US3587870A - Automatic hydraulic-mechanical coupler positioning device - Google Patents

Abstract

A DEVICE PROVIDING A HYDRAULIC-MECHANICAL OPERATIVE CONNECTION BETWEEN A RAILWAY COUPLER MOUNTED FOR HORIZONTA6 SWINGING IN A FLOATING SILL OR A CUSHION UNDERFRAME CAR AND AN ADJOINING TRUCK FOR AUTOMATICALLY POSITIONING THE COUPLER WHEN UNCOUPLER RELATIVE TO UNDERLYING TRACK, FOR COUPLING WITH A MATING COUPLER THE DEVICE BEING BOTH AUTOMATICALLY OVERRIDABLE BY AND DISENGAGEABLE FROM THE COUPLER TO PERMIT THE COUPLER RESPECTIVELY TO SWING WHEN COUPLED WITH A MATING COUPLER AND TO BE SWUNG WHEN UNCOUPLED TO A NONAUTOMATIC POSITION.

Description

United States Patent [72] Inventor Geoffrey W. Cope Wllllamsville, NY. [21] Appl. No. 703,374 [22] Filed Feb. 6, 1968 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [73] Assignee Dresser Industries, Inc.

Dallas, Tex.

[54] AUTOMATIC HYDRAULIC-MECHANICAL COUPLER POSITIONING DEVICE 10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl 213/15, 213/20 [51] Int. Cl B61g5/00, B6 lg 7/ l 2 [50] Field oISearch 213/12, 14, 21, l l0;2l3/l5, 19,20; l05/3,4

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENT 3,498,475 3/1970 Cope 213/15 1511 All: Y.

3,520,421 7/1970 Cope 213/15 3,520,421 7/1970 Gutridge 213/15 3,283,916 11/1966 Cope 213/15 3,386,596 6/1968 Gutridge et a1. 213/20 3,438,512 4/1969 Metzger et a1. 213/20 3,445,005 5/1969 Kulieke et al 213/20 Primary Examiner-Drayton E. Hoffman Attorney-Wilmer Mechlin a mating coupler and to be swung when uncoupled to a nonautomatic position.

PATENTEU JUN28 l9:

SHEET 1 IF 3 Inventor Geoffrey WCope his Attorney PATENTED JUN28 1971 SHEEI 2 OF 3 FIG. 4

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Inventor:

Geoffrey W. Cop e B MjQZwA/WJAQ FIG. 3

his Attorney PATENTED JUN28 IBYI SHEET 3 BF 3 Inventor:

i ffreyWCope l l y'tZZwM his AHorney AUTOMATIC HYDRAULIC-MECHANICAL COUPLER POSITIONING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present demands for long, high-capacity railway cars has made it imperative that such cars have at least horizontally swingable couplers for enabling them to negotiate curves and be equipped with means for positioning their couplers for coupling to avoid the extensive end damage produceable by couplers passing in a coupling operation. A number of solutions have been proposed for the problem and, particularly in Cope U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,916, issued Nov. 8, I966, and Re. No. 26, l 43 issued Jan. 24, 1967, and Cope copending application Ser. No. 19,309, filed Jan. 7, I966, now Pat. No. 3,498,475 it has been recognized that on a long car having a correspondingly long end overhang a coupler is effectively positioned for coupling under most track conditions if, rather than being centered on the car, it is positioned relative to the underlying track to engage a mating coupler within its gathering range. In the devices disclosed in the Cope patents and application, a coupler is automatically so positioned by mechanically or hydraulically applying to it the angling of an adjoining truck. As pointed out in U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,916, the problem of positioning a horizontally swingable coupler relative to underlying track by an adjoining truck is compounded if the car has a cushion underframe with its couplers mounted in a floating sill, It is to an improved solution of this particular problem that the present invention is primarily directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved automatic hydraulic-mechanical positioning device employing angling of-an' adjoining truck for automatically positioning an uncoupled horizontally swingable coupler of a cushion underframe car relative to underlying track in position to couple with a mating coupler.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic hydraulic-mechanical coupler positioning device for a horizontally swingable coupler mounted in a floating sill of a cushion underframe car, which, in addition to automati- I cally positioning the coupler when uncoupled relative to underlying track, automatically yields to permit swinging of the coupler when coupled to a mating coupler and, while the coupler is uncoupled, is disengagable therefrom to permit the coupler to be swung to a nonautomatic position for coupling under special track conditions.

