RAILCAR ENERGY ABSORPTION/COUPLING SYSTEM

摘要

A railcar energy absorption/coupling system including a cushioning assembly arranged in operable combination with a coupler and a yoke. The cushioning assembly is positioned in a draft pocket defined by a draft sill on a railcar between the front and rear stops. The yoke consists of a back wall along with top and bottom walls which are joined to and axially extending from the back wall toward a forward end of the cushioning assembly. The back wall of the yoke is disposed to contact the rear end of the cushioning assembly. The top and bottom walls of the yoke are operably coupled to a shank portion of the coupler toward a forward end of the yoke. The top and bottom walls of the yoke each include stop members which extend in opposed lateral directions from each other and limit draft travel while maximizing buff travel and limit total combined travel of the energy absorption/coupling system. The energy absorption/coupling system has a neutral position, a full buff position disposed a first predetermined distance from the neutral position, and a full draft position disposed a second predetermined distance from the neutral position, with the full buff and full draft positions for the energy absorption coupling system being disposed in opposite directions from the neutral position.

主权项

1. A railcar energy absorption/coupling system comprising:
an axially elongated draft sill defining a pocket between front stops and rear stops on said draft sill; a coupler having a head portion and shank portion, with the head portion of said coupler axially extending beyond said draft sill; a cushioning assembly for absorbing and returning energy, with said cushioning assembly being positioned in said pocket of said draft sill between said front and rear stops; a yoke consisting of a back wall, a top wall joined to and axially extending from said back wall toward a forward end of said cushioning assembly, and a bottom wall joined to and axially extending from said back wall toward the forward end of said cushioning assembly, with the back wall of said yoke being disposed to contact a rear end of cushioning assembly, and with top and bottom walls of said yoke being operably coupled to the shank portion of said coupler toward a forward end of said yoke; a coupler follower positioned between a free end of the shank portion of said coupler and a forward end of the cushioning assembly; with the top and bottom walls of said yoke each defining stop members which extend in opposed lateral directions from each other; and wherein said energy absorption/coupling system has a neutral position, a full buff position disposed a first predetermined distance from the neutral position, and full draft position disposed a second predetermined distance from the neutral position, with the rear end of said cushioning assembly being positioned against the rear stops on said draft sill when said energy absorption/coupling system is in the buff position and with the stop members on said yoke being positioned against said forward stops on said sill when the energy absorption/coupling system is in the full draft position.