Abstract:
A railcar coupler which integrates fluid and electrical connections into one modular unit with increased facility for automatically connecting these connections when cars are pushed together and automatically disconnecting these connections when railway cars are lifted up off of railroad tracks.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to railway vehicles, more specifically to couplers for joining a plurality of railway cars and locomotives together to form long trains. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Couplers for connecting railway cars and locomotives together into trains are well known to those knowledgeable in the mechanical arts. The earliest couplers were simple iron chains hung between hooks attached to the ends of railway cars. Cars and locomotives using this very simple system required separate coil spring bumpers projecting from their corners to absorb the shock of impacting each other to prevent damage whenever the train stopped or slowed down Modern Janney-type couplers, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,733 to Gagliardino, a variation on the Type E coupler standard on American railways since 1932, perform both the connecting and shock absorbing functions. These have a pivotal vertical knuckle adapted to engage an identical vertical knuckle on an adjacent coupler so that when the couplers are brought into contact with each other, the two knuckles are pivoted into an interlocking engaging position. The use of oil and gas filled shock absorbers to cushion the impact when cars contact each other is also well known to those knowledgeable in the art, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,303 to Hodges. 
     Gagliardino teaches that to permit a railway train to safely negotiate curves in the tracks, the couplers are pivotally connected to the railway car so that, pursuant to an American Association of Railways specification, each coupler can pivot 13 degrees in a horizontal plane to either side of the longitudinal center line of the car. Therefore, to join a pair of railway cars together, it may be necessary to pivot the couplers so that they are generally aligned and directly opposed to each other. While proper straight alignment may naturally result when a pair of cars are uncoupled while on a length of straight track, there are times when they are not properly aligned for joining. For example, when a pair of cars are uncoupled while on a curved track, the couplers will not normally extend perpendicularly from the end of the railway car, making proper coupling impossible when they are later moved onto a straight track. Similarly, there are times when railway cars to be coupled together are on a length of curved track, and the coupler shanks are oriented perpendicularly from the ends of the car to be joined rather than pivoting toward each other 13 degrees for proper joining. Accordingly, it may be necessary for a conductor or trainman to manually position the couplers by pushing or pulling them into proper alignment before the can can successfully be joined by moving the couplers into alignment by hand. If attempts to join a pair of railway cars are made when the couplers are not properly aligned, the impact of misaligned couplers may cause damage to one or both couplers. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 6,575,101, Blute teaches that highway truck trailers can be coupled together to form trains using a horizontally oriented V shaped member, such as found on 5th wheel turntables of highway truck tractors. These usually include a U shaped jaw that pivots around a vertically oriented pin, such as the kingpin found on highway truck semi-trailers. The V shaped member does not need to be in perfect alignment with the pin for successful coupling. 
     Statement of the Problem 
     Advancements in transport refrigeration, hazardous material cargo monitoring, railway vehicle braking and control systems, and even national security requirements to prevent terrorism, have created a need for additional connections between railway cars such as compressed air hoses to power brakes and electrical cables to power refrigeration units, monitor access doors, or transmit data from temperature sensors. Electrically controlled anti-lock brakes, for instance, will allow railway trains to stop in a shorter distance without wearing flat spots on their steel wheels. Temperature sensors connected to the wheels will be able to detect hot wheel bearings and other potentially catastrophic maintenance problems before they occur, even on unmanned remote control trains because no provision for these additional fluid and electrical connections is included in existing railway car couplers, considerable manual labor is involved in attaching these additional wires and hoses and again in disconnecting them when cam are to be separated from a train. It is desired to provide a coupler that incorporates additional fluid and electrical connections and can also be operated remotely without manual adjustment or control. 