The improved device features a combined hydraulicmechanical operative connection between a coupler mounted for horizontal swinging on a floating sill and an adjoining truck, the hydraulic part of the connection including master and slave units respectively acting between the truck and a fixed part of the car's underframe and mounted in the floating sill and accommodating longitudinal movement of the sill in flexible lines therebetween. The hydraulic response of these units to angling of the truck is transmitted to the coupler by the mechanical part of the connection which is mounted on the floating sill. The connection includes means which, while unyielding and playing no part in automatic positioning, are yieldable automatically as necessary when the coupler is coupled to permit it to swing with the mated coupler out of the position dictated by the truck. The device also includes a floating sill-mounted release actuatable for disengaging it from the coupler to free the latter when uncoupled for swinging to any nonautomatic or nontruck dictated position required for coupling under any special track conditions.

For simplicity and compactness, the preferred device has a single master unit and a single slave unit, both double acting, and the yieldable means is the reactance on the sill for the slave unit and also double acting. To apply angling ofthe truck to the coupler, the preferred mechanical part of the connection includes a connector mounted on the sill for horizontal swinging in response to such angling and normally connected to the coupler forwardly of the latters pivot but movable independently of the coupler against yieldable resistance to a disconnected position on manualor other actuation of the release. While nonautomatieally disconnected, the preferred connector, when released from the release means, is adapted automatically to connect with the coupler in the course of service movements of the latter, regardless of the extent of its lateral displacement relative to the coupler during the disengagement.

The foregoing andother objects and features of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appended claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE DESCRIPTION FIG. I is a fragmentary plan view of an underframe of a cushion underframe car showing an installation of a preferred embodiment of the coupler-positioning device of the present invention, with portions broken away and shown in section to more clcarlyillustrate certain ofthe details of construction;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the front part of the structure of FIG. 2, taken on the same section but on a larger scale;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on the scale of FIG. 3, taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on a further enlarged scale, taken along lines 5-5 of FIG. 2, and;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the scale of FIG. 5, taken along lines 6-6 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, the improved automatic hydraulic-mechanical coupler-positioning device of the present invention, designated as l, is designed for application to a railway car equipped with a cushion underframe 2 for automatically positioning an uncoupled coupler 3 of such a car for coupling with a mating coupler on another car. Conventionally, the cushion underframe 2 has a floating sill 4 supported and slidable or movable longitudinally in a fixed center sill 5 and a coupler 3 is mounted in each end of the floating sill. Although each coupler will move longitudinally with the floating sill and the movements of the latter under buffing and draft forces will be cushioned by suitable cushioning mechanism (not shown) acting between the fixed and floating sills, the floating sill ordinarily will be fitted with a draft gear or other cushioning device 6 contained in a yoke 7 and yieldable to permit limited longitudinal movement of the coupler relative to the floating sill for cushioning to a degree longitudinal forces therebetween prior to the imposition of those forces on the main cushioning mechanism. For the improved device I to act as intended the coupler 3 must be mounted for at least horizontal swinging, pivoting or angling in the floating sill and provision for this is made in the illustrated embodiment by pivotally connecting the butt 8 of the coupler to the yoke 7 by a vertical pivot pin 9 serving as the couplers vertical plVOL Inwardly of each end, the floating and fixed sills 4 and 5 extend through a body bolster 10, to the underside of which a bolster ll ofa railway truck 12 (not otherwise shown) is connected for relative horizontal angling or swinging of the truck by a vertical kingpin 13 serving as the trucks vertical pivot. It is the horizontal angling of the adjoining truck 12 relative to the underframe 2, as the car negotiates track, that the improved device 1 employs for automatically positioning the coupler for coupling when uncoupled by positioning its head 14 relative to the underlying track to engage the head of a mating coupler within its gathering range. The need for such positioning is particularly acute on the long cars currently so much in demand, such as the so-callcd Hi Cube" box cars having a length of 86 /2 feet and a spacing between truck pivots or centers of 64 feet. It therefore is to a cushion underframe of such a box car that the improved positioning device has been applied as exemplary ofthe invention.

