Westinghouse Air Brake Company

Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation

Vincent F Troiani

Edward W Gaughan

Gary M Sich

Gregory L Johnston

Daniel G Scott

John B Carroll

Robert D Dimsa

Michael J Veltri

Wei Li

William John Potter

Frank Huchrowski

James E Hart

Jeffrey B Skweres

Jeffrey D Reid

Karen Carriere

A brake health monitoring system and method measure pressures in different components of a brake system of a vehicle system during movement of the vehicle system. Two or more of the pressures that are measured in the different components are compared with each other to select a health monitoring mode. One or more allowable pressures are selected based on the health monitoring mode that is selected. A state of health of the brake system is determined by comparing one or more of the pressures that is measured with the one or more allowable pressures that are selected.

Brake health monitoring system

A brake monitoring system monitors pressures in a brake system of a vehicle system at different locations in the vehicle system. Decreases in the pressures are determined at two or more of the different locations. The times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred are determined. A location of interest of a leak in the brake system is determined by comparing the times at which the decreases in the pressures occurred.

Brake monitoring system

A system and method for monitoring air pressure applied to a brake cylinder of a braking assembly of a railway vehicle, including an empty-load device, and an RFID transducer in communication with the empty-load device, wherein the RFID transducer is configured to measure the air pressure delivered to the brake cylinder of the braking assembly, and generate data on the air pressure delivered to the brake cylinder of the braking assembly; and a remote data monitor configured to read data from the RFID transducer.

Vehicle brake cylinder monitoring system and method

The present invention provides a gasket for use in a service portion of a brake control valve in a railway braking system. The gasket comprises an elastomeric composition with a predetermined shape. There is a series of bead-like projections formed on the first surface of the gasket for sealing such gasket with a body portion of the valve. A first aperture is disposed in the gasket at a predetermined location for engagement with a projection on the filling piece of the service portion. A brass insert is molded into the elastomeric composition and has a second aperture formed therein. The second aperture is in fluid communication with an auxiliary reservoir of such railway braking system. A third aperture is formed in the gasket in a third predetermined location. A brass insert, which has a first predetermined configuration, is molded into the elastomeric composition of the gasket. The brass insert is disposed in a lower quadrant of the first surface of the gasket and has a fourth aperture disposed therein having a second predetermined configuration. The fourth aperture is in fluid communication with a brake pipe. There are bead like projections formed on the opposed planar second surface of the gasket that correspond to similar positions, but radially opposed, for each of the bead like projections formed on the first surface of the gasket. The bead like projections formed on second surface are for sealing contact with such filling piece of such service portion.

Brass insert molded into &ldquo;church window&rdquo; of service accelerated release valve gasket

A dual valve fitting enables pressure within a housing to be quickly measured. The fitting includes first and second valve bodies. The first body defines a passage between its threaded and protuberant ends. In the passage, a first valve atop a valve stem features a poppet head that is seatable against an outer valve seat. A first biasing mechanism compels the poppet head against the outer valve seat so that the first valve is normally closed. The second body defines a bore between its upper and lower threaded ends which communicates with the passage. The upper threaded end connects with the threaded end of the first body whereas the lower threaded end is designed to screw into a threaded bore of the housing. In the bore, a second valve features a retainer whose top defines a recess that retains a seal element that is seatable against an inner valve seat. A second biasing mechanism acts upon the retainer so that the seal element therein seats against the inner valve seat thereby rendering the second valve normally closed. A stem extension is disposed between a bottom of the valve stem and the top of the seal element. When a female coupler of a quick connect device is mated to the protuberant end, the female coupler causes translation of the valve stem, the stem extension and the retainer thereby opening both the first and second valves. This allows air to flow from the housing through the fitting and into the female coupler.

Dual valve fitting for enabling quick measurement of pressure

A dual valve fitting enables quick measurement of pressure contained within a housing. The fitting includes a valve body, a valve retainer, first and second sealing rings and a biasing mechanism. The valve body defines a flow passage within which is situated the valve retainer. The valve body is designed at its protuberant end to mate with a female coupler of a quick connect device and at its threaded end to screw into a threaded bore of the housing. The valve retainer defines around itself first and second annular recesses each of which spaced apart from the other to match the spacing of outer and inner annular valve seats formed in the flow passage. Forming a first valve, the first sealing ring retains in the first annular recess so as to be seatable against the outer valve seat. Forming a second valve, the second sealing ring retains in the second annular recess so as to be seatable against the inner valve seat. The valve retainer is biased within the flow passage so that the first and second sealing rings seat against the outer and inner valve seats, respectively, thereby rendering the first and second valves normally closed. Mating the female coupler to the protuberant end of the fitting causes the valve retainer to move inwardly against the biasing mechanism so as to open the first valve first then the second valve thereby allowing flow from the housing through the flow passage and into the female coupler.

