Uncoupling levers - How do they work

[marknewton]

I suppose that's possible, but the couplers we use are AAR Type Es, sourced from a supplier in the US, McConway & Torley. I can't imagine any reason why they'd differ from those used in the US. But now I'm wondering - I'll take my camera to work with me tomorrow, post the photos here, and see what transpires. In the meantime, I've pasted a description of the Type E couplers I found online. The emphasises are mine.

Title: Type-E railroad car coupler head
Document Type and Number: United States Patent 4363414
Link to this Page: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4363414.html
Abstract: A railroad car coupler includes a Type-E coupler head which contains a vertical lock chamber. Disposed in the chamber is a lock which may be raised from a lower locking position to an intermediate lockset position. At lockset, a knuckle pivotally carried by the coupler head may swing from a closed position to an open position. At lockset, the lock rests on a knuckle thrower of the coupler head with a lockset seat of the lock engaging a leg lock seat portion of the knuckle thrower. By forming the lockset seat of the lock on a selective lateral slope, the lock may be tilted toward a guard arm side of the coupler head. When the knuckle is swung toward its open position, a sufficient area of a tail portion of the knuckle passes under the lock to insure a proper pick-up of the lock to remove the lock from lockset.

[TomDiehl]

Not even sure what you're talking about with a "knuckle thrower."

It's another cast part, that pushes the knuckle open once the lock is disengaged.

Now this statement alone makes me believe we're talking about two different types of couplers. The ones here in the US don't have any part that pushes the knuckle open. The knuckle is opened by lifting the pin (that's what it's called here in the US, and I never said it was a rod, just sort of rod shaped) and the brakeman grabbing the knuckle and pulling it open or pulling the adjoining car away.

And yes, I have had couplers apart and coupled and uncoupled cars in 12 inch to the foot scale.

[marknewton]

I thought the Aussies used a lot of the same terminology as the Brits.

75 years ago, yeah, we did. Not much these days.

My terminology comes from the people that work on them.

Mine too - I 'm also person who works on them. I have 32 knuckle couplers dismantled and sitting on the workshop floor right now, waiting for the NDT bloke to come in on Monday morning and crack test them.

Cheers,

Mark.

[marknewton]

The gizmo (to use a technical term) sticking out of the top of the coupler - the thing with one link of chain attached to it - is what is in common parlance called the "pin"

Please, if you're going to cite a web page, make it something a little more authoritative than Wikipedia...particularly not one that describes a knuckle coupler as a "towing hitch"...

Common parlance or not, the so-called "pin" is not what keeps the knuckle closed. Next time you dismantle a real, 12" to the foot scale coupler, have a good look at what's inside.

Cheers,

Mark.

[TomDiehl]

What you're calling a "lock" is a rod shaped piece of steel about 2 to 3 inches in diameter (some are even oval) that holds the knuckle closed. A lot of terminology is different in the different countries.

The terminology I'm using comes straight from the AAR specification for the Type E knuckle coupler. The lock is a complex casting, not a rod.

The "lock lifter" is also called a cut lever here.

The lock lifter is a another casting, that lifts the lock away from the knuckle. It's not the cut lever - it's what the cut lever acts upon.

Not even sure what you're talking about with a "knuckle thrower."

It's another cast part, that pushes the knuckle open once the lock is disengaged.

We couple and uncouple cars, not carriges.

So do we. What are "carriges"?

I thought the Aussies used a lot of the same terminology as the Brits.

My terminology comes from the people that work on them.

[wjstix]

The gizmo (to use a technical term) sticking out of the top of the coupler - the thing with one link of chain attached to it - is what is in common parlance called the "pin". Normally it is connected to the uncoupling lever by a chain, pulling the lever up "pulls the pin" and opens the coupler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tow_hitch_5.jpg 

[marknewton]

What you're calling a "lock" is a rod shaped piece of steel about 2 to 3 inches in diameter (some are even oval) that holds the knuckle closed. A lot of terminology is different in the different countries.

The terminology I'm using comes straight from the AAR specification for the Type E knuckle coupler. The lock is a complex casting, not a rod.

The "lock lifter" is also called a cut lever here.

The lock lifter is a another casting, that lifts the lock away from the knuckle. It's not the cut lever - it's what the cut lever acts upon.

Not even sure what you're talking about with a "knuckle thrower."

It's another cast part, that pushes the knuckle open once the lock is disengaged.

We couple and uncouple cars, not carriges.

So do we. What are "carriges"?

[TomDiehl]

There is no "pin that keeps the knuckle closed". Pull a knuckle coupler apart and you'll find a lock, a lock lifter, and a knuckle thrower.

The name "pin" is a holdover, probably from as far back as the old link and pin days, which is what they're called here in the states even today. What you're calling a "lock" is a rod shaped piece of steel about 2 to 3 inches in diameter (some are even oval) that holds the knuckle closed. A lot of terminology is different in the different countries. The "lock lifter" is also called a cut lever here. Not even sure what you're talking about with a "knuckle thrower." We couple and uncouple cars, not carriges.

[marknewton]

There is no "pin that keeps the knuckle closed". Pull a knuckle coupler apart and you'll find a lock, a lock lifter, and a knuckle thrower.

[jsoderq]

OK the lever reaches from the coupler to the side of the car by the step. When you raise the handle it pulls the pin that keeps the knuckle closed allowing the coupler to open.

[GP18m]

Ok, they say there are no stupid questions so here goes. Uncoupling levers seem to be a popular detail addition to our models. Question is, how are those levers used on 1:1 models. How do they work?

Thanks for answers in advance.