Mcconway & Torley, LLC

Douglas M Hanes

Peter S Mautino

Jeffrey D Wurzer

A specially configured insert used in a drawbar support housing. The insert is essentially a block member having at least a portion of an aperture extending therethrough from a front face to a back face. A concave draft load bearing surface is formed in the front face of the block member adjacent such aperture. A tapered surface area is formed adjacent such aperture which extends from the back face of the block member inwardly towards the concave draft load bearing surface to enable requisite movement of a shank portion of a drawbar.

Drawbar assembly draft load bearing insert

A support housing for a rotary end of a slackless drawbar adapted to be secured within an end of a center sill of a railroad car having an elongated cavity defined by a pair of side wall portions, a top wall portion and a back wall portion, said cavity being adapted to receive the rotary end portion of a rotary drawbar such that a shank portion of such rotary drawbar extends through an open front of the support housing, said cavity being further adapted to receive a buff load bearing block and a slack adjusting gravity wedge between the back wall portion and the rotary end of the rotary drawbar and having a specially configured surface therein adapted to receive a specially configured draft load bearing insert and a flange to retain the specially configured draft load bearing insert within the cavity and against the spherical draft load bearing surface on the rotary end of the rotary drawbar.

Support housing for a rotary end of a slackless drawbar

An integral yoke member casting having a back wall portion, a first side wall portion formed integral with the back wall portion adjacent a first outer edge thereof. The first side wall portion has a front face portion which is engageable with a rear face portion of a front stop secured within a center sill member. A second side wall portion is formed integral with the back wall portion adjacent a second outer edge thereof. The second side wall portion includes a front face portion which is engageable with a rear face of another front stop secured within such center sill member. A top wall portion extends between inner surfaces of the first and second side wall portions and outwardly from such rear wall portion past the front faces of both the first and second side wall portions. There is a bottom wall portion which extends between such inner surfaces of such first and second side wall portions and outwardly from such rear wall portion past the front faces of both the first and second side wall portions. A first aperture is formed through the top wall portion and an axially opposed second aperture is formed through such bottom wall portion. A slot is formed through such bottom wall portion adjacent the inner surface of such rear wall portion for receiving at least a portion of a tapered wedge therein. A tapered wedge guide is disposed adjacent such rear wall portion for preventing lateral movement of such tapered wedge. A follower block guide is disposed adjacent such tapered wedge guide for maintaining such follower block in alignment with a butt end portion of a drawbar member.

Drawbar assembly yoke casting

An integral single piece yoke casting for connecting one end of a railway car. Such single piece yoke casting includes a first side wall portion having a front face portion which engages at least a portion of a rear face of a front stop member secured within a longitudinal opening of a center sill member. A second side wall portion having a front face portion engages at least a portion of a rear face of another front stop member secured within such longitudinal opening of such center sill member. A horizontally disposed top wall portion, having a third predetermined length and a horizontally disposed bottom wall portion, having a fourth predetermined length, in conjunction with the first side wall portion and the second side wall portion form a generally rectangular yoke casting. A first vertically disposed aperture, having a first predetermined diameter, is formed through such top wall portion at a predetermined location and an axially opposed second vertically disposed aperture, having a second predetermined diameter, is formed through such bottom wall portion at a predetermined location.

Yoke casting for a drawbar assembly

A drawbar assembly having a rear draft stop engageable with a block out member. A tapered wedge member engages a tapered surface on the block out member. A follower member engages a front face of the tapered wedge. A concave surface is formed in a front face portion of the follower member. Such follower member is movable within the open end of a yoke casting. Such yoke casting includes first and second side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall. A first and second aperture are formed through the top wall and bottom wall, respectively. A pair of front draft stop members engage a respective side wall of such center sill. A drawbar having a butt end portion is movably disposed within a second opening in such yoke casting. Such drawbar includes a vertically disposed pin receiving opening formed in such butt end and a two piece pin bearing block having a hemispherical outer surface is disposed in a hemispherical recess formed in such pin receiving opening. A vertically disposed pin member is disposed within such first aperture in such top wall of the yoke casting, such pin receiving opening in such drawbar and the second aperture formed in such bottom wall portion of such yoke casting.