A dual valve fitting enables pressure within a housing to be quickly measured. The fitting defines a passage between its threaded and protuberant ends. The threaded end screws into the housing. In an upper section of the passage, a first valve atop a valve stem features a poppet head that is seatable against an outer valve seat. A first biasing mechanism compels the head against the outer seat to keep the first valve normally closed. In a lower section of the passage, a second valve features a seat piece and a valve retainer. On its periphery, the seat piece carries an o-ring which sealingly secures the piece within the passage. The piece defines an inner bore between its ends and has an inner valve seat on its bottom. The top of the retainer is extendable through this inner bore to a point a dead space apart from a bottom of the stem. Around its bottom, the retainer carries an annular check valve. A second biasing mechanism acts upon the retainer so that the check valve seats against the inner seat thereby rendering the second valve normally closed. When a female coupler of a quick connect device is mated to the protuberant end, it causes the stem to move inwardly so that its head unseats from the outer seat and its bottom moves through the dead space and pushes the retainer to unseat the check valve. This enables air to flow the housing through the fitting into the female coupler.

A dual valve fitting enables pressure within a housing to be quickly measured. The fitting includes a single valve body that defines a passage between its threaded and protuberant ends. The threaded end is designed to screw into a threaded bore of the housing. In an upper section of the passage, a first valve features a poppet head atop a valve stem. The poppet head is seatable against an outer annular valve seat formed in the protuberant end of the passage. A first biasing mechanism compels the poppet head against the outer valve seat so that the first valve is normally closed. In a lower section of the passage, a second valve features a retainer whose top defines a recess that retains a check seal element used for seating against an inner annular valve seat formed in the passage. A second biasing mechanism acts upon the retainer so that the check seal element seats against the inner valve seat thereby rendering the second valve normally closed. The bottom of the valve stem is separated a dead space apart from the top of the check element. When a female coupler of a quick connect device is mated to the protuberant end, the female coupler causes the valve stem to move inwardly so that its poppet head unseats from the outer valve seat and its bottom end moves through the dead space to unseat the check element. This enables air to flow from the housing through the fitting into the female coupler.

A combined automatic pneumatic and electro-pneumatic brake system for a railroad freight car in which a conventional type ABD control valve device is modified to incorporate a solenoid valve portion at a mounting face from which the manual release valve portion has been removed and where existing passages in the control valve may be accessed in order to utilize the existing car control valve device with only a minimum of modification.

E/P interface with pneumatic control valve for back-up brake arrangement

A portable, microprocessor controlled single-car test unit for a railway freight brake control valve for automatically executing pressure manipulations to evaluate the operating conditions of the control valve. The pipe bracket portion is connected to a brake pipe, an auxiliary reservoir, an emergency reservoir, a brake cylinder retaining valve and a brake cylinder each being connected to a respective fluid passageway. The test unit accesses the fluid passageways at access ports, respectively connected to each passageway. Valves are utilized in the test unit to manipulate the pressure in the fluid passageways and pressure transducers measure fluid pressure in the passageways. The pressure transducers are controlled by a computer having a microprocessor connected to an input output device. The computer records and stores each pressure measurement, and calculates and stores the differences between selected pairs of the pressure measurements as well as elapsed time data for the measurements. The data is stored and outputted.

Ralway automatic brake control valve test unit

An electro-pneumatic brake system for a railroad freight car is integrated with the existing pneumatic freight brake system by utilizing the air stored in the emergency reservoir to supply brake cylinder pressure via the exhaust passage of the pneumatic control valve, which is maintained in release position during electro-pneumatic brake operation. The electro-pneumatic brake system fails to a release mode, so that the brakes on an individual car that experiences a power loss do not apply. In the case of a power loss in the electro-pneumatic system, due to a train break-in-two, the pneumatic brake system is automatically operated by the consequent loss of brake pipe pressure to provide a back-up brake, while at the same time interrupting the control valve exhaust path via which the electro-pneumatic brake is communicated with the brake cylinder.

Electro-pneumatic freight brake control system

A piston valve assembly for a freight brake control valve device in which axial displacement of a piston member is provided relative to its slide valve in response to slide valve friction creating excessive resistance to movement of the piston assembly from lap to release position. This relative movement between the piston member and slide valve causes a graduating valve that is carried fast with the piston member to open a release insuring passage in the slide valve and thereby exhaust auxiliary reservoir pressure from one side of the piston member. Accordingly, a relatively high pressure differential is created across the piston member to quickly overcome the slide valve resistance and assure prompt movement of the piston valve assembly and thereby obtain brake release without delay.

Freight brake control valve for railway cars

An improved freight brake emergency valve device having improved stability against undesired emergency brake applications, without loss of emergency sensitivity. Flow regulator in the form of a valve and choke combination or a choke itself is employed between the quick action chamber and the chamber normally subject to quick action chamber pressure on the side of the emergency piston opposite brake pipe pressure. This has the effect of momentarily reducing the volume of quick action chamber pressure in order to achieve an intensified pressure reduction in response to initial deflection of the piston member sufficient to counteract a momentary, spurious brake pipe pressure fluctuation.

Growing community of inventors

New Florence, PA, United States of America

Vincent F Troiani