US868481A - Air-brake system. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED OCT. 15, 1907.

H; N. RANSOM. AIR BRAKE SYSTEM. APPLICATION nun JUNE 1,1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFITJE.

HENRY N. RANSOM, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AIR-BRAKE SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Application filed June 1, 1906. $erial No. 319,762.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY N. Rimson, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Albany, county oi Albany, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Brake Systems. oi which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to air-brake systems, and its object is to provide a novel arrangement by which a great economy of air is obtained and thc efiicien'cy of such systems consequently improved.

My invention, broadly stated, consists in returning again to the source, in releasing the brakes. the air which is supplied l'rom the source to brake-cylinder in applying the brakes, so that the same air is used repeatedly.

More specifically stated, my invention consists in the combination of an air-compressor, a reservoir supplied thereby, a brake cylinder, pipe connections from brake-cylinder to both reservoir and to the intake of the compressor, means for controlling the flow 01' air l'rom the reservoir to brake cylinder to apply the brakes, and means for controlling the operation of the compressor to return air l'rom the brake-cylinder to reservoir to release the brakes. By means of this arrangement the air-compressor is not pumping air at atmospheric pressure into the reservoir, but takes air under pressure from the brake-cylinder. The amount of work done by the compressor is consequently reduced, so that a smaller compressor may be employed and less power consumed in driving the compressor.

My invention will best be understood by rel'erence to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a. straight" airbrake system arranged in accordance with my invention, and Fig. 2 shows my invention applied to an automatic system.

In Fig. .l, A represents an air-compressor driven by the electric motor B and supplying the reservoir C.

D represents the brake-cylinder, which is arranged to be connected through the engineers valve E to reservoir, and which is also connected directly or through the engineers valve to the intake pipe a of the compressor. An inwardly-opening check valve F connects this intake pipe to atmosphere. The engineers valve. which is shown in running position with the handle resting against a spring step e, carries a contact G adapted to bridge the stationary contacts 9 in circuit with the'motor I3. These contacts are in parallel with the contacts 11 controlled by the usual pressure governor II.

The operation of the system is as follows: To apply the brakes the reservoir O is connected to brake-cylinder D through the engineers valve E in the usual manner by rotating engineers valve E in a clockwise direction. To release the brakes, the engineers valve is moved so as to break this connection and connect brake-cylinder to the intake pipe oi the compressor, and at the same time to bring contact G into engage ment with contacts 9. This closes the circuit of motor B and starts the air-compressor to pump air out of brake-cylinder D and to return it to reservoir C, thereby releasing the brakes. In this position the handle oi the engineers valve engages and compresses the spring step e, which acts to return the valve to running position when the brakes are released and the operator lets go the handle. In running position the circuit of the motor-compressw is broken and the brake-cylinder is connected to atmosphere as shown in Fig. 1.

The pressure governor H is adjusted so as not to respond to the ordinary variations in pressure in the reservoir C in braking, but in case the pressure in reservoir O falls below certain limits on account of leakage in the system, the governor II will start the compressor to supply the air lost by leakage, drawing it in through the check valve F. i

Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically an automatic system similarly arranged. In this figure the triple valve T performs the function of the engineers valve in Fig. 1,that is, connecting the brake-cylinder either to reservoir or to the intake of the air-compressor. The triple valve may be of the usual construction, the ex haust-port being connected to the intake of the air compressor instead of to atmosphere, in the same manner as the exhaust-port of the engineers valve in Fig. 1 is connected to the intake of the air-compressor of that figure instead of to atmosphere. 5 represents the usual train-pipe to which all the triple valve pistons are connected, and 0 represents the reservoir line ordi narily employed where independent air-compressors are used on the several cars connecting the reservoirs together. The engineers valve E, which is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2, is arranged in the usual manner to connect the train-pipe t to reservoir or to atmosphere. The right-hand valve E is shown in running position, connecting train-pipe t to reservoir line c. The brakes are applied in the usual manner by rotating engineers valve E in a clockwise direction to connect train-line t to atmosphere so as to actuate the triple valves T to connect auxiliary reservoirs O to brake-cylinder. When the valve is moved to compress the spring stop 2 and to connect train-pipe t to reservoir again, the contact G bridges the contacts thereby starting up all the air-compressors on the train which are all connected to the train-wire i, at the same time that the increase of pressure in the train-pipe t moves the triple valves T to connect the brake-cylinders to the intakes of the compressors. Spring stop 6 serves to return-the engineers valve to running position when released thereby stopping the motor-compressors.