For automatically positioning the coupler 3 for coupling, the improved device 1 operatively connects the coupler forwardly of its pivot 9 to the truck 12 away from the latters pivot 13 for swinging substantially in unison when the coupler is uncoupled, as the truck swings or angles horizontally relative to the underframe 2 in negotiating track. The operative connection is provided by a combined hydraulic-mechanical connection 15 having connected hydraulic and mechanical parts or components 16 and 17, respectively, the former con nected to the truck 12 away from its pivot 9. The hydraulic component 16 is comprised of master and slave hydraulic cylinder units 18 and 19, respectively, and may have one or more units of each type, a pair of either type being required if the units of that type are single acting. However, it will suffice and, for simplicity and compactness, is preferred that there be a single master unit 18 and a single slave unit 19, both double acting. In either case, any master unit will be connected between the truck 12 and a fixed part of the underframe 2 for response to angling of the truck and any slave unit will be mounted in the floating sill 4 and hydraulically connected to a master unit for hydraulically transmitting to or imposing on the slave unit the reaction of the master unit to angling of the truck. In turn, the response of the slave unit will be mechanically transmitted or applied to the coupler 3 by the mechanical component 17 or a unit thereof.

In the preferred construction in which the master and slave hydraulic units 18 and 19 are double acting, the single master unit conveniently is positioned forwardly of the truck bolster 11 at one side of the fixed center sill 5 and connected for horizontal pivoting at opposite ends to the front of the bolster at a point laterally offset from the truck pivot 13 and to a mounting bracket 20 suitably suspended from and rigid with a fixed crossmember 21 of the underframe. Disposed substantially horizontally and longitudinally and below the level of both of the sills 4 and 5, the illustrated master unit 18 suitably has its cylinder 22 connected to the mounting bracket 20 and its piston 23 connected to the truck bolster 11. The eompanion double acting slave unit 19 is carried by and mounted in and suitably within or inside the floating sill 4 for action therebetween and the mechanical component 17.

Preferably disposed both horizontally and generally longitudinally of the floating sill, the slave unit is connected at opposite ends to the floating sill and to the mechanical component respectively. lts cylinder 24 and that 22 of the master unit are filled with oil or other suitable liquid at both ends or at both sides of the pair of pistons 23. The reaction or response of the master unit to angling of the truck 12 is hydraulically transmitted to the slave unit through a pair of flexible pipes or tubes 25 leading upwardly to the slave unit through the open bottom of the floating sill and having sufficient slack in the normal or rest position of the sill to accommodate the range or relative movement of the units, including the longitudinal movement ofthe slave'unit with the sill.

The hydraulic connection of the master and slave units 18 and 19 is between the corresponding or opposite ends of their cylinders 22 and 24, depending on whether the leverages of the truck 12 on the master unit and the mechanical component 17 on the coupler 3 are applied at corresponding or opposite sides of the coupler and truck pivots 9 and 13 and in any case is such as to cause the coupler, when uncoupled, to angle or swing in the same direction as the truck about their respective pivots. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment in which the leverages are applied on the corresponding or same sides of the pivots or centers 9 and 13, the corresponding of the cylinders 22 and 24 are connected so as to cause the slave unit to extend or expand on contraction of the master unit and vice versa. It is preferred that the liquid contents or internal free volumes of the two cylinders be the same so that in the interchange of liquid therebetween the extent of the relative movement of the cylinder 22 and piston 23 ofthe master unit,

in response to angling of the truck 12 will be duplicated or equaled in the hydraulically responsive relative movement of the cylinder 24 and the piston 26 ofthe slave unit.