     Advancements in intermodal technology have made it feasible to remove railway cars from the tracks for the purpose of loading, unloading, or transport by means other than by rail. Existing couplers and connectors are often very heavy and protrude from the ends of railway cars making it difficult for cranes and intermodal vehicles to lift the cars on and off the tracks. It is further desired to provide a coupler suitable for intermodal railway vehicles intended to be easily lifted on and off of the railway tracks. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The Automatic Intermodal Railcar Coupler of my invention comprises a male coupler to be attached in the rear of a railway car and a female coupler to be attached in the front of a second railway car so that when the cars are pushed together in contact with each other, they will be coupled together without damage to either car or their contents. The male coupler further comprises a horizontal shaft, which is hollow to accommodate fluid and electrical connectors, and a vertical shaft protruding underneath the horizontal shaft The female coupler further comprises a receptacle containing fluid and electrical connectors that can be joined with those in the horizontal shaft of the male coupler and a knuckle to catch and restrain the vertical shaft of the male coupler so that the cars will be pivotally connected together. The receptacle of the female coupler is held in place by a safety catch when air pressure is applied to release the car&#39;s brakes, thus preventing the cars from becoming uncoupled while in transport, yet this receptacle is attached to a shaft with enough vertical movement to allow the cars to be automatically uncoupled when air pressure is released by lifting the entire railway car containing the male coupler vertically off the tracks by means of an intermodal vehicle or other type of crane so that the vertical shaft of the male coupler rises above the knuckle of the female coupler. The receptacle is provided with a V shaped housing so that the horizontal shaft does not need to be perfectly aligned with the receptacle for successful coupling. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a side plan view of an electrical and fluid receptacle according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a front plan view of a female coupler according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a right side cutaway view of the female coupler in FIG. 2 at a vertical plane extending front and rear from axis A with a male coupler according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 4 is a top cutaway view of the female coupler in FIG. 2 at elevation B. 
     FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a male coupler together with a knuckle and an anvil according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a top cutaway view of the female coupler in FIG. 2 at elevation C. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     I will now describe the preferred embodiment of my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals are used to refer to like parts. 
     FIG. 1 shows a side plan view of a fluid and electrical receptacle  10 , which is mostly cylindrical and hollow to receive a horizontal shaft  11  partially within when a male coupler  50 , as shown in FIG. 5 is connected with a female coupler  22  as shown in FIG.  3 . The horizontal shaft  11  is hollow so it can contain a plurality of fluid and electrical connectors (not shown). The electrical connectors can be of the pin or spade types well known to those skilled in the electrical arts to be used for connecting electrical circuits of highway trailers to highway vehicles and should be attached both to an electrical connector  14  in the receptacle and a wiring harness  24  projecting from the horizontal shaft end plug  23 . Though a pin type male electrical connector  14  is shown, one skilled in the electrical arts will recognize that a broad variety of connectors such as video and fiber optic connectors can also be used. 
     Due to the great variety of electrical connectors available to perform highly specialized tasks, such as connecting a plurality of computers installed in different railway cars together in a common data network, no preferred embodiment of electrical connectors is claimed in this invention, except to say that a broad variety of connectors can be accommodated. If only a single low voltage electrical connection is needed, then it is preferred that the horizontal shaft  11  be electrically isolated from the rest of the vehicle with an insulating coating so that it can engage the connector  14  directly, as shown in FIG. 3, without the need for additional connectors within. 
     To help guide the horizontal shaft  11  into proper position so that fluid and electrical connections can be made during a coupling operation, the receptacle  10  should have a conic or horn shaped orifice with asymmetrical wings  48 ,  49  which appear in the shape of a “V” when viewed from above, as shown in FIG. 4, so that the horizontal shaft  11  does not need to be perfectly aligned with the receptacle  10  for successful coupling. To protect electrical connectors from dirt and corrosion when not in use and also to provide an air tight seal when the horizontal shaft  11  is engaged, the receptacle  10  should be provided with a paraboloidally shaped flexible dust boot  12  which inverts when contacted by the horizontal shaft  11  during a coupling operation to be pushed inside the cylindrical portion of the receptacle  10  when coupling is complete. It is well known in the art that electrical connectors are often lubricated with electrically conductive grease which gathers dust and other contaminants, thus it is preferred that male electrical connectors such as plugs, spades, and pins, such as the connector  14 , be installed inside the boot  12  of the receptacle  10  and any female connectors, such as jacks and socket (not shown), be installed inside the hollow horizontal shaft  11 . The boot  12  is preferably made of fiber reinforced silicon rubber or a similar grease resistant plastic material with a plurality of slits  13  on its tip to allow the horizontal shaft  11  to pass through it during a coupling operation, yet return to normal position to provide a dust resistant seal when the male coupler  50  is not engaged. 
