Railway draft appliances – Couplings – Glass table
Reexamination Certificate
1999-01-13
2001-02-20
Le, Mark T. (Department: 3617)
Railway draft appliances
Couplings
Glass table
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189713
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates to a coupler for linking a coach and another coach in a miniature train, which has a plural of coaches, running on a given form of rail track, and more particularly, to a coupler of which a coupler arm is movable back and forth, right and left so that the said train may run with the interval between a coach and another coach being narrow like an actual train while it runs on a straight section of the rail track, and also of which a coupler arm gets to stretch forward out of the fixed member so that the said train may run smoothly with the interval between a coach and another coach being wide while it runs on a curve section of the rail track, and further of which a head is replaceable so easily that the coupler may be used compatibly for other miniature train products by replacing only the head of the coupler.
Generally, a miniature train comprises a plural of coaches like an actual train, and such miniature train gets to run on a given form of rail track while its wheels are spinning around by a power transmission means.
In the miniature train comprising a plural of coaches, a coach (
2
) and another coach (
3
) is linked by a coupler (
1
) as shown in FIG.
1
. The conventional coupler comprises a fixed member (
10
) to be fixed to an underframe of a coach and a coupler head part (
20
). The fixed member (
10
) has an action room formed therein and it has also an axle rod, which is to be combined axially with a coupler arm of a coupler head part, built in a given position in the action room (
11
), and also, an elastic panel (
13
) is installed along with the inside wall of the action room of the fixed member, as shown in FIG.
2
. The elastic panel enables the coupler head part to be centered at all times.
Meanwhile, as shown in
FIG. 2
, the coupler head part (
20
) has a hole (
22
) formed in the rear end of the coupler arm (
21
), through which the axle rod (
12
) as built in the action room is inserted for combination, and it has also a head (
24
) with a hook (
23
) in its fore end, which links a coach with another coach.
The linking of a coach with another coach by the said coupler is to be accomplished by locking the hook (
23
) of the head (
24
) of the coupler head part (
20
) with another hook each other while the fixed member (
10
) is fixed to the underframe of the coach by a fixing means.
Such miniature train, which has a plural coaches linked by the said coupler, gets to run on a given form of rail track while its wheels are spinning around by a power transmission means.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since the conventional coupler in the miniature train as abovesaid has the axle rod as formed in the fixed member inserted into and combined axially with the hole of the coupler arm of the coupler head part and thereby it gets to turn right and left only by a given angle, there are following problems; firstly, a length of the coupler arm of the coupler head part has to be lengthened so that the miniature train may run smoothly on a curved section of the rail track without any interference between a coach and another coach, and furthermore, the miniature train do not look like an actual train because the interval between a coach and another coach is too wide, which causes a difficulty in manufacturing a miniature train having a complete fine appearance; secondly, and since the coupler arm of the coupler head part is fixed axially to the fixed member, when the head of the coupler head part happens to be damaged, it is impossible to repair and maintain it, and furthermore, since the head of the coupler head part and the coupler arm are formed in one body, it can not be used compatibly for other miniature train models of other companies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, an objective of this present invention is to provide a coupler for a miniature train of which a coupler arm of a coupler head part is movable back and forth in a fixed member, enabling the interval between a coach and another coach in a miniature train to get to be so narrow as if it looks like an actual train, by having the coupler arm of the coupler head part drawn back into the fixed member by repulsion of a spring while the miniature train is running on a straight section of a rail track, and further enabling the train to run smoothly on a curve section of the rail track by having the coupler arm of the coupler head part stretch forward out of the fixed member by leverage as caused by the two comers of two coaches when they bump against each other, while the miniature train is running on a curve section of the rail track, and further enabling a coupler to be used compatibly for linking coaches of other company's miniature trains by replacing only the head of the coupler arm, which is separable from the coupler arm of the coupler head part which is movable back and forth in the fixed member, with an applicable one.
This objective is to be accomplished by the coupler comprising a fixed member (
110
) to be fixed to an underframe of a coach and a coupler head part (
120
) having a hook (
123
) in its fore end, which links a coach (
2
) and another coach (
3
), wherein the fixed member (
110
) is fixed to the underframe of the coach by a fixing means, and it has an action groove (
111
) where a coupler arm (
121
) is movable back and forth, right and left, formed therein, and it has also a center pin (
112
) with a spring fixing pin (
113
) formed on its side wall, built on a given position in the said groove; and wherein the coupler head part (
120
) has the coupler arm (
121
) which is to be elasticized by a spring (
125
) of which an end is fixed to the spring fixing pin (
113
) and the other end is fixed to another spring fixing pin as formed on a rear end of a slot (
124
), and the spring (
125
) is installed in the slot (
124
) into which the center pin (
112
) of the fixed member (
110
) is inserted, and the coupler arm bar (
121
) has a hole (
127
) formed in its fore end side into which a head (
122
) with a hook (
123
) is inserted.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2574630 (1951-11-01), Edwards et al.
patent: 3469713 (1969-09-01), Edwards et al.
patent: 3564766 (1971-02-01), Edwards et al.
patent: 3605332 (1971-09-01), Stepek
Baker & Botts L.L.P.
Le Mark T.
LandOfFree
Coupler for linking a coach with another coach in a minature... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Coupler for linking a coach with another coach in a minature..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Coupler for linking a coach with another coach in a minature... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2612280