Air brake hose coupling member

摘要

An improved air brake hose coupling member for a rail car including a pivotally mounted pawl. The pawl has a ramp for engaging another coupling member. The engagement causes the pawl to be raised to an unlocking position automatically during coupling of the members. The axis of rotation of the pawl is in a plane substantially parallel to an inner coupling face of the member and substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of a tubular body of the member. The coupling member also has a biasing element that causes the pawl to drop down into a locking position after coupling of the members is complete, thereby enabling the pawl to prevent undesired rotational decoupling of the members. A method for modifying existing non-locking coupling members with a pivotally mounted pawl.