     It is well known to those knowledgeable in the art that the preferred working fluid for railway car brakes is compressed air, therefore in my preferred embodiment, a fluid connection completely fills the horizontal shaft  11 , entirely surrounding any electrical connectors inside, thus eliminating the need for separate hoses and fluid connectors. Unless a fluid other than compressed air is used, the horizontal shaft  11  does not require a dust boot because the rapid discharge of compressed air resulting from the normal operation of railway car brakes is thought to be sufficient to prevent contamination of any electrical connector inside. While a spring operated cap (not shown) could be fitted to the end of the shaft  11  with a tab extending from the side to open the cap when contacting the dust boot  12  during a coupling operation, and other means of obtaining an air tight seal on the receptacle  10  could also be used, such as rubber “O” rings, the paraboloidal boot  12  is the preferred method of sealing the receptacle  10  because the discharge of compressed air from the horizontal shaft  11  when aligned with, but not connected to the receptacle  10 , such as during an uncoupling operation, could result in containation of any electrical contacts inside if dust protection is not provided. The dust boot  12  also allows for a looser more flexible fit between the shaft  11  and the receptacle  10  to reduce the possibility of damage to electrical connectors during coupling. It will be understood that additional fluid connections, such as a hydraulic connection (not shown), could also be included inside the receptacle  10  and horizontal shaft  11  beside any electrical connectors. 
     FIG. 5 shows a top plan view of a male coupler  50 . The horizontal shaft  11  is rigidly attached to a shock absorbing coil spring  15  by a flange  16 . The horizontal shaft  11  prevents the shock absorbing spring  15  from bending out of alignment when cars contact each other during a coupling operation, thus preventing damage to the railway cars resulting from the force of impact. One end of the spring  15  further comprises a vertical shaft  17  which is pivotally attached to a vehicle frame  18 . The other end of the spring  15  further comprises a second vertical shaft  19  which is restrained by a knuckle  20  and an anvil  21  when connected to the female coupler  22 . The end plug  23  of the horizontal shaft  11  is shown fitted with an electrical wiring harness  24  which can connect to electrical connectors (not shown) inside the shaft  11 , The end plug  23  is also fitted with a hose  25  which connects to a pressure valve  26 . The pressure valve  26  prevents working fluid, such as compressed air, from escaping through the hose  25  when the brakes of the railway car (not shown) are released without a receptacle  10  being connected to the horizontal shaft  11 , by automatically closing off fluid flow when an excessive difference between the fluid pressure and outside atmospheric pressure is detected. Such valves are well known in the art to prevent air from escaping from an air braking system when a railway car is the last car of a train. It will be understood that the electrical wire  27  between the pressure valve  26  and the wiring harness  24  gives the valve  26  additional facility to vent pressure for rapid application of the railway car&#39;s brakes (not shown) when voltage is applied to a solenoid switch inside the valve  26  by passing current through the wire  27  by remote control. This is a design improvement over radio controlled brake valves commonly used to vent pressure from the ends of trains because air can be vented from all of the cars of a train simultaneously with an anti-lock brake system (not shown) controlling brake pressure to prevent flat spotting of steel railway car wheels. It is well known in the railroad industry that venting brake pressure only from the locomotive and rear car of a train without the facility to control brake pressure on individual cars often leads to flat spotting. Those knowledgeable in the art will also understand that if compressed air is to be used as the preferred working fluid, it is also preferable that a small amount of air bypass the valve  26  to keep any electrical connectors inside the shaft  11  free of dust. 
