US674335A - Automatic retaining-valve. - Google Patents

Description

J. M. HAMM.

AUTOMATIC RETAINING VALVE.

Patentgd May I4, |90I.

(Application med Mar. 9, 1899.) (No Model.)

[NVE/WOR:

Affari/ey THE mums PETERS C0. PHoTaLiTNo.. wAsHxNGroN. D. c.

NITED STATES PATENT Fries.

JACOB M. HAMM, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC RETAlNlNG-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,335, dated May 14, 1901.

Application filed March 9, 1899.

T @ZZ whom it nfl/ty concern/.f

Be it known that I, JACOB M. HAMM, a citizen of the United States of America, residing VZVat Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Retaining-Valves; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved airbrake appliance, and embodies the employment of' a retaining-valve of peculiar construction', which is connected to the exhaust of the triple valve and to the train-line, by the aid of which the engineer may set the brakes and maintain a constant even pressure within the brake-cylinders while descending long grades.

In the practical application kof air-brakes as applied to freight-cars it has been foundnecessary to 'provide each car with what is "known in the art as a retaining valve or cock, which when closed will retain a con- -stant pressure withinl the brake-cylinder .,.without leakage.

This"`retaining -valve or cock requires the service of a brakeman both to close and open the same and is used when the train is passing down a long steep grade,

the said valve or cock being in no wise undertlie control of the engineer. When the train is thus moving down a grade and a constant application of the brakes is required, the

' brakemen set or operate the retaining valves or cocks upon the several cars, so as to retain the constant pressure, and when itis necessary to-release the brakes all of such retainv ing valves or cocks must be opened. This 4o opening and closing of these valves is a constant source of hard and dangerous labor to the trainmen, as itnecessit-ates theclimbing of the men over box,at, and othercarsto open or close the various-valves; and the main object of my invention is thereforeto construct a device or apparatus by means of` which the engineer mayat'will operate the said retaining-valves either 'to open or close the same when the brakes are applied or re.-

leased, thus obviating the necessity of the dangerous' and difficult work of the trainmen and placing the control of the entire train Serial No. 708,321. LNo model.)

under the hands of the engineer under all circrunstances.V

In describing the invention 'in detail referencewill be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, and wherein like numerals will be employed to design ate like parts through the several views, in whichl Figure l is a vertical sectional view of my improved apparatus adapted to be employed in lieu of the retaining-valve, such as is now generally employed on all freight-cars. Fig.. 2 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an underneath plan k view. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatical view showing the device coupled up to the controlling-valve, the train-line, and triple Valve. Fig.` 5 is a horizontal sectionalview of the two-way cock of the controllingvalve. In the accompanying drawings, l indicates the valve-casing, having at one end a threaded' opening 2, by means of which the same be connected by a pipe 2/ to the trainwhich valvefthe train-line 18 also connects.- This valve-casing has. a similar opening 4' in one side for connection with the exhaust-pipe 4' of the triple valve 20. Arranged within pipe chamber in thejtriple valve 20, lwith this casing l is a pistonpl, which has a vertical movement and is connected to a valve `11 by a stem l2.' The piston .13 and valve ll are arranged within the. casing intermediatey on the threaded opening 4 ina manner that one will balance the other.l The, valve l1 is of a particular construction, consisting of an annular cylindrical integral body'c'apable of moving within the casing 1 andinclosing a spiral spring 10, used to keep the valve tightly seated. This spring l0 is of a'vstrength to overcome any given pressure used in the train-pipe 18 andV can be regulatedv asto stension by means'of a plate 9 `and a screw.-7,'to

gether with a cap, covering said screw and acting as a lockl to set jor retain the screw in .any position, as is obvious. A threaded capv I parts in position. 'Y The casing'lhas formed lar 15 is closedV at its outer end by a threaded cap 16, through which the stem` 16 oi" the valve operates, said stem having the tensionspring 13 arranged thereon between the valve and the cap. The casing 1 is provided above ,the opening et and the exhaust-port with ventopenings 17' for a purpose as will be hereinafter described.

In order to permit the engineer to have control of the retaining-valves, I provide in the engine two governors or feed-valves 22 23, the former set fora pressure of, say, sixty pounds and the latter set for an increased pressure-say, for example, seventy pounds. The train-pipe 18 is connected to the engineers valve 21, and this valve is connected by pipe 28 to a twoway valve-casing 26, the latter connected by a pipe 25 to the governor 22 and by a pipe 25 to the governor 23. A

two-way valve or cock 27 is arranged in this casing and controls the passage of air from and to the two governors. These governors or feed-valves are connected to the air-reservoir 29 in the engine. I may provide the train-line 18 with a cock 18, by means of which the air may be cut out from each triple Valve.

In practice the spring 10 is set for seventy pounds pressure, vand in an application of the brakes when it is desired to hold the brakes for a certain period the cock 2G is opened, so as to pass the pressure from governor 22, set at sixty pounds, and this pressure utilized for the application of the brakes, the spring 10, having a` tension of seventy pounds, serving to maintain the sixty'pounds pressure and prevent any exhaust from the triple valve. When it is desired to release the brakes, the engineer operates the cock 27 so as to close the port to the governor 22 (sixty pounds) and open the port to the governor 23, (seventy pounds.) This pressuret e., seventy pounds-will overcome the tension of the spring 10, lift the valve 11 from its bed, and permit the exhaust to pass out through the vent-openings 17', formed in the casing 1', these vent-openings being normally closed by the valve.

rllhe small release-valve on the side of the casing may be set so as to normally retain any pressure desired in the retaining-valve. Ordinarily a train -line pressure of seventy pounds is employed, this being the standard train-line pressure, when, therefore, in making a full application of the brakes but fifty pounds braking power is obtainable; but by the use of my device I start with the seventy pounds train-line pressure, then cut in the sixty-pound train-line governor, still retaining the seventy pounds in the train-line, and make a full application, which will run the train-line pressure down to fifty pounds and give fifty pounds braking power. I then place the brake-handle in running position, so as to increase the train-line pressure to sixty pounds, and make another application, the sixty-pound governor preventing the pressure being increased above that point, and iu order to release it becomes necessary to cut in the seventy-pound governor or place the handle of the engiueers valve on full release. This obviates the necessity of the engineer ever placing his brake-valve on lap. It will also be observed that a gradual release may be obtained by such device. For instance, when passing down a gradein which a dip occurs I cut in the seventy-pound governorafter the train has passed the dip and becomes slower, so as to run the train-line pressure up to, say, sixty-live pounds, andthe valve will release gradually untillthe train moves faster, when I cut in the sixty-pound feed and make a slight application to close the valve, there being thus no danger of running short of air, as is now sometimes the case.

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

1. In'a device of the character described, `the combination with the engineers valve,and the two governors connected thereto, said ,governors being set at different pressures, of the triple valve, the train line connected Ether-ete and to the engineers valve, andare- Itaining-valve connected to the triple valve iandcontrolled through the engineers valve, substantially as described; 2. In a device of the character described, 'the combination of the triple valve,'the train- `pipe, the retaining-valve connected to the triple valve, the engineers valve connected to lthe train-pipe, and a pair of governors connected to the engineers valve, one oi' said governors being set at greater pressure than the jother, with means intermediate the governors land the engineers valve whereby the retainling-valve may be controlled through the medium of the engineers valve. In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JACOB M. HAMM.

Witnesses:

JAS. J. MCAFEE, JOHN REED.

IOO

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