US354014A - Easton - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) I 2 SheetsSheet 1. A. G. EASTON.

AIR BRAKE. No. 354,014. v Patented Dec. 7, 1886.

WITNESSES IJVVEJV' 0R L) m M5 I flitorneyl.

UNITED STATES PATENT Oriana,

AROHIBALD GAMBLE EASTON, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI,

AIR-BRAKE.

SPECIPTCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354.014, dated December 7, 1886.

Serial No. 195,915. (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARonrBALnGnMBLE Easron, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AiuBrakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description 01" the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to Whichitappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying d rawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of my improved air-brake. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the apparatus, showing it adapted asa vacuum-brake; and Fig. 3 is a sectional View, on an enlarged scale, of the valve connecting the cylinders in the pressurebrake with the iillll1-1)l] )i3.

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

My invention has relation to air-brakes; and it consists in the improved construction and coi'nbinationof parts of an air-hrnke, which may with a few changes he used either as a pressurebrakc or as a vacuum-brake, as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates a reservoir, one end of which is open and connecting with a cylinder, 13, through the head 0 of which passes a piston-rod, E, provided with a piston, F, sliding in the cylinder. The cylinder G, ofa somewhat smaller diameter than the former, cylinder, is formed integralwilh the head of the said cylinder, and has the piston-rod passing through in its outer head, H, and the piston-rod is provided with a piston, I, which reciprocates Within this cylinder. 4

The inner piston in the larger inner cylinder is provided with a tube, J, passing through it, and formed at its inner end with a valve seat, K, upon which fits a valve, L, the stem of which slides in a cage, M, surrounding the valve, and has a spring, N, coiled around it, which bears against the body of the valve and against the cage, forcing it against its seat, the said spring having a screw, D, for adjusting its pressure upon the valve. This valve opens into the reservoir, allowing air to enter Pipes P and Q enter the heads of the inner and outer cylinder, and the rear or inner end of the outer cylinder is provided with an aperture, I communicating with the outside air. The pipes entering the heads of the cylinders are connected into a pipe, S. which again is connectedto the train 'p pe T, which passes from the air-tank of thelocoinotive under all the cars, having the usual couplings at the ends of the cars.

The pipe connecting the cylinders with the train-pipe is provided with acasing, U, formed with laterally-projecting nipples V at its ends, into which nipples the ends of the portions of the pipe are secured, and the inte'rior of this casing is formed with a large bore, W, having an aperture, X, through the side of the casing, and having a stop or flange, Y, at its upper end, and with a smaller bore, Z, connnunicat ing at its lower end with the larger bore and formed with a valve-seat, A, atits upper end, passing up through the casing parallel to the larger bore. A valve. B, fits upon the valve seat at the upper end of the narrow bore, Opening upward, and a cylindrical plug, 0', tiisand slide-s within the larger bore. and has aspring, D, bearing against its lower end, forcing it upward, so as to bear against the flange, and

to cover the aperture in the side of the casing and uncover the aperture through which the smaller bore communicates with the larger bore.

The brake mechanism is connected to the end of the piston-rod, placing the brakes on when the piston-rod is forced out and drawing the brakes off when the rod is drawn back,

hen the brakeis in operation and thetrainpipe is connected to the air-tank of the loc0- motive, the said pipe is tilled with compressed air from the tank, which air passes from the train-pipe into the communicating pipe and into the casing upon the same, where it raises the sliding plug and enters through the smaller bore, raising the valve at the end of the same,

passing into the cylinders through the pipes entering their heads and forcing the pistons back. This will draw the brakes off, allowing the train to move, and when it is desired to put the brakes on the three-way cock upon the pipe at the air-tank, or similar contrivance, is turned so as to allow the compressed air within the train-pipe, and consequently within the cylinders, to escape. The air which was forced into the reservoir through the valve in the in ner piston will now expand and put on the brakes, the pressure within the reservoir being greatly in excess of the atmospheric pressure. The smaller outer cylinder and the piston within it serve to force the piston -rod back, because the air entering the large cylinder at the same time from the train-pipe equalizes the pressure on both sides of its piston, and the pressure on the smaller piston forces the larger back, the aperture in the inner end of the cylinder allowing any air which may have entered back of the piston to escape.

The valve upon the larger piston is preferably so adjusted that itwill not open until the pressure in the cylinder exceeds the pressure within the reservoir by a certain number of pounds, which will cause the larger piston to be forced back if the brakes are on, and the compressed air from the tank is admitted into the pipes for the purpose of forcing the brakes oil, the air acting upon the piston and the 'closed valve forcing the piston back until the pressure in the cylinder becomes sufficiently strong to raise the valve. By using this valve the outer cylinder might be dispensed with; but I prefer to use it, as it serves to make the action of the brakes in forcing them off more positive and quick. The valve will also allow air from the larger cylinder and from the pipes to enter the reservoirif thelatter should have had its air-pressure reduced by leakage or by other causes, bringing the pressure in the reservoir back to the pressure in the cylinder less the amount of pressure required to raise the valve.

