GB1174588A - Brake Assemblies for Monorail Vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,174,588. Elevated railways. COAL INDUSTRY (PATENTS) Ltd. 20 June, 1967 [28 June, 1966], No. 28981/66. Heading B7L. [Also in Division F2] In a brake assembly for a monorail vehicle resilient means are provided for urging a brake pad into engagement with the monorail and an hydraulic jack is selectively operable to apply a force in opposition to the resilient means to retain the pad out of engagement with the monorail. The embodiment comprises a suspension trolley 50, Fig. 2, of substantially U- shape having side members 5 on either side of monorail 1, being supported therefrom by rollers 3 resting on either side of the lower flange 2 of the rail. Brake supports 10 carry brake pads in the form of inserts 11 for engagement with either side of the web 4 of the monorail, and are attached by means of pins 12 to projecting lugs (19a, Fig. 3, not shown) on disc-shaped guide members (19). These guide members are attached to the ends of inner tubular members 17 and slide within fixed outer tubular members 15 having apertured end caps 18; the spaces between the inner and outer tubular members are filled with Belleville washers acting as springs to urge the brake pads into engagement with the monorail. The pins 12 also form attachments to links 21 pivoted on levers 8, which are provided on either side of each outer tubular member 15 and are pivoted on fixed pivots 22; the lower ends of the two pairs of levers 8 are attached respectively to the cylinder and piston of an hydraulic jack 9, whereby the brake pads can be urged out of engagement with the monorail. Governor for operating brake assembly.-A wheel 28, Fig. 4, bearing on the web 4 of the monorail is attached to a vertical shaft 29 carried in a housing 26 which is attached by means of a resilient torque bush (27, Fig. 5, not shown) to a shaft 24 held in bush 25 affixed to the suspension trolley 5. The lower end of shaft 29 carries a circular governor frame 33 (see also Fig. 6) supporting by means of two pivoted resilient linkages 32 a segmental striker member 31 adapted to move radially outward under the action of centrifugal force. Linkages 32 provide a toggle action, whereby when a critical speed is exceeded an over-centre position is passed and striker member 31 moves rapidly outwards, so that chamfered surface 36 engages a roller 37, thereby depressing the moving member 39 of hydraulic valve 38. Roller 37 is carried on lever 43 to which a chain 46 is attached for alternative manual operation of the hydraulic valve; a cable 47 attached to lever 43 also opens an unloader valve removing hydraulic power from the drive wheels of the vehicle. The Specification also refers to an alternative embodiment in which the spring means serving to operate the brake are combined in a single cylindrical unit with the hydraulic jack for releasing the brake.