US2566472A - Air brake bleeder - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 4, 1951 E. F. WIDEMAN AIR BRAKE BLEEDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 19, 1949 Ewe/l F/rcner Wideman Sept. 4, 1951 E. F. WIDEMAN 2,566,472

AIR\BRAKE BLEEDER Filed May 19, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2.

-1i- R *8 F's v v Inventor 3 6 well F lelphelr Wideman WW 3% L Patented Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,566,472 I AIR BRAKE BLEEDER.

Ewell Fletcher Wideman, Wetumpka, Ala. Application May 19, 1949, Serial No. 94,190

6 Claims. (Cl. 303-80) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in mechanlsms for bleeding air brakes on railroad cars, and the principal objects of the invention is to greatly expedite the performance of the bleeding operation.

Air brake systems on railroad cars are. of course, provided with normally closed bleeder valves which may be individually opened by the manipulation of a lever provided on each car, but since each valve must be manually closed after bleeding, the operation of bleeding several cars consumes considerable time, not only of the person who performs the actual operation, but of the engine crew, switchmen, etc., who cannot proceed with their respective duties until after the bleeding operation is completed.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the invention to expedite the bleeding operation as aforesaid, this being achieved by the provision of a bleedin mechanism which maintains the bleeder valve in an open position until the bleeding operation is completed, and then automatically causes the valve to be closed.

An important feature of the invention resides inthe provision of automatic means for causing the bleeder valve to close, these means being responsive to movements of the car on which the apparatus is installed, so that when the brakes are locked the brake system may be bled and the brakes released by a simple actuation of the lever, whereupon movements of the car, such as for example, when jerking, actuates the mechanism so as to automatically close the bleeder valve.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity of construction, and in its adaptability to installation on conventional as well as new railroad equipment.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view thereof as it appears when the bleeder valve is closed;

Figure 3 is an elevational view, similar to that shown in Figure 2, but illustrating the apparatus in the bleeding position;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional detail, taken sub stantially in the plane of the line 4-4 in Figure2.and l Figure 5 is an elevational view of one of the release actuating elements used in the invention.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of an air brake bleeding mechanism designated generally by the reference character Hi, this bein intended, of course, for use on railroad cars and embodying in its construction an inverted U-shaped member l2 which is adapted for attachment in a transverse position to the bottom l4 of a railroad car, as will be clearly apparent.

The free end portions of the member 12 are provided with transversely aligned slots l6 to slidably receive flattened end portions l8 of a control rod 20, and if desired, the member l2 may be formed in two complemental sections connected together as at 22, so as to facilitate installation of the rod 20 therein.

The control rod 20 is connected in a conventional manner to a brake bleeder valve 82, such as for example, by providing the rod with a slot l9 to operatively receive the actuating lever SI of a conventional bleeder valve 82 on a compressed air tank 84. Accordingly, when the rod is pulled from a central position in either direction, the bleeder valve is opened, while sliding the control rod back to its central position causes the valve to close. The central position of the control rod is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

To facilitate sliding of the rod 20, the end portions l8 thereof are usually provided with suitable manipulating handles 24 which are slidable in suitable brackets 26 attached to both sides of the car, it being understood that this arrangement is conventional and does not constitute a component of the instant invention.

The invention involves the provision of a looking arm 28 which is pivotally attached at one end thereof as at 30 to an upstanding bracket 32 secured to one of the control rod portions [8, the arm 28 being provided intermediate its ends with a pair of notches 34, 36 while the remaining end thereof carries what may be generally referred as a lifting member 38.

This member simply consists of a pair of downwardly divergent brackets 40 which are secured attheir upper ends to the arm 28 while their lower extremities are provided with outwardly angulated flanges 42 secured, in turn, to intermediate portions of a pair of spaced parallel bars 44. These bars are disposed below and at the sides of the control rod 20, and it will be apparent from the foregoing that by virtue of the pivotal connection 30, the arm 28 together with the member 38 may drop from its substantially horizontal position as shown in Figures 1 and 2 to a lowered position as shown in Figure 3, this dropping action occurring when either of the aforementioned notches 34, 38 enters a slot 48 in a bracket 48 through which the arm 28 is slidable. The bracket 48is secured to the aforementioned member l2 and the arm 28, which is slidable with the rod 20, slides through the slot 48 into bracket 48, so that when the rod 28 is slid in either direction from its central position, one of the notches 34, 38 will eventually enter the slot 46 and dropping of the arm 28 together with-the member 38' will be effected, as shown in Figure 3.

The control rod 28 itself is slidable through the bracket 48 as well as through a similar, second bracket 5|], the latter also being secured to the member l2, and both the bracket 48 and the bracket 58 are provided ontheir lower end portions with a pair of offset fork pieces 52, 54 ree spec-tively which are slotted to slidably receive the rod 28 and are spaced from the respective brackets 48, 58, as will be clearly understood.

Needless to say, by virtue of the slots l6 and the flat end portions I8 of the rod 20, the rod is freely slidable but non-rotatable in the member l2,- and a pair of pendulum-shaped release actuating elements 56, 58 are swingably suspended from the rod 20, as will be presently described.

The elements 55, 58,,are configurated as is best shown in Figure 5 and are provided with an opening 88 so that they. may be slid into position on the rod 20 over the flat ends [8, the element 58 being disposedbetween the bracket 48 and the fork plate 52', While the element 58 is similarly disposed between the-bracket 50 and the fork plate 54.

