Locomotive brake control apparatus suited for remote multiple-unit operation

Claim 2

In a locomotive brake control system for a train of cars hauled by a locomotive, brake control apparatus for the locomotive comprising the combination of: a. a normally charged brake pipe variations of the fluid pressure in which are effective to control brake applications and brake releases on the locomotive and cars in the train, b. a normally charged equalizing reservoir, c. a brake valve having: i. a relay valve which is subject to the opposing pressure in said equalizing reservoir and said brake pipe and is operative by the differential of such pressures to control the pressure in said brake pipe, and ii. regulating valve means operative to provide a variable pressure, wherein the improvement comprises: d. a pure fluid circuit means comprising a pair of bistable fluid amplifiers each having a pressure supply port, a pair of control pressure inputs and a pair of pressure outputs, the fluid pressure at said supply port, one of said control inputs and one of said outputs being varied in accordance with the pressure provided in response to operation of said regulating valve means, and the fluid pressure at the other of said control inputs being varied in accordance with variation of the pressure in said equalizing reservoir whereby, upon the pressure at said one control input exceeding the pressure at said other control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to one of said outputs and, upon the pressure at said other control input exceeding the pressure at said one control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to the other of said outputs, e. electroresponsive valve means operative to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said equalizing reservoir, and f. a pair of fluid pressure responsive switch devices, one of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from said one output of one of said bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a first circuit to said electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to said equalizing reservoir and the other of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from the other of said outputs of the other of said bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a second circuit to said electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the release of fluid under pressure from said equalizing reservoir to atmosphere.

Claim 3

In a multiple-locomotive brake control system for a train of cars having a lead locomotive and at least one slave locomotive remotely located therefrom, brake control apparatus for the lead locomotive comprising the combination of: a. a normally charged brake pipe variations of the fluid pressure in which are effective to control brake applications and brake releases on the locomotives and cars in the train, b. a normally charged equalizing reservoir, c. a brake valve having: i. a relay valve which is subject to the opposing pressure in said equalizing reservoir and said brake pipe and is operative by the differential of such pressures to control the pressure in said brake pipe, and ii. regulating valve means operative to provide a variable pressure, d. coding and radio signal transmitting means for transmitting brake application and brake release command signals from the lead locomotive to a slave locomotive, wherein the improvement comprises: e. a pure fluid circuit means comprising a pair of bistable fluid amplifiers each having a pressure supply port, a pair of control pressure inputs and a pair of pressure outputs, the fluid pressure at said supply port, one of said control inputs and one of said outputs being varied in accordance with the pressure provided in response to operation of said regulating valve means, and the fluid pressure at the other of said control inputs being varied in accordance with variation of the pressure in said equalizing reservoir whereby, upon the pressure at said one control input exceeding the pressure at said other control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to one of said outputs and, upon the pressure at said other control input exceeding the pressure at said one control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to the other of said outputs, F. electroresponsive valve means operative to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said equalizing reservoir, and g. a pair of fluid pressure responsive switch devices, one of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from said one output of one of said bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a first circuit to said electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to said equalizing reservoir and the other of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from the other of said outputs of the other of said bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a second circuit to said electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the release of fluid under pressure from said equalizing reservoir to atmosphere, h. said fluid pressure responsive switch devices also being operatively effective in response to supply of fluid under pressure thereto to establish circuits to said coding and radio transmitting means to effect operation thereof to transmit brake control command signals to a slave locomotive.

