Westinghouse Air Brake Company

Thomas Bogenschutz

Thomas H Engle

Connector for joining a fluid conduit and an electrical line to another fluid conduit and electrical line. It has a body including a mating surface with a fluid pressure port and a seal surrounding the port. It has a nipple for a fluid pressure hose and a fluid passage joining the nipple to the port. It has means for joining two connectors having their mating surfaces in contact to compress the seals and prevent loss of fluid. There is at least one electrical contact having a contact surface on the mating surface outside of the seal, so that when two connectors are joined, the contact surface(s) on the first connector touch(es) the contact surface(s) on the second connector. It also has an enclosed pathway communicating pressure from an internal portion of the connector to a portion of the electrical contact opposite the contact surface, and it has a second seal preventing flow of fluid past the contact, the second seal permitting motion of the electrical contact in a direction having a component normal to the electrical contact surface so that fluid pressure carried by the enclosed pathway causes the electrical contact to press against an adjacent electrical contact on the second connector. It has electrical connection means attached to the contact(s). The electrical connection means pass through the pathway and through a pressure boundary of the connector, and are for connection to the electrical line.

Growing community of inventors

Clayton, NY, United States of America

Thomas Bogenschutz