Westinghouse Air Brake Company

Paul E Jamieson

Richard J Mazur

James A Wood

Robert D Dimsa

Richard F Balukin

John W Drake

Roland S Moore

John H Corvin

A brake disc wear indicator comprising a brake disc rotor having two opposed braking surfaces for engaging opposed brake friction pads, and at least one hole provided in the rotor at a location behind a braking surface and at a predetermined depth and distance from the braking surface such that the hole is originally invisible by the presence of brake rotor material but becomes visible when brake rotor material is worn away to the extent that the hole becomes exposed and visible.

Brake disc wear indicator

A limp-in control arrangement for an electro-pneumatic integrated control system for railway vehicles including a supply and exhaust magnet valve for electrically controlling the pneumatic brakes on the railway vehicle, an electromagnetic relay for sensing the operational condition of the electro-pneumatic integration control system, a switching device for enabling a limp-in control function when the electro-pneumatic integrated control system is experiencing a malfunction, an operating device for initiating a limp-in control function by releasing and reapplying the pneumatic brakes to allow the railway vehicle to be moved to a repair facility.

Limp-in control arrangement for an electro-pneumatic brake control system

A system detects cut-out of brakes on a train in a safe manner. Each vehicle in the train has at least one truck. Each truck has brakes which may be cut-out via a cut-out cock. A frequency generator generates a signal at a predesignated frequency. This signal is conveyed from a first vehicle in the train to a last vehicle in the train along a feed line and from the last vehicle to the first vehicle along a return line. Each cut-out cock assumes an open position wherein the brakes of its truck are cut-in or a closed position wherein the brakes of its truck are cut-out. Each cut-out cock features a switch in series with the return line that closes when its cutout cock assumes the open position or opens when its cutout cock assumes the closed position. A frequency divider for each switch connects in parallel therewith. When the switch is closed, the signal passes through the switch wherein division of frequency is avoided. When the switch is open, the signal passes through the frequency divider wherein division of frequency by a preset value occurs. A detector determines the resulting frequency of the signal returned to the first vehicle on the return line because the signal as it conducted along the return line had its frequency divided each time it passed through one of the frequency dividers. This enables the system to determine the number of trucks whose brakes are cut-out on the train.

Safe brake cutout detection for train

A brake control apparatus that applies and releases the brakes of a rail vehicle generally according to changes in pressure occurring within a straight air pipe incorporates a penalty brake circuit. The brake apparatus includes a controlling device for initiating changes of pressure within the straight air pipe. The brake apparatus also includes a first mechanism for providing a service brake control pressure in accordance with a command for service braking and a second mechanism for providing an emergency brake control pressure in accordance with a command for emergency braking. The brake control apparatus further includes a standard check valve for conveying to a standard load valve the higher of the service and emergency brake control pressures received from the first and second mechanisms. The standard load valve effects operation of the brake apparatus in response to whichever of the brake control pressures is received from the standard check valve. The penalty brake circuit comprises a third mechanism for providing a penalty brake control pressure to the straight air pipe in response to a command for a penalty braking. The penalty brake control pressure is ultimately communicable to the standard load valve. The standard load valve can effect operation of the brakes also in response to the penalty brake control pressure.

Penalty brake circuit for straight air pipe brake control equipment

A brake control apparatus that applies and releases the brakes of a rail vehicle incorporates a penalty brake design. The brake apparatus includes a first mechanism for providing a service brake control pressure in accordance with a command for service braking and a second mechanism for providing an emergency brake control pressure in accordance with a command for emergency braking. The brake apparatus also includes a standard check valve for conveying to a standard load valve the higher of the service and emergency control pressures received from the first and second mechanisms. The standard load valve provides in response to whichever of the brake control pressures is received from the standard check valve a first brake cylinder control pressure that is proportional to weight borne by the rail vehicle. The brake apparatus further includes a relay valve that operates the brake apparatus in response to the first control pressure received from the standard load valve. The penalty brake design comprises a penalty check valve, a penalty load valve and a third mechanism for providing a penalty brake control pressure in response to a command for penalty braking. The penalty load valve provides in response to the penalty control pressure received from the third mechanism a second brake cylinder control pressure that is proportional to weight borne by the rail vehicle. The penalty check valve conveys the higher of the first and second control pressures received from the two load valves to the relay valve to operates the brake apparatus.

Penalty brake design for straight air pipe brake control equipment

A brake control apparatus that applies and releases the brakes of a rail vehicle incorporates a penalty brake scheme. The brake apparatus includes a first mechanism for providing a service brake control pressure in accordance with a command for service braking and a second mechanism for providing an emergency brake control pressure in accordance with a command for emergency braking. The brake apparatus also includes a standard check valve for conveying to a standard load valve the higher of the service and emergency control pressures received from the first and second mechanisms. The standard load valve operates the brake apparatus in response to whichever of the control pressures is received from the standard check valve. The penalty brake scheme comprises a penalty check valve and a third mechanism for providing a penalty brake control pressure in response to a command for penalty braking. The penalty check valve connects between the first and third mechanisms and the standard check valve. The penalty check valve conveys the higher of the service and penalty control pressures received from the first and third mechanisms, respectively, to the standard check valve. The standard check valve then conveys to the standard load valve the higher of the emergency control pressure and the service or penalty control pressures received from the second mechanism and the penalty check valve, respectively. The standard load valve operates the brake control apparatus in response to whichever of the control pressures is received from the standard check valve.

Penalty brake scheme for straight air pipe brake control equipment

A vehicle-in-spin speed processing system for multiple wheel axle units of a self-powered railway vehicle in which a reasonably accurate vehicle speed reference signal is produced as the wheel axle units are experiencing wheel spin during acceleration of the self-powered railway vehicle so that a minimum amount of error occurs in the output data of speedometers, odometers, and event recorders.

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Greer, SC, United States of America

Paul E Jamieson