     FIG. 5 also shows that a hose  28  supplies fluid to a pneumatic piston  29 , pivotally connected between both the horizontal shaft end plug  23  and the vehicle frame  30 , which applies tractive force to extend the horizontal shaft  11  perpendicularly to the vehicle frame  18  for the purpose of engaging the female coupler  22 . Those knowledgeable in the art will understand that a hydraulic cylinder (not shown) can also be used in place of the piston  29 . A retraction spring  31  pivots the horizontal shaft  11  and spring  15  underneath the vehicle frame  18  through at least ninety degrees of horizontal rotation around the vertical shaft  17  when fluid is not supplied to the pneumatic piston  29 . The piston  29  may also incorporate oil and gas shock absorbing features well known to those knowledgeable in the art to increase the facility to dampen the occilations of the spring  15  after a coupling operation. Because the spring  15  allows a limited amount of vertical angular movement of the horizontal shaft  11  during uncoupling from the female coupler  22 , the pivots  32  and  33  are preferably universal joints or ball joints. The piston  29  may also be fitted with an internal or external spring (not shown) to hold the vertical shaft  11  parallel with the vehicle frame  18  when retracted by the retraction spring  31 . A cap (not shown) can be hung from the vehicle frame  18  to engage the end of the horizontal shaft  11  when it is in a retracted position to protect electrical connectors (not shown) inside the shaft from dust. 
     FIG. 6 shows a top cutaway view of the female coupler  22  in FIG. 2 at elevation C. The downward extending end of spring  15  that comprises a vertical shaft  19  is restrained by a knuckle  20  and an anvil  21  which may further comprise semi-cylindrical surfaces to completely surround the vertical shaft  19  on axis A. Alternatively, the housing of the female coupler  22  can further comprise a wall  34  to partially surround the vertical shaft  19  on axis A. The knuckle  20  is connected to the female coupler  22  by a vertical pivot on axis D and is held closed by a spring  35  that will allow the knuckle to fold flat against the housing during a coupling operation. It will be understood that although a leaf spring  35  is shown, other types of springs and flexible materials can also be used. The anvil  21  is slidably connected to the female coupler  22  so that it can be pushed back by the vertical shaft  19  during a coupling operation. When the vertical shaft  19  passes behind the folded knuckle  20 , the spring  35  snaps the knuckle into its normal location as shown, restraining the vertical shaft  19 . Fluid is supplied through the hose  37  to the piston chamber  38 , which is rigidly attached to the female coupler  22  so as to actuate, by means of a connecting rod  51 , linear movement of the anvil  21  to force the anvil  21  against the vertical shaft  19  which in turn is thrust against the knuckle  20  so that it is horizontally restrained in every direction on a plane perpendicular to axis A. Those knowledgeable in the art will understand that pneumatic piston chambers  38 ,  44  usually contain flexible diaphragms attached to internal pistons (not shown) to prevent the loss of air pressure, though hydraulic cylinders can also be used. A handle  39  is provided on the knuckle  20  for manual uncoupling. As long as no fluid pressure is supplied to the piston chamber  38 , a trainman can push laterally on the handle  39  to bend the spring  35  and fold the knuckle  20  against the housing  36 . If pressure is supplied through the hose  45  and the hose  37  to the chamber  38  with the knuckle  20  folded against the housing  36 , the anvil  21  will push the vertical shaft  19  and the male coupler  50  completely out of the female coupler  22 , simultaneously pulling the horizontal shaft  11 , which is connected to the vertical shaft  19  by a flange  16 , out of the receptacle  10 , causing fluid pressure in hose  45  to be lost which those knowledgeable in the art will understand will automatically result in the railway car brakes (not shown) being set to prevent the car from rolling after being uncoupled. Alternatively, the handle  39  can be provided with a remote control (not shown) to accomplish this task without the need for a human operator. 
