Unitized railcar brake equipment
First Claim
1. Electronic brake equipment for a railcar comprising:
- a. a brake cylinder;
b. a piston slidably housed in said brake cylinder;
c. a first volume communicating on a face of said pistin for pressurization to move said piston in a first direction to increase braking force on said railcar;
d. a second volume communicating on a back side of said piston for pressurization to move said piston in a second direction to decrease braking force on said railcar;
f. at least one electrically controllable valve actuable to selectively connect at least one of said first and second volumes with at least one of each other, a source of pressure, and the atmosphere in order to control pressurization of said first and second volumes to regulate braking force on said railcar.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A unitized railcar brake equipment can have a relatively small integrated air supply and can be controlled electronically. The equipment can have a brake cylinder portion and a control valve portion. The brake cylinder portion can have a brake cylinder housing a piston head with a rod end of the piston connected to a railcar brake member. A pair of air chambers communicate on opposite sides of the piston head and an air reservoir can be integral with the brake cylinder housing. Selective coupling of the air chambers and the air reservoir to each other, a source of pressure, or to the atmosphere can be controlled by appropriate valves to control the pressure in the brake cylinder.
6 Citations
62 Claims
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1. Electronic brake equipment for a railcar comprising:
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a. a brake cylinder;
b. a piston slidably housed in said brake cylinder;
c. a first volume communicating on a face of said pistin for pressurization to move said piston in a first direction to increase braking force on said railcar;
d. a second volume communicating on a back side of said piston for pressurization to move said piston in a second direction to decrease braking force on said railcar;
f. at least one electrically controllable valve actuable to selectively connect at least one of said first and second volumes with at least one of each other, a source of pressure, and the atmosphere in order to control pressurization of said first and second volumes to regulate braking force on said railcar. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. Unitized brake equipment for a railcar comprising:
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a. a brake cylinder;
b. a single piston having a piston head end movably housed in said brake cylinder and a piston rod end connectable to a brake member for applying braking force on said railcar, c. a first volume communicating on at least a portion of a first side of said piston head, pressurization of said first volume causing said single piston to move in a first direction to increase braking force on said railcar;
d. a second volume communicating on at least a portion of a second side of said piston head, pressurization of said second volume tending to cause said single piston to move in a second direction to decrease braking force on said railcar; and
e. at least one valve controllable responsive to an electrical brake signal selectively coupling at least one of said first and second volumes with at least one of each other, a source of pressure, and the atmosphere to control pressure in said first and second volumes and move said single piston to control braking force on said railcar in a graduable manner. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. Unitized brake equipment for a railcar comprising:
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a. a brake cylinder;
b. a single piston having a piston head movably housed in said brake cylinder and a piston rod end connectable to a brake member for applying braking force on said railcar, said single piston movable in a first direction to increase said braking force, and a second direction to decrease said braking force;
c. a single volume communicating on a first side of said piston head, such that a force is created acting on said first side solely due to pressurization of said single volume, said force urging said single piston to move in said first direction;
d. a second volume communicating on a second side of said piston head, pressurization of said second volume creating a force urging said single piston to move in said second direction;
e. a third volume connectable to a source of pressure;
f. a first electrically controllable valve to selectively couple said first single volume with at least said third volume to gradually pressurize said single volume;
g. a second electrically controllable valve to selectively couple said second volume with at least said third volume to gradually pressurize said second volume;
h. a third electrically controllable valve to selectively couple said single volume to the atmosphere to gradually depressurize said single volume; and
i. a fourth electrically controllable valve to selectively couple said second volume to the atmosphere to gradually depressurize said second volume. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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- 35. The unitized brake equipment of claim 35 further comprising said fourth valve controllable to connect said second volume to atmosphere to further increase said braking force.
