Westinghouse Air Brake Company

Ralph Santoro, Jr

Paul J Kettle, Jr

Vincent Ferri

Lawrence M Kushnir, Jr

Daniel G Scott

Robert D Dimsa

Gregory L Johnston

Craig A Miller

Robert G Bostedo

Brian L Cunkelman

A direct acting release cap for air brake control valves in trains which will allow for the manipulation of the valve characteristics from a direct brake release to a graduated brake release without removal of the cap from the body of the valve. This is accomplished through longitudinal movement of a spool, which directs internal air passages that control valve characteristics. The present invention eliminates the requirement of removing the direct acting release cap from the valve in order to change the working characteristics of the valve, thus resulting in a time savings for the operator.

Direct manipulating direct-graduated release cap for 26-type control valves

A purge valve for expelling liquid contaminants from a fluid conduit which is normally unpressurized but is at times pressurized with a gas which contains liquid contaminants. It has a housing, a diaphragm mounted within the housing, a control chamber on a first side of the diaphragm, an exhaust passage on a second side of the diaphragm and a valve seat surrounding the exhaust passage. The valve seat is positioned so that the diaphragm can seal against it. A spring on the second side of the diaphragm presses it away from the seat. An annular chamber is on the second side of the diaphragm, surrounding the exhaust passage. The annular chamber is open to the exhaust passage when the diaphragm is unseated from the valve seat. The valve has a low impedance flow path between the control chamber and the fluid conduit. The valve also has a high impedance discharge flow path connected to the annular chamber. The high impedance discharge flow path may be connected to the control chamber, connected to the low impedance flow path, or it may be for connection to the fluid conduit. When the valve is connected to the fluid conduit, it is open due to the spring force whenever the fluid conduit is unpressurized so that the liquid contaminant may drain from the valve. When the fluid conduit is pressurized, the diaphragm is pressed against the valve seat so that the valve is closed.

Normally open purge valve

The invention is a valve for expelling a liquid contaminant from a gas in a conduit. It is used for a conduit with a pressure subject to variations in time. The valve has a housing containing a diaphragm with a control chamber on one side of the diaphragm and an exhaust passage on the other side. A valve seat surrounds the exhaust passage. A spring presses the diaphragm against the valve seat so that the valve is normally closed and an annular chamber surrounds the exhaust passage. A low impedance discharge passage is connected to the annular chamber and to the conduit. A high impedance control passage is connected to the control chamber and is either connected to the discharge passage or to the conduit. When the conduit pressure remains constant in time, the pressure in the control chamber equilibrates with it so that a net pressure force on the diaphragm plus the spring force presses the diaphragm against the valve seat so that the valve is closed. When the conduit pressure is zero, the spring keeps the valve closed. When the pressure in the conduit increases rapidly, the pressure in the annular chamber rises faster than the pressure in the control chamber so that the net pressure force on the diaphragm becomes directed away from the valve seat and overcomes the spring force so that the diaphragm unseats and gas containing the contaminant liquid is purged from the valve.

Purge valve

An access plate which provides entry to a pneumatic braking system for the purpose of overlaying this system with an electronic controlled pneumatic system for a train braking system. This access plate allows entry into ports necessary to make brake applications from an electronic/programmed controlled unit or an equivalent thereof. This access plate has particular utility for accessing 26 porting and is one part of the entire unit that allows access to 26-type equipment for the purpose of overlaying features with an electronic controlled pneumatic braking system. This access plate provides access to porting to allow all of the advantages of electronic controlled braking to take effect such as shorter stopping distances, system performance feedback, and continuous recharging features. The present invention also provides a device on the access plate for accessing the necessary porting involved with doing a single car test within a 26-Type braking arrangement.

26-type controlled pneumatic access plate

A conversion block for converting porting from a brake control valve to an electronic control unit so as to allow for electronic control of an air braking system for a train. This conversion block has particular utility for converting 26 porting and is one part of the entire unit that allows access to 26-Type equipment for the purpose of overlaying features with an electronic controlled pneumatic braking system. The conversion block provides access to porting to allow all of the advantages of electronic controlled braking to take effect such as shorter stopping distances, system performance feedback, and continuous recharging features. The present invention also provides access to the necessary porting through hook-ups on the conversion block so as to perform a single car test of the braking equipment within a remote mounting arrangement of a 26-Type braking system.