The mechanical component 17 of the operative connection 15 includes a connector or coupling 27 mounted on the floating sill 4, conveniently on a bracket 28 extending thereacross below the coupler 3, for horizontal pivoting about a vertical pivot or pivot pin 29 aligned longitudinally with the coupler and truck pivots 9 and 13. Underlying and connected to the shank 30 of the coupler 3, conveniently by laterally straddling or embracing and being engageable with opposite sides of the shank forwardly of the coupler pivot 9, the connector 27 has a lever arm or lever 31 projecting or extending laterally from its pivot 29. For the double acting slave unit 19 of the preferred hydraulic component 16, the lever arm 31 outstands laterally from but one side of the connected 27 and, most conveniently, that side corresponds to the side of the truck 12 to which the master unit 18 is connected. The lever arm 31 is connected at its distal end to one end of the slave unit, here the piston 26, for converting the truck-responsive longitudinal movement of that rod relative to the floating sill 4 into horizontal angling of the connector 27.

Due to space limitations elsewhere and the desirability of minimizing the length of the pipes 25, the slave unit 19 suitably is mounted in the floating sill 4 rearwardly of the coupler 3 and between the yoke 7 and the body bolster 10. Conversely, the connector 27 should be mounted forwardly of the yoke 7 with the lever arm 31 projecting downwardly below the floating sill 4 through the latters open bottom. Thus, separated longitudinally of the floating sill by the intervening yoke 7, the slave unit and the connector, in a cushion underframe car having a long end overhang, also will be so separated by the interposed or intervening support member 32 fixed to and extending across the bottom of the fixed center sill 5 and normally disposed below the yoke for slidably supporting the adjoining end portion ofthe floating sill.

To clear the yoke 7 and the support member 32, the part of the mechanical component 17 between the connector 27 and the slave unit 19 preferably is a link-andlever connection formed by a bellcrank or bellcrank lever 33 extending upwardly into the floating sill 4 between the slave unit and the yoke and spanning the levels of the slave unit and the distal end of the lever arm 31. Generally l-shaped, with vertically spaced upper and lower arms 34 and 3S rigidly joined intermediate their ends by a vertical bar 36, the bellcrank 33 is mounted for fulcruming, pivoting, or swinging about a vertical axis, conveniently on the sidewall 37 of the floating sill adjacent the master unit 18, by pivotally connecting the outer ends of the arms between lugs 38 fixed to and instanding from the sidewall and a gusseted angle 39 depending therefrom.

Suitably spaced at their inner ends, the upper and lower arms 34 and 35 are pivotally connected at their outer ends respectively to the piston 26 of the slave unit and the rear end ofa rigid connecting rod or link 40 which extends horizontally forwardly therefrom longitudinally of the floating sill and below or downwardly offset from both the sill and the support member 32 and is pivotally connected as its opposite or front end to the distal end of the lever arm 31. In this arrangement the support member 32 is bracketed between the bellcrank 33 and the lever arm 31 and their normal longitudinal spacing, respectively rearwardly and forwardly from the support member, must be sufficient to accommodate the relative longitudinal movement for which the floating sill was designed.

With the leverages on or lateral offsets of the master unit 18 and lever arm 31 relative to the spacing between the coupler and truck pivots 9 and 13, the length of the coupler 3 and the spacing between the coupler pivot and the point of engagement of the connector 27, predetermined for the particular installation in the manner outlined in Cope U.S. Pat. No. 3,283,916, the improved positioning device, when the coupler is uncoupled, will act on the coupler in response to angling of the truck 12 and, by centering or otherwise positioning the coupler head 5 relative to the underlying track to engage a head of a mating coupler within its gathering range under almost all track conditions, automatically position the coupler for coupling with a mating coupler. However, this truck-dictated positioning cannot be permitted to control when the coupler is coupled, as under certain track conditions the coupler will be forced by its connection to the mating coupler to move out of that position. In such case the force applied to the positioning device will be much greater than that required to automatically position the uncoupled coupler and, if the device is to remain connected to the coupler when the latter is coupled, it must be capable of yielding to the greater couplerinitiated force. This capability is inbuilt into the device by including in the operative connection between the coupler 3 and the truck 12 a relief spring unit 4!, conveniently interposed and acting between the preferred single double acting slave unit 19 and the floating sill 4,

Also double acting and mounted in and disposed generally longitudinally of the floating sill 4, the preferred relief spring unit 41 has a housing or outer casing 42 mounted on the sidewall 37 of the floating sill mounting the bellcrank 33 and a yoke or inner casing 43-contained in and slidable longitudinally of the outer casing and containing a coil or other suitable spring 44. Acting in compression'between a rear wall or closed rear end 45 of the yoke 43 and a follower block 46 contained in and slidable longitudinally of the yoke, the spring 44 is compressed by movement of the slave unit 19 in either direction relative'to the floating sill 4 by a push-pull rod 47 projecting through the front end of the housing 42 and connected at the front to cylinder 24 of the slave unit. The rod 47 projects or extends within the housing into the front portion of the yoke 43 and at the rear normally bears against or engages the front of the follower block 46.

