US1239585A - Engineer's brake-valve. - Google Patents

Description

' ENGINEERS BRAKE VALVE. APPLICATION FIILED MAY 6. 1910.

PatentedSept. 11, 1917;

2 $HEETS-SHEET 1.

1,. P. GAULT.

ENGINEER'S BRAKE VALVE. APPLICATION FILED MAY G. 1910.

1.323935%5; PatentedSept. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOSEPH P. GAULT, 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM PHILLIPS AND ONE-THIRD '10 BEN L. BRUNER, BOTH 0F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

ENGINEERS BRAKE-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 11, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. GAULT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engineers Brake-Valves; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to fluid pressure airbrakes and more particularly to engineers brake valves and parts used in connection therewith in the brake system;

It has for its object to improve the construction of the engineers brake valve so as to be capable of a wider range of application than heretofore and in a simple and eflicient manner, and to combine the same with certain parts so as to obtain a mode of operation that will give :the engineer better control over the engine as well as over the train brakes, and under more conditions than previously.

To the accomplishment of the objects which will be hereinafter more in detail specified, the invention consists in features of construction and in arrangement and combination of parts which will be fully set forth and then sought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation with the quick-release valve and combination valve in section, showing the relation of the several parts;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan of therotaryvalve with my improvements added;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the valve seat of an engineers brake-valve showing the arrangement of various parts with changes over the ordinary valve; a

Fig. 4: a cross section through the valve above the valve seat;

Fig. 5 a central cross section through the combination valve, the diaphragm parts omitted, and

Fig. 6 an enlarged detail sectional view of slide valve.

brake and other The numeral 1 designates an engineers brake valve, constructed generally in accordance with the well known Westinghouse engineers brake valve or other construction of the' same type to which my improvementsare applicable, and which accordingly needs no detail showing and description of all the Westinghouse features of such type of valve although some of the features may be shown to illustrate my improvements in relation thereto. Accordingly in Fig. 2 of the drawing, there is shown the cavity 8, a portion of which is spanned by a bridge 8* for strength, the through supply port 4 and the through port 5 which are substantially the same as corresponding parts in the I/Vestinghouse brake valve, and also the port 16 which corresponds to the warning port of the Westinghouse brake-valve and which, when the brake handle is in full release position, acts to warn or caution the engineer against overcharging the train line, while in Fig. 8, which is a plan view of the valve seat, there is illustrated the cavity 6, the direct application and supply port 7, the equalizing port 8, the feed-port 9, which in this instance is enlarged, the preliminary exhaust port 10, and the direct application and exhaust port 11 having the exhaust groove 12, which parts are substantially the same in their general purpose as in the Westinghouse type of valve referred to.

Referring now to the present improvements, the exhaust cavity 13 of the valve proper is elongated approximately oneeighth of an inch beyond the length existing in the usual \Vestinghouse valve. I also provide a feed cavity 18, a feed cavity 19 and a feed cavity 15. Through these cavities main drum pressure is fed to the combination and quick release valves hereinafter mentioned in different positions of the engibrake cylinder pipe.

my improvements being intended to provide also for the use of straight air in the application and release of the engine and ten- 4 der brakes as supplemental to the automatic application and release of the brakes.

Having changed the brake-valve as specified, I provide a combination valve 22 connected at one end by a pipe23 with the port 20 in the brake valve seat and connected at its other end by a pipe 24 with the'nozzle or pipe 25 opening into the pipe F which leads to the main reservoir or drum (not shown). The combination valve is a casting composed of five compartments A, B, C, D, and E. The chamber A is connected by the pipe 33 with the train pipe (1. In the cylinder or chamber A works a piston a with rod a extending into chamber B, and loosely mounted on this rod is a slide valve 60 provided with a tension spring 6O and having a graduating valve 61 connected thereto by a pin. The slide valve has two ports, a

