US1485421A

US1485421A - Automatic air-brake apparatus for railway trains and the like

Info

Publication number: US1485421A
Application number: US557775A
Authority: US
Inventors: Zenon P Leger
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1922-05-01
Filing date: 1922-05-01
Publication date: 1924-03-04
Anticipated expiration: 1941-03-04

Description

March 4, 1924; 1,485,421

z. P. LEGER AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRAINS AND THE LIKE March 4 1924.

Z. P. LEGER AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRAINS'AND THE LIKE Filed May 1 1922 .l un

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 f llIlIl/llll/llll//ll March 4 1924.

1,485,421 z. P. LEGER AUTOMATC AIR BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRAINS ANDTHE LIKE Fnd May 1. 1922 4 sheets-sheet sj [imo/MW Zr/2022 gf? JWM/72g rMarch 4 1924.

Z. P. LEGER v AUTOMATIC AIR BRAKE APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY TRAINS AND THE LIKE l 'iled May 1. 1922 4 sheets-sheet 4 [22e/0220i Zezza/2 gw? IIb/12g mwN NN Patented Mar. 4, 1924.

zENoiv P. LEGER, or ivioncroiv, NnwisnUNs-Wioir, CANADA.

Application led May 1V,`

a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, sucli as will enable others skilled in the art to which it kappertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in an automatic air brake apparatus for railway trainsand the like.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of an automatic air brake apparatus so lconstructed that the air brakes ona railway train or the like will be instantaneously applied upon the derailment of the train.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an automatic electrically actuated mechanism 'for applying the air' brakes on a railway train or the like upon the derailment of the said train, or the derailmeiit of one or more of the cars thereof.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of automatic means for returning the brakes to their inoperative position aftery they have originally been appliedV upon the dei-ailment of the train.

A further' object of the invention is the provision of anrapparatus which is held in' inoperative position by its connection with an electric circuit which will be broken ,upon derailment causing the actuation of the apj pai'atus and the applying of the brakes together with means for returning the mechanism to its initial position after the said brakes have been thus applied.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatussuch as above referred to, which will bev comparativelysimple and inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and efficient in use, andV readily operated. Y

With the above and other objects in view,Z the present invention resides in the novel fea'- tures of construction, formations, combina-- tions, and arrangements of parts, to'be hereinafter more particularly described, claii'ried v 1922;.v seriai im. 557,775.

and illustrated inthe, raccornpanying .drawings forminga part ofthe present application, and injwhich:V p F igurev. `1 is a .side elevation of they invention with the `controlling valve in :open posi-` tion; V p y ,Y

Figure 2 is a similar view looking. fromV the oppositeL side. o f the device;

Figure'Y 3 isv fa -top plan view thereof;` Figure 4f is` a longitudinalsectional view taken througlithe device showingthe valve in closed position;

Figure. 5 isa viewsimilar to Figure 4 with parts broken away showing the forward switch in open position; Y Figure 6 is a `detail View showing the means 'foractuatingthe forward switch-; Figure 7` is a diagrammatic view illustrating the wiringof the apparatus;

Figure 8 is asimilar view illustrating the means forcooling theelectro-magnet; y l Figure 9 is :a'sectional view showingthe contact post upon one-of. thejournal boxes;

and,

Figure view taken on the 1line 10-, -fl0y of Figure 4.

Referringnowto the accompanying draw- 10 is a vertical transverse sectional ings by corresponding .characters Vof'refer.- Y

ence througlioutfthe several views, the nu-` meral `11 denotes in, `'general a )base upon which iny improved apparatus 12 is mounted. This base is 'positioned Y at :any location within oneor-more-of the cars of a railway train (not shown in the drawings) and is connected by-a pipe 131:0 the air brake system whichV is likewise not shown.` I

The pipe 13 leads to one end off. a cylinder l 14 mounted insuitablebracketsl upon the basell. An outletpipe 16 extends from'the cylinder-14 andfforms a means through. which thevair is'exhausted from the air brake system when :they` valve 17, whichslides within the cylinder 14 is in operi position.

The valve 17 isformed with thesliding member 18 which is -mounted inaguide-19 securedin brackets 20 .to thebase 11. The forward-end 'of the member 18- is` providedvwithfan upturned lip,21f(Fig. 5),

-wh-ile slidablei'withinfthe support 18fis a plate22 iwhich is provided` with yan upstan'd'- ing arm 23;`wh-ich is jpi'vot'ed at its upper endl as at 24:` to one `end ofa link 25,I the opposite endofwhich isec'c'entrically journalledras at open to closed position through the instrumentality of the before mentioned gearing. Forward vand rear switchesl are shown in Figure 7 at 34 and 35 and Vcomprise

stationary disks

36 and 37, the former of which isprovided with

contact members

38 and 39, and the latter with similar contact members 40 and 41.

Switch arms 42 and 43 are journalled in the

disks

36 and 37 upon

shafts

44 and 45 and are adapted to engage the

contact members

38 and 39 or 40 and 41 in a manner to be hereinafter referred to. The contact members 38 and 40 are connected by a conductor 46, while the members 39 and 41 are connected by a conductor 47.

A conductor 48 leads from the shaft 44 and switch arm 42 to the motor 32, while a conductor 49 leads fromA the motor 32 to an electro-magnet 50. A conductor 51 leads from the shaft 45 and switch arm 43 to a suitable part of the truck frame 52 whichA may be a journal boX and which is normally in contact with one of the rails of the railway track 53 through the medium of a car wheel.

Another of the wheels 54 is provided with the usual journal box 55 insulated from the truck frame 52, and is equipped with a contact post 56 to which a conductor 57 is attached which is in circuit with the motor 32 and likewise with the electro-magnet 50 by its connection with the conductor 49.