A pin-and-slot connection 48 between the rod 47 and the yoke 43 enables them to move longitudinally in unison under a pulling force on the rod, while permitting the rod to telescope into the yoke when subjected to a pushing force. A second pin-and-slot connection 49 between the follower block 46 and both the housing 42 and the yoke 43 limits the forward movement of the block under force of the spring 44, while permitting the block to move rearwardly within limits and compress the spring under a pushing force on the rod 47. The spring is precompressed for normally holding the follower block 46 and the rod 47 at the forward limits of their movements relative to the yoke 43 and is of sufficient strength not to yield under a positioning force applied by the truck 12 in automatically positioning the coupler 3 but to yield under the stronger forces initiated at the coupler when the latter in swinging with a mated coupler is forced to swing out of the position dictated by the truck. Thus, the spring unit 41 in automatically positioning an uncoupled coupler is in effect a rigid link between the slave unit 19 and the floating sill and becomes a yieldable link only as necessary to permit the coupler, when coupled, to swing with a mated coupler. The preferred connection of the slave unit to the connecting rod 30 through the bellcrank 33 requires the slave unit to be pivotable or swingable laterally or horizontally relative to the floating sill and such pivoting is permitted by pivotally connecting either the rod 47 to the slave cylinder 24, or, as illustrated, the housing 42 of the spring unit 41 to the sill sidewall 37.

Adapted automatically to position an uncoupled coupler for coupling relative to underlying track, while permitting a coupled coupler to swing as necessary with the mated coupler, the improved device 1 also enables the coupler 3, when uncoupled, to be swung away from the position automatically dictated by the adjoining truck to relatively laterally offset or nonautomatic position for positioning it for coupling under special track conditions, such as on reverse curves or or extreme curve to tangentconditions. For this purpose the connector 27, while normally engaging the shank 30 of the coupler 3 forwardly of the coupler pivot 9, is adapted to be disengaged therefrom to override or neutralize the automatic positioning action of the device and permit the coupler to be swung independently to the required laterally offset position. The construction preferred for such adaptability includes a carrier member or yoke 50 connected for horizontally pivoting to the mounting bracket 28 by the vertical pivot 29, having rigid therewith the lever arm 31, and a saddle member 51 carried by or mounted on and connected for limited vertical pivoting with respect to the carrier member 50.

Pivotable or swingable both vertically and horizontally relative and in effect universely connected to the mounting bracket 28 and therethrough to the floating sill 4, the saddle member 51 is restrained against downward movement by yieldable resistance suitably in the form of a pair of vertically acting coil springs 52 carried by the carrier member forwardly of its pivotal connection to the saddle member and underlying and acting upwardly on the latter member. The saddle member 51 normally is held by the springs 52 in engagement with the underside of the shank 30 of the coupler 3, at which time laterally spaced upstanding shoulders or lugs 53 on the saddle member embrace or straddle and confront opposite sides of the shank forwardly of the coupler pivot 9. The positioning of the connector or carrier pivot 29 forwardly of the coupler pivot 9 to accommodate the rearward movement of the floating sill 4 relative to the support member 32 fixed to the fixed center sill 5, will result in relative angling of the coupler and the saddle member 51 as the coupler swings under force of the truck 12 and the mated coupler. To accommodate this relative angling, some lateral play is necessary between the sides of the shank 30, to minimize which the inner faces 54 of the shoulders preferably are arcuately convex and, if desired, wear between the coupler and the shoulders also can be minimized by forming those faces by rollers (not shown) mounted upright in the shoulders.

