Air brake with collet locked push rod and air supply system

A pressurized fluid actuated brake comprising:

• a housing defining a service brake chamber and a collet brake chamber fluidly coupled to respective service brake and collet brake ports;
• a push rod mounted to said housing for movement between brake on and brake off positions;
• means for normally biasing said push rod toward the brake off position;
• service brake diaphragm means, operably coupled to said push rod and responsive to the fluid pressure within said service brake chamber, for driving the push rod towards the brake on position when pressurized fluid is applied to the service brake chamber;
• said housing defining a tapered collet hole bounded by an internal surface with a first chosen taper;
• a locking collet having an internal bore sized for complementary sliding engagement over said push rod, a portion of the collet having a tapered external surface within a second chosen taper, said portion including axially segmented portions;
• a collet brake diaphragm mounted to the housing and partialy defining the collet brake chamber;
• means for mounting said collet to the collet brake diaphragm for movement of the collet in response to the fluid pressure withn the collet brake chamber so to drive the collet out of engagement with the collet hole internal surface when pressurized fluid is applid to the collet brake chamber;
• spring means for normally biasing said collet into engagement with said tapered colet hole so the tapered external collet surface and tapered collet hole internal surface are forced against one another to bias the collet segmented portions against the push rod to keep the push rod from moving from the brake on to the brake off position;
• and
• whereby the push rod is free to move between brake on and brake off positions when pressurized fluid is applied to the collet brake chamber and the push rod is locked in position when pressurized fluid is removed from the collet brake chamber.

A pressurized fluid actuated brake comprising:

• a housing defining a service brake chamber and an collet brake chamber fluidly coupled to respective service brake and collet brake ports;
• a service brake diaphragm and a collet brake diaphragm mounted within said housing and partially defining said service brake and collet brake chambers respectively;
• a push rod mounted to said housing for movement between brake on and brake off positions, said push rod having a first portion housed within said housing configured for operable engagement with a first side of said service brake diaphragm, said service brake diaphragm arranged and adapted to drive the push rod first portion towards the brake on position when pressurized fluid is applied to the service brake chamber;
• means for normally biasing said push rod first portion toward the brake off position;
• a second push rod portion, including an elongate rod portion and an end secured to said first push rod portion with said service brake diaphragm therebetween;
• said housing defining a tapered collet hole bounded by an internal surface with a chosen taper;
• a locking collet mounted to said collet brake diaphragm, said collet and collet brake diaphragm arranged and adapted to drive the collet out of engagement with the collet hole internal surface when pressurized fluid is applied to the collet brake chamber, said collet having an internal bore sized for complementary sliding engagement over said elongate rod portion of said second push rod portion, a portion of the collet having a tapered external surface with said chosen taper, said collet portion including radially movable segments;
• and
• spring means for normally biasing said collet into engagement with said tapered collet hole so the tapered external collet surface and the tapered collet hole internal surface are forced against one another to bias the collet segments against the elongate rod portion to keep the elongate rod portion from moving from the brake on to the brake off position;
• whereby the push rod is free to move between brake on and brake off positions when pressurized fluid is applied to the collet brake chamber and the push rod is locked in position when pressurized fluid is removed from the collet brake chamber.

An emergency and parking brake air supply system for use with air brake systems of the type including a brake chamber operably coupled to a brake to apply the brake when the brake chamber is pressurized, a service brake application line and a spring brake supply line, the system comprising:

• a pressure storage tank;
• a quick release valve including an inlet port, an exhaust port and a chamber port, said chamber port fluidly coupled to said tank and said inlet port fluidly connected to the spring brake supply line;
• a two way check valve including first and second inlets and an outlet, said first inlet fluidly connected to said exhaust port by a connection conduit and said second inlet fluidly connected to said service brake application line;
• an exhaust valve including an exhaust valve inlet port fluidly connected to said two way check valve outlet, an exhaust valve chamber port fluidly connected to said brake chamber and an exhaust valve exhaust port fluidly connected to the ambient atmosphere;
• and
• a valve including a valve control port fluidly connected to said spring brake supply line, a valve outlet fluidly connected to said connection conduit and a valve inlet fluidly connected to the ambient atmosphere, said valve arranged and adapted to block fluid flow from said valve outlet to said valve inlet only when pressurized fluid below a first pressure is applied to said valve control port and to vent the connection conduit to atmosphere when the pressure at said valve control port is above a second pressure;
• whereby venting said inlet port and said second inlet causes pressurized air within said tank to flow through said quick release valve, through said connection conduit, through said two way check valve, through said exhaust valve and to the brake chamber.

An air brake system of the type including service brake and spring brake air supply sources, service brake and spring brake control valves fluidly connecting the service brake and spring brake air supply sources to a service brake application line and a spring brake supply line, a service brake including a service brake chamber operably coupled to a brake to apply the brake when the service brake chamber is pressurized, the system comprising:

• an air supply system operably coupling said service brake chamber to the service brake air supply line comprising:
• a pressure storage tank;
• a quick release valve including an inlet port, an exhaust port and a chamber port, said chamber port fluidly coupled to said tank and said inlet port fluidly connected to the spring brake supply line;
• a two way check valve including first and second inlets and an outlet, said first inlet fluidly connected to said exhaust port by a connection conduit and said second inlet fluidly connected to said service brake application line;
• an exhaust valve including an exhaust valve inlet port fluidly connected to said chamber port, an exhaust valve chamber port fluidly connected to said service brake chamber and an exhaust valve exhaust port fluidly connected to the ambient atmosphere;
• and
• a valve including a valve control port fluidly connected to said inlet port, a valve outlet fluidly connected to said connection conduit means and a valve inlet fluidly connected to the ambient atmosphere, said valve arranged and adapted to block fluid flow from said valve outlet to said valve inlet only when pressurized fluid below a first pressure is applied to said valve control port so to vent the connection conduit to atmosphere when the pressure at said valve control port is above a second pressure;
• whereby venting said inlet port and said second inlet causes pressurized air within said tank to flow through said quick release valve, through said connection conduit, through said two way check valve, through said exhaust valve and to the service brake chamber.