US3561611A — End of car impact absorbing device

Claim 1

Independent Claim 318 words

An end of car impact absorbing device for use with a railway car draft sill having spaced vertical sidewalls, the device having an impact absorbing hydraulic reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, a piston rod connected to the piston in the combination and projecting from the rod end thereof, a coupler yoke connected to the outer end of the piston rod and normally spaced from the combination, a coupler connected to the yoke, the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, piston rod and coupler yoke being mounted within the draft sill with the coupler yoke slidable therein, and a spring assembly connected to restore the coupler yoke and coupler to normal position after a buff movement of the device, the improvement comprising: a pair of abutments carried by the walls of the draft sill and against which the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination is abutted at the head end thereof, sideward projections on the coupler yoke; a pair of stop blocks carried by the walls of the draft sill on their inner faces and positioned between the rod end of the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination and said coupler yoke projections and against which said projections strike to limit the movement of the coupler yoke and coupler in buff; a plurality of draft bars carried by the draft sill sidewalls on their outer faces and having their outer ends projecting into the sill; vertical stop pads secured to the inner faces of the draft sill sidewalls and to said inwardly projecting ends of said plurality of draft bars and against which said sideward coupler yoke projections abut during draft and when the device is in normal position; and the spring assembly comprises a spring tube, a fixed retainer adjacent one end of said tube, a movable retainer adjacent the opposite end of said tube, a compression spring acting between said retainers, said movable retainer being affixed to a sleeve slidable on said tube, and means securing said sleeve to the coupler yoke.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 318 words

An end of car impact absorbing device for use with a railway car draft sill having spaced vertical sidewalls, the device having an impact absorbing hydraulic reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, a piston rod connected to the piston in the combination and projecting from the rod end thereof, a coupler yoke connected to the outer end of the piston rod and normally spaced from the combination, a coupler connected to the yoke, the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, piston rod and coupler yoke being mounted within the draft sill with the coupler yoke slidable therein, and a spring assembly connected to restore the coupler yoke and coupler to normal position after a buff movement of the device, the improvement comprising: a pair of abutments carried by the walls of the draft sill and against which the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination is abutted at the head end thereof, sideward projections on the coupler yoke; a pair of stop blocks carried by the walls of the draft sill on their inner faces and positioned between the rod end of the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination and said coupler yoke projections and against which said projections strike to limit the movement of the coupler yoke and coupler in buff; a plurality of draft bars carried by the draft sill sidewalls on their outer faces and having their outer ends projecting into the sill; vertical stop pads secured to the inner faces of the draft sill sidewalls and to said inwardly projecting ends of said plurality of draft bars and against which said sideward coupler yoke projections abut during draft and when the device is in normal position; and the spring assembly comprises a spring tube, a fixed retainer adjacent one end of said tube, a movable retainer adjacent the opposite end of said tube, a compression spring acting between said retainers, said movable retainer being affixed to a sleeve slidable on said tube, and means securing said sleeve to the coupler yoke.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 219 words

An end of car impact absorbing device comprising, in combination: a railway car sill having spaced sidewalls; an impact absorbing hydraulic piston and cylinder cushioning unit mounted in substantially fixed relation in said sill between said walls, said unit having a movable piston rod projecting From one end thereof; a coupler yoke operatively connected to the outer end of said piston rod and slidably supported in said sill, said yoke having projections extending integrally from opposite sides thereof toward said walls; and abutment means rigidly secured to said walls and extending inwardly therefrom to provide first, second, third, and fourth pairs of abutment faces, said first pair of abutment faces being adjacent the opposite end of said unit for transmitting buff forces from said unit to said sill during a buff stroke of said unit, said second pair of abutment faces being adjacent said one end of said unit for retaining the latter against draft forces imposed on said piston rod, said third pair of abutment faces being engageable by said projections upon conclusion of a buff stroke of said unit for transmitting residual buff forces directly to said sill, and said fourth pair of abutment faces being engageable by said projections in response to draft forces imposed on said yoke for transmitting draft forces directly to said sill.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 219 words

An end of car impact absorbing device comprising, in combination: a railway car sill having spaced sidewalls; an impact absorbing hydraulic piston and cylinder cushioning unit mounted in substantially fixed relation in said sill between said walls, said unit having a movable piston rod projecting From one end thereof; a coupler yoke operatively connected to the outer end of said piston rod and slidably supported in said sill, said yoke having projections extending integrally from opposite sides thereof toward said walls; and abutment means rigidly secured to said walls and extending inwardly therefrom to provide first, second, third, and fourth pairs of abutment faces, said first pair of abutment faces being adjacent the opposite end of said unit for transmitting buff forces from said unit to said sill during a buff stroke of said unit, said second pair of abutment faces being adjacent said one end of said unit for retaining the latter against draft forces imposed on said piston rod, said third pair of abutment faces being engageable by said projections upon conclusion of a buff stroke of said unit for transmitting residual buff forces directly to said sill, and said fourth pair of abutment faces being engageable by said projections in response to draft forces imposed on said yoke for transmitting draft forces directly to said sill.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 76 words

The device of claim 2 further characterized in that said abutment means includes a first pair of stop members secured to said walls at the opposite end of said unit, said first pair of stop members providing said first pair of abutment faces, and a second pair of stop members secured to said walls at said one end of said unit, said second pair of stop members providing said second and third pairs of abutment faces.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 35 words

The device of claim 3 further characterized in that said abutment means also includes a plurality of draft bars secured to said walls and having inwardly projecting ends comprising said fourth pair of abutment faces.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 33 words

