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Anti-theft system for use on a tractor/trailer land vehicle

  • US 6,164,730 A
  • Filed: 09/25/1998
  • Issued: 12/26/2000
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1998
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An anti-theft mechanism for use on a motor vehicle, such as a tractor trailer, comprising:

  • A) an air brake system which includes(1) a source of air,(2) a manual air-operated brake means for stopping rotation of at least one motor vehicle road-engaging wheel, said air-operated brake means including(a) a biased mechanism that is biased against air pressure to apply braking pressure to the wheel when air pressure is released from the biased mechanism and releases braking pressure from the wheel when air pressure is applied to the biased mechanism, and(b) a manually-operated control means for releasing air pressure from the biased mechanism to set the brake means when activated and when de-activated to fluidically connect the source of air pressure to the biased mechanism of said brake system to apply air pressure to the biased mechanism to overcome the bias of the biased mechanism for releasing the brake means and permitting rotation of the wheel, said manually-operated control means further including a signal transmitter for emitting a signal when said manually-operated control means is activated to set the brake means into a wheel rotation preventing configuration;

    B) a first fluid line fluidically connecting the source of air to said manually-operated control means;

    C) a second fluid line fluidically connecting said manually-operated control means to the biased mechanism of said brake means;

    D) a control valve fluidically located in said second fluid line in fluid series between said manually-operated control means and the biased mechanism of said air-operated brake system and including(1) a vent port in said second fluid line,(2) a port-covering valve means on said second fluid line for closing and opening said vent port,(3) a mechanism connected to said port-covering valve means to move said port-covering valve means to a port opening position when deactivated to a port closing position when activated whereby air pressure cannot be applied to the biased mechanism of said air-operated brake system through said second fluid line when said port-covering valve is in the port closing position and air pressure can be applied to the biased mechanism of said air-operated brake system through said second fluid line when said port-covering valve is in the port opening position,(4) a remote control means for activating the mechanism of said control valve to close said vent port to prevent release of said air-operated brake means after activation of said manually-operated control means into a brake-setting configuration even if said manually-operated control means is then moved back into a brake-releasing configuration and for de-activating the mechanism of said control valve to open said vent port for releasing said air-operated brake means when said manually-operated control means is thereafter moved into the brake-releasing configuration, said remote control means including a manually-operated means for activating and de-activating said remote control means and a signal transmitter which emits a signal when said remote control means is activated, and(5) a signal receiver in said control valve responsive to a signal emitted by the signal transmitter in said remote control means for activating the mechanism in said control valve to move said port-covering valve into said port opening position after said manually-operated control means has been activated and after said remote control means has been activated; and

    E) said remote control means including a signal receiver that is responsive to the signal emitted by said manually-operated control valve when the manually-operated control valve is activated to permit activation of said remote control means and permit said remote control means to be operated for activating the mechanism of said control valve whereby said remote control means will not be activated and thus cannot be operated until after said manually-controlled means has been activated into a brake setting condition.

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