Amsted Rail Company, Inc.

Matthew Todt

Timothy Dumey

Joseph Halford

Tom Petrunich

Dale K Dewald

Paul Wike

Paul Sanders

A knuckle of a coupler of a rail vehicle includes a main body including a recess formed in one or more surfaces. One or more weld fillers are disposed within the recess. A method of forming a knuckle of a coupler of a rail vehicle includes forming a recess in one or more surfaces of a main body, and disposing one or more weld fillers within the recess.

Railway vehicle coupler having robust knuckle

A knuckle of a coupler of a rail vehicle includes a leading beam having a pulling face, a lateral offset beam extending from the leading beam, a tail extending from the lateral offset beam, an extension wall extending from the lateral offset beam towards an end of the tail, and a tapered lock engagement wall extending from the extension wall to the end of the tail. The tapered lock engagement wall is angled in relation to the extension wall. The tapered lock engagement wall is configured to engage an interior face of a main body of a lock of the coupler. The interior face defines a knuckle-engaging surface that is configured to bear against the tapered lock engagement wall.

Railway vehicle coupler

An improved coupler-knuckle assembly is comprised of a coupler body, a knuckle, and at least two knuckle retainer plugs. The knuckle has an internal coring geometry that increases the cross-sectional area of the throat portion of the knuckle compared to previous designs. The present invention's knuckle design includes a top and a bottom tapered holes in the knuckle with a locking groove at the bottom of each tapered hole for the knuckle retainer plugs to snap into. The knuckle retainer plugs are inserted through the coupler body and into the tapered holes in the knuckle. The improved coupler-knuckle assembly of the present invention reduces fatigue on the coupler, knuckle, and knuckle pin, prevents misalignment of the coupler-knuckle assembly, and prevents knuckle pin breakage.

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Highland, IL, United States of America

Matthew Todt