Knuckle pin for railway car coupler

Abstract

An improved knuckle pin for use in a railway car coupling is illustrated and described. In one example, the pin comprises a shank extending along a longitudinal axis and having a first end. A head is positioned on the first end of the shank, and includes an abutment surface and a top surface opposite the abutment surface. At least one lug extends from the top surface of the head along the longitudinal axis to provide a point of engagement for a hand or hand tool to allow rotation of the pin about the longitudinal axis.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 636,841, filed Apr. 23, 2012, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]This invention generally relates to a knuckle pin for exemplary use in a railway car coupler assembly.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Knuckle coupler assemblies are well known in the railway industry to attach one railway car to another. Each railway car to be connected to another railway car has a coupler. The two couplers of adjacent railway cars to be coupled each have a knuckle mortised into a body of the coupler, which is pivotally attached to the coupler body with a knuckle pin slipped through respective axially aligned apertures of the coupler body and the knuckle. When the couplers are brought into engagement, the knuckles each pivot about a respective knuckle pin and snap closed on each other to connect the railway cars. In this ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent text describes an improved knuckle pin that can be easily engaged and rotated by hand or with a hand tool to manipulate its position. This makes it convenient for railroad workers to access the retaining member for easy installation and removal of the knuckle pin, or to free it from a stuck or jammed condition within the knuckle coupler. The technical effect is to improve the efficiency and ease-of-use of the knuckle pin.

Problems solved by technology

Over time, it may become difficult to attain alignment of the apertures formed by the connection of the two knuckles and coupler bodies because of metal wear in the knuckle pin.

Misalignment of the apertures of the knuckle and coupler body reduces the area size of the overall aperture for receiving the railroad pin, making installation of the railroad pin more difficult for the railroad worker during connection of the railway cars.

However, the knuckle pins may become stuck or jammed by friction within the apertures of the knuckle and coupler body during normal operation due to forces applied on the pin and the positioning of the railway cars, making the knuckle pins difficult to remove.

The traditional dome or pan-shaped heads of conventional knuckle pins, however, make it difficult to manipulate or rotate the knuckle pin.

The continued motion of the railway cars can wear into a specific area of the cotter pin which can cause fatigue and breakage of the cotter pin material.

During normal operation and movement of the railway cars, the knuckle pins often rotate, which can in turn rotate the cotter pin into a position where it is difficult for a railroad worker to access the cotter pin for removal.

Once again, however, the traditional dome or pan-shaped heads of conventional knuckle pins make it difficult to manipulate or rotate the knuckle pin into a position where the cotter pin is easily accessible.

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