US3773186A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Air hose coupling with electrical connector
Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Co
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Filing: 1972-03-20
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Granted: 1973-11-20
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Expires: 1992-03-20
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to an air hose coupling for use on railway cars. This hose coupling has embodied therein a snapacting mechanism operated cojointly by a Belleville spring and an inflatable tube member inflated by the fluid under pressure passing through a pair of coupled hose couplings for reciprocating a plurality of electrical contact members within corresponding bores extending inward from the face of each respective hose coupling so that the contact members carried by each respective hose coupling quickly make and break contact with the corresponding contact members carried by the other hose coupling thereby eliminating arcing and burning of these contacts thus considerably lengthening their useful life.
Inventors
- 👤 W Reno
- 👤 F Temple
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 09:06
CPC Classifications
B; B61; B61G; B61G5/00; B61G5/06
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
260 words
An air hose coupling for a railway car having a fluid pressure conduit and a plurality of electrical conduits extending from end to end thereof connectable to an air hose coupling at the adjacent end of another railway car having a fluid pressure conduit and a plurality of electrical conduits extending from end to end of said another car, said air hose coupling comprising: a. a hollow hose coupling body having a face provided with an opening for the passage therethrough of fluid under pressure from said fluid pressure conduit and a plurality of arcuatelyspaced bores disposed about said opening, one end of each of which bores terminates at said face, b. a contact member slidably mounted in each of said bores in insulated relationship with said body and being electrically connected to one of said plurality of electrical conduits, c. spring means for moving said contact members in a circuit opening direction, d. fluid pressure means responsive to fluid under pressure supplied through said air hose coupling subsequent to being coupled to another air hose coupling for moving said contact members in a circuit closing direction against the yielding resistance of said spring means, and e. toggle means interposed between said spring means and said fluid pressure means and resiliently connected to said contact members so as to be effective accordingly as said fluid pressure means provides a force thereon that exceeds or is less than a force provided thereon by said spring means to cause snap-action movement of said contact members respectively in their circuit-closing and circuit-opening directions.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
260 words
An air hose coupling for a railway car having a fluid pressure conduit and a plurality of electrical conduits extending from end to end thereof connectable to an air hose coupling at the adjacent end of another railway car having a fluid pressure conduit and a plurality of electrical conduits extending from end to end of said another car, said air hose coupling comprising: a. a hollow hose coupling body having a face provided with an opening for the passage therethrough of fluid under pressure from said fluid pressure conduit and a plurality of arcuatelyspaced bores disposed about said opening, one end of each of which bores terminates at said face, b. a contact member slidably mounted in each of said bores in insulated relationship with said body and being electrically connected to one of said plurality of electrical conduits, c. spring means for moving said contact members in a circuit opening direction, d. fluid pressure means responsive to fluid under pressure supplied through said air hose coupling subsequent to being coupled to another air hose coupling for moving said contact members in a circuit closing direction against the yielding resistance of said spring means, and e. toggle means interposed between said spring means and said fluid pressure means and resiliently connected to said contact members so as to be effective accordingly as said fluid pressure means provides a force thereon that exceeds or is less than a force provided thereon by said spring means to cause snap-action movement of said contact members respectively in their circuit-closing and circuit-opening directions.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
113 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that said hose coupling body comprises a pair of hollow casing sections, one of said casing sections having said face formed thereon and being provided with said plurality of arcuately-spaced bores extending inward from said face, in each of which bores is slidably mounted a contact member in insulated relationship with said one casing section, and the other of said casing sections being provided with a corresponding number of bores through each of which extends one of said plurality of electrical conduits for connection with a corresponding contact member, said one casing section being removably secured to said other casing section.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 1, further characterized by a bushing of electrical insulating material disposed in each of said arcuately spaced bores in said hose coupling body to electrically insulate each of said contact members from said hose coupling body.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
95 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that said hollow hose coupling body is provided with a pair of concentric annular grooves and a plurality of slots extending between said grooves, the other end of each of said plurality of arcuately-spaced bores opening into one of said grooves, said spring means and said fluid pressure means being disposed in the other of said grooves, and said toggle means extending through said slots and operatively connecting said contact membeRs with said spring means and said fluid pressure means for movement thereby.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
