US2658629A - Combined truck and coupler for toy railroads - Google Patents

Description

F. PETTIT COMBINED TRUCK AND COUPLER FOR TOY RAILROADS Filed Nov. 16, 1946 Nov. 10, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FknN/r Parr/5' uLLJ/.W v.

ATTRNEY Nov. 10, 1953 PE1-Tn- 2,658,629

COMBINED TRUCK AND COUPLER FOR Toy RAILROADS Filed Nov. 16, 194e s sheetssheet 2 5'/ 47 3 @al W45 ATTORNEY Y NOV. 10, 1953 F, PET-rrr 2,658,629

l COMBINED TRUCK AND COUPLER FOR TOY RAILROADS Y Filed NOV. 16, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR w FRANK Pe'Tr/-r L j B2 Z i Z/ ATTQRNEY atenteci Nov. 10, 17953:

UNITED stares Meur OFFICE COMBINED TRUCK AND COUPLER FOR TOY RAILROADS Frank Pettit, Union, N. J assignor to The Lionel Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 16, 1946, Serial No. 710,355

2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to combined trucks and couplers for toy railroads. The pres; ent invention contemplates couplers for toy railroad cars, the couplers being made in a form which more closely simulates the appearance of standard railroad couplers than the couplers heretofore in use on toy railroad vehicles.

According to the present invention the coupiers have interengageable knuckles which swing about vertical axes and are capable of automatic coupling and electromagnetic release.

According to the present invention the knuckles of the couplers have vertical interengaging sur*- faces of substantial extent so that irregularities in track level are taken care of by relative ver; tical movement of the couplers.

The present invention also contemplates im proved arrangements for mounting the couplers and coupler operating mechanism on two wheeled trucks such as employed in toy electric railroads, together with the mounting of the contact devices required for operating' the car lights and conducting current to the electromagnetic couplers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide couplers which neither interfere with lifting a toy car coupled in a train from the supporting track, nor with placing two cars with closed couplers in coupled relation.

Other and further objects will hereinafter appear as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show for purposes of illustrating the present invention, two embodiments in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a complete truck and coupler with parts of the coupler in section;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view showa ing two couplers in coupling engagement;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan View show ing two couplers about to become engaged;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an inverted plan view of the truck and coupler of Figures 1 and 4 Figure 6 is an exploded view showing the component parts of the coupler;

Figure l is an exploded View showing the coinponent parts of the current collectors and collector support;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure l showing a modied form of construction;

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the lines 9 9 of Figures 8 and 10; and

Figure 1G is an inverted plan View Of the coupler shown in Figures 8 'and 9.

The truck illustrated herein employs a sheet metal bridging or body member 2&3, side plates 2l-2l, axles 22-22 and wheels 23. This truck is shown and described more in detail in Bonanno Patent 2,526,452 of October 17, 1950.

In the construction shown in Figures l through 7 inclusive, the coupler parts and electrical parts are secured to the truck body by a bent metal strap 25 which has a flat upper portion 2t secaurnegtozthe body member 2t by the central rivet 2l also used to secure the truck to the car body. As shown in the drawings, the right hand end of the strap 25 is bent downwardly as indicated at 28 and has a reduced end 2Q. An intermediate portion ofthe strap extends downwardly as indicated at 3U, then leftwardly as indicated at 3|, then upwardly as indicated at and horizontally as indicated at 33, where it is nar'- rowed and also provided with an aperture et.

A coupler head 3S, preferably in the form of a die casting has a tubular rivet-like portion 36 adapted to extend down through a grounding terminal plate 3l of a solenoid coil 38 and through the hole 3 of the strap 25 and be upset to secure these parts together as indicated in Figure 4. In this manner the coupler head and solenoid coil are ixedly secured to the truck. To prevent twisting of the coupler head on its support, the bottom of the coupler head has a downwardly opening recess 3Q which fits about the end 33 of the strap 25.

The coupler head 35 has a recess et adapted to accommodate a knuckle il carried on a pin if? and biased in a clockwise direction as viewed lnrliigure 1, by a spring 113. The knuckle has a latching arm 44 which extends into the recess 40 and a coupling arm 125. The arm i5 extends from the side llt of the coupler head carrying pivot pin 132 to the other side lll.

The knuckle 4| when in the unlatched or uncouple'd position, is in the position shown in Figure 3 and in the dot and dash line position of Figure 1. When the knuckle is turned to tension the spring 43 the extreme inner end 4S of the knuckle presses against the end of a magnetic pin 49 urged leftwardly in Figure l by a spring 55, and compresses this spring. When the knuckle has reached substantially the limit of its movement the spring I! protracts the pin 49 past the shoulder 5| of the knuckle and locks the knuckle in the full line position shown in Figure 1 and in the position shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5.

In this form of construction the tube 52 carrying a solenoid coil 38 is open to the right so that the spring 55 can press against the downwardly extending portion 30 of the strap 25. The solenoid also carries an insulating strap 53 provided with a connector 54, to which the wire 55 from the coil is secured.