Railway car slackless drawbar assembly

A draft stop member in a car coupling arrangement includes a rectangular block-like member. An arcuate portion extends forward from the rear face and inward from the stop upper surface and terminates before a longitudinal centerline thereof. Another arcuate portion extends forward from the rear face and inward from the stop bottom surface and terminates before such centerline. A triangular block-like member formed integral with an inner portion of the rectangular member includes another arcuate portion beginning inward from the stop upper surface and terminating before the centerline. Another arcuate portion begins inward from the stop bottom surface and terminates before the centerline. A nose member formed integral with an inner portion of the triangular member includes an arcuately shaped end disposed axially opposed to the rear face of the rectangular member. A tapered upper surface extends inward toward such rear face from one end of the arcuately shaped end and upward from the centerline. A bottom tapered surface extends inward toward the rear face from another end of the arcuately shaped end and outwardly from the centerline. An upper arcuately shaped portion is disposed between one end of the tapered upper surface and a point inward from the stop upper surface. A bottom arcuately shaped portion begins at one end of the bottom tapered surface and ends inward from the stop bottom surface. An elongated draft key slot receiving member is disposed on an outer surface of such stop about the centerline and an elongated slot formed in the stop about the centerline for receiving a draft key.

Front draft stop for use in a drawbar assembly

A drawbar bearing block for a slackless drawbar system which connects adjacent ends of a pair of railway cars in a semi-permanent manner. Such bearing block includes a top portion supported and retained in a hemispherical recess which extends partially around a pin opening formed in a pin receiving opening disposed in a butt end of a drawbar. Such top portion of the bearing block has an outer surface which closely matches a surface of such hemispherical recess and an inner surface having a cylindrical shape to receive a pin therein. There is at least one recessed opening formed in the top portion adjacent a bottom surface and an outer surface thereof. A bottom portion is supported and retained in such hemispherical recess and assists in supporting and retaining such top portion in the hemispherical recess. Such bottom portion of the bearing block includes an outer surface which closely matches the surface of such hemispherical recess and an inner surface having a cylindrical shape to receive a pin therein. Such inner surface being in alignment with such inner surface of such top portion. There is at least one tab-like member extending upwardly from an upper surface of such bottom portion and adjacent said outer surface thereof. Such tab-like member matingly engages with the recess in said top portion. Such tab-like member has an outer surface which closely matches the surface of such hemispherical surface.

Drawbar bearing block

There is provided a slackless drawbar assembly which connects the adjacent ends of a pair of railway cars together in a substantially semi-permanent fashion. The assembly includes a yoke, an adjustable blockout apparatus which has a pair of spaced end blocks and an adjustable securing device which comprises a pair of spaced wedge members. There are outwardly extending flanges on the confronting end faces of the end blocks which engage tongues or tenons on the end walls of the spaced wedge members. The adjustable securing device comprises coaxial bores through the spaced wedge members and a threaded member extending between and through the coaxial bores and threadably engaged with threads formed in at least one of the bores such that upon rotating the threaded member in one direction, the spaced wedge members will be moved together, to push the pair of end blocks apart, while upon rotating the threaded member in the other direction, the spaced wedge members will be moved apart to pull together the pair of spaced end blocks. A preferred yoke includes a rear end portion which has a front face that forms a rear seat for a blockout device. There are a top strap portion and a bottom strap portion extending forwardly of the front face of such rear end portion of the yoke. Each of such top and bottom strap portions includes a thickened portion, at its end remote from such rear end portion of the yoke, which has a bore therethrough to receive an end of a drawbar connecting pin to connect the yoke to a drawbar.

Slackless drawbar assembly employing adjustable blockout apparatus

A railway car yoke having a rear end portion, a body portion, a top forward portion and a bottom forward portion. Each of the top forward portion and the bottom forward portion include a thickened portion through which one aperture is formed to receive a connecting pin therein. A bottom strap portion of such body portion includes an aperture therein to enable adjustment of a blockout device contained within such yoke.

Yoke for coupling railway cars utilizing a drawbar assembly

An axially adjustable blockout apparatus positionable in a draft gear pocket of a yoke to allow equipping a railway car with a slackless drawbar coupling arrangement. The apparatus has a pair of spaced end blocks, a pair of spaced wedge members disposed between such end blocks and a threaded member engageable with each of the wedge members for adjustable securing a confronting pair of wedge members together a slidable connection provided to connect the wedge members with the end blocks.

Adjustable blockout apparatus

An adjustable securing device for securing spaced wedge members to provide for movement of the wedges together or apart comprises a threaded bore in one wedge that has threads opposite in direction from a threaded bore in the second wedge. A threaded member has threaded portions engageable with the threaded bores of the wedge members and upon engagement therewith, rotation of the threaded member in one direction moves the wedges apart while rotation in the other direction moves the wedges together. The wedge members preferably have tongues which fit complementary members, such as flanges, on blocks so that engagement of the wedge members with the blocks and movement of the wedges together or apart will either push the blocks apart or pull the blocks together.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Douglas M Hanes