The device of claim 4 further characterized in that stop pads are carried by the inwardly projecting ends of said draft bars and the walls of said sill for engagement by said projections.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 33 words

The device of claim 2 further characterized by the provision of return spring means operatively coacting between said sill and said yoke for restoring the yoke to normal position after a buff impact.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 65 words

The device of claim 6 further characterized in that said return spring means comprises an elongated guide, a fixed retainer rigidly secured to said sill at one end of said guide, a movable retainer slidably disposed on said guide at the opposite end thereof, means interconnecting said movable retainer and said yoke, and a compression spring mounted on said guide and coacting between said retainers.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 34 words

The device of claim 7 further characterized in that said guide comprises a tube, said movable retainer is affixed to a sleeve slidable on said tube, and said sleeve is interconnected with said yoke.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 238 words

An end of car impact absorbing device for use with a railway car draft sill having spaced vertical sidewalls, the device having an impact absorbing hydraulic reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, a piston rod connected to the piston in the combination and projecting from the rod end thereof, a coupler yoke connected to the outer end of the piston rod and normally spaced from the combination, a coupler connected to the yoke, the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, piston rod and coupler yoke being mounted with the draft sill with the coupler yoke slidable therein, and a spring assembly connected to restore the coupler yoke and coupler to normal position after a buff movement of the device, the improvement comprising: means on the interior of the draft sill and engageable by the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination to transmit forces in buff and draft from the combination to the draft sill; draft means comprising a plurality of draft bars carried by and secured to the outer surfaces of the draft sill sidewalls and having their outer ends projecting into the sill, and stop pads carried by said ends; and a pair of sideward projections on the coupler yoke engageable with a part of said first named means to terminate the buff movement of the coupler yoke and coupler, said projections having stop bolts with elastomer covered heads engageable with said stop pads to transmit draft forces directly from the coupler and coupler yoke to the draft sill.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 238 words

An end of car impact absorbing device for use with a railway car draft sill having spaced vertical sidewalls, the device having an impact absorbing hydraulic reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, a piston rod connected to the piston in the combination and projecting from the rod end thereof, a coupler yoke connected to the outer end of the piston rod and normally spaced from the combination, a coupler connected to the yoke, the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, piston rod and coupler yoke being mounted with the draft sill with the coupler yoke slidable therein, and a spring assembly connected to restore the coupler yoke and coupler to normal position after a buff movement of the device, the improvement comprising: means on the interior of the draft sill and engageable by the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination to transmit forces in buff and draft from the combination to the draft sill; draft means comprising a plurality of draft bars carried by and secured to the outer surfaces of the draft sill sidewalls and having their outer ends projecting into the sill, and stop pads carried by said ends; and a pair of sideward projections on the coupler yoke engageable with a part of said first named means to terminate the buff movement of the coupler yoke and coupler, said projections having stop bolts with elastomer covered heads engageable with said stop pads to transmit draft forces directly from the coupler and coupler yoke to the draft sill.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 254 words

An end of car impact absorbing device for use with a railway car draft sill having spaced vertical sidewalls, the device having an impact absorbing hydraulic reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, a piston rod connected to the piston in the combination and projecting from the rod end thereof, a coupler yoke connected to the outer end of the piston rod and normally spaced from the combination, a coupler connected to the yoke, the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, piston rod and coupler yoke being mounted within the draft sill with the coupler yoke slidable therein, and a spring assembly connected to restore the coupler yoke and coupler to normal position after a buff movement of the device, the improvement comprising: means on the interior of the draft sill and engageable by the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination to transmit forces in buff and draft from the combination to the draft sill; draft means carried by the draft sill and projecting into the sill; means on the coupler yoke engageable with a part of said first-named means to terminate the buff movement of the coupler yoke and coupler and engageable with said draft means to transmit draft forces directly from the coupler and coupler yoke to the draft sill; and said spring assembly comprising a spring tube, a fixed retainer adjacent one end of said tube, a movable retainer adjacent the opposite end of said tube, a compression spring acting between said retainers, said movable retainer being affixed to a sleeve slidable on said tube, and means securing said sleeve to the coupler yoke.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 254 words

An end of car impact absorbing device for use with a railway car draft sill having spaced vertical sidewalls, the device having an impact absorbing hydraulic reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, a piston rod connected to the piston in the combination and projecting from the rod end thereof, a coupler yoke connected to the outer end of the piston rod and normally spaced from the combination, a coupler connected to the yoke, the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination, piston rod and coupler yoke being mounted within the draft sill with the coupler yoke slidable therein, and a spring assembly connected to restore the coupler yoke and coupler to normal position after a buff movement of the device, the improvement comprising: means on the interior of the draft sill and engageable by the reservoir-cylinder-piston combination to transmit forces in buff and draft from the combination to the draft sill; draft means carried by the draft sill and projecting into the sill; means on the coupler yoke engageable with a part of said first-named means to terminate the buff movement of the coupler yoke and coupler and engageable with said draft means to transmit draft forces directly from the coupler and coupler yoke to the draft sill; and said spring assembly comprising a spring tube, a fixed retainer adjacent one end of said tube, a movable retainer adjacent the opposite end of said tube, a compression spring acting between said retainers, said movable retainer being affixed to a sleeve slidable on said tube, and means securing said sleeve to the coupler yoke.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1974-02-08	1974-08-10	1975-02-09	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1978-02-08	1978-08-10	1979-02-09	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1982-02-08	1982-08-10	1983-02-09	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

End of car impact absorbing device

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