Adaptive air brake control system

For use with the brake system of a railway train having a locomotive which contains an equalizing reservoir and a brake pipe coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake pipe control valve, said brake pipe control valve being coupled to a source of braking control fluid through which said brake pipe is controllably charged, and one or more cars each of which contains a brake pressure reference reservoir and a train fluid line coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake mechanism control valve, said fluid line and said brake pipe being in fluid communication with one another, so that said fluid line may be controllably charged through said brake pipe control valve, in accordance with the control of the fluid pressure within said equalizing reservoir, a method of controlling the pressure in said equalizing reservoir, and thereby the pressure in said fluid line through which said brake control mechanism is controlled, in response to a request for a reduction in the pressure in said equalizing reservoir, comprising the steps of:

• (a) monitoring a change in pressure in said brake pipe in response to a request for a reduction in the pressure in said equalizing reservoir;
• (b) in response to the pressure within said brake pipe not undergoing a change less than a preselected value, causing a further reduction in the pressure in said equalizing reservoir;
• (c) in response to the pressure within said brake pipe undergoing a change less than a preselected value as a result of the execution of step (b), storing the value of the pressure within said equalizing reservoir;
• and
• (d) causing the pressure in said equalizing reservoir to be changed by an amount corresponding to said requested reduction modified by the difference between a preestablished equalizing reservoir pressure and said stored equalizing reservoir pressure, whereby the pressure in said fluid line is caused to be reduced by an amount corresponding to said requested reduction.

For use with the brake system of a railway train having a locomotive which contains an equalizing reservoir and a brake pipe coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake pipe control valve, said brake pipe control valve being coupled to a source of braking control fluid through which said brake pipe is controllably charged, and one or more cars each of which contains a brake pressure reference reservoir and a train fluid line coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake mechanism control valve, said fluid line and said brake pipe being in fluid communication with one another, so that said fluid line may be controllably charged through said brake pipe control valve, in accordance with the control of the fluid pressure within said equalizing reservoir, a method of monitoring the integrity of the brake system, so that a prescribed train safety measure may be effected in the event of a potentially hazardous change therein, comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing first information representative of the volume of the fluid flow path through said brake pipe and said train fluid line;
• (b) in response to a change in the volume of said fluid flow path, causing a prescribed reduction in pressure to be applied to said equalizing reservoir, whereby the pressure in said fluid flow path is caused to be reduced by an amount sufficient to effect a full brake application to said train.

For use with the brake system of a railway train having a locomotive which contains an equalizing reservoir and a brake pipe coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake pipe control valve, said brake pipe control valve being coupled to a source of braking control fluid through which said brake pipe is controllably charged, and one or more cars each of which contains a brake pressure reference reservoir and a train fluid line coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake mechanism control valve, said fluid line and said brake pipe being in fluid communication with one another, so that said fluid line may be controllably charged through said brake pipe control valve, in accordance with the control of the fluid pressure within said equalizing reservoir, a method of providing an indication to train operation personnel that the brakes of the train have been fully applied in accordance with a brake application request, in response to which fluid pressure in said fluid line is effectively exhausted through said brake pipe control valve, whereby the brake mechanism of each car is operated to apply braking to the wheels thereof, comprising the steps of:

• (a) monitoring the pressure of the braking control fluid within said brake pipe;
• (b) in response to said brake application request and in response to the pressure within said brake pipe, as monitored in step (a), reaching a predefined value and undergoing a change less than a preselected value, generating an output signal indicating that the brakes of the cars of said train are effectively fully applied and that it is thereby safe to disconnect said locomotive therefrom.

A control apparatus for controlling the operation of a brake system of a railway train having a locomotive which contains an equalizing reservoir and a brake pipe coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake pipe control valve, said brake pipe control valve being coupled to a source of braking control fluid through which said brake pipe is controllably charged, and one or more cars each of which contains a brake pressure reference reservoir and a train fluid line coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake mechanism control valve, said fluid line and said brake pipe being in fluid communication with one another, so that said fluid line may be controllably charged through said brake pipe control valve, in accordance with the control of the fluid pressure within said equalizing reservoir, said control apparatus controlling the pressure in said equalizing reservoir, and thereby the pressure in said fluid line through which said brake control mechanism is controlled, in response to a request for a reduction in the pressure in said equalizing reservoir, and comprising:

• brake pipe monitoring means, coupled with said brake pipe, for monitoring a change in pressure in said brake pipe and providing an output signal representative thereof;
• and
• control means, coupled to receive the output signal from said brake pipe monitoring means and responsive to the pressure within said brake pipe undergoing a change less than a preselected value, for storing the value of the pressure within said equalizing reservoir and causing the pressure in said equalizing reservoir to be changed by an amount corresponding to said requested reduction modified by the difference between a preestablished equalizing reservoir pressure and said stored equalizing reservoir pressure, whereby the pressure in said fluid line is caused to be reduced by an amount corresponding to said requested reduction.

