Abstract: A brake cylinder maintaining valve may include spool valves or poppet valves. When the pressure in the brake cylinder drops below its original set pressure, such a maintaining valve may feed brake pipe (BP) pressure through a choke to replenish and maintain brake cylinder (BC) pressure up to a certain point. If the leak is too great (to the extent it exceeds the capacity of the choke), the brake cylinder will not be maintained. Such a maintaining valve may be either integrated into the control valve, or it may be mounted remotely to the brake system. If mounted remotely, it may be connected by multiple ways, including through a conventional 4-port access plate.

Abstract: A guard structure of a patient support, such as a hospital bed, is electrically unlockable. An electromechanical actuator, such as a solenoid, may be used to electrically unlock the guard structure. The guard structure may also be mechanically unlockable. The guard structure may automatically unlock during a CPR emergency. A maximum allowable height of the patient support may be adjusted based on a sensed locked state or position of the guard structure. A release for the guard structure may be positioned to be accessible to an occupant of the patient support. The release may include an access port that may be opened. The release may include a button that electrically unlocks the guard structure.

Abstract: An illuminable indicator for a bed includes a body configured to be attached to the bed. The body can include a resilient portion and a light-transmitting portion. The body can be shaped to protrude from an outer perimeter of the bed. A light source can be positioned to emit light to the light-transmitting portion to illuminate the body.

Abstract: A brake cylinder maintaining may include spool valves or poppet valves. When the pressure in the brake cylinder drops below its original set pressure, such a maintaining valve may feed brake pipe (BP) pressure through a choke to replenish and maintain brake cylinder (BC) pressure up to a certain point. If the leak is too great (i.e., to the extent it exceeds the capacity of the choke), the brake cylinder will not be maintained. Such a maintaining valve may be either integrated into the control valve, or it may be mounted remotely to the brake system. If mounted remotely, it may be connected by multiple ways, including through a conventional 4-port access plate.

Abstract: A brake cylinder maintaining may include spool valves or poppet valves. When the pressure in the brake cylinder drops below its original set pressure, such a maintaining valve may feed brake pipe (BP) pressure through a choke to replenish and maintain brake cylinder (BC) pressure up to a certain point. If the leak is too great (i.e., to the extent it exceeds the capacity of the choke), the brake cylinder will not be maintained. Such a maintaining valve may be either integrated into the control valve, or it may be mounted remotely to the brake system. If mounted remotely, it may be connected by multiple ways, including through a conventional 4-port access plate.

Abstract: A patient support, such as a bed, can include a frame, a patient support deck coupled to the frame and configured to support a patient, and wheels coupled to the frame to support the patient support on a floor. A securing device can removably fasten the patient support to the floor. A guard structure coupled to the frame can include a substantially continuous body as well as a gripping portion for the patient and attendant. A controller can enable functionality of the patient support in response to an access control device being unlocked. A brake pedal can be removable from the patient support by an attendant. In another embodiment, the patient support can include a frame configured to be supported by the floor, a non-articulating patient support deck supported by the frame, side panels extending from the patient support deck to the floor, and restraint loops on opposite sides of the patient support deck.

Abstract: A backrest of a bed is pivotable with respect to a bed frame. A backrest actuator assembly connects the backrest to the bed frame. The backrest actuator assembly is configured to raise and lower the backrest with respect to the bed frame by way of an actuator. The backrest actuator assembly is further configured with a lockable damper to release the backrest to lower due to gravity over a damped range of motion. The backrest can be so lowered during an emergency, such as an emergency that requires administration of CPR to the bed's occupant. The lockable damper can stop the lowering of the backrest at any position along the damped range of motion. After an emergency lowering, the backrest actuator assembly can automatically reset to a normal operation state.

Abstract: A parking brake for a rail vehicle can automatically lock the rail vehicle brakes in an applied position, such as by clamping the brake cylinder push rod to prevent retraction from an applied position to a release position. An actuator can operate the parking brake, and a manual release can also be provided.

Abstract: A battery plate is used with a battery. The battery plate includes aplate body extending across the battery. A lug extends out from the plate body to be electrically connected to the battery. The lug defines a surface area and a width. The lug also includes a corrugated portion which increases the surface area of the lug as a function of the width of the lug.

Abstract: A positive electrode plate-making process for a lead acid battery that produces an active material precursor comprising tetrabasic lead sulfate crystals with an average crystal width less than 20 ?m. The process includes mixing a lead and/or lead oxide powder and a paste additive with sulfuric acid to form a positive electrode paste composition, wherein the paste additive comprises ground tetrabasic lead sulfate crystals having an average particle size in the range of 1-20 ?m. The paste is then cured on a positive battery grid to form a positive electrode plate having the desired active material precursor containing tetrabasic lead sulfate crystals with an average crystal width less than 20 ?m. In an embodiment, curing is performed directly after applying the paste to the grid, with no intermediate steaming process.

Abstract: A parking brake for a rail vehicle can automatically lock the rail vehicle brakes in an applied position, such as by clamping the brake cylinder push rod to prevent retraction from an applied position to a release position. An actuator can operate the parking brake, and a manual release can also be provided.

Abstract: An automatic parking brake for a rail vehicle can lock the rail vehicle brakes in an applied position, such as by blocking the brake cylinder piston push rod from moving from an applied position to a release position. A control mechanism can be provided to remotely operate the automatic parking brake. A manual release can also be provided.

Abstract: An automatic parking brake for a rail vehicle can lock the rail vehicle brakes in an applied position, such as by blocking the brake cylinder piston push rod from moving from an applied position to a release position. A control mechanism can be provided to remotely operate the automatic parking brake. A manual release can also be provided.