US 12,409,872 B1
Coupler cross keys
Jon B. Zaerr, Portland, OR (US); and Gregory J. Saxton, Portland, OR (US)
Assigned to Gunderson LLC, Lake Oswego, OR (US)
Filed by GUNDERSON LLC, Portland, OR (US)
Filed on Mar. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/709,233.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/170,824, filed on Apr. 5, 2021.
Int. Cl. B61G 9/24 (2006.01)
CPC B61G 9/24 (2013.01) 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A cross key for an end-of-car-cushioning (EOCC) draft gear assembly consisting of a unitary generally T-shaped member, the T-shaped member including:
opposed lateral first and second end portions each having a semi-cylindrical shape, each of the first and second end portions having opposed longitudinal end faces, the first end portion having a length that is greater than length of the second end portion, the second end portion centered about a lateral axis defined by the T-shaped member;
a base portion formed with the first end portion, the base portion having a rectangular prism shape and having longitudinal end faces that are co-planar with the longitudinal end faces of the first end portion; and
a transition portion disposed between the base portion and the second end portion and formed with the base portion and the second end portion, the transition portion generally having a trapezoidal prism shape, the transition portion including opposed longitudinal first and second transition faces, the first transitional face connecting a longitudinal end face of the base portion with a longitudinal end face of the second end portion, the second transitional face connecting the other longitudinal end face of the base portion with the other longitudinal end face of the second end portion, wherein each of the first and second transition faces has a shape that includes two or more radiuses of curvature, wherein each of the first and second transition faces includes opposed first and second end portions and a third intermediate portion disposed between the first and second end portions, and wherein the first end portion has a radius of curvature that is different from the third intermediate portion.