graduating port 71, which at one end communicates through the sides of the slide valve with the chamber B as shown in Fig. 5, and is controlled by the graduating valve 61, and an exhaust port or cavity 72. The seat of this valve has three ports 71, 71 and 71, to co-act-with the-slide valve ports as hereinafter described, and a passage-way 29 to connect the port 71 with the chamber C. The port 71 exhausts to the atmosphere as in the Westinghouse quick-action triple valve, and is provided with a stop cock 71 by which it may be closed, and the port,7l

is connected by a pipe 72 with the pipe 30 which leads to the brake cylinder and is provided with a stop cook 72" by which it may chamber E will be received through pipefla be cut-off from communication with the The stop cock 71 in the exhaust port 71 and the stop cock 72 in the pipe 72 are normally closed, and are opened only when the engine is the second engine in the train and the brakes are being controlled by the first engine in the train. These stop cocks are provided principally for double heading purposes, that is, when the second engine is used as a helper in double-heading, at which time these stop cocks on the second engine are opened so as to exhaust air from the brake cylinders and not use the quick-release valve while the corresponding cocks on the first engine, or engine controlling the train-brakes, are closed.

The chambers C and D of the combination valve are separated by a diaphragm 62' to which'is attached a rod 63, the end of which is adapted to contact with the end of the stem or rod of a supply valve 6% which is in chamber E. The chamber C is connected to port 20 of the brake valve by pipe 23-, and

chamber E is connected by pipe 24 and nozzle 25 to the pipe F leading to the main drum. Chamber D is connected to the brake cylinder by passage-way '29, pipe and reducing valve 31.

The supply valve '64 in chamber E controls the main drum fiow to the brake cylinder and also to chamber D, and connects the brake cylinder and chamber D with the main drum, when open, so that if anything opens or unseats this valve the brakes onthe engine and tender will be applied by straight air.

From the port 21 in the brake valve seat a pipe 48 leads to the upper part of the casing 49 of a quick release valve which is divided horizontally by a partition 50, the portion of said valve casing below the partition being in communication by means of a pipe 51 with the brake cylinder pipe 30. In the upper part of the quick release valve casingis a piston 52-the stem 53 of which passes through the partition 50 and a suitable stufiing box 54 and carries a valve 55 positioned in the lower chamber of the casing. This valve controls an exhaust port .56 in the valve casing intended for the exrhaust from the engine and tender brake cylinder. The valve 55 preferably is of the 7 from the main drum nozzle or pipe 25. The quick release valve 49 between its piston and partition will receive main drum pressure through pipe 48, port 21 in valve seatand cavity 15 in the valve from the cavity6in the seat only when straight air brakes are to be released: and the quick release valve' below its partition is connected through pipe 51, with the brake-cylinder connection pressure-reducing valve 31. l

The chamber A of the combination valve will receive air from the train line through pipe 33 which is connected at one end to the train'pipe and at the'other end to the chamber A; VVhen' the piston a is in release position the train line air in chamber A will feed into chamber B through feed groove '65 until the pressure in chamber B is equal to the pressure in chamber A which is train line pressure. VV hen this-"is the case all three ports 71, 7'1 and Tl 'ogf the combination valve are in communication through the exhaust port or cavity 72', and when cook 72" is open they communicate with the' brake cylinder pipe, and whencock 71 in exhaust port 71 is open the brake cylinder pipe is open to atmosphere through exhaust port or cavity 72, ports 71 and 72 and port 71. WVhen the train line pressure is reduced to set the brakes, in either service or emergency, by the automatic action, the air pressure in chamber A becomes correspondingly reduced and being then weaker than the pressure in chamber 13 the excess of pressure in chamber B will force piston a with the valve 60 to the right and open or connect the graduating port 71 in the valve with the port 71 in its seat and with the passage-way 29 so that air in chamber B will flow into chamber C and act on the diaphragm 62 until the pressure in chamber B becomes a little weaker than the pressure in chamber A whereupon the piston will automatically move to the left far enough to close the graduating port 71 by its graduating valve 61 but not far enough to open the feed groove 65, the train line not having been recharged to normal pressure. So long as pressure in chamber C received from chamber B is not weaker than the pressure in chamber D, the pressure in chamber C will act on the diaphragm 62 to open valve 69% in chamber E so that main drum pressure will flow to the brake cylinder pipe 30 and thus automatically set the brakes on the engine and tender by straight air and at the same time set the train brakes by automatic action. This also makes it possible to main tain a given pressure in the brake cylinder regardless of leaks in brake cylinder and its connections. As soon however as the train line is recharged to normal pressure the pis ton a will be forced all the way to the left and the feed groove 65 uncovered or opened so that air under normal train line pressure received from the line through pipe 33 will pass from chamber .A into chamber B. At the same time the air in chamber C will exhaust therefrom through pipe 23. and

