Abstract: A system for exhausting hazardous stored energy from a pneumatic subsystem of a railcar, comprises: an air supply for delivering air to the pneumatic subsystem of the railcar; and an isolation valve interposed between the air supply and the pneumatic subsystem of the railcar. When the isolation valve is in a normal operating position, a supply port and a delivery port of the isolation valve are in fluid communication with one another, but when the sliding shoe is in the second position, the sliding shoe effectively closes access to the supply port, and the delivery port is in fluid communication with an exhaust port of the isolation valve. The isolation valve further includes a means for locking the sliding shoe in the second position.

Abstract: A monitoring device for a control valve on a railcar comprises a microcontroller that includes a memory component, along with a voltage sensor that is in electrical communication with one or more solenoids associated with the control valve. When a selected solenoid is actuated, the voltage sensor reads a voltage and communicates the voltage to the microcontroller, with the microcontroller storing the voltage and other pertinent data in the memory component.

Abstract: Pivotally mounted doors forming the floor of a railroad car are prevented from opening inadvertently through not allowing fluid pressure to be applied to a door opening piston until the fluid pressure exceeds a predetermined amount. A control valve can control the position of a spool.

Abstract: Pivotally mounted doors forming the floor of a railroad car are prevented from opening inadvertently through not allowing fluid pressure to be applied to a door opening piston until the fluid pressure exceeds a predetermined amount. A control valve can control the position of a spool.

Abstract: Pivotally mounted doors forming the floor of a railroad car are prevented from opening inadvertently through not allowing air pressure to be applied to a door opening piston until the air pressure exceeds a predetermined amount.

Abstract: Pivotally mounted doors forming the floor of a railroad car are prevented from opening inadvertently through not allowing air pressure to be applied to a door opening piston until the air pressure exceeds a predetermined amount.

Abstract: Each of a plurality of passages in a fixture has a piston movable therein and cooperating with a collet therein to simultaneously move each collet to its workpiece retaining position and to release each collet from its workpiece retaining position. A recess in the bottom of the fixture supports a locking nut for each passage. Each locking nut has a circular passage extending therethrough to receive an end of the collet having threads on its outer surface. The circular passage has threads of the same pitch but the threads have an interrupted portion in the circumferential and axial directions. The locking nut has a first portion movable relative to a second portion to take up the pitch clearance in the threads on the collet due to the interrupted portion of threads in the circular passage to prevent rotation of the collet prior to the piston moving the collet to its workpiece retaining position.

Abstract: A plurality of female couplers and a plurality of male couplers are simultaneously connected or disconnected by simultaneously applying an axial force along the aligned axes of each pair of female and male couplers. A pushing force is employed for connecting, and a pulling force is utilized for disconnecting. The forces may be employed manually, pneumatically, or hydraulically.

Abstract: A bar feeder support has two longitudinally spaced swivel mounts for supporting longitudinally spaced portions of a cylindrical body for both sliding and swivel movement. The cylindrical body supports a feed tube for feeding a bar stock to a lathe. The front swivel mount, which is closest to the lathe, also has a clamp arrangement for clamping the cylindrical body against movement. The swivel mounts allow the cylindrical body to swivel sufficiently to slide from a position in which its longitudinal axis is aligned with an axis of a spindle of the lathe and an access position in which a new bar stock may be disposed in the feed tube, the feed tube may be removed from the cylindrical body, and another feed tube may be loaded into the cylindrical body.

Abstract: An actual pressure of a fluid having an ambient pressure as part thereof is sensed by a sensor. When the actual pressure decreases below a predetermined pressure, a signal is produced. If desired, the sensor may cause production of the signal when the actual pressure of the fluid exceeds a predetermined pressure.

Abstract: A two-stage reciprocating compressor has its low pressure stage inlet connected to a source of gas generating a varying volume of gas. When the supply of gas generated is reduced to an extent that the pressure at the low pressure stage inlet decreases below a predetermined pressure, the compressor is unloaded at either the discharge outlet of its low pressure stage or the discharge output of its high pressure stage through opening a valve in a line connecting the discharge outlet of the low pressure or high pressure stage with the inlet of the low pressure stage.