Automatic train line connector

Claim 2

In a railway coupler assembly including a mechanical coupler, an automatic train line connector comprising a housing mountable on the mechanical coupler, a coupler member having a head and aligning means on said head for aligning during and interlocking on coupling with a head of a mating coupler member, positioning means supporting said coupler member within said housing, said positioning means uniformly providing for limited relative horizontal and universal movement of said coupler member therein, and means acting between said housing and member for holding said member when uncoupled in coupling position.

Claim 3

An automatic train line connector according to claim 1, wherein the housing is fixed to and suspended from a head of the mechanical coupler, the coupler member includes a shank rigid with and extending rearwardly from the head thereof, and the positioning means include cooperating means on the shank and housing for limiting relative rotation therebetween, means on the shank inside and seatable in a rearwardly facing seat in the housing, and spring means acting against the housing and forwardly on said inside means for normally yieldably holding said inside means in said seat.

Claim 4

An automatic train line connector according to claim 2, wherein the shank extends rearwardly from the head of the coupler member longitudinally through the housing, and including a gimbal mounted in the housing and universally mounting said shank therein.

Claim 5

An automatic train line connector according to claim 3, including laterally spaced arms rigid with and upstanding from the housing and embracing and fixed to surfaces at opposite sides of the head of the mechanical coupler, passage means extending longitudinally through the shank and opening forwardly onto a front face of the head of the coupler member and connected rearwardly to within car train air line means, said shank extending through and being slidable longitudinally in a central aperture in an inner ring of the gimbal, a front wall on said housing and having an aperture longitudinally aligned with said central aperture and of a diameter to pass and accommodate relative angling of the shank, a rearwardly facing concave seat in said wall about said aperture therein, collar means fixed to the shank between the gimbal and said front wall and having a forwardly facing correspondingly convex surface seatable in said seat, spring means acting longitudinally between said inner ring and said collar means for normally seating said surface in said seat and longitudinally aligning the shank therewith, and key means on and radially outstanding from the shank and received over the range of relative longitudinal movement of the shank and housing in slot means in said inner ring opening outwardly from said central aperture for limiting relative rotation of the shank and housing.

Claim 6

An automatic train line connector according to claim 1, including spring means acting forwardly on the coupler member and normally yieldably holding a front face of the head forwardly of the coupling line of the mechanical coupler, and wedge means on the head separate from said aligning means and on coupling wedgeable by said spring means longitudinally against wedge means on a head of a mating coupler member for holding said heads in longitudinal alignment despite wear of engaging surfaces.

Claim 7

An automatic train line connector according to claim 5, wherein the aligning means on the head are a plurality of aligning wings extending forwardly from the head''s front face and a plurality of seats circumferentially spacing and alternating about the front face with said wings, and the wedge means are wedging surfaces in said seats and wedging faces on insides of said wings.

Claim 8

An automatic train line connector according to claim 6, wherein the wedging surfaces and faces are frustoconical and taper at the same angle respectively forwardly and rearwardly toward the front face.

Claim 9

An automatic train line connector according to claim 7, wherein there are a multiplicity of each of the aligning wings and seats all of the same width.

Claim 10

An automatic train line connector according to claim 7, including air and electric train line connecting elements mounted in the head and normally projecting forwardly from the front face thereof and each connected to the related train line.

Claim 11

An automatic train line connector according to claim 9, wherein the coupler member includes a shank fixed at the front to the head and extending rearwardly therefrom longitudinally through the housing for mounting the coupler member therein, the shank has a central bore extending longitudinally therethrough and connected at the rear to a train air line and opening at the front centrally onto the head''s front face, and the electric-coupling elements are a plurality of contacts insulatedly mounted in and extending through the head outwardly of the shank and spaced about the gasket.

Claim 12

An automatic train air line connector according to claim 9, including cylindrical surfaces on the head and wings and engageable in a coupling operation with mating surfaces on a mating coupler member prior to contact of the connecting elements of said coupler members for squaring said elements for and eliminating lateral thrust thereon on contact thereof.