United States Patent 115) Kolbeck et al. nn 3,951,468 [45] Apr. 20, 1976 54] (75) (3) (22) Ry (30) (521 [st] [58] [56] 2,779,635 31220,781 3275 34971 AIR BRAKE SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY ‘VEHICLES Inventors: Engelbert Kolbeck, Mering; Erich Sammer, Munich, both of Germany Knorr-Bremse GmbH, Munich, Germany Filed: June 9, 1975 Appl. No.: 584,965 Assignee: Foreign Application Priority Data June 8, 1974 Germany. 2427778 US. CL... 303/81; 188/153 R; 303/86 Int. C12. BOOT 11/28; BOOT 15/04 Field of Search . 303/68, 69, 81, 82, 303/84, 86, 18; 188/152, 151 R, 153 R References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1987 Widemar 11/1965 Wooler 39/1966 Baechtel 02/1970 Sauthof et al. 303/68 303/68, 303/18, 303/68 X 3,840,281 10/1974 Huber t a. 303/68 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,282,052 11/1968 Germany 303/68 Primary Examiner—Trygve M. Blix Assistant Examiner—Douglas C. Butler Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Bdmund M. Jaskiewiez (57) ABSTRACT ‘An air brake system for a railway vehicle has a brake control valve connected to a main air line which is maintained at a certain pressure when the brakes are released. Connected to the brake control valve is an air reservoir and a brake cylinder which is connected through suitable linkage to operate a friction brake. A valve device is provided which is actuated in response to the operating state of the friction brake and pres- sure in the main air line and includes a venting valve connected to the main air line so that the venting valve is opened during a simultaneous occurrence of the brake being in the braking state and the regular pressure level is maintained in the air line. Under other conditions the venting valve is closed. 9 Claims, 4 Drawing FiguresUS. Patent April 20, 1976 3,951,468 FIG, 33,951,468 1 AIR BRAKE SYSTEM FOR RAILWAY VEHICLES ‘The present invention relates 10 a compressed air braking system for a railway vehicle, more particularly, to such a system which will prevent movement of @ train if the friction brake of a car in the train should be in the braking position because of an actuated hand brake or a defect in the system, ‘A known form of a compressed air brake system for railway vehicles comprises a main air line that is charged to a regular predetermined level of pressure when the brakes are released. A brake control valve is, controlled by the air line and is connected to a brake cylinder that actuates a friction brake. The brake cylin- der can be subjected to the action of pressure from a brake air reservoir through the brake control valve or ccan be evacuated to the atmosphere through the brake control valve. In railway vehicles equipped with such an air brake system it has ocurred that because of a defect in the brake control valve the friction brake moves to the braking position and remains in this position even after the main air line is brought up to its regular level of pressure. It may also occur that the friction brake is actuated into the braking position and maintained in the braking position through the hand brake even after the main air line is charged to its regular pressure. It is possible to determine by means of a so-called major or great brake test whether any car of a train has a friction brake which, for some reason, remains in the braking position. This test essentially comprises inspecting the brakes of each vehicle under differential braking condi- tions. Because such a brake test requires a considerable expenditure of personnel and time, the test is carried ‘out relatively rarely, such as just before a newly formed train of cars begins its trip. There is therefore a rela- tively high risk of a moving train having individual cars with applied brakes either because of a defect or actua- tion of a hand brake. Such braked cars may very easily cause damage to the particular cars and serious train accidents may occur because of the wheel rims which may become detached from the wheels. Such accidents ¥y also be accompanied by fires particularly if the railway car in question is loaded with readily combusti- ble or explosive goods, It is therefore the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved air brake system for railway vehicles of the type described above. It is another object of the present invention to pro- vide such an air brake system for railway vehicles which eliminates the danger of moving a train of cars when one of the cars has its brakes in the applied posi- tion Itis a further object of the present invention to pro- vide such an air brake system for railway vehicles wherein a train of cars cannot be moved in the event that one of the cars has its friction brakes applied be- cause of an actuated hand brake or a defect. According to one aspect of the present invention an air brake system for a railway vehicle may comprise a brake control valve connected to a main air line which contains a regular predetermined pressure when the brakes are in the released position. An air reservoir is connected to the brake control valve to which is also connected a brake cylinder. The brake cylinder may be subjected to an air pressure from the reservoir and may be evacuated to the atmosphere so as to operate a 20 30 FE 40 4s so 35 60 6s 2 friction brake which is connected to the cylinder. Valve means including a venting valve connected to the air line is connected to the brake cylinder and air line tor venting the air line to the atmosphere in response to the friction brake of a vehicle being in the braking state concurrently with the predetermined pressure existing in the main air line. When these conditions do not occur, the venting valve will be closed Other objects and advantages of the present inven- tion will be apparent upon reference to the accompany- ing description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings, which are exemplary, wherein; FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a compressed air brake system for a railway vehicle according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view through a pres- sure monitor valve employed in the air brake system of FIG. 1; and FIGS. 3 and 4 show schematically modifications of the mounting of @ switching valve employed in the system of FIG. 1. Proceeding next to the drawings wherein like refer- cence symbols indicate the same parts throughout the various views a specific embodiment and modifications of the present invention will be described in detail In FIG. 1, a main air line 1 in a railway vehicle having the system’ of the present invention has connected therein a brake control valve 2. In @ manner as known in the art, the control valve 2 is connected through a pipe 3 to a brake air reservoir 4 and through a pipe 5 to a brake cylinder 6. The brake cylinder 6 has a piston rod 7 extending therefrom which is pivotally connected to a brake linkage 8 which in turn is operatively con- nected to a friction brake which is not shown in the drawings. A rod 10 is actuated by a hand brake which is not shown in the drawings and is connected to the brake linkage 8 by a slot coupling 9. ‘The brake cylinder 6 has an end wall 11 upon which is flanged a switching valve 12 which may be of the construction as shown in German Pat. No. 1,282,052. According to this construction, the switching valve 12 has a stem or indicator rod which is not shown in the drawing but passes through a suitable opening in piston end wall 11 and senses the position of the piston, which is also not shown in the drawings, in the brake cylinder 6. Should the brake cylinder piston be in a position corresponding to the release state ofthe friction brake, the stem actuates switching valve 12 into a control position that blocks its two connections 13 and 14 from each other and connects the connection 14 to the at- mosphere. In every other position of the brake cylinder piston, switching valve 12 will block the vent of con- nection 14 to the atmosphere and will connect connec: tion 14 to the connection 13. Connection 13 has extending therefrom a pipe 15 which leads to the brake air reservoir 4 and connection 14 leads through a pipe 16 to a connection 17 of a pressure monitor valve 18. A control pipe 19 leads from the main airline 1 to a control inlet connection 20 of the pressure monitor valve 18. Monitor valve 18 is also provided with a connection 21 which leads through a pipe 22 to the control inlet of a compressed air operated shut-off valve 23 that is connected in a pipe 25 leading from main air line I to an outlet 24 to the atmosphere. The shut-off valve 23 connects the atmospheric vent 24 to pipe 25 and air line I only when compressed air is supplied through line 22 into the shut-off valve 23. Otherwise, the shutoff valve 23