- Operation.

In applying the brakes on the engine and tender by straight air, the engineers brakevalve handle is moved to straight air application or holding position. This causes feed cavity 18 in rotary valve to register with port 20 in the valve seat, and allows the main drum air to How through port 4 in rotary valve and cavity 6 in its seat and feed move back pulling its piston or rod away from the stern of the supply valve whereupon the supply valve seats itself and stops or cuts-off the main drum flow to brake cylinder. By this arrangement I maintain an automatic feed to brake cylinder regardless of leaks in pipes and in packing, for whatever pressure is put in chamber (3 will cause a little stronger pressure to remain in brake cylinder as the diaphragm is controlled bythe variation of pressures, that is, main drum pressure and brake cylinder pressure. The same action also admits brake cylinder pressure into the bottom chamber of the quick release valve, closing the valve therein, and thus applying the brakes on the engine and tender by straight air.

If the brakes are to be applied automatically, the brake-valve handle is moved to service stop position which brings exhaust cavity 13 of the rotary valve into register with the preliminary port 10 in the valve seat, which permits the air to exhaust from off the equalizing piston in the brake-valve causing a reduction in train pipe pressure. The causes piston a in chamber A of the combination valve 22 to move forward and carry with it the graduating valve 61 so as to unseat the latter from over the graduating valve port 71 and at the same time the slide valve 60 moves so that the graduating port 71 in the slide valve will register with port 71 in the valve seat allowing air in chamber B to flow through port 71, 71 and passage-way 29" into chamber C and against the diaphragm 62 forcing the diaphragm forward and unseating supply valve 64 and allowing main drum pressure to go to brake cylinder through passage-way 29 and pipe 80 and applying brakes 011 engine and tank by straight air.

If the brakes are to be applied in emergency, the brake valve handle is moved to emergency position whereupon the piston in chamber A moves to the extreme right and carries with it the slide valve 60 so that it uncovers emergency port 71 in the valve seat, allowing the air in chamber B to go directly therefrom to chamber 0, through emergency port 71 and passageway 29". The emergency port 71 islarger than the graduating port in the slide valve which connects with it in service stop. The emergency port in the valve seat is used both for service and for emergency application, but

in service it gets its connection with chamber B through the graduating port 71 in slide valve which is smaller than the port 71, but in emergency the slide valve moves completely beyond the port 71 so as to wholly uncover said port so that air is permitted to go to chamber C much faster in emergency than in service application and gets the engine and tender brakes on in the emergency stop. This also brings in the well known emergency features of the automatic action in the lVestinghouse engineers brake valve. Accordingly there is a straight-air application of brakes on the engine and tender, and an automatic application of the train brakes.

In releasing the brakes, if the engine or straight air brakes are to be released, the brake-valve handle is moved to straight air release position, which brings feed cavity 15 ofthe rotary valve into communication with port 21 of the valve seat whereupon main drum pressure is conveyed through pipes 48 to the quick release valve 19 and passing under piston head 52 raises the piston and lifts the valve 55 so that the exhaust port 56 is opened and air in the engine and tender brake cylinder permitted to escape through the brake cylinder pipe and the lower chamber of the quick release valve, thus releasing the engine brakes. At the same time the cavity 19 in the rotary valve face connects with exhaust cavity 12 in seat and allows the air in chamber G to escape, thus seating the supply valve 64: and cutting off main drum air to the brake cylinder pipe.