The casing upon the pipe connecting the cylinders with the train-pipe serves for the purpose of doing away with the necessity of having the air escape from the cylinders through the entire length of the train-pipe, which in the case of a long train would be a considerable length for the brakes upon the last car, while with this casing the air may escape through the aperture in the side of the same when the pressure in the train-pipe is reduced, the air in the cylinders forcing the sliding plug down, causing it to uncover the aperture. The spring will force the plug upward again when pressure is introduced into the train-pipe, and the compressed air will force the plug against the flange and hold it there, there being no possibility of the pressure from above upon the plug overcoming the pressure from below, as the area of the upper end of the plug exposed to the pressure is smaller than the area exposed at the lower end, the flange covering a portion of the plu \Vhen the apparatus is used with a vacuum, the valve upon the inner and larger piston opens outward, consisting, preferably, of a bent pipe having a valve-seat at its upper end and having a basket surrounding the said seat and a ball valve playing upon it, as shown at E, and the casing upon the pipe connecting the cylinders with the train-pipe is removed.

The air in the traiirpipe and in the cylinders is, as far as practicable, exhausted by any suitablemeans, creating a vacuum in the pipes and the cylinders, as well as in the reservoir, from which the air will pass out through the outwardly-opening valve in the piston. This action will draw the pistons and piston-rod outward, which in this case will force the brakes off, the action of the apparatus being reversed, and when the train-pipe is opened, to allow air to enter into it and into the cylinders, the pressure of the entering air in the large pylinder upon the piston against the vacuum in the reservoir will force the piston back with considerable force, forcing brakes on.

When the apparatus is used as apressure brake, the air within the reservoir may be let partially or entirely out through the cock upon the reservoir, as the pressure will at times be too greatas, for instance, if a car having its reservoir tilled with compressed air is attached to a train in which the pressure in the train-pipe is not as high, when the force of the air in the reservoir would force the brakes on if sufiicicnt air is not let out of the reservoir by means of the cock, equalizing the pressure.

The valve upon the inner piston may be a common hinged valve having a spring for closing it, and the casing upon the pipe connecting the cylinders with the train-pipe may be dispensed with, although it expeditcs the action of the apparatus, and, as heforestated, the outer cylinder may be dispensed with for the sake ofsimplicity of construction, although it will affect the effectiveness of the apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. In an automatic air-brake, the combination of a reservoir, a cylinder secured to said reservoir and communicating therewith, a piston having a valve in it and having a pistonrod projecting through the head of the cylinder connected to the brake mechanism, and a trainpipe entering through the head of the cylinder, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

2. In an automatic ainbrake, the combina tion ofa reservoir, a cylinder secured to said reservoir and communicating therewith, a concentric cylinder at the end of the other cylinder, having a smaller diameter and having an aperture at its rear end, a piston-rod passing through both cylinders and having a piston in each, the piston in the larger cylinder having a valve in it, and a train-pipe hav- IIO ing branches entering the heads of the two cylinders, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

3. In an automatic air-brake, the combinationwof a reservoir, a cylinder secured to said reservoir and communicating therewith, a concentric cylinder of a smaller diameter secured to the head of the larger cylinder and having an aperture at its inner end, a pistonrod passing through both cylinders and having a piston in the smaller cylinder, and having a piston in the larger cylinder provided with an inwardly-opening valve, having a spring for closing it, and a train-pipe having branches entering the heads of the cylinders, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

4. In an automatic air-brake, the combination of a reservoir, a cylinder secured to said reservoir and communicating therewith, apiston within the cylinder, having a piston-rod connected to the brake mechanism,and a valve playing upon a seat upon the inner side of the piston and having a spring bearing against it, and a screw adjusting the pressure of the spring, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

5. In an automatic air-brake, the combination of a reservoir provided with a suitably located outlet-cock, a cylindersecured to said reservoir and communicating therewith, a piston-rod having a piston within the cylinder, formed with a. valve-opening inward and provided with a spring for closing it, and a trainpipc entering the head of the cylinder, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

6. In an automatic air-brake, the combina tion, with the cylinder and train-pipe having portions of connecting-pipe, a casing having nipples at both ends for the attachment of the said pipe portions and having a larger bore provided with an annular flange at the upper end, and a smaller bore opening with its lower end into the larger bore and having a valve seat at its upper end, a valve playing upon the valve-seat, and a plug fitting and sliding within the larger bore having a spring forcing it upward, the said plug covering an apersmaller bore when depressed, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

7. In an automatic air-brake, the combination of a reservoir having a suitable outletcock, and having an open end, a cylinder secured with its open end upon the open end of the reservoir, a concentric cylinder of a smaller diameter secured to the head of the larger cylinder and having an aperture in the rear end of the cylinder, a piston-rod within the cylinders having a piston in the smaller cylinder and a piston in the larger cylinder provided with an inwardlyppening valve having a spring for closing it and means for adjusting the force of the spring, a train-pipe having a connecting-pipe, and branch pipes entering the heads of the cylinders, and a casing upon the connectingpipe having an aperture in one side and formed with a larger bore having an annular flange at its upper end and a smaller bore entering the larger bore at its lower end and formed with a valve-seat at its upper end and provided with a valve upon the seat, and a cylindrical plug fitting and sliding within the larger bore and having a spring for forcing it upward, as and for the purpose shown and set forth.

8. In combination with the cylinder and train-pipe of a pressure air brake, a casing upon the pipeconnecting the cylinder and train-pipe, having a channel provided with an upwardly-opening valve and a channel with an aperture in its side, and aplug sliding downward in the channel with its lower end ex posed to the incoming air, as and for the pur= pose shown and set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AROHIBALD GAMBLE EASTON.

Witnesses:

STANTON ENNES, DAVID C. Owens.

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