The Bendix Corporation

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC

Other

James P Koenig

William P Fornof

Leonard A Quinn

Fred W Hoffman

Richard J Conklin

Richard W Carmichael

Kevin K Johnson

An air dryer assembly for removing moisture and oil from a compressed air system includes a desiccant material received in a shell for adsorbing moisture as compressed air passes therethrough. A coalescing element is disposed between an inlet and outlet for removing oil aerosols from the compressed air. A check valve is disposed in parallel with the coalescing element and forces the compressed air to pass through the coalescing element as air flows from the inlet to the outlet. During a purge or reverse flow, compressed air bypasses the coalescing element and removes oil collected in the cartridge through the inlet.

Spin-on desiccant cartridge with integral oil removal filter

A serviceable filtering oil removal cartridge for use in a compressed air assembly of a vehicle air brake system includes a housing having a first end and a second end. A filtering element is disposed within the housing for agglomerating and removing oil from compressed air entering the oil removal cartridge. A load plate is disposed within the housing for supporting the filtering element. The load plate includes a connecting portion dimensioned to allow the oil removal cartridge to be removed and installed as a single unit. The connecting portion is preferably a threaded annulus.

Spin-on filtering oil removal cartridge

A compressed air system for an air brake system includes a heat generating element operating at an elevated temperature to maintain water in vapor state. The heat generating element is preferably an air brake compressor. A discharge oil filter is disposed downstream from the compressor for filtering oil from a stream of compressed air. The discharge oil filter is positioned close enough to the compressor to maintain water in the compressed air stream in a vapor form. The oil filter preferably includes an oil filtering media formulated to agglomerate oil as the stream of compressed air is filtered. The agglomerated oil and compressed air are passed downstream where the agglomerated oil and water from the air stream are removed. Alternatively, the agglomerated oil is filtered to a sump in a housing of the discharge oil filter.

Oil filter used in combination with a heat generating element

A trailer air dryer is provided to minimize contamination, leakage or freeze-up of the valves used in a pneumatic braking and suspension system caused by moisture or foreign particles in the system. A bypass assembly is provided to ensure normal brake operation should the filters or drying material/desiccant become plugged. In one embodiment, an audible signal or warning is provided to the operator indicating need for servicing the trailer air dryer.

Trailer air dryer with bypass valving and service indicator

A clutch drive (10) includes a spindle (16) mounting a driving member (94) and a driven member (118) for rotation about the spindle (16). The driving member (94) includes a pressure plate (96) which moves axially along the spindle to engage and disengage from the driven member (118). The pressure plate (96) is mounted on circumferentially spaced pins (102) which are slidably received in apertures (106) in the pressure plate (96). Circumferentially spaced springs (112) yieldably urge the pressure plate (96) into driving engagement with the driven member (118). A fluid pressure responsive piston (52) is connected to the pressure plate (96) by a bearing (68) and urges the pressure plate (96) away from the driven member (118). A spring (76) wraps around the spindle (16) and includes tabs (78, 80) engaging a fixed portion of the spindle and a collar (86) fixed to the bearing (68) to prevent rotation of the inner race (66) of the bearing (68) while collapsing to accommodate axial movement of the pressure plate (96).

Clutch drive

A fluid pressure braking system for an articlated vehicle having a towed unit and a towing unit includes a source of fluid pressure carried on the towing unit and a supply line (68) and a service line (70) which communicates the braking system on the towing unit with the braking system on the towed unit. A proportioning valve (36) controls communication to the relay valve (42) which communicates braking pressure to the rear wheel service brakes of the towing unit. The proportioning valve (36) is connected through a control port (82) to an inversion valve (76). The inversion valve (76) is responsive to fluid pressure in the supply line (68) to communicate a pressure signal to the control port (82) when the pressure level in the supply line (68) drops below a predetermined level. The proportioning valve (36) is responsive to the pressure signal on the control port (82) to proportion communication to the control port of the relay valve (42). Accordingly, when the pressure level in the supply line (68) drops below the predetermined level, which indicates that the towed unit has been disconnected from the towing unit, the proportioning valve (36) cuts down on the braking pressure communicated to the rear wheel brakes of the towing unit. On the other hand, when the pressure in the supply line (68) is above the predetermined level, thereby indicating that the towing unit and towed unit are connected, the proportioning valve (36) permits substantially uninhibited communication to the relay valve (42).

Tractor air brake proportioning system

A fluid pressure braking system for an articulated vehicle includes a pair of manually operated, push-pull control valves and a pressure differential responsive dual supply valve. The inlet of one of the manually operated valves is connected to the fluid pressure source, and the outlet is connected to the parking brakes on the power portion of the articulated vehicle and also to one inlet of the dual supply valve. Another inlet of the dual supply valve is connected directly to the fluid pressure source. The outlet of the dual supply valve is connected to the inlet of the second manually operated control valve, the outlet of which is connected to the parking brakes on the towed or nonpowered portion of the articulated vehicle. Application of the spring brakes on both portions of the vehicle is effected by actuation of one of the valves, but release of the spring brakes on both portions of the vehicle requires actuation of both of the manually operated valves.

Fluid pressure braking system

A parking brake control valve for a vehicle fluid pressure braking system is actuable by the vehicle operator to control communication from a fluid pressure source to supply hold-off pressure to the vehicle parking brakes. The parking brakes are of the spring applied, fluid pressure released type, in which the spring actuator automatically effects a mechanical brake operation when hold-off pressure drops below a predetermined level. The parking brake control valve is responsive to a supply pressure below a predetermined level to automatically vent the hold-off pressure from the parking brakes, but this predetermined low pressure is less than the value of the spring brake hold-off pressure below which the brakes are gradually applied or 'drag'. The valve disclosed in the present application includes a check valve which isolates the hold-off pressure from supply pressure so that the hold-off pressure cannot vent in response to a decrease in the supply level to a sufficiently low value where the brakes may 'drag'. However, when the supply pressure drops below the predetermined low pressure at which the spring brakes are to be applied, the parking brake control valve automatically vents the hold-off pressure to effect a spring brake application. Consequently, the system disclosed in the present application prevents the spring brakes from 'dragging', while retaining the safety feature of automatically applying the spring brakes when the supply pressure drops below the predetermined level.

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Olmsted Township, OH, United States of America

James P Koenig