A control apparatus for controlling the operation of a brake system of a railway train having a locomotive which contains an equalizing reservoir and a brake pipe coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake pipe control valve, said brake pipe control valve being coupled to a source of braking control fluid through which said brake pipe is controllably charged, and one or more cars each of which contains a brake pressure reference reservoir and a train fluid line coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake mechanism control valve, said fluid line and said brake pipe being in fluid communication with one another, so that said fluid line may be controllably charged through said brake pipe control valve, in accordance with the control of the fluid pressure within said equalizing reservoir, said control apparatus controlling the pressure in said equalizing reservoir, and thereby the pressure in said fluid line through which said brake control mechanism is controlled, in response to a request for a reduction in the pressure in said equalizing reservoir, and comprising:

• brake pipe monitoring means for monitoring a change in pressure in said brake pipe in response to a request for a reduction in the pressure in said equalizing reservoir;
• and
• control means, coupled to said brake pipe monitoring means and responsive to the pressure within said brake pipe not undergoing a change less than a preselected value, for causing a further reduction in the pressure in said equalizing reservoir and, in response to the pressure within said brake pipe undergoing a change less than a preselected value as a result of said further pressure reduction, for storing the value of the pressure within said equalizing reservoir and causing the pressure in said equalizing reservoir to be changed by an amount corresponding to said requested reduction modified by the difference between a preestablished equalizing reservoir pressure and said stored equalizing reservoir pressure, whereby the pressure in said fluid line is caused to be reduced by an amount corresponding to said requested reduction

A control apparatus for controlling the operation of a brake system of a railway train locomotive which contains an equalizing reservoir and a brake pipe coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake pipe control valve, said brake pipe control valve being coupled to a source of braking control fluid through which said brake pipe is controllably charged, and one or more cars each of which contains a brake pressure reference reservoir and a train fluid line coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake mechanism control valve, said fluid line and said brake pipe being in fluid communication with one another, so that said fluid line may be controllably charged through said brake pipe control valve, in accordance with the control of the fluid pressure within said equalizing reservoir, said control apparatus monitoring the integrity of the brake system and causing a prescribed train safety operation to be performed upon detecting a potentially hazardous change in the integrity of said brake system comprising:

• storage means for storing first information representative of the volume of the fluid flow path through said brake pipe and said train fluid line;
• sensor means, coupled to said brake system, for monitoring preselected characteristics of the fluid flow path of said brake system and generating a signal representative thereof;
• control means, coupled to said storage means and said sensor means and being responsive to a change in the volume of said fluid flow path, for causing a prescribed reduction in pressure to be applied to said equalizing reservoir, whereby the pressure in said fluid flow path is caused to be reduced by an amount sufficient to effect a full brake application to said train.

A control apparatus for controlling the operation of the brake system of a railway train having a locomotive which contains an equalizing reservoir and a brake pipe coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake pipe control valve, said brake pipe control valve being coupled to a source of braking control fluid through which said brake pipe is controllably charged, and one or more cars each of which contains a brake pressure reference reservoir and a train fluid line coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake mechanism control valve, said fluid line and said brake pipe being in fluid communication with one another, so that said fluid line may be controllably charged through said brake pipe control valve, in accordance with the control of the fluid pressure within said equalizing reservoir, said control apparatus generating an output signal for enabling said locomotive to apply a tractive force to said train and providing an indication to train operation personnel that the brakes of the train have been fully released in accordance with a brake release action, comprising:

• sensor means, coupled to said brake pipe, for measuring the volume of a fluid flow path through said brake pipe and said train fluid flow line and producing an output signal representative thereof;
• and
• control means, coupled to receive the output signal produced by said sensor means and responsive to the initiation of a brake release action, for generating a brake release signal after the lapse of a period of time subsequent to the initiation of said brake release action, said period of time being defined in accordance with the volume of said fluid flow path as measured by said sensor means, said brake release signal being coupled to enable a drive system of said locomotive to apply a tractive force to move said train.

A control apparatus for controlling the operation of the brake system of a railway train having a locomotive which contains an equalizing reservoir and a brake pipe coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake pipe control valve, said brake pipe control valve being coupled to a source of braking control fluid through which said brake pipe is controllably charged, and one or more cars each of which contains a brake pressure reference reservoir and a train fluid line coupled in fluid communication therewith through a brake mechanism control valve, said fluid line and said brake pipe being in fluid communication with one another, so that said fluid line may be controllably charged through said brake pipe control valve, in accordance with the control of the fluid pressure within said equalizing reservoir, said control apparatus generating an output signal for enabling a motive drive system of said locomotive to apply a tractive force to said locomotive, so that said locomotive may be separated from the cars of said train and providing an indication to train operation personnel that the brakes of the train have been fully applied in accordance with a brake application request, in response to which fluid pressure in said fluid line is effectively exhausted through said brake pipe control valve, whereby the brake mechanism of each car is operated to apply braking to the wheels thereof, comprising:

• sensor means, coupled with said brake pipe, for monitoring pressure within said brake pipe and producing an output signal representative thereof;
• and
• control means, coupled to receive the pressure representative output signal produced by said sensor means, and being responsive to said brake application request and said pressure representative signal indicating that the pressure in said brake pipe has reached a predefined value and is undergoing a change less than a preselected value, for generating a signal indicating that the brakes of the cars of said train are effectively fully applied and that it is thereby safe to disconnect said locomotive therefrom, and for coupling said indicating signal to the drive system of said locomotive for enabling said drive system to apply a tractive force to said locomotive, so that said locomotive may be separated from the cars of said train.