Apparatus for pneumatic systems of automotive vehicles

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PNEUMATIC BRAKING SYSTEMS INSTALLED IN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES FOR REGULATING THE PRESSURE AND CLEANING THE COMPRESSED AIR IN SUCH SYSTEMS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A FIRST CASING HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS; ANNULAR AIR CLEANING MEANS ARRANGED IN SAID FIRST CASING COAXIAL WITH THE AXIS THEREOF AND DIVIDING THE CASING IN AN OUTER AND INNER CHAMBER; INLET MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OUTER CHAMBER FOR FEEDING COMPRESSED AIR THEREIN SO THAT THE AIR MAY PASS THROUGH SAID ANNULAR AIR CLEANING MEANS INTO SAID INNER CHAMBER; A RELIEF VALVE COAXIAL WITH SAID CASING AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION AND AN OPEN POSITION IN WHICH LATTER POSITION SAID RELIEF VALVE DISCHARGES COMPRESSED AIR FROM SAID INNER CHAMBER; WALL MEANS IN SAID CASING AND DEFINING A CYLINDER SEPARATED FROM SAID INNER CHAMBER AND COAXIAL WITH SAID RELIEF VALVE AND A REGULATING CHAMBER EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY TO THE AXIS OF SAID CASING; A PISTON MOVABLE IN SAID CYLINDER BETWEEN A RAISED AND LOWERED POSITION, SAID PISTON HAVING A SIDE FACING SAID RELIEF VALVE AND DEFINING WITH SAID CYLINDER A PRESSURE CHAMBER; SPRING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID PISTON AND BIASED TO YIELDABLY MAINTAIN THE LATTER IN SAID LOWERED POSITION; PASSAGE MEANS DEFINING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID INNER CHAMBER AND SAID REGULATING CHAMBER AND BETWEEN SAID REGULATING CHAMBER AND SAID PRESSURE CHAMBER; SPRING ACTUATED PRESSURE REGULATOR MEANS IN SAID REGULATING CHAMBER AND COOPERATING WITH SAID PASSAGE MEANS FOR NORMALLY CLOSING THE SAME AND FOR OPENING THE SAME WHEN THE PRESSURE IN SAID INNER CHAMBER SURPASSES A PREDETERMINED PRESSURE SO THAT COMPRESSED AIR FROM SAID INNER CHAMBER MAY PASS INTO SAID PRESSURE CHAMBER OF SAID CYLINDER MOVING THEREBY SAID PISTON FROM SAID LOWERED TO SAID UPPER POSITION; CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTING SAID PISTON WITH SAID RELIEF VALVE FOR MOVING THE LATTER TO SAID OPEN POSITION WHEN SAID PISTON IS IN SAID UPPER POSITION; A SECOND CASING REMOVABLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID FIRST CASING AND HAVING A LONGITUDINAL AXIS NORMAL TO THAT OF SAID FIRST CASING, SAID SECOND CASING DEFINING A VALVE CHAMBER HAVING A VALVE SEAT COAXIAL WITH THE AXIS OF SAID SECOND CASING; PASSAGE MEANS PROVIDING COMMUNICATION WITH SAID INNER CHAMBER OF SAID FIRST CASING AND SAID VALVE CHAMBER OF SAID SECOND CASING; A ONE-WAY VALVE IN SAID LAST MENTIONED PASSAGE MEANS PERMITTING FLOW OF COMPRESSED AIR FROM SAID INNER CHAMBER TO SAID VALVE CHAMBER WHILE PREVENTING AIR FLOW IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION; A VALVE MEMBER ENGAGING SAID VALVE SEAT AND MOVABLE BETWEEN A CLOSED AND AN OPENING POSITION; SPRING MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID VALVE MEMBER AND BIASED TO YIELDABLY MAINTAIN THE LATTER IN SAID CLOSED POSITION; OPERATOR CONTROLLED OPERATING MEANS COAXIAL WITH THE VALVE SEAT AND COOPERATING WITH THE VALVE MEMBER FOR MOVING THE LATTER AGAINST THE FORCE OF SAID SPRING MEANS FROM SAID CLOSED TO SAID OPEN POSITION; AND PASSAGE MEANS ON THE DOWNSTREAM SIDE OF THE VALVE SEAT FOR DIRECTING AIR FROM SAID VALVE CHAMBER TO A BRAKE ACTUATING MECHANISM WHEN SAID VALVE MEMBER IS IN SAID OPEN POSITION.