Apparatus for detecting hot journal boxes
AssigneeWestinghouse Air Brake Company
InventorJerome R. Pier
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for each car of a railway train for detecting a hot journal box or boxes on the car by utilizing the heat of the overheated journal box to produce electrical current which, when a sufficient degree is transmitted through appropriate electrical devices to an explosive bolt placed in the brake pipe, causes the bolt to be exploded and thereby open a vent in the brake pipe to atmosphere to effect a brake application on the train. The sound of the escaping air from the brake pipe is used to determine the particular car on which the overheated journal box is located.
Claims7
Apparatus for detecting overheated axle journals on a railway car having a brake pipe, said apparatus comprising:
- a. an explosive member interposed in and for normally blocking a passageway via which the brake pipe may be vented to atmosphere;
- b. a detonating element carried by said explosive member and responsive to an energy charge for effecting explosion of the explosive member;
- c. generating means carried by the axle journal and responsive to heat produced by said journal during rotation of the axle for generating an energy charge of a degree commensurate with the degree of prevailing journal heat;
- and
- d. transmitting means for transmitting said energy charge to said detonating element when the energy charge so generated exceeds a certain preselected degree.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.