The vertical part 3E! of the strap 25 is provided with an opening El) to receive the reduced end 6I of an insulation strip 62. Near the other end of this strip is an opening 63 to receive the reduced end 29 of the metal strap 25. Ihe insulation strip 62 is provided with slots 5.4, 65 to receive prongs Eli-66 of the collector shoe bracket 61. This bracket carries a grooved, insulating collector shoe body 65, a metal collector shoe plate 69 and rivet 10 in such a manner that the assemblage can move up and down as it travels along the rail. Between the bracket 51 and the insulating strip 62 is mounted a contactor 1l which has a spring element 'l2 in engagement with the shoe plate 69 and a soldering lug 'I3 which is secured to the terminal 54 of the coil 38. In this manner current can be transmitted to the coil 38 at any time when the circuit is closed to the auxiliary rail on which the collector shoe rides. The strip 62 may also carry a collector bracket 74 which carries a pivoted collector arm provided with roller 16 as indicated. This roller and associated parts will normally be used on cars having electric lights or continuously operated accessories.

The coupler parts are generally in the position indicated in full lines in Figure 1 and in the position shown in Figures 1, 4 and 5. When two cars are coupled together the knuckles interlock as indicated in Figure 5 so that one car can pull or push the other. The coupling arms 45-45 of the two couplers overlap as indicated and the couplers cannot be separated in any ordinary operation of the cars. One coupler can move up and down relative to the other and yet maintain coupling contact owing to the wide vertical surfaces of the interengaged couplers. The couplers cannot separate laterally because there is insufficient space between the coupling end of the knuckle on one coupler and the opposite side of that coupler for the mating coupler to be disengaged. Furthermore, the couplers cannot be disengaged by swinging the cars relative to one another because the outside of the coupler adjacent the pivot of the knuckle, will engage the inside of the other coupler head when the parts are shifted to the extreme position as indicated in Figure 2.

When it is desired to uncouple the cars it is merely necessary to energize one of the couplers which will release the knuckle and cause it to swing to the dotted line position of Figure 1 or to the position shown in Figure 3. When the cars are to be coupled together the couplers approach one another as indicated in Figure 3 and the outer end of the coupler arm 45 engages the 4 surface 44 of the knuckle of the other car so as to force this knuckle back into the recess against the tension of the spring 43 to such an extent as to permit the plunger `49 to latch the knuckle in coupling position.

Cars having these couplers may be very readily assembled on the track by merely lowering the car down into position adjacent another car on the track with the parts so aligned that the knuckle of one coupler passes through the space provided in the coupler of the other car. A car may be lifted out of a train without any interference whatever by the coupler. Should one desire to open the coupler on the car so that the cars can be joined together automatically it is merely necessary to apply a sudden force to the car in a direction to move the plunger 49 against the tension of the spring 5E), thereby releasing the knuckle.

In the form of construction shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10 the truck frame, side plates, wheels and axles may be the same as above referred to. Here all the coupler parts and current collecting parts are secured to a mounting plate and this plate is fastenend on to the axles by bent over prongs as indicated at 8l. The plate Gil has, as shown in the drawings, a leftwardly extending bracket arm 82 shaped and positioned substantially the same as the extreme end 33 of the strap 25. This bracket arm 52 carries the entire coupler mechanism.

In this form the coupler mechanism includes a coupler head 83 generally similar to the one above described and carrying the same form of knuckle di and knuckle spring 42. The coupler head 53, however, has an integral tubular extension 84 adapted to receive the plunger 85 and plunger spring 83 as well as a solenoid coil 8l' and terminal plate 88. Here the terminal plate is adapted to receive one end 39 of a spring contact which extends down on to and cooperates with a collector shoe assembly 9i similar to that above described so that current can be supplied to the solenoid coil 81 whenever desired. The plate B0 may also carry an insulating support 92 on which is mounted a current collecting roller 33, for use Where it is desired to supply a current to a lamp on the car.

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular forms shown are but a few of these forms, and various modications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A coupler for toy railroads comprising a coupler head having a bifurcated end, a knuckle receiving recess opening toward said end, an axially-disposed plunger having an end entering the bottom of the recess, a relatively soft spring protracting the plunger, `a knuckle pivoted to one of the bifurcations of the coupler head and having a latch arm extending lengthwise of the recess and engageable with the plunger end to hold it against movement and a coupling arm extending toward the other bifurcation so as to couple with the similarly placed corresponding arm of another coupler, and a knuckle spring acting on withdrawal of the plunger to swing the knuckle and move the latch arm past the end of the plunger and the coupling arm out of coupling position, the rst spring being readily yieldable and the plunger having suiicient mass to shift against the first spring when its movement den jolt.

S is suddenly stopped whereby the plunger may be thereby Withdrawn from engagement with the knuckle.

2. A toy ear coupler having a knuckle spring fbiased to open position, a reeiprocably mounted magnetizable plunger, a relatively soft spring urging the plunger into position to engage the knuckle and hold it closed, and a magnet coil for shifting the plunger to releasing position, the mass of the plunger being relatively great Whereby its inertia may be utilized to compress the soft spring and release the knuckle upon a sud- FRANK PET'IIT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Caldwell July 28, 1891 Woodman June 6, 1893 Tomlinson Nov. 30, 1909 Ives Sept. 22, 1925 Ferri Aug. 6, 1940 Pettit Sept. 3, 194'0

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