Remote control brake system for a railway train

A remote control system for varying fluid pressure carried in a brake pipe extending continuously through a railway train having a locomotive at which one end of said brake pipe is terminated and a caboose at which the other end of said brake pipe is terminated to thereby obtain faster, more accurate synchronized control of the brakes of said train, said system comprising:

• a. a main reservoir charged with fluid under pressure;
• b. a first equalizing reservoir;
• c. a first pressure regulating valve device to which said first equalizing reservoir and said main reservoir are connected, and having a cam member in response to rotation of which said first regulating valve device is operable to supply fluid pressure from said main reservoir to said equalizing reservoir and to release fluid pressure therefrom;
• d. a first relay valve device to which said one end of said brake pipe, said main reservoir and said first equalizing reservoir are connected, said first relay valve device being operative responsively to the variation of pressure in said first equalizing reservoir to supply fluid pressure from said main reservoir to said brake pipe at said one end and to release fluid pressure therefrom;
• e. first encoder means for providing a brake control signal according to the position in which said cam member of said first regulating valve device is rotated;
• f. means for transmitting said brake control signal;
• g. means for receiving said transmitted brake control signal at said caboose;
• h. a second equalizing reservoir;
• i. a second pressure regulating valve device to which said other end of said brake pipe and said second equalizing reservoir are connected and having a cam member in response to rotation of which said second regulating valve device is operable to supply fluid pressure from said other end of said brake pipe to said second equalizing reservoir and to release fluid pressure therefrom;
• j. motor means for effecting rotation of said cam member of said second regulating valve device;
• k. second encoder means for providing a feedback signal corresponding to the position in which said cam member of said second regulating valve device is rotated;
• l. first comparator means for effecting operation of said motor means when a difference exists between said brake control signal and said feedback signal;
• and
• m. a second relay valve device to which said other end of said brake pipe and said second equalizing reservoir are connected, said second relay valve device being operative responsive to variation of pressure in said second equalizing reservoir to effect release of fluid pressure from said other end of said brake pipe accordingly.