Patent ID: 8070002

Claim:
A housing for a railway car draft gear assembly for cushioning buff and draft shocks that are encountered in such railway car rolling stock during a coupling operation of such railway car to a train consist and during operation of such train consist on a track structure, said housing comprising: (a) a rear portion having each of a predetermined shape and a predetermined length and further having each of a first end, an axially opposed second end, a substantially rectangular cross-section, a pair of parallel and spaced apart top and bottom walls extending between said first and second ends and disposed in horizontal planes when such draft gear assembly is installed for cushioning such buff and draft shocks; (b) a front portion having each of a predetermined shape and a predetermined length and further having each of a first end disposed adjacent said first end of said rear portion, an axially opposed generally open second end adapted for receiving a coupler arm, a substantially rectangular cross-section, a pair of parallel and spaced apart top and bottom walls extending between said first and second ends of said front portion and disposed in said horizontal planes; (c) a pair of first flanges disposed on said first end of said rear portion, each of said pair of first flanges extending outwardly in a vertical one of said top and bottom walls of said portion; (d) two pairs of first apertures, each of said pair of first apertures formed through one of said pair of first flanges; (e) a pair of second flanges disposed on said first end of said front portion, each of said pair of second flanges extending outwardly in a vertical plane relative to a respective one of said top and bottom walls of said front portion and disposed in abutting engagement with a respective one of said pair of first flanges; (f) two pairs of second apertures, each of said pair of second apertures formed through one of said pair of second flanges in alignment with a respective pair of first apertures; (g) fasteners each of received within aligned first and second apertures and engageable with said pair of first and second flanges; and (h) at least one aperture disposed within said front portion adjacent said second end thereof for attaching said housing to such coupler.