The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 23, 1997
Filed:
Oct. 24, 1996
Paul E Jamieson, Greer, SC (US);
Westinghouse Air Brake Company, Wilmerding, PA (US);
Abstract
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.