By virtue of this arrangement the elements 56, 58 may oscillate in response to forward or backward jerking of the railroad car, and in addition, the rod 285 may be slid to one side or the other without the elements: 56, 58 sliding therewith.

The elements 56, 58- are preferably provided with weights 82so that the inertia thereof is substantially increased, and it will be noted that when either of the elements is subjected tooscillation,.the' shoulders 84 thereof will engage and ear upwardly on 'the underside of the aforementioned bars 44,. thus lifting the arm 28 and disengaging either of its" notches frorn'the slot 49in: the bracket 58'.

Before proceeding to describe this action fur ther, it may be explained that the: elements 56. 58 are also-providedwith additional openings 86- to slidably receive pointed prongs 68-, 1'8 re-- spectively which are secured to .the flattened end portions [8 of'the control rod 28' andare slidable therewith.

Having thus described the construction of the invention, the operation thereof will now be expl ain'ed;

Assuming: the bleeder valve 82 to be closedand the mechanism 7 in the, position shownin Figures 1 and 2, the prongs tl fiz'l are extended through the openings 68 of the respective ,elements 56,- 58 so thatoscillation of these elements on-therod 28 is-prevented while the railroad-car is travelling. v I 7 However; when it is desired tobleed the brakes, one of the handles 24 may be pulled'so as to slide therndfl-fi; .foriex mpjl ir -thsdhfidti th thereof will engage the bars 44, thus lifting the locking arm 28 and disengaging the notch 36 from the slot 48. This action, in turn, will permit the rod 28 to return to its normal, central po- 1 sition so as to close the bleeder valve 82, it being understood that the bleeder valve mechanism usually embodies in its construction means for automatically returning the rod 28 to its central position as soon as outward pulling force thereon ceases to be exerted.

.The bleeding, operation may be either. side of the railroad car, such as for ex ample, by pulling the remaining handle (24) so as to slide the rod-'28 in the direction of the arrow '25. will enter the slot 48' and the element 58 will-be free to oscillate while the element58 is locked against oscillation by the prong 88. In either event, the result is the same, and the two elements 56, 58 being provided soas to facilitate performanceof the bleeding operation from either side of the car. v

To assist in returning the rod 28 to its central position wherein the bleeder valve 82 is closed, a coil spring I6 may be positioned on the rod between a collar 78 and a keeper 88. The collar '18 is secured to the rod- 28 and one end of the spring 18 is secured to this collar, while the keeper 88 is secured to the bracket 48 and the last coil of the spring is anchored in the keeper, so that sliding of the rod in one direction (see arrow 72) will compress the spring, while sliding of the rod in a relatively opposite direction (see arrow 14) will cause the spring to be stretched: The spring is, in effect, double acting insofar that it tends to assume its partly stretchedpartly compressed position, wherein the rod 28' is centrally disposed and the-bleeder valve closed; Therefore, sliding of'the rod 28 in either direc-. tion willplace the spring 18 under strain, whereby the rod will be urgedback to its central position as soon as the arm 2? is lifted by either of, the elements 58, 58.

It is believed that theadvantagesand use oi the invention will be clearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it: isto be understood that minor changes in thedetailsof construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing. from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed. Y

Having described the invention, what is claimed asnewisz I e 1. In-a air brake bleeding mechanism for r "1: road cars, the combination: of a control-rod able from a -clo sed bleeder to an open 'bl position, a stationary catch, locking arm pivoted to and slidablewith, said] rod, said arm.,b'ein'g' provided with ad'etent' engageable with-said ca ch when said rod'is in the open position, aliftiilg,

effected from r In the latter instance, the notch 34,

the two he d ess} member secured to said arm, and a release actuating element pivotally mounted for oscillation in response to movement of a railroad car on which said apparatus is provided, said element being engageable with said lifting member to disengage the detent on said arm from said catch.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 together with resilient means for urging said rod to the closed position.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said element is pivotally mounted on said rod.

4. The device as defined in claim 1 together with means for automatically locking said element against oscillation when said rod is in the closed position.

5. In an air brake bleeding mechanism for railroad cars, the combination of a control rod slidable from a closed bleeder position selectively in opposite directions to respective open bleeder positions, a locking arm pivoted to and slidable with said rod, a stationary catch, said arm being provided with a pair of detents selectively and individually engageable with said catch when said rod is in the respective open positions, a lifting member secured to said arm, a pair of release actuating elements pivotally mounted for oscillation in response to movement of a railroad car on which said apparatus is provided, said elements being selectively and individually engageable with said lifting member to disengage the respective detents from said catch, and automatic means for locking both elements against oscillation when said rod is in the closed position and for selectively and individually locking said elements against oscillation when the rod is in the respective open position.

6. The device as defined in claim 5 wherein said means comprise a pair of longitudinally spaced prongs parallel to said rod, said release actuating elements being provided with openings to slidably receive the respective prongs when the control rod is in its closed position, whereby said elements may be selectively and individually shifted to a position wherein they may oscillate in the space between the prongs when the control rod is slid to its respective open positions.

EWELL FLETCHER. WIDEMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTSI Number Name Date 1,315,165 Searson Sept. 2, 1919 1,670,192 Dickman May 15, 1928

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