For disengaging the saddle member 51 from the coupler 3 in a coupling operation requiring the coupler to be swung out of the position dictated by the truck 12, without exertion of the large effort required to bring the override spring unit 41 into play, an operating rod 55 is mounted for horizontal rotation on the floating sill 4 forwardly of the saddle member 51. Extending laterally of and preferably across the floating sill, with a handle 56 at either end therebeyond for operation from either side of the car, the operating rod 55 has a rearwardly offset center or crank portion 57 overlying and engaging a forwardly projecting lip or ledge 58 on the front of the saddle member 51 and swingable downwardly by either handle 56 for depressing or downwardly swinging that member against the return springs 52 to the point where the coupler is clear of the upstanding shoulders 53 and free to be swung independently to any required offcenter position.

For a long end overhang car, the coupler 3 as in the illustrated embodiment, should have an extended horizontal swing suitably accommodated by forwardly flaring the front portion 59 of the floating sill. in this setting a coupling operation under extreme conditions can find the coupler and saddle member 51 disengaged and at opposite extremes of their ranges of horizontal swinging. Absent some lateral overlap of the coupler shank 30 by the saddle member at that time, the saddle member on release by an operator of the operating rod 55, would be free to be swung upwardly by the return springs 52 to the upper of the limits on its vertical swinging imposed by the carrier member 50 into a position at one side of the shank in which it would substantially block horizontal swinging of the coupler. To render this impossible and ensure that service movements of the coupler after coupling will restore or return its shank to its normal position between the shoulders 53, the shoulders are provided at their upper extremities with laterally and preferably rearwardly outstanding wings 60 of sufficient lateral extent to produce a lateral overlap between the saddle member and the coupler shank at all times. As a consequence, disengagement of the saddle member from the coupler under any conditions of coupling will be followed by their automatic reengagement in the course of service movements of the coupler while it is coupled, so that, except when disengaged by actuation of the operating rod 55, the improved positioning device will be operative, whenever the coupler is uncoupled, automatically to position the coupler for coupling with a mating coupler under all but the most extreme track conditions.

The other possible interference is by the handles 56 of the operating rod 55 with the adjoining end of the fixed center sill on extreme rearward movement of the floating sill 4. This is readily avoided by the preferred mounting of the rod in which it is suspended from the bottom flanges 61 of the floating sill with the handles normally held thereagainst by the pressure of the return springs 52in position to ride under the fixed sill.

From the above detailed description it will be apparent that there has been provided an improved coupler-positioning device which not only will automatically position an uncoupled coupler of a cushion underframe car for coupling under all but extreme track conditions but also is disengagable to permit the coupler to be swung independently to meet such conditions and, when the coupler is coupled, is overridable as necessary by a coupler-initiated force. It should be understood that the described and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the invention.

lclaim:

1. ln a cushion underframe railway car having in an underframe thereof a floating sill slidable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a coupler mounted in the floating sill for at least horizontally swinging about a pivot, and a truck adjacent the coupler and horizontally angleable about a pivot spaced rearwardly from the coupler pivot, an automatic hydraulicmechanical coupler-positioning device comprising master hydraulic means connected to the truck away from and at only one side of the truck pivot for response to horizontal angling of the truck, slave hydraulic means carried by and movable longitudinally with the floating sill and connected to said master means for hydraulic transmission therebetween of said response of said master means to horizontal anglingof the truck, and mechanical linkage means actuated by said slave means carried by and movable longitudinally with the floating sill, said mechanical linkage means being connected to the coupler forwardly of the coupler pivot for applying said response to and automatically positioning the coupler when uncoupled for coupling with a mating coupler.

2. An automatic hydraulic-mechanical coupler-positioning device according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical linkage means includes a connector mounted on the floating sill for horizontal swinging about a pivot and mechanically connected to the coupler forwardly of the coupler pivot and to the slave means.

3. An automatic hydraulic-mechanical coupler-positioning device according to claim 2, including yieldable means in the device between the truck and the coupler, said yieldable means being inoperative under forces applied to the coupler in automatic positioning and yieldable under higher forces independently applied to the coupler for enabling the coupler to swing horizontally under said higher forces.

