Mechanical sensor for a quick release hand brake

A mechanical sensor for a quick release mechanism in a railcar vertical hand brake, such hand brake having a housing equipped with a flexible clamp mounted on an inside surface of a wall of such housing and a release shaft, such release shaft having a member disposed perpendicular to and about a circumference thereof, a first element is disposed on such member which interposes with such flexible clamp when such release shaft is rotated to both achieve and maintain a full brake release and a second element is disposed on such member to engage a projection on a ratchet wheel when an operating shaft of such hand brake is rotated to disengage such first element from such flexible clamp to allow a brake application, said mechanical sensor comprising:

• (a) a generally hollow housing member having an open end and a substantially closed radially opposed end, said open end engageable with an outside surface of such wall of such housing at a point radially opposed to such flexible clamp;
• (b) a first aperture formed through said substantially closed radially opposed end of said housing member and in substantially axial alignment with a second aperture formed through such wall and a third aperture formed through such flexible clamp;
• (c) a first portion of slidable member disposed for reciprocal longitudinal movement within said generally hollow housing member, a second portion of said slidable member connected to said first portion extends outwardly through such first aperture in said radially opposed end of said housing member and at least a portion of said first portion extends through such second aperture formed through such wall and such third aperture formed through such flexible clamp for engagement with such first element of such member when such release shaft is rotated to achieve and maintain a full brake release;
• and
• (d) a means for urging said slidable member into a position wherein a predetermined length of said first portion of said slidable member is retracted through such second aperture formed through such wall and such third aperture formed through such flexible clamp.