To release the train or automatic brakes, the brake valve handle is moved to full release or running position thus bringing into action the well known WVestinghouse feature and releasing the brakes.

Under the construction described, to release brakes on engine and tender and hold them on train, move the brake-valve handle quickly to straight-air release position; to release on train and hold on engine and tender, move the brake-valve handle to running position, or full release.

It is also to be noted hat under the, invention, the brakes on the engine and tender can be applied and also be released independently of the train or automatic brakes; secondly that the brakes on the engine and on the train can be applied together, or thirdly one independently of the other; fourthly that independent control of the engine and the train brakes is obtained; fifthly that there can be a gradual application and also release of straight air on the engine brakes; sixthly that the brakes can be applied on engine and. train, and the brakes on engine released while holding them on train, or seventhly they can be released on the train,

and held on engine and the train line re charged with air; that the engine and tender brakes can be applied first, and then the automatic be applied, by moving the brakevalve handle to the proper position; or if desired both the engine and train brakes can be applied at the same time by moving the brake-valve handle to either service or emergency position; and that the same braking power can be had in the engine and tender cylinders atall times regardless of piston travel and other conditions. foregoing requires no morethan one brakevalve handle which when moved to the proper positions makes it possible to obtain the different operations specified.

WVhile I have taken the well known Vestinghouse engineers brake valve as illustrative of the application of my invention yet I am not confined thereto where it can The cylinder pressure conduit, a chamber to receive a fluid pressure to actuate said valve, a passage-Way for the supply of tram lme pressure to said chamber, a pressure regulated valve for controlling the ,pressu're supply through said passage-way, saidvalve having an exhaust cavity to communicate with an exhaust port, andan exhaust con duit connected at one point wlth the brakepoint in port communication with the exhaust cavity of said valve.

2. In an air brake system, the combination With the main drum pressure conduit,

cylinder pressure conduit and at another the brake cylinder pressure conduit and the train line, of a valve casinglcontaining a supply valve controlling communication be tween the main drum pressure conduit and the brake cylinder pressure conduit, a chamber to receive fluid pressure to actuate said valve, a single engineers automatic brake valve controlling the train line pressure, a pipe directly connecting the said chamber with the. automatic brake valve, the latter having controllable ports for directing main drum pressure through such pipe into said chamber and for exhausting the pressure of the chamber through the said pipe, means actuated by variations in the train line pres- 1 sure for admitting pressure to the said cham--.

her to operate the supply valve, and a separate exhaust valve controlled by the en gineers brake valve for releasing pressure from the brake cylinder.

3. In an air brake system, the combination with the main drum pressure conduit, the brake cylinder pressure conduit and the train line, of a combination valve comprising a casting having five compartments therein, one of said compartments having connection with said train line, a piston in said compartment, a slide valve in the second compartment having connection with said piston to be actuated thereby, a single engineers automatic brake valve connected directly to said main drum pressure conduit and with the third chamber in said combination valve, said casting having a passa e leading from the third chamber to said second chamber and being controllableby said slide valve, a diaphragm between the said third chamber, and the fourth chamber in said casting, the fifth chamber in said casting having communication with the main drum pressure conduit and with the brake cylinder pressure conduit, the latter conduit also having communication with said fourth chamber to control the diaphragm, a regulating valve in said fifth chamber controlling communication between said main drum pressure conduit and said brake cylinder pressure conduit, said engineers automatic brake valve being adapted to be actuated to directly admit main drum pressure into said third chamber against the diaphragm to open said supply valve and establish a direct communication between said main drum pressure conduit and said brake cylinder pressure conduit, said first chamber being adapted to receivevarying air pressures therein dependent directly upon train line pressure to control the said slide valve whereby to automatically open and close said passage and actuate said diaphragm for automatically actuating said main supply valve.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature .in presence of two witnesses.

GEo. H. UPHAM, ARTHUR L. SUTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ream Washington, D. G.

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