26-type electronic controlled pneumatic conversion block

A pressure relief valve for rapidly exhausting air pressure from a source of such pressure. The valve includes a housing containing a valve member located across a main port provided in the housing that directly receives the air pressure from the pressure source. A second port is provided for receiving a pilot pressure from the pressure source, and a piston is located adjacent the second port. At least one exhaust port is provided in the housing for exhausting to atmosphere the air received through the main port and against the valve member.

Pressure relief valve with pneumatic pilot

A handle assembly, of the type used in railway locomotives, which includes a base plate, a cam mount attached to the base plate, a cam disk and a shaft assembly interconnecting the mount and disk to allow rotation of the disk. The improvement includes a yoke, a bail bar, first and second bearing members anchored to the plate and first and second switches attached to the plate. Pivotally connected to the disk and accommodating a handle, the yoke rotates along with the disk as the handle is moved along its range of motion and tilts as the handle is moved perpendicularly thereto. The bail bar is rotatable between the first and second bearing members. A first mechanism imparts a rotational force to the bail bar so that its middle section presses against an upper portion of the yoke. A stop limits rotation of the bail bar to a point at which the yoke and handle attain an untilted state. Operating against a lower portion of the yoke, a second mechanism provides a counterbalancing force to normally bias the yoke in the untilted state. No matter where the handle is positioned along its range of motion, when it is tilted by a preset amount, the yoke overcomes the rotational and counterbalancing forces so that a third mechanism causes both the first and second switches to change state.

Independent brake handle assembly

A brake pipe control apparatus of the type that defines primary and control passage networks has been improved. The primary passage network interconnects the brake pipe to at least one pneumatic valve in the apparatus. The control passage network interconnects a source of control pressure to at least one magnet valve used to cause operation of the pneumatic valve(s). The improvement includes first and second check valves and a passageway added between the two passage networks. The first check valve is incorporated into the control passage network between an inlet channel thereof that connects to the source and a branched channel thereof that connects to the magnet valve(s). The first check valve is situated to prevent air from flowing to the source from the branched channel when pressure in the source is low relative to pressure in the branched channel. The passageway interconnects the branched channel and the primary passage network. Placed into the passageway, the second check valve is situated to allow air to flow from the primary passage network to the branched channel when pressure in the source is low relative to pressure in the brake pipe. Pressure is thus maintained in the branched channel thereby allowing the magnet valve(s) during operation thereof to cause proper operation of the pneumatic valve(s) of the apparatus even if the source fails to provide air at the control pressure ordinarily expected.

Brake pipe control portion to enhance operation under low main reservoir

An apparatus for determining and encoding the position of a control handle on a control stand of a locomotive or other railway transit vehicle utilizing a rotational, absolute encoder rigidly mounted adjacent to the axle to which the control handle is attached for pivotal motion, wherein a drive transfer means interconnecting the control handle and/or axle with encoder has a driving ratio that will permit full partial rotation of the control handle, which is typically less than 90 degrees, to rotate the encoder axle through a significantly greater rotational angle not exceeding 360 degrees, for the purpose of making fuller use of the sensitivity and resolution range of the encoder.

Apparatus for determining the absolute position of throttle dynamic

Apparatus for interlocking independent control handles for throttle action, dynamic brake action and reverser action, within a control stand for a railway locomotive to permit controlled removal of a reverser control handle in which a first and second cam disks are mounted to a first and second axle for rotation with a throttle handle and a dynamic brake handle such that the disks will interlock with each other so that neither the throttle or dynamic handle can be rotated unless the other is in an 'off' position, and having a pivotal lock member secured to the reverser axle, with a member thereon adapted to pivotally lock the reverser lever handle in place when it is secured to the reverser axle. First and second arcuate guide members are provided to engage the pivotal lock member throughout its pivotal rotation with the reverser axle, and includes a member thereon to permit the pivotal lock members to be pivoted to allow removal and insertion of the reverser lever handle when it is in the 'neutral' position and the throttle and dynamic brake handles are in the 'off' position.

Apparatus for interlocking reverser handle on a control stand of a

Apparatus for determining and encoding the position of a reverser control handle on a control stand of a locomotive or other railway transit vehicle of the type having a reverser control handle attached to an axle partially rotatable through a defined angle and including a pair of stationary signal transmitting sensor means, and a pair of sensor activators secured to the axle adapted for partial rotation with the axle, whereby one each of the pair of sensor activators are positioned proximate to one each of the signal transmitting sensor means, so that any partial rotation of the axle in one given will be sensed by one such signal transmitting sensor means to provide a second signal, and partial rotation of the axle in the opposite direction will be sensed by the other signal transmitting sensor means to provide a second signal.

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New Kensington, PA, United States of America

Ralph Santoro, Jr