Automatic air brake system including circuit integrity testing

Claim 1

IN AN AIR BRAKE FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES INCLUDING (A) AN AIR COMPRESSOR, (B) AN AIR RESERVOIR TANK FOR THE VEHICLE, (C) A GOVERNOR FOR SAID COMPRESSOR RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE IN SAID TANK FOR DELIVERY OF AIR AT AN UPPER CONTROL LEVEL LIMIT PRESSURE, (D) PIPING EXTENDING FROM SAID COMPRESSOR TO SAID TANK, (E) AIR OPERATED BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE, (F) RELAY VALVE MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID BRAKE, (G) PIPING EXTENDING FROM SAID TANK TO SAID RELAY VALVE MEANS, (H) AND MANUALLY OPERABLE VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF AIR THROUGH THE PIPING FROM SAID TANK TO SAID RELAY VALVE MEANS FOR THE ORDINARY OPERATION THEREOF, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF (I) STRUCTURE FOR APPLYING A TEST PRESSURE AT A PREDETERMINED TEST PRESSURE LEVEL ON SAID BRAKES AND THE PIPING EXTENDING THERETO, SAID STRUCTURE INCLUDING, (J) MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CAUSING THE AIR TO PASS DIRECTLY FROM THE COMPRESSOR TO THE RELAY VALVE MEANS, (K) SAID MEANS INCLUDING AN AUTOMATIC PRESSURE RESPONSIVE VALVE INTERPOSED IN THE PIPING BETWEEN SAID COMPRESSOR AND SAID TANK AND SHUTTING OFF COMMUNICATION THERETHROUGH UNTIL SAID TEST PRESSURE LEVEL IS ATTAINED, (L) SAID AUTOMATIC PRESSURE RESPONSIVE VALVE HAVING A BYPASS FLUID CONNECTION TO SAID RELAY VALVE MEANS (M) AND A BRAKE CONTROL VALVE CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID PIPING EXTENDING FROM SAID COMPRESSOR TO SAID RELAY VALVE MEANS AND TO SAID RELAY VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING SAID RELAY VALVE MEANS, (N) SAID BRAKE CONTROL VALVE INCLUDING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO PRESSURE OF AIR DELIVERED FROM SAID COMPRESSOR FOR OPENING SAID CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID PIPING EXTENDING FROM SAID COMPRESSOR TO SAID RELAY VALVE MEANS AND SAID RELAY VALVE MEANS, AND INCLUDING A SECOND VALVE MEANS RESPONSIVE TO PRESSURE OF AIR DELIVERED FROM SAID GOVERNOR AT SAID UPPER CONTROL LEVEL LIMIT FOR DISCHARGING THE CONTROLLING PRESSURE FROM SAID RELAY VALVE MEANS AND RESPONSIVE TO A LOWER CONTROL PRESSURE FROM SAID GOVERNOR FOR PREVENTING SAID DISCHARGING.