Claim 4

In a multiple-locomotive brake control system for a train of cars having a lead locomotive and at least one slave locomotive remotely located therefrom, brake control apparatus for the lead locomotive comprising the combination of: a. a normally charged brake pipe variations of the fluid pressure in which are effective to control brake applications and brake releases on the locomotives and cars in the train, b. a normally charged equalizing reservoir, c. a brake valve having: i. a relay valve which is subject to the opposing pressure in said equalizing reservoir and said brake pipe and is operative by the differential of such pressures to control the pressure in said brake pipe, and ii. regulating valve means operative to provide a variable pressure, d. coding and radio signal transmitting means for transmitting brake application and brake release command signals from the lead locomotive to a slave locomotive, wherein the improvement comprises: e. a pure fluid circuit means comprising a pair of bistable fluid amplifiers each having a pressure supply port, a pair of control pressure inputs and a pair of pressure outputs, the fluid pressure at said supply port, one of said control inputs and one of said outputs being varied in accordance with the pressure provided in response to operation of said regulating valve means, and the fluid pressure at the other of said control inputs being varied in accordance with variation of the pressure in said equalizing reservoir whereby, upon the pressure at said one control input exceeding the pressure at said other control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to one of said outputs and, upon the pressure at said other control input exceeding the pressure at said one control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to the other of said outputs, F. electroresponsive valve means operative to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said equalizing reservoir, and g. a pair of fluid pressure responsive switch devices, one of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from said one output of one of said bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a first circuit to said electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to said equalizing reservoir and the other of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from the other of said outputs of the other of said bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a second circuit to said electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the release of fluid under pressure from said equalizing reservoir to atmosphere, h. said fluid pressure responsive switch devices also being operatively effective in response to supply of fluid under pressure thereto to establish circuits to said coding and radio transmitting means to effect operation thereof to transmit brake control command signals to a slave locomotive.

Claim 5

In a multiple-locomotive brake control system for a train of cars, the combination as claimed in claim 2, further characterized in that said one fluid pressure switch device is effective to establish a first circuit to said coding and radio transmitting means to effect operation thereof to transmit a brake release command signal to a slave locomotive, and in that said other fluid pressure responsive switch device is effective to establish a second circuit to said coding and radio transmitting means to effect operation thereof to transmit a brake application command signal to a slave locomotive.

Claim 6

In a multiple-locomotive brake control system for a train of cars, the combination as claimed in claim 2, further characterized by valve means operative to cut operation of said pure fluid circuit means and render said regulating valve means operative to control the supply of fluid under pressure to said equalizing reservoir and the release of fluid under pressure from said reservoir to atmosphere.

Claim 7

In a locomotive fluid pressure brake control system for controlling braking of a train of cars hauled by the locomotive, brake control apparatus for the locomotive comprising the combination of: a. a normally charged brake pipe variations of the fluid pressure in which are effective to control brake applications and brake releases on the locomotives and cars in the train, b. a normally charged equalizing reservoir, c. an automatic brake valve having; i. a relay valve which is subject to the opposing pressure in said equalizing reservoir and said brake pipe and is operative by the differential of such pressures to control the pressure in said brake pipe, and ii. regulating valve means operative to provide a variable pressure. d. a brake applying means for effecting a brake application on the locomotive, e. control valve means for supplying fluid under pressure to and releasing fluid under pressure from the brake-applying means responsively to variations of pressure in said brake pipe, f. an independent brake valve having: i. a self-lapping valve means operative to provide a variable pressure, and ii. manually operable means for effecting operation of said self-lapping valve means, wherein the improvement comprises: g. a first pair of bistable fluid amplifiers each having a supply port, a pair of control inputs and a pair of outputs, the fluid pressure at said supply port, one of said control inputs and one of said outputs being varied in accordance with the pressure provided by operation of said regulating valve means, and the fluid pressure at the other of said control inputs being varied in accordance with variation of the pressure in said equalizing reservoir whereby, upon the pressure at said one control input exceeding the pressure at said other control input, fLuid under pressure flows from said supply port to one of said outputs and, upon the pressure at said other control input exceeding the pressure at said one control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to the other of said outputs, h. a first electroresponsive valve means, operative to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said equalizing reservoir, i. a first pair of fluid pressure responsive switch devices, one of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from said one output of one of said first pair of bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a first circuit to said first electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to said equalizing reservoir, and the other of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from the other of said outputs of the other of said first pair of bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a second circuit to said first electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the release of fluid under pressure from said equalizing reservoir to atmosphere, j. a second pair of bistable fluid amplifiers each having a supply port, a pair of control inputs and a pair of outputs, the fluid pressure at said supply port, one of said control inputs and one of said outputs being varied in accordance with the pressure provided by operation of said self-lapping valve means, and the fluid pressure at the other of said control inputs being varied in accordance with variation of the pressure in said brake-applying means whereby, upon the pressure at said one control input exceeding the pressure at said other control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to one of said outputs and upon the pressure at said other control input exceeding the pressure at said one control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to the other of said outputs, k. a second electroresponsive valve means, operative to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said brake-applying means, and l. a second pair of fluid pressure switch devices, one of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from said one output of one of said second pair of bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a first circuit to said second electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to said brake-applying means to cause a brake application on the locomotive, and the other of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from the other of said outputs of the other of said second pair of bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a second circuit to said second electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the release of fluid under pressure from said brake-applying means to atmosphere to cause a release of a brake application effected on the locomotive.

