Railway car coupler knuckle having improved bearing surface

Abstract

A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area and which is utilized in a railway freight car coupler. The coupler knuckle casting includes a tail section, and a hub section. The hub section has a pivot pinhole formed therein. Such pivot pinhole has generally straight cylindrical sidewalls. A front face section is connected to the hub section. Such front face section includes a nose section and a pulling face portion formed inwardly from such nose section. At such least a portion of such front face portion and such nose section includes an enhanced bearing surface area which includes a substantially flat portion disposed substantially in a vertical direction and which is substantially arcuate in a horizontal direction. The substantially flat portion extends for a predetermined distance in the vertical direction and for a predetermined length along the horizontal direction. There is the a transition section joining the tail section to the hub section. Such transition section includes a top metal section and a bottom metal section extending toward each other.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, said coupler knuckle casting utilized in a railway freight car coupler, said coupler knuckle casting having said enhanced bearing surface area comprising: 
 (a) a tail section;    (b) a hub section, said hub section having a pivot pinhole formed therein, said pivot pinhole having generally straight cylindrical sidewalls;    (c) a front face section connected to said hub section, said front face section including a nose section and a pulling face portion formed inwardly from said nose section, at least a portion of said front face portion and said nose section includes an enhanced bearing surface area which includes a substantially flat portion disposed substantially in a vertical direction and which is substantially arcuate in a horizontal direction, said substantially flat portion extending for a predetermined distance in said vertical direction and for a predetermined length along said horizontal direction; and    (d) a transition section joining said tail section to said hub section, said transition section including a top metal section and a bottom metal section extending toward each other.    
     
     
         2 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, according to  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined distance said substantially flat portion extends in said vertical direction is generally in a range of between about 3.5 inches and at about 7.0 inches.  
     
     
         3 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, according to  claim 2 , wherein said predetermined distance said substantially flat portion extends in said vertical direction is generally in a range of between about 4.0 inches and at about 5.5 inches.  
     
     
         4 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, according to  claim 3 , wherein said predetermined distance said substantially flat portion extends in said vertical direction is generally in a range of between about 4.0 inches and at about 4.5 inches.  
     
     
         5 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, according to  claim 1 , wherein said coupler knuckle is cast steel.  
     
     
         6 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, according to  claim 4 , wherein said coupler knuckle is cast steel.  
     
     
         7 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, according to  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined length along said horizontal direction which is substantially arcuate extends over at least a portion of said hub section, said front face section and at least a portion of said nose section.  
     
     
         8 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, according to  claim 4 , wherein said predetermined length along said horizontal direction which is substantially arcuate extends over at least a portion of said hub section, said front face section and at least a portion of said nose section.  
     
     
         9 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, according to  claim 6 , wherein said predetermined length along said horizontal direction which is substantially arcuate extends over at least a portion of said hub section, said front face section and at least a portion of said nose section.  
     
     
         10 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, according to  claim 1 , wherein said enhanced bearing surface area is hardened to a predetermined hardness.  
     
     
         11 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, according to  claim 10 , wherein said predetermined hardness is at least about 40 Rockwell C.  
     
     
         12 . A coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, according to  claim 1 , wherein said nose section includes a generally cylindrical opening formed in an end portion thereof.  
     
     
         13 . In combination with a railway freight car coupler, the improvement comprising a coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area, said coupler knuckle casting having: 
 (a) a tail section;    (b) a hub section, said hub section having a pivot pinhole formed therein, said pivot pinhole having generally straight cylindrical sidewalls;    (c) a front face section connected to said hub section, said front face section including a nose section and a pulling face portion formed inwardly from said nose section, at least a portion of said front face portion and said nose section includes an enhanced bearing surface area which includes a substantially flat portion disposed substantially in a vertical direction and which is substantially arcuate in a horizontal direction, said substantially flat portion extending for a predetermined distance in said vertical direction and for a predetermined length along said horizontal direction; and    (d) a transition section joining said tail section to said hub section, said transition section including a top metal section and a bottom metal section extending toward each other.    
     
     
         14 . The combination, according to  claim 13 , wherein said nose section includes a generally cylindrical opening formed in an end portion thereof.  
     
     
         15 . In combination with an existing railway freight car coupler, the improvement comprising retrofitting a coupler knuckle casting having an enhanced bearing surface area into said existing railway freight car coupler, said coupler knuckle casting having: 
 (a) a tail section;    (b) a hub section, said hub section having a pivot pinhole formed therein, said pivot pinhole having generally straight cylindrical sidewalls;    (c) a front face section connected to said hub section, said front face section including a nose section and a pulling face portion formed inwardly from said nose section, at least a portion of said front face portion and said nose section includes an enhanced bearing surface area which includes a substantially flat portion disposed substantially in a vertical direction and which is substantially arcuate in a horizontal direction, said substantially flat portion extending for a predetermined distance in said vertical direction and for a predetermined length along said horizontal direction; and    (d) a transition section joining said tail section to said hub section, said transition section including a top metal section and a bottom metal section extending toward each other.    
     
     
         16 . The combination, according to  claim 15 , wherein said nose section includes a generally cylindrical opening formed in an end portion thereof.