It will be seen that the operation for the automatic system is in every way analogous to the operation in the straight air system; the principal difference being that the brake cylinder is connected to reservoir or to air-compressor directly by the engineers valve in the straight air system, and by the triple valvegcontrolled by the engineers valve in the automatic system. The arrangement of parts and the pipe-connections may be varied in either system, as desired, and accordingly I do not desire to limit myself to the particular construction and arrangement of parts here shown, but aim in the appended claims to cover all modifications which are within the scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is, i

1. In an air-brake system, an air-compressor, a brakecylinder, pipe connections from bl'akecylinder to the intake of the compressor, an engineer's valve controlling the application of the brakes, and means actuated by said engineers valve for starting and stopping said compressor.

2. In an air-brake system, an air-compressor, a reservoir supplied thereby, a brake-cylinder, pipe connections from brake-cylinder to reservoir and to the intake of the coinpressor, an engineer-s valve controlling the flow of air from reservoir to brake-cylinder, and means actuated by said engineer's valve for starting and stopping said compressor.

3. In an air-brake system, an air-compressor, a brakecylinder, pipe connections from brake-cylinder to the in take of the'compressor, an engineers valve for controlling the application of the brakes, means actuated by said en gineers valve for starting and stopping the compressor, and an inwardlyopening check-valve connecting the intake of said compressor to atmosphere.

4. In an air-brake system, an air-compressor, a reservoir supplied thereby, a brakercylinder, pipe connections from brake-cylinder to reservoir and to the intake of the compressor, an engineers valve controlling the flow of air from reservoir to brake cylinder, means actuated by the engineer's valve for starting and stopping the compressor, and means controlled by the pressure in the reservoir for starting and stopping said compressor.

5. In an air-brake system, an air-compressor, an electric driving motor therefor, a brake-cylinder, pipe connections between brakeeylinder and the intake ofthe compressor, and a manually-operated controlling switch for said motor.

6. In an ainbrake system, an air-compressor, an electric driving motor therefor, a reservoir supplied thereby, a brake-cylinder, pipe connections from brakecylinder to reservoir and t0 the intake of the compressor, a manually operated valve controlling the flow of air from reservoir to brake-cylinder, and switch contacts on said valve controlling said motor.

7. In an air-brake system, an aircompressor, an electric driving motor therefor, a brake-cylinder, pipe connections between brake-cylinder and the intake of the compressor, a manually-operated controlling switch for said motor, and an inwardly-opening check-valve connecting the intake of said compressor to atmosphere.

8. In an air-brake system, an aincompressor, a brakecylinder, pipc connections from brake-cylinder to the intake of the compressor, manualIy-controlled means for starting said compressor to withdraw air from the cyl inder, and means for automatically shifting said manuallycontrolled means when released to stop the compressor.

9. in an air-brake system, an air-compressor, an electric driving motor therefor, a brake-cylinder, pipe connections between brake-cylinder and the intake of the compressor, a manually-controlled switch contact controlling said motor, and a spring for automatically returning said con tact to open-position when manually released.

10. In an air-brake system, an air-compressor, an electric driving motor therefor, a reservoir supplied thereby, a brakecylinder, pipe connections from brake-cylinder to reservoir and to the intake of the compressor, a manuallyoperated valve controlling the flow of air from reservoir to brake-cylinder, switch contacts on said valve controlling said motor, and a spring for automatically shifting said valve when said valve is moved into position to close said contacts and manually released.

11. In an airbrake system, an air-compressor, an electric driving motor therefor, pipe connections from, brakecylinder to the intake of the compressor, an engineer's valve controlling the application and release of the brakes and having two release positions, switch contacts con trolled by said valve and arranged in one release position of said valve to close the circuit of said motor, and means for automatically shifting said valve to the second release position when moved to the first release position and manually released.

12. In a straight air-brake system, an aircompressor, an electric driving motor therefor, a reservoir supplied thereby, an engineers valve arranged in three different positions to connect brake-cylinder to reservoir, to atmosphere, and to the intake of the compressor, respectively, switch contacts controlled by said valve arranged to close the circuit of said motor when said valve is in the third of said positions, and means for automatically shifting said valve from the third to the second of said posi tions when said valve is manually released.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of May, 1906.

HENRY N. RANSOM. Witnesses Bax nun B. IIULL, HnLnx Onnono.

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