US2021770A - Test gauge - Google Patents

Description

c. c. FARMER Nov. 19, 1935.

TEST GAUGE Filed' Oct. 10, 1953 INVENTOR CLYDE C. FARMER' BY 9% WM ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TEST GAUGE Application October 10, 1933, Serial No. 693,002

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a test gauge or device particularly adapted for use in connection with a triple valve device of the retarded release type.

The usual retarded release type of triple valve device comprises a slide valve for controlling the brake cylinder exhaust passage and has a. full release position in which communication through the brake cylinder exhaust passage is wide open, and a retarded release position in which the communication through said exhaust passage is restricted.

A piston is provided for moving the slide valve to the full release and retarded release positions upon an increase in brake pipe pressure. A movable retarded release stop is slidably mounted in the triple valve casing and is provided with a full release position which is defined by engagement with a shoulder in said casing. This stop has a stem which, when the stop is in full release position, acts to define the full release position of the piston and slide valve, and a spring acts on said stop to oppose movement of said piston and slide valve to the retarded release position. Upon substantial equalization of pressures on the triple valve piston, the spring acting on the retarded release stop is adapted to move said stop and thereby said piston and slide valve from the retarded release position to the full release position. An extension is provided on the retarded release stop which is adapted to engage and move the slide valve from the retarded release position to the full release position as the piston is thus moved by the stem on the retarded release stop, but this extension does not engage the slide valve as it moves from the full to: the retarded release position, since it has been found that such engagement tends to tip or lift the slide valve from its seat.

From the above description of the usual retarded release type of triple valve device, it will be apparent that in order to obtain the proper positioning of the triple valve slide valve in the full release and retarded release positions, the dimensions of the retarded release stop must not vary to any appreciable degree, but due to wear of the retarded release stop in service, the dimensions thereof will change and if the wear exceeds a certain amount, the triple valve device will not function as intended. v

One object of my invention is to provide a sim ple gauge device by means of which the condition of the retarded release stop of a triple valve device may be quickly and accurately determined.

There are a number of different retarded release triple valve devices, such-as the well knownK-J- and K2 triple valve devices for different sizes of brake cylinders, and the K|-C and K-2C triple valve devices also for different sizes of brake cylinders. The designations K-I-C and K2-C indicate triple valve devices which have '5 been converted from a type preceding the Kl and K--2 type to devices which will function. like the K| and K2. All of these triple valve devices have a retarded release stop of substantially the same design but varying in dimensions. 10

Another object of my invention is to provide one gauge by means of which the condition of the retarded release stop of all the above mentioned triple valve devices may be quickly and accurately determined. 15

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing; Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a triple valve device of the retarded release type with a portion of the casing broken away to showdiagrammatically certain of the operating parts; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the retarded release stop employed 25 in the triple valve device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an isometric View of my improved test gauge; and Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of my improved test gauge, with a portion broken away, and showing the retarded release stop of a triple 30 valve device mounted thereon.

As shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the retarded release triple valve device is of the usual well known type comprising a casing l having axial bores in which are mounted the usual piston 35 bushing 2 and slide valve bushing 3. A chamber 4 is formed within the piston bushing 2 and a piston 5 is slidably mounted in said chamber. A valve chamber 6 is formed within the valve bushing 3 and contains the usual main slide valve 7 40 and graduating valve 8. The piston 5 is provided with a stem 9 extending into the valve chamber 6. The stem 9 is provided at the outer end with the usual spider-like guide l0v which is adapted to slidably engage the valve bushing 3 within chamber 6 and which is also adapted to engage the right hand. end of the main slide valve 1 for moving same toward the left hand. A collar or shoulder II is provided adjacent the inner end of the piston stem 9 and is adapted to engage the left hand end of the main slide valve 1 for moving said slide valve toward the right hand. The graduating valve 8 is mounted within a recess in the piston stem 9 in the usual manner.