4. An automatic hydraulic-mechanical coupler-positioning device according to claim 3, wherein the master and slave hydraulic means are each a double-acting hydraulic unit, the master unit is connected between the truck and a fixed part of the underframe, theslave unit is mounted in the floating sill rearwardly of the coupler pivot, the yieldable means is a double-acting spring unit mounted in the floating sill and connecting an end of the slave unit thereto, and the hydraulic connection between the master and slave units is flexible and accommodates the relative movement thereof over the range of longitudinal movement of the floating sill.

5. In a cushion underframe railway car having in an underframe thereof a floating sill slidable longitudinally in a fixed center sill, a coupler mounted in the floating sill for at least horizontally swinging about a pivot, and a truck adjacent the coupler and horizontally angleable about a pivot spaced rearwardly from the coupler pivot, an automatic hydraulicmechanieal coupler-positioning device comprising master hydraulic means connected away from the truck pivot to the truck for response to horizontal angling thereof, slave hydraulic means carried by and movable longitudinally with the floating sill and connected to said master means for hydraulic transmission therebetwcen of said response of said master means to horizontal angling of the truck, mechanical means including a connector mounted on and movable longitudinally with the floating sill for horizontal swinging about a pivot and connected to the coupler forwardly ofthe coupler pivot and to the slave means for applying said response to and automatically positioning the coupler when uncoupled for coupling with a mating coupler, said connector including a carrier member swingable on the connector pivot below a shank member mounted for vertical swinging on said carrier member and normally yieldably urged upwardly into connection with said shank, and including operating means mounted on the floating sill for swinging said carrier member downwardly out of connection with said shank for enabling the coupler to be swung horizontally independently of the connector, and yieldable means in the device between the truck and the coupler, said yieldable means being inoperative under forces applied to the coupler in automatic positioning and yieldable under higher forces independently applied to the coupler for enabling the coupler to swing horizontally under said higher forces.

6. An automatic hydraulic-mechanical coupler-positioning device according to claim 5, wherein the connection between the slave unit and the carrier member includes lever means rigid with and outstanding laterally from the carrier member and connected to the slave means.

7. An automatic hydraulic-mechanical coupler-positioning device according to claim 6, wherein the saddle member is normally connected to the coupler shank by laterally spaced shoulders upstanding from the saddle member and embracing and engageable with opposite sides of the shank, and the operating means for disconnecting the saddle member from the shank is an operating rod extending across and suspended for horizontal rotation from the floating sill and having a radially offset portion actable on the saddle member.

8. An automatic hydraulic-mechanical coupler-positioning device according to claim 7, including wings rigid with and outstanding laterally from upper extremities of the shoulders on the saddle member for maintaining the laterally over lapping relation between the saddle member and the shank when disconnected within the limits of relative swinging thereof.

9. In a cushion underframe railway car having in an underframe thereofa floating sill slidable longitudinally on a support member rigid with and extending across a bottom of the fixed center sill, a coupler mounted in the floating sill for at least horizontally swinging about a pivot, and a truck adjacent the coupler rearwardly of the floating sill support member and horizontally angleable about a pivot spaced rearwardly from the coupler pivot, an automatic hydraulic-mechanical coupler-positioning device comprising double-acting master hydraulic means connected between the truck and a fixed part of the underframe hydraulic means connected between the truck and a fixed part of the underframe away from the truck pivot for response to horizontal angling thereof, double-acting slave hydraulic means mounted on the floating sill rearwardly of the coupler pivot to be movable longitudinally therewith and connected to said master means for hydraulic transmission therebetween of said response of said master means to horizontal angling of the truck, said hydraulic connection between master and slave units being flexible to accommodate relative movement thereof over the range of longitudinal movement of the floating sill, mechanical means including a connector mounted on and movable longitudinally with the floating sill for horizontal swinging about a pivot forwardly of said support member and connected to the coupler forwardly of the coupler pivot for applying said response to and automatically positioning the coupler when uncoupled for coupling with a mating coupler, a bellcrank lever mounted for pivoting about a vertical axis in the floating sill and having an automatic positioning and yieldable under higher forces independently applied to the coupler for enabling the coupler to swing horizontally under said higher forces.

10. An automatic hydraulic-mechanical coupler-positioning device according to claim 9, wherein the connector is yieldably urged into connection with the coupler, and including operating means mounted on the floating sill for disconnecting the connector from the coupler.

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