Cushion couplers for railway cars

Claim 1

A RAILWAY CAR COUPLER COMPRISING A COUPLING HEAD ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE USUAL DRAFT AND BUFF FORCES, A PRIMARY SHANK CONNECTED AT THE OUTER END THEREOF TO SAID COUPLING HEAD, A SECONDARY SHANK ARRANGED INWARDLY OF AND IN SUBSTANTIAL LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID PRIMARY SHANK, LOST-MOTION MECHANISM INTERCONNECTING THE INNER END OF SAID PRIMARY SHANK AND THE OUITER END OF SAID SECONDARY SHANK AND MOUNTING SAID SHANKS FOR LIMITED RELATIVE LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENTS AND ESTABLISHING A NORMAL POSITION FOR SAID PRIMARY SHANK WITH RESPECT TO SAID SECONDARY SHANK, CUSHION MECHANISM INTERCONNECTING THE INNER END OF SAID PRIMARY SHANK AND THE OUTER END OF SAID SECONDARY SHANK AND BIASING SID PRIMARY SHANK INTO ITS NORMAL POSITION AND RESILIENTLY OPPOSING INWARD LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PRIMARY SHANK OUT OF ITS NORMAL POSITION, FRICTION MECHANISM INTERCONNECTING THE INNER END OF SAID PRIMARY SHANK AND THE OUTER END OF SAID SECONDARY SHANK, SAID FRICTION MECHANISM INCLUDING FRICTIONALLY ENGAGING ELEMENTS OPPOSING INWARD LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PRIMARY SHANK OUT OF ITS NORMAL POSITION, SAID LOSTMOTION MECHANISM BEING ARRANGED TO ACCOMMODATE NO SUBSTANTIAL OUTWARD LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PRIMARY SHANK OUT OF ITS NORMAL POSITION AND TO ACCOMMODATE SAID LIMITED INWARD LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID PRIMARY SHANK OUT OF ITS NORMAL POSITION, WHEREBY A DRAFT FORCE APPLIED TO SAID COUPLING HEAD IS TRANSMITTED FROM SAID PRIMARY SHANK TO SAID SECONDARY SHANK BY SAID LOSTMOTION MECHANISM AND INDEPENDENTLY OF BOTH SAID CUSHION MECHANISM AND SAID FRICTION MECHANISM, WHEREBY A BUFF FORCE APPLIED TO SAID COUPLING HEAD IS TRANSMITTED FROM SAID PRIMARY SHANK TO SAID SECONDARY SHANK JOINTLY BY SAID CUSHION MECHANISM AND BY SAID FRICTION MECHANISM ACTING IN PARALLEL RELATION WITH EACH OTHER AND INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID LOST-MOTION MECHANISM, AND A CONNECTOR CARRIED BY THE INNER END OF SAID SECONDARY SHANK AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO COOPERATING CONVENTIONAL DRAFT GEAR.