Westinghouse Air Brake Company

American Standard Inc.

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation

Wabtec Holding Corporation

James A. Wood

Richard J. Mazur

David E. Schweikert

James A Wood

Richard J Mazur

John W Drake

David E Schweikert

David A Greer

Robert N Scharpf

David J Pcsolar

John P Condrasky

John H Corvin

Paul E Jamieson

John B Drake

Carl J Slavick, Jr

A pneumatic emergency brake assurance module comprises a high capacity transfer valve connected in a first position to the output of the variable load relay valve and in a second position connected to a source of emergency braking air pressure. A timing reservoir is in communication with the pilot port of the high capacity transfer valve. A check valve/choke circuit provides parallel connections between a double check valve and the output of the variable load relay valve such that flow from the variable load relay valve passes through a charging choke and opposite flow to the variable load relay valves passes through a dissipation choke.

Pneumatic emergency brake assurance module

A pneumatic emergency brake release timer comprises a high capacity transfer valve, a timing reservoir in communication with the pilot port of the high capacity transfer valve, the check valve and choke circuit providing parallel connections between the main source of pressure and the reservoir through a check valve and opposite flow through a dissipating choke.

Pneumatic emergency brake release timer

A wheel slip assurance module comprises a device for disabling the wheel slip valve, a timing reservoir in communication with the disabling device, and a check valve and choke circuit providing parallel connections between the output of the wheel slip valve and the timing reservoir having a first connection path comprising a check valve and charging choke and a second connection path comprising a dissipating choke such that flow from the output of the wheel slip valve passes through the check valve and charging choke to charge the reservoir when the brake cylinders are pressurized and opposite flow passes through the dissipating choke allowing the reservoir to discharge when the brake cylinders are exhausted.

Wheel slip brake assurance module

The Smart Resolution Valve Pressure Control System allows any pressure control system using valve state pulsing to modify airflow at an optimum and consistent range of operation thereby enhancing control accuracy and increasing the useable cycle life of any valve combination used.

Smart resolution valve pressure control

A digital multi-point electronic load weigh system is used with a railcar truck control unit to provide a digital all electrical/electronic system, which will perform the brake load weigh function for an electro-pneumatic brake system. The digital multi-point electronic load weigh system is primarily to be used with a distributed electronic control system using neuron style communication/control microprocessors. However, the digital multi-point electronic load weigh system can also be integrated with existing electro-pneumatic brake control components.

Digital multi-point electronic load weigh system

The time reset safety timer circuit eliminates approximately half of the external interfaces of the prior art safety timers. The prior art safety timers depend on vehicle axle speeds, brake indications, and/or trainline signals to initiate a safety timer reset. The time reset safety timer circuit in the present invention uses only internal information to initiate a safety timer reset. This simplifies the circuitry of the time reset safety timer circuit, which improves the reliability.

Time reset safety timer circuit

A relay valve based accelerated brake pipe application and release system having an electronic control module. A source of fluid pressure is connected to a valve device for receiving and transmitting fluid pressure signals. The valve device is connected to an exhaust to atmosphere. An accelerator volume has a fluid connection to the valve device for storing a predetermined volume of fluid. A brake pipe transducer is electronically connected to the control module and has a fluid connection to the valve device for transmitting a first pressure signal to the control module. A cut-out solenoid valve is electronically connected to the control module and includes a fluid connection to the brake pipe transducer for receiving at least one of a cut-in and a cut-out signal. An emergency solenoid valve is electronically connected to the control module and has a fluid connection to the cut-out solenoid valve for receiving an emergency signal. A cut-out device is included for opening and closing a fluid connection and it has a fluid connection to the emergency solenoid valve. An application solenoid valve is electronically connected to the control module and has a fluid connection to the cut-out solenoid valve for receiving an apply signal and for transmitting a pilot pressure to the cut-out solenoid valve. A release solenoid valve is electronically connected to the control module and has a fluid connection to the cut-out device for receiving a release signal.

Relay valve based accelerated brake pipe application and release system

A pneumatic system serves as a backup to the electronic system that normally provides load compensation on a railcar truck during both service and emergency applications of the brakes. The pneumatic system compensates for the load railcar bears during service and emergency brake applications whenever the electronic load compensation system fails due to a loss of power or other electrical failure. Ideal for railcar trucks equipped with brake pipe controlled brake equipment, the pneumatic system provides load compensation through use of a four-port variable load valve in combination with a low complexity MC-30A-1 control valve.

Four port variable load valve weigh system for a brake pipe controlled brake system

An electronic load weigh device is used with a railcar truck control unit. A relay valve provides to a brake cylinder a pressure proportional to the pressure impinging upon its control port. A first feedback signal is indicative of the pressure at the control port. A second feedback signal is indicative of the load borne by the truck. A pressure switch opens when pressure within a trainline changes to a level indicative of an emergency. By controlling the opening and closing of application and release magnet valves, a controller controls the pressure impinging on the control port and thereby service braking of the wheels of the truck. The load weigh device includes (i) circuitry for electronically compensating for the load during braking and (ii) a mechanism for granting the circuitry exclusive control over the magnet valves. Should such emergency occur, the mechanism responds to such emergency by disconnecting the controller from the magnet valves. This gives the circuitry exclusive control over the magnet valves. The circuitry compensates for the load borne by the truck during emergency braking by selectively opening and closing the magnet valves, according to predetermined criteria using the feedback signals, thereby controlling the magnitude of the pressure impinging upon the control port. Absent such emergency, the mechanism responds to such absence by connecting the controller to the magnet valves whereby such service braking on the truck is normally controlled, yet the circuitry is still enabled to compensate for the load during such service braking.

Electronic emergency brake load weigh device

A method in part enables a wheel slip control system that controls slip on a per axle basis to control slip on a per truck basis. The wheel slip control system issues on a per axle basis an axle reduction signal indicative of a percentage by which to reduce the braking force that would normally be applied to one wheel/axle combination on a truck of a rail vehicle. The method includes the step of converting the axle reduction signals issued on a per axle basis to a truck reduction priority signal indicative of a percentage by which to reduce the braking force on a per truck basis. For rail vehicles featuring dynamic braking equipment another step involves commanding the dynamic braking equipment to reduce the dynamic braking force being applied to the wheel/axle combinations of the truck in response to the percentage carried by the truck reduction priority signal. Still another step involves commanding the friction braking equipment to apply an appropriate amount of friction braking force to the wheel/axle combinations of the truck so as to resolve the slip experienced thereby. The appropriate amount of friction braking force represents the sum of the total braking force sought to be applied to the wheel/axle combinations of the truck less first a product of the total braking force and the percentage carried by the truck reduction priority signal and less second the dynamic braking force being applied to the wheel/axle combinations of the truck.

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Spartanburg, SC, United States of America

James A Wood