.The triple valve device is provided with the usual brake cylinder passage 2 which leads to the brake cylinder (not shown) and the usual brake cylinder release passage l3 which leads to the atmosphere. The usual full release cavity i i and retarded release cavity l5, which is connected to cavity l4 through a restricted passage it, are provided in the main slide valve 1. In the full release position of the piston 5 and main slide valve l, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. l, the'full release cavity 14 is adaptedto connect the brake cylinder passage |2 to the at mospheric exhaust passage [3 to provide a wide open communication through which fluid under pressure is adapted to be released from the brake cylinder (not shown). position of the piston 5 and slide valve 1, which position is defined by the engagement of a sealing bead ll on the back of piston 5 with the end of the valve bushing 3, as is well known, the retarded release cavity l5 in the slide valve i registers with the atmospheric exhaust passage 63 so that the release of fluid under pressure from the brake cylinder (not shown) occurs through the usual restricted passage Hi.

The piston 5 is subject on the left hand side to the pressure in the usual brake pipe' (not shown) and on the right hand side to the pressure in the usual auxiliary reservoir (not shown) and is operated by an increase in brake pipe pressure to move the slide valve 7 to either the full release position or retarded release position, above described, according to the rate of increase in brake pipe pressure.

For determining which release position the slide valve 2 is moved to upon an increase in brake pipe pressure, the usual retarded release device is provided which comprises a chambered member i3 secured to the casing over the outer end of the valve bushing 3. A retarded release stop consisting of a cylindrical guide I9 movable in the direction of movement of slide valve 1, is slidably mounted within the chamber in member l8 and has at one end a shoulder 29 adapted to engage the end of the bushing 3. A spring 2| contained in the chamber in the member I8 acts on the guide l9 to oppose movement thereof away from shoulder 29. The cylindrical guide I9 is provided with the usual stem 22 adapted to engage the spider !9 on the end of the piston stem 9, and an extension 23 projecting from the guide 59 between adjacent legs of the spider H), as shown in Fig. 2, is adapted to engage the main slide valve l.

In operation, when the piston 5 is moved by an increase in brake pipe pressure on the left hand side to the position in which the spider ID on the end of the piston stem 9 just engages the stem 22 of the retarded release stop, but does not move said stop against the pressure of spring 2|, the stem 22 defines the full release position of said piston and thereby of the main slide valve 1'. If the increase in brake pipe pressure on piston 5 is such, however, as to overcome the opposing pressure of spring 2| acting on the retarded release stop, said piston moves the main slide valve 1 to the retarded release position defined by engagement of the sealing bead I! on the back of said piston with the end of the valve bushing 33. Upon substantial equalization of pressures on piston 5, after said piston is moved to retarded release position, the spring 2| urges the retarded release stop back to full release position in which said stop engages the end of the bushing 3. In this movement of the retarded release stop from theretarded to. the full release In the retarded release position, the engagement of stem 22 of the retarded release stop with spider it! on the piston stem 9 and the engagement of the extension 23 of said stop with the end of the slide valve 1 moves both said piston and slide valve from the retarded release to the full release position.

It will be noted that upon movement of the piston 5 and slide valve '5 toward the right hand to the full and retarded release positions, that a. slight clearance space between the end of the slide valve 7 and extension 23 of the retarded release stop prevents engagement between said slide valve and stop, since it has been found that during such movement, the engagement of the slide valve with said stem tends at times to lift said slide valve 1 off of its seat. This clearance space is taken up however upon movement of the piston 5 and slide valve 1 from the retarded release position to the full release position, so that the engagement of the extension 23 with the slide valve 1 effects the movement thereof to the full release position.

From the above description of a retarded release triple valve device, it will be evident, that if wear has changed the relation between the shoulder 2|), the end of the stem 22 and the end of the extension 23 of the retarded release stop to any appreciable degree, said stop will not function to properly define the full release position of the piston 5 and slide valve 1, so that in operation, the triple valve device will fail to function as intended. According to my invention I provide a simple gauge by means of which the relation between the shoulder 29, the end of the stem 22 and the end of the extension 23 may be quickly and accurately determined, so that if the above relation is unsatisfactory, the retarded release stop may be discarded.

