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<FONT face=verdana,geneva> [quote user="Paul_D_North_Jr"] </FONT><FONT face=verdana,geneva> <P>Good stuff here.</P> <P>Perhaps the answer is that the longitudinal force is transmitted through not only the 'force ridges', but also to some degree through the coupler's locking pin.  So, when the locking pin is lifted and out of the way, the force ridges are all that's left to transmit / resist the pulling force.  If the center of those force ridges is not pretty much right on the coupler's axis - and they probably are not, because that's where the locking pin is - then the off-center/ 'eccentric' location of the force ridges will cause or allow the coupler to rotate.  In view of the magnitude of the pulling forces, it wouldn't take much of an offset to generate a considerable rotating force or torque.  For example, if the off-center distance is only 1 inch = 0.083 foot, for a 390,000 lb. tension pull or 'draft' <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">(</SPAN>max. required coupler strength) the resulting torque or 'moment' would be on the order of 32,000 ft.-lbs.  Or, if the rotating force on the coupler is even a mere 1 <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">% of the draft force, that would still be 3,900 lbs. or so.</SPAN></P> <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Looking forward to other and more accurate information from other souces and those with better knowledge of this <SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">! </SPAN></SPAN></P> <P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">- Paul North.</SPAN></P> <P mce_keep="true"> </P>[/quote]</FONT> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva></FONT> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=verdana,geneva>Paul,</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=verdana,geneva size=2></FONT></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=verdana,geneva size=2>This is precisely were the deeper mysteries lie.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>I have to think more about it to put my thoughts into words.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </SPAN>But I make an assumption that if the locking pin suddenly, magically disappeared in a loaded, stretched coupler, the knuckle would not open.</FONT></SPAN></P>
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