Claim 8

In a locomotive fluid pressure brake control system for controlling braking of a train of cars hauled by the locomotive, brake control apparatus for the locomotive comprising the combination of: a. a normally charged brake pipe variations of the fluid pressure in which are effective to control brake applications and brake releases on the locomotives and cars in the train, b. a normally charged equalizing reservoir, c. an automatic brake valve having; i. a relay valve which is subject to the opposing pressure in said equalizing reservoir and said brake pipe and is operative by the differential of such pressures to control the pressure in said brake pipe, and ii. regulating valve means operative to provide a variable pressure. d. a brake applying means for effecting a brake application on the locomotive, e. control valve means for supplying fluid under pressure to and releasing fluid under pressure from the brake-applying means responsively to variations of pressure in said brake pipe, f. an independent brake valve having: i. a self-lapping valve means operative to provide a variable pressure, and ii. manually operable means for effecting operation of said self-lapping valve means, wherein the improvement comprises: g. a first pair of bistable fluid amplifiers each having a supply port, a pair of control inputs and a pair of outputs, the fluid pressure at said supply port, one of said control inputs and one of said outputs being varied in accordance with the pressure provided by operation of said regulating valve means, and the fluid pressure at the other of said control inputs being varied in accordance with variation of the pressure in said equalizing reservoir whereby, upon the pressure at said one control input exceeding the pressure at said other control input, fLuid under pressure flows from said supply port to one of said outputs and, upon the pressure at said other control input exceeding the pressure at said one control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to the other of said outputs, h. a first electroresponsive valve means, operative to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said equalizing reservoir, i. a first pair of fluid pressure responsive switch devices, one of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from said one output of one of said first pair of bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a first circuit to said first electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to said equalizing reservoir, and the other of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from the other of said outputs of the other of said first pair of bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a second circuit to said first electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the release of fluid under pressure from said equalizing reservoir to atmosphere, j. a second pair of bistable fluid amplifiers each having a supply port, a pair of control inputs and a pair of outputs, the fluid pressure at said supply port, one of said control inputs and one of said outputs being varied in accordance with the pressure provided by operation of said self-lapping valve means, and the fluid pressure at the other of said control inputs being varied in accordance with variation of the pressure in said brake-applying means whereby, upon the pressure at said one control input exceeding the pressure at said other control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to one of said outputs and upon the pressure at said other control input exceeding the pressure at said one control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to the other of said outputs, k. a second electroresponsive valve means, operative to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said brake-applying means, and l. a second pair of fluid pressure switch devices, one of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from said one output of one of said second pair of bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a first circuit to said second electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to said brake-applying means to cause a brake application on the locomotive, and the other of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from the other of said outputs of the other of said second pair of bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a second circuit to said second electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the release of fluid under pressure from said brake-applying means to atmosphere to cause a release of a brake application effected on the locomotive.

Claim 9

In a locomotive fluid pressure brake control system for controlling braking of a train of cars hauled by a lead locomotive and at least one slave locomotive remotely located therefrom, the combination claimed in claim 5, further characterized by coding and radio signal-transmitting means controlled by one of said pairs of fluid pressure responsive switch devices for transmitting corresponding command signals from the lead locomotive to a slave locomotive.