My improved gauge comprises a base member 24 having on two opposite sides upstanding and parallel flanges 25 and 26, the inner corners of which are preferably cut away to form arcuate surfaces 21 and 28, respectively, the common radius of said arcuate surfaces being substantially the same as that of the guide i9 of the retarded release stop so as to provide two parallel slides for said guide to be used in the act of gauging, which will be hereinafter described.

A post 29 is provided at one end of the base member 24 and said post is provided with a bore concentric with the arcuate- shaped surfaces 21 and 28 and containing a gauge pin 33 of substantially the same diameter as that of the stem 22 of the retarded release stop. The pin 39 is slidably mounted in the bore in post 29, and is provided on one side with a notch 3|. A pin 32, carried by the post 29, extends through the notch 3|, to prevent the gauge pin 39 from falling out of said post, said notch being of sufficient length to permit gauging operation of the pin 30, .as will hereinafter be described.

The post 29 is provided on opposite sides with two parallel gauging surfaces 33 and 34 which are arranged at right angles to the cylinder axis of the arcuate-shaped surfaces 2'! and 28. length of the gauge pin 30 is fixed with respect to the distance between the gauging surfaces 33 and 34, and a portion of the outer end of said pin is cut away to provide two stepped gauging surfaces 35 and 36.

The flange 25 at one side of the base member 24 is provided with a through slot forming gauging surfaces 3'! and 38, while the flange 26 is provided with a similar slot forming gauging surfaces 39 and 40, the surface 31 being employed in The a gauging operation on the retarded releasestop of the K-l triple valve device only, as indicated by the legend Kl provided adjacent said surface on the flange. The surfaces 38, 39 and 40 are employed for a similar gauging operation on the retarded release stop of the K-2, K-I-C and K2-C triple valve devices, respectively, as indicated by the legends adjacent the corresponding surfaces. The legends K-IC and K-2C are shown on the inside of the flange 26 in the drawing, merely for the sake of clarity.

To gauge a retarded release stop such as shown in Fig. 3, said step is mounted on the gauge device with the cylindrical guide lQ engaging the arcuate- shaped surfaces 21 and 28 and with the extension 23 engaging the surface 33 on the post 29. The gauge pin 3! is now pressed into engagement with the stem 22 of the retarded release stop. If the surface 3 1 on the gauge post is in line with either of the gauging surfaces 35 or 35 on the gauge pin 36, or is between the gauging surfaces 35 and 35, this indicates that the relation of the stem 22 to the extension 23 is satisfactory. If, however, the gauging surface 35 on the gauge pin 3E3 moves within the post 29, or the gauging surface 36 projects out of the post beyond the gauging surface 3d, this indicates that the relation between the end of the stem 22 and that of the extension 23 is unsatisfactory, so that the retarded release stop should not be used. It will be evident that the position of the surfaces 35 and 3% on the end of the pin 30 with respect to the surface 34 on the post 29 may be determined either visually or by the sense of feel, that is, by placing a finger over the outer end of said pin.

Let it be assumed that the retarded release stop being gauged is that employed in a K-2 triple valve device. Now, with the extension 23 of the retarded release stop still engaging surface 33 on the post 23, the position of shoulder 20 on the guide [9 with respect to the gauging surface 38 on the flange 25 of the gauge device is noted. If the shoulder 28 is in line with the gauging surface 38 or extends out past said surface into the opening between gauging surfaces 3! and 38 it indicates that the relation between said shoulder and the end of extension 23 is satisfactory, but if the shoulder 28 is hidden behind the flange 25, then the above relation is unsatisfactory, so that the stop should not be used.

If, by means of applicants gauge device, the relation of both the stern 22 and shoulder 26 of the retarded release stop is found to be satisfactory with respect to the extension 23, then the retarded release stop will function in a triple valve device as intended, but if these relations are found to be unsatisfactory, the retarded release stop should be discarded.

If the retarded release stop being gauged is from a K-l triple valve device, then the gauging operation is the same as above described except that the location of the shoulder 20 is gauged by the gauging surface ill on the flange 25, and if said shoulder is in line with surface 3"; or extends only into the space between surfaces 31 and 33, it indicates that the relation of the shoulder 26 to the extension 23 is satisfactory, but if said shoulder extends beyond surface 3? and is thereby hidden behind the flange 25, then said relation is unsatisfactory, and the stop should not be used.

