Release hold mechanism with gravity weighted indicator flag

In a hand brake for a railcar, where a hand wheel is used to rotate a gear wheel to apply the brakes, having a housing with a back plate and a front plate, with a chain winding drum and a main gear wheel rotatably mounted on a drum shaft thereon, a hand wheel shaft rotatably mounted on said housing having a bearing section at a first end and a hand wheel receiving section on a second end external to said housing, a ratchet wheel rotatable with said hand wheel shaft intermediate said first and second ends thereof, a holding pawl in said housing which cooperates with said ratchet wheel so as to prevent reverse rotation thereof, a freely rotatable pinion on said hand wheel shaft and engaging said main gear wheel, said pinion having a radially extending flange cooperating therewith, a disengageable driving connection between said flange and said ratchet wheel, a quick release mechanism which cooperates with said holding pawl to allow one of a forward and a reverse rotation of said ratchet wheel for releasing said chain, and a release hold mechanism to maintain said hand brake in a substantially release hold position, the improvement comprising:

• (a) a release shaft having a first shaft portion with a first end and a second end, said second end is keyed, said release shaft further having a detent portion disposed adjacent said first shaft portion at said first end, said detent portion having a force receiving portion, said release shaft additionally having a pivot portion extending outwardly from said detent portion, said pivot portion having a threaded cavity of a predetermined diameter and a predetermined depth, said threaded cavity axially disposed within said pivot portion;
• (b) a release handle substantially engaging said second end of said first shaft portion, said release handle is keyed on said second end of said first shaft portion;
• and
• (c) a holding pawl having a cavity for rotatable coupling to said release shaft at said first shaft portion, said holding pawl further having a ratchet engaging portion, said holding pawl additionally having a force transmitting portion cooperating with said force receiving portion of said release shaft.