BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM AND VEHICLE HAVING SAME

• US 3,730,596 A
• Filed: 04/21/1971
• Issued: 05/01/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frank C. Bennett, Gerardus L. Felix
• Original Assignee: Frank C. Bennett, Gerardus L. Felix
• Inventors: Felix, Gerardus L., Bennett, Frank C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buchler, Milton
• Assistant Examiner(s): Basinger, S. D.
• Application Number:
  US05/136,089
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• Field of Search: 303/3,13,15,17,20 188/16P,159,271
• US Class Current: 303/3
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 1/06 acting otherwise than on tread, e.g. employing rim, drum, disc, or transmission or on double wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/74 with electrical assistance or drive

Abstract

A brake control system applied in a preferred embodiment to a heavy hauling vehicle having a combination of four-wheel friction brakes and dynamic brakes acting only on the rear wheels through direct connected electric traction motors. The friction brakes are air operated and may be applied by the vehicle operator at any time. However, the dynamic brakes are intended to be used as the primary braking system and are separately controlled by the vehicle operator by air actuated means of the brake control system. Because actuation of the dynamic brake involves a substantial time delay before effective dynamic braking may be obtained, the brake control is arranged so that upon operation of the dynamic brake pedal by the operator the air operated friction brakes are immediately applied to the front wheels of the vehicle to establish a controllable braking effect which continues for a predetermined period, preferably equal to the time required for effective dynamic braking of the rear wheels to be established. The system permits a full application of the friction brakes on all four wheels at any time, either separately from or in conjunction with utilization of the rear wheel dynamic braking.

Claims

1. An air operated brake control system for a wheeled vehicle of the type having first and second pairs of wheels, friction brake means for retarding or stopping rotation of at least one of said wheel pairs, said first wheel pair being connected with traction motor means actuable as part of dynamic brake means to retard rotation of said first wheel pair, said dynamic brake means being characterized by a substantial time delay after actuation before effective dynamic braking is developed, said brake control system comprising first pressure air operated actuating means arranged to actuate said friction brake means, second pressure air operated actuating means arranged to actuate said dynamic brake means, a first control valve connected with said first actuating means and operable by the vehicle operator to supply Pg,11 pressure air to said first actuating means to actuate said friction brake means, a second control valve connected with said second actuating means and said first actuating means and operable by the vehicle operator to supply pressure air thereto to respectively actuate said dynamic brake means and said friction brake means, and cutoff means between said second control valve and said first actuating means and automatically operative to exhaust pressure air from said first actuating means after a preset period following actuation thereof by operation of said second control valve.

2. An air operated brake control system for a wheeled vehicle of the type having at least first and second pairs of wheels, each said pair being associated with separately actuable friction brake means for retarding or stopping rotation of its respective wheel pair, said first wheel pair being connected with traction motor means actuable as part of dynamic brake means to retard rotation of said first wheel pair, said dynamic brake means being characterized by a substantial time delay after actuation before effective dynamic braking is developed, said brake control system comprising first and second pressure air operated actuating means arranged to respectively actuate the friction brake means of said first and second wheel pairs, third pressure air operated actuating means arranged to actuate said dynamic brake means, a first control valve connected with said first and second actuating means and operable by the vehicle operator to supply pressure air to said first and second actuating means to actuate the friction brake means of both said wheel pairs, a second control valve connected with said third actuating means and at least one of said first and second actuating means and operable by the vehicle operator to supply pressure air thereto to respectively actuate said dynamic brake means and the friction brake means associated with said one actuating means, and cutoff means between said second control valve and said one actuating means and automatically operative to exhaust pressure air from said one actuating means after a preset period following actuation thereof by operation of said second control valve.

3. The brake control system of claim 2 wherein the preset period for operation of said cutoff means is approximately equal to the period of time delay before effective braking is developed by the dynamic brake means, whereby operation of the second control valve by the operator will provide initial actuation of the friction brake means of at least one of said wheel pairs followed by release of such brake means coincidentally with the development of effective dynamic braking of said first wheel pair so as to provide a substantially continuous braking effect on the vehicle.

4. The brake control system of claim 1 and further comprising a shuttle valve between said first actuating means, said first control valve and said cut off means, said shuttle valve being operative to close off the connection of said first actuating means with whichever one of said cutoff means and said first control valve is then supplying a lower pressure, thereby providing for actuation of said friction brakes upon operation of said first control valve regardless of the operating condition of said second control valve or said cutoff means.