Penalty brake circuit for straight air pipe brake control equipment

• US 5,746,485 A
• Filed: 10/24/1996
• Issued: 05/05/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Jamieson, Paul E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ballato, Josie
• Application Number:
  US08/736,265
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 303/3, 303/7, 303/9.69, 303/123, 303/124, 303/128, 303/22.6, 303/15, 303/20, 303/18, 303/190, 303/86
• US Class Current: 303/19
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 13/665 the systems being specially adapted for transferring two or more command signals, e.g. railway systems B60T13/662 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1893 especially adapted for railway vehicles

Abstract

A brake control apparatus that applies and releases the brakes of a rail vehicle generally according to changes in pressure occurring within a straight air pipe incorporates a penalty brake circuit. The brake apparatus includes a controlling device for initiating changes of pressure within the straight air pipe. The brake apparatus also 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 control apparatus further includes a standard check valve for conveying to a standard load valve the higher of the service and emergency brake control pressures received from the first and second mechanisms. The standard load valve effects operation of the brake apparatus in response to whichever of the brake control pressures is received from the standard check valve. The penalty brake circuit comprises a third mechanism for providing a penalty brake control pressure to the straight air pipe in response to a command for a penalty braking. The penalty brake control pressure is ultimately communicable to the standard load valve. The standard load valve can effect operation of the brakes also in response to the penalty brake control pressure.

Claims

1. A penalty brake circuit for a rail vehicle having a brake control apparatus to apply and release the brakes of said rail vehicle generally according to changes in pressure occurring within a straight air pipe of said rail vehicle, said brake control apparatus including a controlling means for initiating changes of pressure within said straight air pipe, a first means for providing a service brake control pressure in accordance with a command for a service brake application, a second means for providing an emergency brake control pressure in accordance with a command for an emergency brake application, a standard check valve means for conveying the higher of said service and said emergency brake control pressures received from said first means and said second means, and a standard load valve means for effecting operation of said brake control apparatus in response to whichever of said brake control pressures is received from said standard check valve means, said penalty brake circuit comprising:

(a) a third means for providing to said straight air pipe in response to a command for a penalty brake application a penalty brake control pressure that is ultimately communicable to said standard load valve means so that said standard load valve means can effect operation of the brakes also in response to said penalty brake control pressure.

2. The penalty brake circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said third means includes a transfer valve means that is normally energized absent receipt of said command for said penalty brake application thereby preventing communication between a source of said penalty brake control pressure and said straight air pipe while allowing communication between said controlling means and said straight air pipe and deenergized upon receipt of said command for said penalty brake application thereby allowing communication between said source of said penalty brake control pressure and said straight air pipe while preventing communication between said controlling means and said straight air pipe.

3. The penalty brake circuit as recited in claim 2 wherein said third means further includes a regulating valve means connected between said source of said penalty brake control pressure and said transfer valve means for regulating flow of said penalty brake control pressure to said transfer valve means.

4. The penalty brake circuit as recited in claim 3 wherein said third means further includes a cutout valve means connected between said regulating valve means and said transfer valve means for allowing flow of pressurized air therebetween to be cutoff so as to disable function of said penalty brake circuit.

5. The penalty brake circuit as recited in claim 4 wherein said cutout valve means is a sealed cutout cock device.

6. The penalty brake circuit as recited in claim 2 wherein said source of said penalty brake control pressure is a supply reservoir.

7. The penalty brake circuit as recited in claim 2 wherein said transfer valve means is a R-5-D type valve device.

8. The penalty brake circuit as recited in claim 2 wherein said third means further includes a cutout valve means connected between said source of said penalty brake control pressure and said transfer valve means for allowing flow of pressurized air therebetween to be cutoff so as to disable function of said penalty brake circuit.

9. The penalty brake circuit as recited in claim 8 wherein said cutout valve means is a sealed cutout cock device.

10. The penalty brake circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein said standard load valve means is a variable load valve device that upon receiving any one of said brake control pressures provides a brake cylinder control pressure that is proportional to pressure that said variable load valve device receives from air springs of said rail vehicle so that the weight of the load borne by said rail vehicle is taken into account during brake application.