecular weight polymer.

Abstract: A rotary type railroad car coupler is provided with a symmetrical and invertible yoke. A yoke collar, constructed so as to be capable of being reversible, is disposed within a cavity of the yoke. In one preferred embodiment, a pin connecting a shank of the coupler to the yoke collar is positioned so as to be equidistant from both ends of the yoke collar. Thus, as one end of the yoke collar becomes worn, the collar can be reversed. Improved yoke collar service life is obtained.

Abstract: The invention relates to a rapid transit draft rigging for an automatic coupler wherein a draft gear cushioning device is held within a pocket of a housing exterior to a drawbar that will release by a predetermined force to provide long free travel, permitting the coupler and draft gear arrangement to move out of the way so that they are not damaged by an accident that deforms the end of the car.

Abstract: A wear plate is disclosed herein for use in a railway car center sill to prevent or minimize wearing of the upper bearing surface of each of the horizontal key slots, due to the rubbing action of a draft key. The wear plate includes an elongated wear face which is positioned between the upper bearing surface and key and covers the upper bearing surface. At least one upwardly-extending flange is provided for securing the wear plate to the center sill and for maintaining the wear face in position to protect the upper bearing surface.

Abstract: An "E" type coupler for a railway car has a key connecting the coupler shank to an end-of-car cushioning unit. The cushioning unit has a slidable end cap housing assembly receiving the coupler shank and a slot extending through the shank and one side of that housing assembly to receive and mount the coupler key. An inner recess in the other opposed side of the housing assembly recess receives the key in abutting relation to such other side and a retainer on the other side contacts and retains the key in the housing assembly.

Abstract: The keyslot of a railway coupler shank is modified to eliminate the interference between the coupler shank and draft key during conditions of buff or draft during vertical curve negotiation of the cars when traversing uneven track. The upper and lower walls of the keyslot diverge from the rear bearing surface of the keyslot adjacent the butt of the coupler shank. Thus the keyslot opening is wider in the front portion than at the rear portion.