Distributive retarder test device
AssigneeAAA Sales & Engineering, Inc.
InventorsJohn J. Bernd, Richard C. Bohme
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A testing device is provided for checking the resistive force of a retarder installed on the rail of a railway track for reducing the speed of a railcar rolling along the track. The retarder is a hydraulic unit including a housing, a cylinder slidably mounted in the housing, a piston rod fixed to the housing, a piston assembly fixed to the piston rod and dividing the cylinder into upper and lower chambers, and a valve arrangement responsive to the flow of hydraulic fluid flowing between the upper and lower chambers. The testing device is constructed and arranged to allow a user to check the resistive force of a retarder installed upon the railway track while standing in an upright position.
Claims17
A testing device for checking a resistive force of a retarder installed on a rail of a railway track for reducing a speed of a railcar rolling along the track, and having a hydraulic unit including a housing, a cylinder slidably mounted in the housing, a piston rod fixed to the housing, a piston assembly fixed to the piston rod and dividing the cylinder into upper and lower chambers and valve structure responsive to a flow of hydraulic fluid flowing between the upper chamber and the lower chamber, the testing device comprising:
- an upwardly extending, hollow rigid center pipe having an upper end provided with a handle, and a lower end provided with a resistive force reading arrangement engageable with the cylinder, the lower end including a rail bracket assembly which is engageable with a top portion of the rail, wherein the testing device allows a user to check the resistive force of a retarder installed upon the railway track while standing in an upright position.
The testing device of claim 2, wherein the resistive force reading arrangement is a load cell.
A method for checking resistive force of a retarder installed on rail of a railway track for reducing a speed of a railcar having a wheel traveling along the tracks and having a hydraulic unit, including a housing, a cylinder slidably mounted in the housing, a piston rod fixed to the housing, a piston assembly fixed to the piston and dividing the cylinder into upper and lower chambers and valve structure responsive to a flow of fluid flowing between the upper and lower chambers, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a test device including a handle, a center pipe having an upper end connected to the handle and a lower end formed with an arrangement for reading the resistive force exerted by the retarder;
- (b) engaging the resistive force reading arrangement with the cylinder while holding the handle and standing in an upright position over the installed retarder;
- (c) applying a downward force of the resistive force reading arrangement against the cylinder while standing in the upright position;
- and
- (d) displaying an amount of resistive force exerted by the cylinder in response to deflection of the cylinder by the wheel of a railcar traveling upon the track to a user while standing in the upright position.
A portable on-site testing device for checking a resistive force of a retarder installed on a rail of a railway track for reducing the speed of a railcar having a wheel rolling along the track, and having a hydraulic unit including a housing, a cylinder slidably mounted in the housing, a piston rod fixed to the housing, a piston assembly fixed to the piston rod and dividing the cylinder into upper and lower chambers, and valve structure responsive to the flow of hydraulic fluid flowing between the upper chamber and lower chamber, the testing device comprising:
- an elongated, hollow, rigid center pipe having an upper end and a lower end;
- a handle fixed to the center pipe at the upper end thereof;
- and
- a resistive force generating structure connected to the lower end of the center pipe for engagement with the cylinder, the resistive force generating structure being defined by a rail bracket assembly having a pair of parallel rail brackets connected together by a pin, and an elongated bar pivotally connected between the rail brackets,
- the center pipe being sized such that when the resistive force generating structure is engaged with the cylinder, a user holds the handle while standing in an upright position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.