The conductor 57 is connected respectively to the positive and negative terminals of a battery 58, while a conductor 59 leads from the eiectro-magnet 50'to the before described conductor 51.

A suitable indicating lamp is shown at 60 and is connected by the conductors 61 to the conductor 57 upon opposite sides of the battery 58 so as to supply current thereto when the switch 62 is in closed position, as will be hereinafter described. y

The rotatable element 63 of the switch 34 which makes contact between the

contact plates

38 and 39 by virtue of its connection with the shaft 44 is of circular formation and is provided with peripheral ratchet teeth 64 which are designed for engagement with the yoke 65 carried at one end of an operating rod 66 which is pivoted as at 67 to the before described link 25 and obviously uponrotation of the gear 27 the switch arm 42 will be moved from open to closed posi-V tion.

The electro-magnet 50 is mounted on a suitable bracket 68 and has journailed adjacent thereto a rocker shaft 69 provided with a forwardly extending arm 7 0 which carries the contact bar 71 of the electromagnet.

A pair of rearwardly extending arms 72 project from the opposite end of the shaft 69 and Vhave

links

73 and 74 connected thereto.

As shown in Figure 4, the link 74 is pivoted at its lower end to a latch member 75 which engages an extension 76 formed upon the lower side of the support 18 for locking the valve 17 in closed position.

Each of the

links

73 and 74 carries a switch element 77 which serves to open and close the circuit including the conductors 61 and signal lamp 60. The switch elements 77 compose the switch 62 above referred to.

Springs 78 serve to hold the rocker shaft 69 in the desired position and to assist in the proper movement thereof.

rEhe movable element 79 of the switch 35 which is connected to the shaft 45 is provided with plurality of peripheral gear teeth 80 which mesh with. the rack 81 pivotally supported in a bracket 82 carried by the member 18 and serves upon the movementJ of the member 18 to move the switch arm 43 into engagement with either of the contact plates 40 or 41 as desired.

A spring 83 is attached at its opposite ends to the cylinder 14 and member 18 respectively and serves to assist in their proper movement by drawing the valve 17 to its closed position.

The rocker shaft 69 is provided with an upwardly Adirected arm 84 provided with a terminal eye 85 through which an operating rod 86 passes.

The rod 86 is pivotally connected as at 87 at one end thereof to the link 25, while the opposite end is provided with a stop 88 for a purpose to be later explained.

As clearly shown in Figure 6 of the drawings the movable element 79 is connected to the shaft 45 by a pawl and ratchet mechanism 89 so that the shaft 45 will be rotated upon movement of the rack 81 in but one direction only.

As shown in Figure 8 of the drawings thev electro-magnet 50 is surrounded by a suitable coil of pipe 90 through which cooling iuid may be directed for the purpose of preventing said magnet from overheating.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The valve 17 is normally in closed position, while the switch arm 42 is in contact with the contact plate 39 and the switch arm 43 in contact with the plate 40.

When in this position the circuit including the motor 32 is in' open position and the bar 71 is in contact with the cores =of the electro-magnet being held in such position by the closed circuit of the magnet which includes the conductors 57 and 59 and the engagement of the Wheel 54 with the rail 53 and likewise the conductor 51 and the truck 52. Y

In case of derailment, as the wheel 54 leaves the rail 53, the magnet circuit will be broken de-energizing the magnet 50 and releasing the bar 71. The springs 7 8 will immediately rock the shaft 69 releasing the trip 75 from the member 76 and the spring 83 will draw the valve to its open position thus releasing the air within the air brake system and instantly applying the brakes.

The movement of the valve to open position obviously causes the actuation of the rack 81 which by its engagement with the gear teeth 8O moves the switch arm 43 into contact with the plate 41. This movement obviously closes the motor circuit and sets the motor into operation which, through the instrumentality of the train of gearing 33, the pinion 31 and gear 27, draws the valve 17 forwardly to closed position, thus again releasing the brakes and permitting the train to again proceed on its course after the wheels 54 have been replaced upon the track. Y

Vhen the valve 17 moves to open position upon the derailment of the train, the switch 62 will be moved to closed position which obviously closes the circuit including the signal lamp 60 indicating that the valve in the air brake system has been opened.

Upon return of the several parts to their initial positions by the operation of the motor, the switch 62 will be opened and the lamp 60 extinguished.

Upon the return of the valve to its closed position, the yoke 65 carried by the rod 66 will throw the switch arm 42 from the contact member 39 into engagement with the contact member 3S, obviously breaking the motor circuit and causing the said motor to cease operation.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that an automatic operated mechanism for air brake systems used in railway trains and the like is provided, which will fulfil all the necessary requirements of such a device, and it should be understood in this connection, that various minor changes in the specific details of construction can be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofV the advantages of the invention.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim asnew and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. The combination in an apparatus of the character described, of a Valve, magnetic tion including a circuit closed when the train to which the apparatus is applied is run on the track, said circuit being opened upon derailment of said train to release the valve, means for forcing the valve to open position upon its release, and means including ak mo- Y tor for returning the valve to closed position after derailment.

2. The combination in an apparatus ofV the character described including a valve for controlling the air brake system of a train, magnetic means for locking the valve in closed position, said means being operable to release the valve upon the derailment of the train, means for forcing the valve to yopen means for retaining the valve in closed posisoV position upon its release, means including a motor for returning the valve to its closed position, and switches for controlling the.v

operation of the motor upon the release of brakes upon the derailment of thertrain, a.

motor for subsequently returning the valve to closed position, and means for automatically starting and stopping the operatingv motor when the valve is in open and closed positions respectively.

In witness whereof I have hereunto setV my hand.

ZENON P. LEGER.