New York Air Brake Corporation

Taylor Estelle

Jeffrey Aiken

Steven R Newton

Jeffrey F Sauter

A gladhand coupling that prevents inadvertent separation of the coupling halves without the need for additional structure or manipulation to connect and disconnect the halves. Each half is equipped with a lug having a ramped pad and a flange defining a channel having a corresponding ramped pad. When two halves are positioned together then rotated into the locked position, the ramped pad of the lug is positioned proximately to the ramped pad of the flange to prevent inadvertent lateral compression of the two halves that could cause unintentional uncoupling. The coupling may be disconnected by simple rotation of one coupling half relative to the other and by pulling the coupling apart as done by current rail car decoupling procedures without the need for manual manipulation of extraneous locking mechanisms.

Interlocking gladhands

A prolonged release system having a locking member pivotally mounted on a post within a hand brake and having an arm that contacts a clutch assembly to prevent the clutch assembly of the handbrake from engaging after it has been manually released. Rotation of the hand brake wheel causes a pawl on a ratchet gear to move into contact with a cam of the locking member so that the arm of the locking member moves out of contact with the clutch assembly. By maintaining the clutch assembly in a released position, the prolonged release system ensures that the brake chain drum is decoupled from the driveshaft of the hand brake and prevents the inadvertent application of the brakes. When a user turns the hand brake wheel, the locking member is disengaged from the clutch assembly and the hand brake can be set by a user.

Rail handbrake with prolonged release

A gladhand coupling that prevents inadvertent separation of the coupling halves. Each half is equipped with a lug having a ramped pad and a flange defining a channel having a corresponding ramped pad. When two halves are positioned together then rotated into the locked position, the ramped pad of the lug is positioned proximately to the ramped pad of the flange to prevent inadvertent lateral compression of the two halves that could cause unintentional uncoupling. The coupling may be disconnected by simple rotation of one coupling half relative to the other and by pulling the coupling apart as done by current rail car decoupling procedures.

Growing community of inventors

Weedsport, NY, United States of America

Taylor Estelle