     FIG. 4 shows a top cutaway view of the female coupler  22  in FIG. 2 at elevation B. The receptacle  10  is connected to a horizontal shaft  40  which is pivotally connected to a vertical shaft  41  which is pivotally and slidably connected to the female coupler  22  along axis A to maintain the radial alignment of the receptacle  10  with the horizontal shaft  11  during the coupling operation. The receptacle rests on the wall  34  and is restrained from vertical movement by a safety catch  42 . Fluid is supplied through the hose  43  to the piston chamber  44  to slide the safety catch  42  over the receptacle  10 . The safety catch  42  can be provided with a bevel on the end (not shown) like a door latch to allow vertical movement of the receptacle  10  when fluid is not supplied to the chamber  44 . Alternatively, a spring (not shown) can be installed inside the chamber  44  to retract the safety catch when fluid pressure in the chamber  44  is released to allow vertical movement of the receptacle  10 . It will be understood that there are many ways for one knowledgeable in the art to install a safety catch, both pivotally and slidably to the female coupler  22 , the receptacle  10 , or its associated shafts  40  and  41  to restrain the vertical movement of the receptacle  10 . An alternative embodiment (not shown) is for the receptacle  10  to be held in place solely by springs  46 ,  47  or a single large coil spring (not shown) during coupling and uncoupling operations, the shafts  40 ,  41  being omitted, with or without a safety catch built into the anvil  21 , but such a system may not guarantee the proper radial alignment of a plurality of electrical connectors inside the horizontal shaft  11  and the receptacle  10 . Regardless of the type of safety catch, when fluid pressure is reduced, vertical movement of the receptacle  10  is permitted along axis A and the male and female parts can automatically be uncoupled by lifting the male coupler  50 , along with an attached railway car, in a vertical direction until the bottom of the vertical shaft  19  is above the top of the knuckle  20 . A high arched opening  45  is provided in the front of the coupler  22  as shown in FIG. 2 to allow the horizontal shaft  11  to be pulled out of the receptacle  10  when the male coupler  50  is elevated in this manner. In the event that the horizontal shaft  11  is lifted higher than the arched opening  45  permits, the spring  15  allows some vertical angular movement and the receptacle  10  is provided with a horizontal shaft  40  to allow it to pivot in a vertical plane to accommodate this angular movement without damage to any electrical and fluid connects inside. The horizontal shaft  40  should be limited to less than thirty degrees of angular freedom to ensure that the receptacle  10  will return to a horizontal position on top of the wall  34  after an uncoupling operation is complete. A spring (not shown) can be provided around the vertical shaft  41  to forcibly return the receptacle to its original position if gravity alone is insufficient to accomplish this. The electrical connector  14  and hose  45 , which supplies fluid to the hoses  37  and  43  as well as the rest of the railway vehicle (not shown), should incorporate a corkscrew type twist as shown in FIG.  3  and FIG. 4 to allow the receptacle  10  to pivot vertically and horizontally as well as move upward vertically. Centering springs  46  and  47  position the receptacle in proper alignment with the horizontal shaft  11  during the coupling operation. One knowledgeable in the art will understood that although leaf springs  46 ,  47  are shown, other types of springs or flexible material can also be used. Wings  48  and  49  in the front of the receptacle  10  center the horizontal shaft  11  into proper alignment during the coupling operation. It will be understood that one wing  48  protrudes farther forward than the other wing  49  to better accommodate the twists of the spring  15  and the vertical shaft  19 . 
     One skilled in the art will recognize that other methods for providing controls may be selected without departing from the teachings of this invention. It is intended that railway cars and locomotives equipped with this invention should also be equipped with computer microprocessors and sensors multiplexed together to communicate along a common data link as part of any electrical connections described above so that railway train operators will have continuous control over the status of every component of a railway train and that cars can be selectively coupled and uncoupled by remote control. 
     Although I have now described my preferred embodiment of my invention, those skilled in the art will recognize that my invention may take other forms without departing from the spirit or teachings thereof. The foregoing description is intended, therefore, to be illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of my invention is to be defined by the following claims.