Brake assembly and method for operation of said assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12304534-B2
Application number	US-202117360962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2021
Priority date	Jun 29, 2020
Publication date	May 20, 2025
Grant date	May 20, 2025

Abstract

Various systems and methods for braking a vehicle are provided. In one embodiment, a brake assembly is provided that includes a lever attachment interface pivotally coupled with two degrees of freedom to a joint between a first lever and a second lever and a brake cylinder coupled to the first lever and designed to engage and disengage a brake lining in a brake component. The brake cylinder includes a slack adjuster configured to adjust a throw of the second lever.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A brake assembly, comprising:
a lever attachment interface pivotally coupled with two degrees of freedom to a joint between a first lever and a second lever; and
a brake cylinder comprising a slack adjuster, the brake cylinder coupled to a first end of the first lever via a pushrod and configured to engage and disengage a brake lining in a brake component via the slack adjuster;
wherein the slack adjuster is configured to move the pushrod and the first end of the first lever outward from the brake cylinder along a central axis defined by the brake cylinder as the brake lining wears to adjust a throw of the second lever.

2. The brake assembly of claim 1 , wherein the lever attachment interface comprises:
a first rotational mechanism including a first pin and a first bushing; and
a second rotational mechanism including a second pin and a second bushing, wherein the lever attachment interface comprises two distinct axes of rotation.

3. The brake assembly of claim 2 , wherein a rotational axis of the first rotational mechanism is arranged at a non-parallel angle to a rotational axis of the second rotational mechanism.

4. The brake assembly of claim 2 , wherein a rotational axis of the first rotational mechanism is perpendicular to a rotational axis of the second rotational mechanism.

5. The brake assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first bushing is included in an end of the first lever and wherein the first pin includes:
a first side extending through the first bushing; and
a second side including an opening forming a portion of the second bushing.

6. The brake assembly of claim 5 , wherein the second bushing includes one or more openings in a chain link of the joint.

7. The brake assembly of claim 1 , wherein the brake cylinder is pneumatically operated, and wherein the slack adjuster comprises an automatic slack adjuster comprising a ratcheting mechanism that moves the pushrod outward away from a body of the brake cylinder as a brake shoe wears, wherein the pushrod is pivotally coupled to the first lever.

8. The brake assembly of claim 1 , wherein the joint includes a first chain link pivotally engaged with a second chain link.

9. A rail vehicle brake rigging, comprising:
a lever attachment interface including:
a first rotational mechanism pivotally coupled to a first lever; and
a second rotational mechanism pivotally coupled to the first rotational mechanism and a first chain link;
a second chain link interconnected with the first chain link and pivotally coupled to a second lever, wherein the second lever is coupled to a brake shoe; and
a brake cylinder comprising a slack adjuster and configured to actuate the first lever to engage and disengage the brake shoe via the slack adjuster, wherein the brake cylinder is coupled to a first end of the first lever via a pushrod, wherein the slack adjuster is configured to move the first end of the first lever outward from the brake cylinder along a central axis defined by the brake cylinder as the brake shoe wears to adjust a throw of the second lever.

10. The rail vehicle brake rigging of claim 9 , wherein the lever attachment interface includes a first pin and a second pin with non-parallel central axes.

11. The rail vehicle brake rigging of claim 10 , wherein the first pin and the second pin are arranged perpendicular to one another.

12. The rail vehicle brake rigging of claim 10 , wherein the first pin mates with a first bushing in a section of the first lever vertically extending downward and wherein the second pin mates with a second bushing including a plurality of openings in a section of the first pin and the first chain link, and wherein the section of the first lever is pivotally coupled to the lever attachment interface.

13. The rail vehicle brake rigging of claim 10 , wherein the first pin is mated with a first bushing, the first bushing including two sleeves mated with an opening in the first lever and wherein the second pin is mated with a second bushing at least partially formed by an opening an extension of the first pin.

14. The brake assembly of claim 2 , wherein the brake component comprises a brake shoe.

Assignees

• Transp Ip Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Basha Salim
• Ahuja Munishwar

Classifications

• F16D65/52

  self-acting in one direction for adjusting excessive play · CPC title

• F16D2125/64

  Levers · CPC title

• F16D2121/04

  acting on a piston-type actuator, e.g. for liquid pressure · CPC title

• B61H13/20 Primary

  Transmitting mechanisms · CPC title

• F16D2121/14

  Mechanical · CPC title