253 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that an annular member has each of said contact members insulated therefrom and removably secured thereto for movement therewith and is provided with a plurality of resilient tabs, and said toggle means comprises a plurality of toggle arms, one end of each of said arms being pivotally connected to a corresponding one of said tabs and the opposite end disposed between said spring means and said fluid pressure means, said arms being so arranged as to be moved, by said fluid pressure means in response to the supply of fluid under pressure thereto, from one inclined position to an oppositely inclined position to effect a change in the direction of the force transmitted through each of said arms to a corresponding one of said resilient tabs whereby a component of each of said forces is transmitted through a corresponding tab to move said annular member and said contact members with a snap-action from one position to another position, and to be moved by said spring means in response to the release of fluid under pressure from said fluid pressure means from said oppositely inclined position to said one inclined position to effect a change in the direction of the forces transmitted through said arms to said tabs whereby a component of each of said forces is transmitted through a corresponding tab to move said annular member and said contact members with a snap-action from said another position to said one position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
193 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that said toggle means comprises: a. a plurality of toggle arms each having an elliptical head at one end and a spring-like clip at the other, b. a plurality of arcuately spaced-apart U-shaped members interposed between said spring means and said fluid pressure means, each receiving therein the elliptical head of a corresponding one of said plurality of toggle arms, c. means constraining said U-shaped members to move in opposite directions parallel to the direction of movement of said contact members, and d. a plurality of resilient tabs, each connected at one end to a corresponding contact member and having at the other end a ball-like member received in the spring-like clip of a corresponding toggle arm, said resilient tabs each being effective to be deflected by a force transmitted thereto from said corresponding toggle arm in response to movement of said U-shaped members in said opposite directions, and when so deflected to transmit a component of said force to said corresponding contact member to cause said snap-action movement of all of said contact members in each direction to occur simultaneously.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
77 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 1, further characterized in that said fluid pressure means comprises an annular resilient inflatable member, circular in cross-section when inflated, and having integral therewith a hollow stem opening at one end into the interior thereof and at the other end into said hollow hose coupling body whereby fluid under pressure supplied through two coupled hose couplings flows to the interior of said inflatable member to cause the inflation thereof.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
107 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 2, further characterized in that said one casing section is provided with two parallel spaced-apart faces, one of said faces having a pair of concentric grooves formed therein, said grooves being connected by a plurality of arcuately arranged slots for receiving said toggle means, the groove of larger diameter having opening thereinto said plurality of arcuately-spaced bores, and the groove of smaller diameter having disposed therein said spring means and said fluid pressure means, each of which is effective via said toggle means to effect snap-acting movement of said contact members in a direction opposite that of the other.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 2, further cHaracterized in that said one hollow casing section has formed therein adjacent said face a groove conforming in configuration to the gasket groove of a standard hose coupling.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
35 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 2, further characterized in that said one hollow casing section has formed integral therewith a lip conforming in configuration to the lip of a standard hose coupling.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
60 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 2, further characterized in that said one hollow casing section has formed integral therewith a lip conforming in configuration to the lip of a standard hose coupling and is provided on the interior thereof adjacent said face with a groove conforming in configuration to the gasket groove of a standard hose coupling.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
97 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 4, further characterized in that said toggle means extending through said slots comprises a toggle arm disposed in each of said slots, and each end of each slot constitutes a fulcrum for the corresponding toggle arm, each toggle arm rocking about the fulcrum at one end of the corresponding slot to cause said snap-action movement of said contact members in their circuit-closing direction and rocking about the fulcrum at the other end of the corresponding slot to cause said snap-action movement of said contact members in their circuit-opening direction.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 5, further characterized in that said annular member and said plurality of tabs constitute a single element formed from spring steel.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 5, further characterized in that said annular member and said plurality of tabs constitute separate elements constructed from different materials, said tabs being formed of spring steel and secured to said annular member.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 5, further characterized by electrical insulating means interposed between each of said removable contact members and said annular member.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
An air hose coupling, as recited in claim 5, further characterized by electrical insulating means interposed between each of said plurality of electrical conduits and said annular member.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-11-19 | 1977-05-21 | 1977-11-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-11-19 | 1981-05-21 | 1981-11-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-11-19 | 1985-05-21 | 1985-11-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |