US-12623697-B2 - Railcar coupler key retainer apparatus

US12623697B2US 12623697 B2US12623697 B2US 12623697B2US-12623697-B2

Abstract

An apparatus for maintaining a railcar coupler key in position to releasably secure a railcar coupler shank to a yoke accommodated in a sill of a railcar. The railcar coupler key retainer apparatus includes an elongated key stop adapted to be releasably secured against an interior surface of a sill side wall defining an elongated slot. The key stop is configured with a flange portion which projects beyond an exterior surface of the sill side wall defining the slot. The flange portion defines a through bore having a closed margin. A retainer is mounted to the exterior surface of the sill side wall defining the elongated slot and defines a through bore which aligns with the through bore in the flange portion of the key stop when the key stop abuts with a closed end of the elongated slot defined by the side wall of the sill. A locking member is received in the through bores in the key stop and retainer to releasably secure the key stop to the interior surface of the sill side wall and thereby maintaining the railcar key retainer apparatus in position to maintain the railcar coupler key between the side walls of the sill and in position to secure the yoke to the coupler shank.

Inventors

Erich A. SCHOEDL
Donald E. Wilt
Bradley J. Haymond

Assignees

MINER ENTERPRISES, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230412

Claims (18)

1 . An apparatus for maintaining a railcar coupler key in position to releasably secure a railcar coupler shank to a yoke accommodated in a sill of a railcar, said apparatus comprising: a key stop configured to be releasably secured against an interior surface of a sill side wall surrounding an elongated slot to inhibit inadvertent separation of the coupler key from the yoke; and with said key stop further including a flange portion projecting through said slot to beyond an exterior surface of the side wall of said sill defining said slot, with said flange portion defining a through bore having a closed margin; a retainer mounted to the exterior surface of the side wall of said sill defining said slot, with said retainer defining a through bore which aligns with the through bore in the flange portion of the key stop when the key stop abuts with a closed end of the elongated slot defined by the side wall of said sill; and a locking member received in said through bores in said key stop and said retainer to releasably secure the key stop to the sill.
2 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the elongated slot has a open end and a closed end and sides with a predetermined distance between said sides.
3 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein substantially an entire facing surface on said key stop is disposed to abut an end of the coupler key when said retainer apparatus is conditioned to releasably secure the coupler shank to said yoke.
4 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said retainer is welded to the exterior surface of the side wall of said sill defining said slot.
5 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a margin of said through bore defined by said retainer has a camming surface configured to facilitate securement of said key stop to the interior surface of the sill side wall surrounding said slot.
6 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said locking member includes an elongated pin, with said elongated pin being configured between opposed ends to compliment the marginal configuration of the through bore defined by said retainer such that said locking member and an exterior side of said sill combine to assert a wedging action to said apparatus as said locking member is inserted into the through bore in said key stop.
7 . The apparatus according to claim 1 , further including a device arranged in operable connection with a free end of said locking member so as to inhibit inadvertent separation of said locking member relative to said retainer.
8 . The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said device comprises a cotter pin received in a through hole in a free end of said locking member.
9 . In combination with a railroad car having an elongated sill with first and second laterally spaced and generally parallel side walls, with at least one side wall of said sill defining an elongated slot, a yoke arranged within said sill, and a railcar coupler shank releasably secured to said yoke through a coupler key, an apparatus for maintaining said coupler key between said side walls of said sill in position to releasably secure said coupler shank and said yoke to each other, said apparatus comprising: a key stop configured to be releasably secured relative to an interior surface surrounding the elongated slot defined by said side wall on the sill of said railcar, with said slot providing access to said coupler key when said apparatus is in an unlocked condition; and with said key stop including, intermediate the ends thereof, a flange portion projecting through said slot to beyond an exterior surface of the side wall of said sill defining said slot, with said flange portion defining a through bore having a closed margin; a retainer mounted to the exterior surface of the side wall of said sill defining said slot, with said retainer defining a through bore which aligns with the through bore in the flange portion of the key stop when said retainer apparatus is in a locked condition with said key stop abutting with a closed end of the elongated slot defined by the side wall of said sill; and a pin accommodated in said through bores in said key stop and said retainer to releasably secure the key stop in the elongated slot defined by the sill.
10 . The railroad car according to claim 9 , wherein the elongated slot in said sill has an open end and a closed end and a marginal edge having sides with a predetermined distance between said sides.
11 . The railroad car according to claim 9 , wherein substantially an entire interior facing surface on the key stop of said apparatus is disposed to abut an end of the coupler key when said retainer apparatus is in the locked condition.
12 . The railroad car according to claim 9 , wherein the retainer of said apparatus is welded to the exterior surface of the side wall of said sill defining said slot.
13 . The railroad car according to claim 9 , wherein the through bore defined by the key stop of said apparatus has a surface for facilitating securement of said key stop to the interior surface of the sill surrounding said elongated slot.
14 . The railroad car according to claim 13 , wherein said locking member includes an elongated pin, with said elongated pin being configured between opposed ends to compliment the marginal configuration of the through bore defined by the flange portion of said key stop such that said locking member and an exterior side of said sill combine to allow said apparatus to exert a wedging action, therebetween as said locking member is inserted through the through bore in the flange portion of said key stop.
15 . The railroad car according to claim 9 , further including a device arranged in operable connection with the locking member of said apparatus so as to inhibit inadvertent separation of said locking member relative to said retainer.
16 . The railroad car according to claim 15 , wherein said device comprises a cotter pin received in a through hole in a free end of said locking member of said apparatus.
17 . The railroad car according to claim 9 , wherein the coupler key has a generally rectangular top plan view.
18 . A method for retaining a railcar coupler key in position between parallel side walls of a railcar sill, with at least one of the side walls of said sill defining an opening for allowing said coupler key to be positioned between said side walls of said sill and into operable combination with a shank of a railcar coupler shank, comprising the steps of: arranging a key stop between the side walls of said sill and in position to inhibit said coupler key from inadvertently passing from between the side walls of said sill; and clamping said key stop to said sill and in position to inhibit said coupler key from inadvertently passing from between the side walls of said sill.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION This patent6 application relates to a co-pending and co-assigned U.S. PROVISIONAL Patent Application, namely, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 63/335,593 filed Apr. 27, 2022; the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION DISCLOSURE This invention disclosure is directed to railroad freight cars and, more specifically, to a coupler key retainer apparatus for inhibiting a coupler key from moving out a key slot in a yoke. BACKGROUND Two end-to-end railcars are releasably joined to each other by a coupler. A shank portion of the coupler typically extends into a yoke mounted for sliding movements in a housing on a lower portion of the railcar commonly referred to as a sill”. The coupler shank portion is secured to the yoke by a coupler key or draft key which extends through aligned key slots in the coupler shank portion and yoke. The coupler key is prevented from shifting or separating from the yoke with a key retainer assembly. One example of a key retainer assembly used to prevent the coupler key from shifting or separating from the yoke is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,376,160 assigned to STRATO, Inc. in Piscataway, NJ. The key retainer assembly disclosed in the '160 patent includes a key retainer mounted to an exterior surface on a side wall of the sill in alignment with a key slot defined by the sill side wall. To prevent the coupler key from separating from the yoke, a key stop is arranged in the key retainer. The key stop is maintained in operable association with the key retainer through a pin which fits through aligned openings in the key retainer and key stop. During violent in-train events or as the railcar travels between distance locations, the car encounters numerous turns and twists. As the car moves between locations, significant lateral forces can be imparted to the coupler key and, ultimately, to the key retainer assembly. With the device in the '160 patent, such forces are exerted onto the exterior surface of sill side wall to which the key retainer is mounted. Conventional EOC systems also use key retainers for preventing the coupler key from shifting or separating from the yoke. Such conventional EOC systems, however, mount the key retainer on the yoke. Thus, there is a continuing need and desire for a railcar coupler key retainer apparatus having a simplistic design, enhanced distribution of lateral forces applied thereto, improved visual inspection of the key retainer apparatus coupled with repair of the railcar coupler key retainer apparatus while allowing the coupler to be connected to the yoke and with the yoke remaining in position within the sill of the railcar. SUMMARY According to one aspect of this invention disclosure there is provided an apparatus for maintaining a railcar coupler key in position to releasably secure a railcar coupler shank to a yoke accommodated in a sill of a railcar. A side wall of the railcar sill defines an elongated slot which provides access to the railcar coupler key. The railcar coupler key retainer apparatus of this invention disclosure includes a key stop adapted to be releasably secured to an interior surface of the sill side wall surrounding the slot. During railcar operation, the key stop inhibits inadvertent separation of the railcar coupler key from the yoke. The key stop of the railcar key retainer apparatus is furthermore configured such that a flange portion of the key stop projects through the slot to beyond an exterior surface of the side wall of the sill defining the slot. The flange portion of the key stop defines a through bore having a closed margin. The apparatus for maintaining the railcar coupler key in position further includes a retainer mounted to the exterior surface of the side wall of the sill defining the elongated slot. The retainer defines a through bore which aligns with the through bore in the flange portion of the key stop when the key stop abuts with a closed end of the elongated slot defined by the side wall of the sill. Moreover, the apparatus for maintaining the railcar coupler key in position includes a locking member received in the through bores in the key stop and retainer to releasably secure the key stop relative to the sill side wall whereby maintaining the railcar coupler key in position relative to the coupler shank and the yoke. In one form, the elongated slot defined by the sill has an open end and a closed end and sides with a predetermined distance between the sides of the slot. An end face on the key stop preferably abuts the closed end of the key slot when the railcar key retainer apparatus is conditioned to maintain the railcar coupler key in position to releasably secure the coupler shank to the yoke. In a preferred embodiment, the retainer is welded to the exterior surface of the side wall of said sill defining the slot. When passing endwise therethrough, the locking member preferably creates a wedging action between the key stop flange portion and