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37. A method of controlling braking force on a railcar comprising:
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a. controlling movement of a single piston having a piston head end slidably disposed in a brake cylinder and a rod end connectable to a brake member on said railcar such that movement of said piston in a first direction increases said braking force and movement of said piston in a second direction reduces said braking force;
b. providing a single volume acting on a first side of said piston head and a second volume acting on a second side of said piston head;
c. creating a force acting on said first side solely by pressurization of said single pressure chamber, said force urging said piston to move in said first direction;
d. pressurization of said second volume creating a force urging said single piston to move in said second direction;
e. providing a third volume selectively communicable with at least one of said single and second volumes;
f. selectively connecting at least one of said single volume and said second volume to at least one of each other, a source of pressure, said third volume, and the atmosphere to control movement of said single piston to control braking force on said rail car in a graduable manner; and
at least one of;
i. isolating said first volume from atmosphere responsive to a pressure reduction in said source of pressure, and ii. isolating said second volume from the atmosphere while connecting said first volume to said source of pressure to increase said braking force until a predetermined amount of travel of said single piston has occurred, and thereafter selectively connecting said second volume to atmosphere to gradually reduce pressure in said second volume to further increase said braking force. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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41. (canceled)
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55. A method of controlling braking force on a railcar comprising:
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a. controlling movement of a piston having a piston head end slidably disposed in a brake cylinder and a rod end connectable to a brake member on said railcar such that movement of said piston in a first direction increases said braking force and movement of said piston in a second direction reduces said braking force;
b. providing a single pressure chamber acting on a first side of said piston head;
c. creating a force acting on said first side solely by pressurization of said single pressure chamber, said force urging said piston to move in said first direction;
d. providing a second pressure chamber acting on a second side of said piston head;
e. providing a third pressure chamber integral with said brake cylinder;
f. selectively connecting at least one of said single pressure chamber and said second pressure chamber to at least one of each other, a source of pressure, said third pressure chamber, and the atmosphere to control said braking force; and
g. isolating said second volume from said third volume and connecting said second volume to atmosphere responsive to piston travel a certain distance in said first direction and a predetermined reduction in pressure at said pressure source. - View Dependent Claims (56)
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57. A method of controlling braking force on a railcar comprising:
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a. controlling movement of a piston having a piston head end slidably disposed in a brake cylinder and a rod end connectable to a brake member on said railcar such that movement of said piston in a first direction increases said braking force and movement of said piston in a second direction reduces said braking force;
b. providing a single application chamber acting on a first side of said piston head, a single release chamber acting on a second side of said piston head, and a reservoir;
c. creating a force acting on said first side solely by pressurization of said single application chamber, said force urging said piston to move in said first direction;
d. sealing said piston head against said brake cylinder at a single location such that said application and release chambers are separated using a single seal; and
e. selectively connecting at least one of said first and second pressure chambers to at least one of each other, a source of pressure, said reservoir, and the atmosphere to move said piston in said first and second directions to control said braking force. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60)
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61. A method of controlling braking force on a railcar comprising:
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a. controlling movement of a piston having a piston head end slidably disposed in a brake cylinder and a rod end connectable to a brake member on said railcar such that movement of said piston in a first direction increases said braking force and movement of said piston in a second direction reduces said braking force;
b. providing first, second, and third volumes in said brake cylinder, said first volume acting on a first side of said piston head and said second volume acting on a second side of said piston head;
c. forming said third volume as an annular chamber which circumscribes at least a portion of both said first and second volumes; and
d. selectively connecting at least one of said first volume and said second volume to at least one of each other, a source of pressure, said third volume, and the atmosphere to control said braking force.
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62. Unitized brake equipment for a railcar comprising:
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a. a brake cylinder;
b. a piston having a piston head end movably housed in said brake cylinder and a piston rod end connectable to a brake member for applying braking force on said railcar;
c. a single pressure chamber communicating on a first side of said piston head, pressurization of said single pressurization chamber solely responsible for urging said piston to move in a first direction to increase said braking force;
d. a second pressure chamber communicating on a second side of said piston head, pressurization of said second pressure chamber tending to cause said piston to move in a second direction to reduce said braking force;
e. an annular reservoir formed integrally with said brake cylinder, said annular reservoir circumscribing at least a portion of both said first and second pressure chambers; and
f. a control valve portion controllable responsive to an electrical brake signal to selectively connect at least one of said single pressure chamber and said second pressure chamber with at least one of each other, said reservoir, a source of pressure, and the atmosphere to move said piston and control said braking force in a graduable manner.
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Specification