US918470A - Air-brake. - Google Patents

Description

E. B. POWERS.

AIR BRAKE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27, 1908. RENBWBD NOV.20, 1908.

Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

@Mre/9012 UNITE STATE 'JENT OFQE.,

EDMUND B. POWERS, OF l\'l l\\' YORK, N. Y., ASSlONOR TO 'llll` POWERS vllLWAY SAFETY APPLIANOE COl\1lPAl\'Y, Ol NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORh.

AIR-BRAKE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 13, 1909.

Application led February 27, 1908, Serial No. 418,022. Renewed November 20, 1968. Serial No. 463,713.

To all 'whom 'it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND B. Fourmis, a citizen oi the U ,ited States, residing in the city ol' New York, borough ol' Brooklyn, in the county oit' Kings and State ol New York, have invented a certain new and usei'ul lmproveitnent in Air-Brakes, ol' which the tollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to brake-system. s i'or railway trains in which the brakes are operated by changes ol' air-pressure in thc trainpipe, and in which an air-signal pipe lorirs part o'l' the equipment.

The object of the invention is to provide simple, etiicient, and easily installed n sans by which the engineer may test the entire length of train-pipe and signal-[npc l'or ohstructions therein, and which will also automatically actuate the engineers whistlesignal to indicate pressures above the normal in the air-brake system.

The invention consists in certain novel icatures of construction and arrangement by which the above objects are attained, to be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings lorm a part ol` this specification.

Figure l is a diagrammatic elevation ol' a portion ol the usual air-brake system, showing the present invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical axial section, partly in elevation, on a larger scalo than the precedingjigure, showin@ the construction ol' the signal actuating va ve. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation showing the invention as a 'ixed attachment to a car.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

A. is the engineers brake valve, located in the cab, and B is the train-pipe extending as usual beneath each car ol the train, having angle ttings C with angle-cocks C1 therein, joined between cars by flexible hose connections D and hose couplings D1, and E is the usual air-signal pipe, including' the engineer-s signal Whistle G and having cocks E and hose connections F with hose couplings l, these portions oi the system together with the reservoirs, valves, brake-cylinders, and other brake mechanism, not shown, may be understood to constitute the ordinary auto- I matic brake equipment.

The resultattained by my invention is to permit the engineer to test at any time both the train-pipe and signal-pipe l'or obstructions therein, usually caused by a closed angle-cock t or sigi .l-coclc ll. `increasing the pressure in the .in-pipe above the nor-- mal blo-ws the whistle (i it both thc trainpipe and signal-pipo be clear 'hnmghout from the locomotive to the rear end ol' the train. The mechanism employed. comprises a casing M which l term the signal-valie rc- .movably connected by pipes N" N2 having couplings constructed to engage corresponding couplings D1 and l"1 on the rear terminals of the train-pipe and signal-pipe. ln the upper portion ot the casing and arrai'iged axially thereof is a helical spring M abutting at the upper end against a screw-plug or follower M2 and at the lower end against a piston M arranged to rise and sink in an upper chamber M", andA exerting' its force to depress the piston. Extending downwardly l'rom the piston is a pin M5 passing through a lower chamber lvl, :in comlnunication with the sic'- nal-pipe through the pipe N2, and having its lower end tapered to serve as a closure lor the axial opening a in a tubular rcuplug N through which communication with the oxternal air is atl'orded when the pin-valve M5 is lifted. The upper chamber in is in communication with the train-pipe through the pipe Nl, and the escape ol air between the chambers M" and du is prevented by the stutiing-bo\V M7 surrounding the pin. check-nut N3 on the screw-plug ll permits the latter to be closely adjusted and held with its valve-seat properly presented for closure when the piston .M3 is in the dcpressed position.

Under normal conditions the downward pressure oll the spring M1 is su'llicient to overcome the lifting lorce ol' the air-pressm'c in the train-pipe acting on the under tace ol" the piston and hold the pin-valve to its seat, but when the pressure in the train-pipe exceeds the resistance oil'ered by the spring, the piston is lifted carrying with it the pin M5, allowing the air under pressure in the signalpipo to escape through the opening n and, by

the consequent lowering of pressure m the signal-pipo, sound the whistle G. 'the engineer may induce this increase of pressure below the piston at any time by throwing his brake-lever to the release position and if the whistle fail to respond it is evident an obstruction exists either' in the train-pipe or signal-pipe.

