# US 10,501,098 B2 · Locomotive parking brake

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- Number: US 10,501,098 B2
- Document ID: US10501098B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/652,434
- Filed: 2017-07-18
- Published: 2019-01-24
- Granted: 2019-12-10
- Earliest claimed: 2017-07-18
- Assignees: New York Air Brake Corporation
- Applicants: New York Air Brake, LLC
- Inventors: Derick Call; Carl Banks; Nicholas Van Derzee; Steven Michael Barnhart; James Lewis Vendlinski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10501098B2

## CPC

- B61H 13/02: Hand or other personal actuation
- B60T 13/665: {the systems being specially adapted for transferring two or more command signals, e.g. railway systems (B60T13/662 takes precedence)}
- B60T 17/228: {for railway vehicles}
- B61H 13/04: by mechanisms incorporating toothed gearing
- B60T 7/107: {with electrical power assistance}
- B60T 13/746: {and mechanical transmission of the braking action}
- B61H: BRAKES OR OTHER RETARDING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR RAIL VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR DISPOSITION THEREOF IN RAIL VEHICLES (arrangements in rail vehicles for adjusting wheel-braking force to meet varying vehicular or permanent-way conditions B60T8/00; transmitting braking action from initiating means to ultimate brake actuator with power assistance or drive, brake systems incorporating such transmitting means, e.g. air-pressure brake systems, B60T13/00; construction, arrangement or operation of valves incorporated in power brake systems B60T15/00; component parts, details or accessories of brake systems B60T17/00)
- B60T: VEHICLE BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF; BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEMS OR PARTS THEREOF, IN GENERAL (electrodynamic brake systems for vehicle, in general B60L; brakes per se, i.e. devices where braking effect occurs, including ultimate brake actuators, F16D); ARRANGEMENT OF BRAKING ELEMENTS ON VEHICLES IN GENERAL; PORTABLE DEVICES FOR PREVENTING UNWANTED MOVEMENT OF VEHICLES; VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS TO FACILITATE COOLING OF BRAKES

## Abstract

A railway vehicle parking brake that can provide the appropriate tension to the braking system using a motor, a brake chain drum interconnected to the motor to take up or release a brake chain, a load arm deflects in response to tension in the brake chain, and a switch that is closed by the load arm when it deflects. A movable sheave interconnects the brake chain and the load arm and is positioned between the brake chain drum and a fixed sheave over which the brake chain is looped. A control method considers the position of the first switch to determine whether to the motor off when applying the brakes and the amount of current being drawn by the motor to determine whether to the motor off because of a system failure.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A parking brake, comprising:
a motor;
a brake chain drum interconnected to the motor to take up or release a brake chain when positioned thereon;
a load arm that is deflectable in response to tension in the brake chain;
a first sheave positioned to engage the brake chain and move away from the brake chain into the load arm in response to tension in the brake chain;
a second sheave positioned apart from and in alignment with the brake chain drum to define a section of said brake chain therebetween that will engage the first sheave;
the brake chain extending from a first end over the brake chain drum and between the first and second sheaves to a second end that is configured to be coupled to the brake rigging of a railway vehicle;
a cam coupled to the first end of the brake chain for rotation when the brake chain is taken up or released by the brake chain; and
a switch positioned to be closed when the load arm deflects a predetermined amount in response to tension in the brake chain.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The parking brake of claim 1, further comprising a second switch associated with the cam so that when the brake chain drum drives the brake chain into a fully released position the cam will close the switch.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The parking brake of claim 1, wherein the motor is configured to provide a signal representing an amount of current being used by the motor.