Handbrake mechanism for single-cylinder, truck-mounted railway car brake assembly
AssigneeAmerican Standard Inc.
InventorAndrew G. Haydu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A handbrake arrangement for a single cylinder, truck-mounted, railway car brake assembly comprising a lever system mounted on the body of the single brake cylinder, which is, in turn, mounted on one of a pair of truck brake beams. The lever system is connected to the handbrake chain, so that operation of the handwheel effects relative movement between the brake cylinder body and brake cylinder push rod. This results in the truck brake beams being spread apart into braking position in the same manner as occurs during a pneumatic brake application, via the respective brake beam, transfer levers and force-transmitting connecting rods that extend between the brake beams.
Claims10
A handbrake arrangement for a railway car truck having a pair of wheel sets comprising:
- (a) substantially parallel, spaced-apart brake beams interposed between said pair of wheel sets and having brake shoes carried thereon adjacent the respective wheel treads of said wheel sets for engagement therewith when said brake beams are moved apart;
- (b) first and second force transfer levers, each being pivotally-connected at a point intermediate the ends thereof to a respective one of said brake beams at the beam midpoint, said first and second force transfer levers each forming on opposite sides of said pivotal connection point thereof one arm and another arm;
- (c) a brake actuator comprising:
- (i) a brake cylinder body;
- and
- (ii) a piston push rod projecting from said brake cylinder body and connected to said one arm of said first transfer lever, whereby axial displacement of said piston push rod relative to said brake cylinder body effects rotation of said first transfer lever;
- (d) a live handbrake lever having one end pivotally-connected to said brake cylinder body and the other end free;
- (e) a dead handbrake lever having one end connected to said piston push rod and the other end fixed, said live and dead levers being pivotally-connected together at a location intermediate the ends thereof, whereby rotation of said live handbrake lever in one direction about said one end thereof in response to a handbrake application force being applied at said other end of said live handbrake lever provides rotation of said dead handbrake lever about said other end thereof in a direction opposite said one direction to thereby effect said axial displacement of said piston push rod relative to said brake cylinder body;
- (f) a connecting rod having one end connected to said one arm of said second force transfer lever and the other end abutting said brake cylinder body;
- and
- (g) force-transmitting means connected between the other arms of said first and second transfer levers for effecting rotation of said second transfer lever in response to said rotation of said first transfer lever, whereby said first and second brake beams are forced apart to effect said engagment of said brake shoes with said wheel treads of said wheel sets with a force corresponding to said applied handbrake application force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.