Universal retarder system for railway cars
AssigneePrecision Rail and Mfg., Inc.
InventorsJames D. Braatz, Donald C. Noll, William D. Straub
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A universal retarder system for slowing a railcar on rails. The system includes a lever arm configured to be pivotable within a vertical plane, where the lever arm is configured to support a brake shoe. An engagement device is coupled to the lever arm and configured to pivot the brake shoe towards one of the rails. A disengagement device is coupled to the lever arm and configured to pivot the brake shoe away from the one of the rails. The lever arm, engagement device, and disengagement device are each positioned between the rails. Pivoting the brake shoe towards the one of the rails is configured to force the brake shoe into engagement with the railcar to slow the railcar.
Claims20
A universal retarder system for slowing a railcar on rails, the system comprising:
- a lever arm configured to be pivotable within a vertical plane, wherein the lever arm is configured to support a brake shoe;
- an engagement device coupled to the lever arm and configured to pivot the brake shoe towards one of the rails;
- and
- a disengagement device coupled to the lever arm and configured to pivot the brake shoe away from the one of the rails;
- wherein the lever arm, engagement device, and disengagement device are each positioned between the rails, and wherein at least one of the engagement device and the disengagement device is closer to a second of the rails than to the one of the rails;
- and
- wherein pivoting the brake shoe towards the one of the rails is configured to force the brake shoe into engagement with the railcar to slow the railcar.
A universal retarder system for slowing a railcar on rails, the system comprising:
- a lever arm configured to be pivotable within a vertical plane, wherein the lever arm is configured to support a brake shoe;
- an engagement device coupled to the lever arm and configured to pivot the brake shoe towards one of the rails;
- and
- a disengagement device coupled to the lever arm and configured to pivot the brake shoe away from the one of the rails;
- wherein the lever arm, engagement device, and disengagement device are each positioned between the rails;
- wherein pivoting the brake shoe towards the one of the rails is configured to force the brake shoe into engagement with the railcar to slow the railcar;
- and
- wherein the lever arm is configured to be pivotably anchored to a chair, further comprising nonconductive hardware for pivotably coupling the lever arm to the chair such that electricity is prevented from flowing from the lever arm to the chair.
A universal retarder system for slowing a railcar on rails, the system comprising:
- a lever arm configured to be pivotable within a vertical plane, wherein the lever arm is configured to support a brake shoe;
- an engagement device coupled to the lever arm and configured to pivot the brake shoe towards one of the rails;
- and
- a disengagement device coupled to the lever arm and configured to pivot the brake shoe away from the one of the rails;
- wherein the lever arm, engagement device, and disengagement device are each positioned between the rails;
- wherein pivoting the brake shoe towards the one of the rails is configured to force the brake shoe into engagement with the railcar to slow the railcar;
- and
- wherein the lever arm comprises a brake beam mount configured to receive a thrust block for supporting the brake shoe, wherein the thrust block is configured to be coupled to the brake beam mount via headed fasteners, further comprising shims each coupleable to the lever arm both between the headed fasteners and the brake beam mount, and between the brake beam mount and the thrust block to thereby adjust a distance between the thrust block and the brake beam mount.
A universal retarder system for slowing a railcar on rails, the system comprising:
- a lever arm configured to be pivotable about a horizontal axis parallel to the rails, wherein the lever arm is configured to support a brake shoe, wherein the lever arm has a proximal end force mount configured to receive a proximal force to pivot the lever arm, and wherein the lever arm has a distal end force mount configured to receive a distal force to pivot the lever arm;
- and
- a proximal support and a distal support each to configured span between adjacent ties supporting the rails;
- wherein the proximal support is configured to support one of an engagement device and a disengagement device for applying the proximal force on the lever arm, and wherein the distal support is configured to support an other of the engagement device and the disengagement device for applying the distal force on the lever arm;
- wherein the lever arm, engagement device, and disengagement device are each positioned between the rails;
- and
- wherein the one of the proximal force and the distal force applied by the engagement device causes the lever arm to pivot to thereby force the brake shoe into engagement with the railcar to slow the railcar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.