Claim 10

In a multiple-locomotive brake control system for a train of cars, the combination as claimed in claim 6, further characterized in that: a. said one fluid pressure responsive switch device of said first pair, while closed, is also effective to establish a first circuit to said coding and radio transmitting means to effect operation thereof to transmit an automatic brake release command signal to a slave locomotive, and b. said other fluid pressure responsive switch device of said first pair, while closed, is aLso effective to establish a second circuit to said coding and radio transmitting means to effect operation thereof to transmit an automatic brake application command signal to a slave locomotive.

Claim 11

In a multiple-locomotive brake control system for a train of cars, the combination as claimed in claim 6, further characterized in that one of said second pair of fluid pressure responsive switch devices is also effective, while closed, to establish a third circuit to said coding and radio transmitting means to effect operation thereof to transmit an independent brake application command signal to a slave locomotive, and in that the other one of said second pair of fluid pressure responsive switch devices is also effective, while closed, to establish a fourth circuit to said coding and radio transmitting means to effect operation thereof to transmit an independent brake release command signal to a slave locomotive.

Claim 12

In a locomotive brake control system for a train of cars hauled by a locomotive, brake control apparatus for the locomotive comprising the combination of: a. an independent brake valve having: i. a self-lapping valve means operative to provide a variable pressure, and ii. manually operable means for effecting operation of said self-lapping valve means, b. brake-applying means for effecting a brake application on the locomotive, wherein the improvement comprises: c. a pair of bistable fluid amplifiers each having a supply port, a pair of control inputs and a pair of outputs, the fluid pressure at said supply port, one of said control inputs and one of said outputs being varied in accordance with the operation of said self-lapping valve means, and the fluid pressure at the other of said control inputs being varied in accordance with variations of the pressure in said brake-applying means whereby, upon the pressure at said one control input exceeding the pressure at said other control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to one of said outputs and, upon the pressure at said other control input exceeding the pressure at said one control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to the other of said outputs, d. electroresponsive valve means operative to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said brake-applying means to atmosphere, and e. a pair of fluid pressure responsive switch devices, one of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from said one output of one of said bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a first circuit to said electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to said brake-applying means and the other of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from the other of said outputs of the other of said bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a second circuit to said electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the release of fluid under pressure from said brake-applying means to atmosphere.

Claim 13

In a locomotive brake control system for a train of cars hauled by a locomotive, brake control apparatus for the locomotive comprising the combination of: a. an independent brake valve having: i. a self-lapping valve means operative to provide a variable pressure, and ii. manually operable means for effecting operation of said self-lapping valve means, b. brake-applying means for effecting a brake application on the locomotive, wherein the improvement comprises: c. a pair of bistable fluid amplifiers each having a supply port, a pair of control inputs and a pair of outputs, the fluid pressure at said supply port, one of said control inputs and one of said outputs being varied in accordance with the operation of said self-lapping valve means, and the fluid pressure at the other of said control inputs being varied in accordance with variations of the pressure in said brake-applying means whereby, upon the pressure at said one control input exceeding the pressure at said other control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to one of said outputs and, upon the pressure at said other control input exceeding the pressure at said one control input, fluid under pressure flows from said supply port to the other of said outputs, d. electroresponsive valve means operative to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said brake-applying means to atmosphere, and e. a pair of fluid pressure responsive switch devices, one of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from said one output of one of said bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a first circuit to said electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the supply of fluid under pressure to said brake-applying means and the other of which is responsive to fluid under pressure supplied thereto from the other of said outputs of the other of said bistable fluid amplifiers to establish a second circuit to said electroresponsive valve means to cause the operation thereof to effect the release of fluid under pressure from said brake-applying means to atmosphere.

Claim 14

In a multiple-locomotive brake control system for a train of cars, the combination as claimed in claim 5, further characterized by: a. first valve means manually operative to cut out operation of said first pair of bistable fluid pressure amplifiers and render said regulating valve means operative to control the supply of fluid under pressure to said equalizing reservoir and the release of fluid under pressure from the reservoir to atmosphere, and by b. second valve means manually operative to cut out operation of said second pair of bistable fluid pressure amplifiers and render said self-lapping valve means of said independent brake valve operative to control the supply of fluid under pressure to and the release of fluid under pressure from said brake-applying means to atmosphere.