Rail car brake apparatus
AssigneeGeneral Signal Corporation
InventorThomas H. Engle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A parallel beam brake apparatus for dual and triple axle trucks and a single beam brake apparatus for single axle trucks each comprise spaced, pivotably mounted bell crank levers which engage a fluid operable actuator between one pair of arms and engage a pair of push rods with the remaining arms. Improved spherical joints between the arms and the push rods facilitate force tranmsmission without allowing push rod rotation. A unique pivot geometry between the bell crank levers and the brake beams facilitates assembly and improves stress distribution between the levers and the beams. The actuator includes a slack adjustor mechanism in which a spiral power spring unwinds to drive a lead screw and take up slack or is wound by the rotating, translating lead screw to add slack.
Claims8
In a brake rigging for a rail vehicle having at least one transverse axle;
- at least one brake beam extended in spaced, parallel relation to the axle and supported by the vehicle for movement longitudinally of the vehicle;
- a first pair of brake show carrying heads, one of said first pair mounted on each end of said brake beam, each of said first pair of brake shoe carrying heads comprising pivot means formed therewith;
- a pair of bell-crank levers each having a fulcrum and a pair of arms, one of said levers being mounted for rotation in each of said pivot means;
- and a fluid pressure operable brake actuator pivotably mounted at one end to one arm of one of said bell-crank levers and at the other end to one arm of the other of said bell-crank levers, the improvement comprising;
- a pair of push rods each comprising at one end a clevis having a first axis of rotation, said clevis having arms with first bores spaced along said axis, a bearing member positioned between said arms, said bearing member having a concave spherical bearing surface with a center of curvature positioned on said axis, and means for retaining said bearing member between said clevis arms;
- the other arm of each of said bell-crank levers having a convex spherical bearing surface and a second bore having a second axis extending through the center of curvature of said convex bearing surface;
- bearing means extending into said second bore;
- and
- means extending through said first bore and said bearing means for pivotably coupling said push rods to said bell-crank levers with said spherical bearing surfaces in contact.
A brake rigging for a rail vehicle having at least one transverse axle;
- at least one brake beam extended in spaced parallel relation to the axle and supported by the vehicle for movement longitudinally of the vehicle;
- a first pair of brake shoe carrying heads, one of said first pair mounted on each end of said brake beam, each of said first pair of brake shoe carrying heads comprising pivot means formed therewith;
- and a pair of bell-crank levers each having a fulcrum and a pair of arms, one of said levers being mounted for rotation in each of said pivot means;
- the improvement comprising:
- (a) a fluid pressure operable brake actuator pivotably mounted at one end to one arm of one said bell-crank levers and at the other end to one arm of the other of said bell-crank levers;
- (b) a pair of push rods each comprising at one end a clevis having a first axis of rotation, said clevis having arms with first bores spaced along said axis, a bearing member positioned between said clevis arms, said bearing member having a concave spherical bearing surface with a center of curvature positioned on said axis, and means for retaining said bearing member between said clevis arms;
- (c) the other arm of each of said bell-crank levers having a convex spherical bearing surface and a second bore having a second axis extending through the center of curvature of said convex bearing surface;
- (d) bearing means extending into said second bore;
- and
- (e) means extending through said first bore and said bearing means for pivotably coupling said push rods to said bell-crank levers with said spherical bearing surfaces in contact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.