Railway vehicle air compressor with integral high pressure cylinder unloader valve
AssigneeWestinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation
InventorMatthew D. Mitsch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air compressor for a railway vehicle includes a compressor housing, at least one piston cylinder supported in the compressor housing, the at least one piston cylinder including a cylinder head and a piston, a crankshaft assembly supported by the compressor housing and linked to the piston of the at least one piston cylinder, and an unloader valve positioned on the cylinder head of the at least one piston cylinder. The unloader valve may be configured to exhaust pressurized air from the at least one piston cylinder.
Claims17
An air compressor for a railway vehicle, comprising:
- a compressor housing;
- at least one piston cylinder supported in the compressor housing, the at least one piston cylinder comprising a cylinder head and a piston;
- a crankshaft assembly supported by the compressor housing and linked to the piston of the at least one piston cylinder;
- an unloader valve positioned on the cylinder head of the at least one piston cylinder;
- and
- a valve stem inserted into a passageway defined by the cylinder head, the valve stem comprising:
- an upper portion;
- and
- an extended intermediate portion positioned below the upper portion,
- wherein the unloader valve is coupled to the upper portion of the valve stem,
- wherein the valve stem establishes fluid communication between the unloader valve and the piston cylinder, and
- wherein the unloader valve is configured to exhaust pressurized air from the at least one piston cylinder entering the unloader valve through the valve stem.
A railway vehicle with an air compressor, comprising:
- a railway vehicle;
- and
- an air compressor positioned on the railway vehicle, the air compressor comprising:
- a compressor housing;
- at least one piston cylinder supported in the compressor housing, the at least one piston cylinder comprising a cylinder head and a piston;
- a crankshaft assembly supported by the compressor housing and linked to the piston of the at least one piston cylinder;
- an unloader valve positioned on the cylinder head of the at least one piston cylinder;
- and
- a valve stem inserted into a passageway defined by the cylinder head, the valve stem comprising:
- an upper portion;
- and
- an extended intermediate portion positioned below the upper portion,
- wherein the unloader valve is coupled to the upper portion of the valve stem
- wherein the valve stem establishes fluid communication between the unloader valve and the piston cylinder, and
- wherein the unloader valve is configured to exhaust pressurized air from the at least one piston cylinder entering the unloader valve through the valve stem.
A method of exhausting pressurized fluid from a piston cylinder of an air compressor, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing an unloader valve and valve stem on a cylinder head of a piston cylinder of an air compressor, in which the valve stem establishes fluid communication between the unloader valve and the piston cylinder,
- wherein the valve stem comprises:
- an upper portion, and
- an extended intermediate portion positioned below the upper portion, and
- wherein the unloader valve is coupled to the upper portion of the valve stem;
- b) maintaining the unloader valve in a closed state during normal operation of a railway vehicle;
- c) opening the unloader valve upon a shutdown operation of the railway vehicle;
- and
- d) exhausting pressurized fluid contained in the piston cylinder to atmosphere via the valve stem and the unloader valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.