-in said train-pipe lifts s v inv sufficient increase in train-pipe pressure will sound the whistle; tl" the invention serves automatica L, io draw the attention of the engineer to the laet that he is earrying an excess pressure in the br: s teni, wliieli although indicated by the aA p essure gage may not been previously; noted. 'ine signal ilve may be easily and quiollr connected 'lo couplings of the train-pipe and signal-pipe hose at the rear end ol the train, and maj; be support bjr ang.' suitable hang-e', not shown, eng .gsd with the rear .i ol' the. ear, or the platform ,'llzer poi apparatus maw' be pei'nianentlf at each end oi eaeli ear indi in such ease all but one rear end will be shut out i 'the signal-valve man, i i any desired increase over the nonial trainpipe pressure, the screw-plug M2 permitting the adjustment to be easily and accurately made. lt will be observe/l that the signalpipe pressure is practicallyT ol: no emeot in the ope `ation oi: the apparatus 5 this is an irnportant feature in that the operation does not depend on the dii-Terence between the pressure in the train-pipe and that in the signal-pipe but is entirely independent or' the latter and is oontroll d bj; changes in the train-pipe pressure alone.

l Claim#- l. ln apparatus ot the charac/ter set forth, a easing, ineans movable therein by train-pipe pressure, a. valve in said easing aetuated by said means and controlling an opening in said Casing from the signal-pipe to the external air, and a spring in said. Casing afg-ting upon said means in opposition to said train-pipe pressure, wher/sbg,T excess pressure in said train-pipe lifts said valve and opens roinniunieation between said signal-pipe and external air.

2. in an apparatus of the Character set forth, a casing, means movable therein by train-pipe pressure, a valve in said easing aetuated b v said means and controlling an opening in said Casing troni the signal-pipe to the external air, a spring in said casing, aeting upon said means in opposition to said train-pipe pressure, wlifraby excess pressure aid valve and opens communie ation between said signal-pipe and external air, d means for varying the fore-e of said spring.

3. ln an apparatus of the Charaeter set forth, a easing having a chamber in eommul nication with the train-pipe and a Chamber in eonununieation with the signal-pipe, and i an escape opening Jfrom the latter chamber i forth, a easing having a chamber in @onimunication with the train-pipe and a chamber in Communication with the signal-pipe, a valve-seat in the latter chamber having an i pe opening therein extending through easing, a piston in suoli train-pipe shamr acted upon by train-pipe p essuie, a pinvalve in said signal-pipe ehamber, eonneeted to said piston and arranged to oo-aet with said valve-seat and Control said opening, and spring in said easing for moving said piston and pin-valve o close said opening in opposition to the train-pipe pressure.

5. ln an apparatus of the character set forth, a easing having a Chamber in communication with the train-pipe, and a chamber in eommuniration with the signal-pipe, a valve-seat in the latter chamber having an escape. opening therein extending through said easing, a piston in sueh train-pipe sham- 1oer aeted upon by train-pipe pressure, a pin valve in said signal-pipe enaniber, connected to said piston and aranged to oo-aet with said valve-seat and Qontrol said opening, a spring in said a-sing for moving said piston and pin-valveI to @lose said opening in opposition to the train-pipe pressure, and a screwplug in said easing for adjusting the pressure of said spring on said piston.

6. ln an apparatus of the character set fort-h, a easing havin@- an upper and lower chamber therein, a piston in said upper Chamber, a pipe leading from the latter be low said piston to the train-pipe, a spring in said easing above said piston, a serew-plug in said easing for adjusting the pressure of said spring on said piston, a pin-valve on said piston, a pipe leading from said lower chamber to the signal-pipe, and a tubular screw exe tending through said easing into said lower chamber and carrying a seat for said Valve.

ln testimony that l claim the invention above set forth l inv signature, in pressnee of two witnesses.

EDMUND B. PONERS.

Witnesses CHAnLEs R. SEARLE, F. J. GREENE.

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