The retarded release stop from a KIC triple valve device and that from a K-2-C triple valve device are gauged the same as those from the K-l and K-2 triple valve devices, ex-

cept that gauging surfaces 35 and 40 are employed, instead of gauging surfaces 3'! and 38 respectively.

It will now be evident that by the use of my simple checking or testing gauge, the condition of the various retarded release stops employed in different retarded release triple valve devices may be quickly and accurately determined.

While one illustrative embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit its scope to that embodiment or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A gauge device for checking the relative location of the shoulder, the end of the stem and the end of the extension of a retarded release stop which define the full release position of a triple valve device, said gauge device comprising a base member having a slide for supporting said stop, a member fixer. to said base member and having a surface at right angles to a plane including the slide and adapted to be engaged by one of said ends for fixing said retarded release stop in a position to be gauged, means slidably mounted in the fixed member and movable into engagement with the other of said ends and cooperative with another and parallel surface on said fixed member for determining the relative position of the last mentioned end, and means fixed with respect to said fixed member for ganging the relative position of said shoulder.

2. A gauge device for checking the relative location of the shoulder, the end of the stem and the end of the extension of a retarded release stop which define the full release position of a triple valve device, said gauge device comprising a base member, a flange on each of two opposite sides of said base member, the inner edge of both of said flanges being broken away to form two parallel slides upon which said retarded release stop is adapted to be slidably mounted, a member provided at one end of said base member and having a surface at right angles to the plane of said slides and adapted to be engaged by the end of the extension of the retarded release stop for fixing said stop in a position to be gauged, a pin slidably mounted in said member and adapted to be moved into' engagement with the end of the stem of the retarded release stop when said stop is in the position to be gauged, means associated with position of said shoulder with respect to said extension.

3. A gauge device for checking the relative location of the shoulder, the end of the stem and the end of the extension of a retarded release stop which defines the full release position of a triple valve device, said gauge device comprising a base member, a flange on each of two opposite sides of said base member, the inner edge of both of said flanges being broken away to form two parallel slides upon which said retarded release stop is adapted to be slidably mounted, a member provided at one end of said base member andhaving a surface at right angles to the plane of said slides and adapted to be engaged by the end of the extension of the retarded release stop for fixing said stop in a position to be gauged, and a pin slidably mounted in said member and having one end adapted to be moved into engagement with the end of the stem of the retarded release stop when said stop is in the position to be gauged, the other end of said pin having a portion cut away to form two stepped gauging surfaces, said member having another and parallel surface cooperative with said two stepped gauging surfaces for checking the location of said stem with respect to said extension, one of said flanges being cut away to provide a surface for indicating the relative position of said shoulder.

4. A gauge device for checking the relative location of the shoulder, the end of the stem, and the end of the extension of the diiferent retarded release stops which define the full release position in various triple valve devices, said gauge device comprising a base member, a flange on each of two opposite sides of said base member, the inner edge of both of said flanges being broken away to form parallel slides upon which said retarded release stops are adapted to be slidably mounted, a member provided at one end of said base member and having a surface at right angles to said slides and adapted to be engaged by the extension of said stops for defining the position of said stops in which said stops are adapted to be gauged, a pin slidably mounted in said member and adapted to be moved into engagement with the stem of the retarded release stop when in the position to be gauged, means associated with said pin and cooperative with a surface on said member for indicating the position of said stem with respect to said extension, and means associated with said flanges and adapted, according to the retarded release stop being checked, to indicate the position of said shoulder with respect to said extension.

5. A gauge device for checking the relative location of the three different surfaces of a retarded release stop which define the full release position of a triple valve device, said gauge device comprising a base member upon which said retarded release stop is adapted to be slidably mounted, an element fixed with respect to said base member and having a surface with which one of the surfaces of said retarded release stop is adapted to engage to define the gauging position of the retarded release stop on said base member, said base member having an opening for gauging the relative location of another of the surfaces of said retarded release stop, and a pin movable relatively to and cooperative with said element for gauging the relative location of the other of said surfaces.

CLYDE C. FARMER.

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