Railroad Coupler Mount Using Pivoting Lever Fulcrum
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional railroad coupler mounts are heavy, protrude beyond the equipment, and complicate installation and removal, posing safety and ergonomic issues by interfering with coupler mating and requiring complex manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight, compact coupler mount that clamps to vertical coring holes using a pivoting lever with a U- or V-shaped notch, utilizing the coupler rib as a fulcrum, and is spring-loaded for easy installation and removal, allowing quick attachment and detachment without impeding coupler mating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional claw-like mechanisms are used to span adjacent coring hole pairs, then the mount can be anchored to the coupler, but the mount becomes larger and heavier and protrudes beyond the equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the mounting function from the horizontal span between coring holes and relocates it to the vertical dimension by using the rib between coring holes as a fulcrum. The lever pivots vertically on the rib, allowing the mount to attach using only the vertical coring hole span rather than requiring horizontal spanning, thereby eliminating the need for large protruding claws.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the dimension of the mounting mechanism from horizontal spanning to vertical pivoting. By using the rib as a vertical fulcrum and having the lever pivot in the vertical plane, the mount transitions from requiring horizontal space to utilizing vertical space, resulting in a compact profile that does not protrude beyond the equipment.
2Reliability
If conventional claw-like mechanisms are used to span adjacent coring hole pairs, then the mount can be anchored to the coupler, but the mount becomes larger and heavier
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the anchoring function from complex horizontal claws and simplifies it to a vertical lever pivoting on the rib. This reduces the structural complexity by eliminating the need for large spanning components while maintaining reliable anchoring through the lever's engagement with the coring hole and rib.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using horizontal claws that span outward from the coupler, the invention inverts the approach by using a vertical lever that pivots inward on the rib. This inversion creates a compact structure that achieves anchoring without the complexity of large horizontal spanning components.
3Reliability
If mounts use side-by-side coring holes, then anchoring is achieved, but the mount is heavier and often protrudes beyond the equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the protruding mounting structure and replaces it with a compact vertical lever system. By pivoting the lever on the rib rather than spanning horizontally, the mount eliminates protrusions that would interfere with carrying equipment, improving safety and ergonomics while maintaining anchoring reliability.
4Reliability
If complex mounting mechanisms are used, then secure attachment is achieved, but installation and removal become slow and tedious
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces dynamics by using a spring-loaded lever that can quickly pivot between locked and unlocked positions. The spring provides automatic return force, allowing the lever to be quickly released by simply moving it out of the locked position, thereby enabling fast installation and removal while maintaining secure attachment during use.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring mechanism provides self-service by automatically returning the lever to its locked position after installation, eliminating the need for manual adjustment or complex fastening procedures. This self-locking feature secures the mount quickly without requiring time-consuming manual operations.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a safe, ergonomic, and efficient means to attach and detach equipment from railroad couplers, minimizing protrusions and simplifying the manufacturing process while ensuring quick and easy installation and removal, thus enhancing safety and usability.
Implementation Method 1
A lever is pivotally engaged to a frame of the mount with the lever axis of rotation substantially parallel to the coupler axis. The lever is forcefully pivoted by a screw mechanism for clamping the lever to the coupler.
Implementation Method 2
A spring-loaded lever with a U- or V-shaped notch grips the coupler rib and pivots on the notch using the rib as a fulcrum.
Data Source
AI summary
An improved railroad coupler mount for attaching equipment, such as an end-of-train device (EOT), marker light, test gear, etc., to a railroad coupler. The mount is comprised of a pivoting lever with brace (a V- or U-shaped notch) that grips the rib between vertically spaced coupler coring holes and a lever tip that contacts the inner wall of the coupler top coring hole, a pad that bears against the exterior face of the coupler guard arm side and a mechanism that forcibly pivots the lever tip towards the pad on an axis roughly parallel to the coupler axis.