Method and apparatus for a retractable pneumatic line coupling protector
The invention protects an at least two component pneumatic coupling. One embodiment contains a spring stop rigidly coupled to one of the pneumatic coupling components, and a spring between the spring stop and a housing. The invention includes a method of protecting pneumatic coupling using an apparatus and the method of making the apparatus. Another embodiment uses a collect clamp coupled to the housing and a collet press matching the collet clamp. Various embodiments apply to trucks and trailers, and other embodiments also apply to rail cars.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/428,258, filed Apr. 16, 2003.
TECHNICAL FIELDThis invention relates to pneumatic line coupling protectors, particularly for truck-trailers and rail cars.
BACKGROUND ARTAir braking systems are commonly employed in commercial vehicles, particularly in truck-trailer vehicles. These systems use a pressurized air pneumatic line with a coupling connecting the trailer brake system to the truck brake system. This pressurized air pneumatic line is also known as a pneumatic line. As used herein, a pneumatic line will refer to a pressurized fluid pneumatic line, where the fluid may be predominantly air, other gases, or liquids.
Coupling components 30 and 32, of
The standard braking system operates by assuming that low pressure in the coupled pneumatic line 24, means that the brakes should be applied. However, one problem frequently encountered with the prior art system is that when a truck-trailer turns at a sharp angle, there is a tendency for the coupling components 30-32 to be twisted out of the parallel arrangement shown in
What is needed is a mechanism protecting a pneumatic coupling 22 from being inadvertently twisted, that is easy to use and quick to apply.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
While one specific pneumatic coupling pair has been used consistently throughout this application, the invention is applicable to other pneumatic coupling pairs.
The invention includes apparatus preferably protecting pneumatic coupling 22, which controls the braking system of trailer 12 by use of pneumatic line 20 from truck 10, as shown in
The method of making this apparatus is by assembling spring 200 between spring stop 300 and housing 100, as shown in
This invention is easy to use, simple to make, and proven in field trials to protect the pneumatic coupling 22. It can be made from a wide variety of materials, with both housing 100 and spring stop 300 being made from essentially rigid materials, including, but not limited to, any or all of the following: metals, composites like fiber glass, or hard plastics.
A prototype was constructed and tested using iron-based alloys. The spring stop was a nut 300 on a threaded pipe 310 mating to pneumatic line 20 on one end and second pneumatic coupling component 30 on the other end, as shown in
The method of protecting pneumatic coupling 22 is by the following steps: Housing 100 is placed away from the pneumatic coupling component 30 or 32, shown in
Placing of housing 100 away from the pneumatic coupling pair member in
The mechanisms of
The pneumatic coupling may be coupled to a pneumatic line of a first rail car controlling a braking system of the first rail car by a pneumatic line of a second rail car, or vice versa.
These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed descriptions and studying the various figures of the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
A prototype was constructed and tested using iron-based alloys. The spring stop was made as a nut 300 on a threaded pipe 310 mating to pneumatic line 20 on one end and second pneumatic coupling component 30 on the other end, as shown in
This invention can be made from a wide variety of materials, with both housing 100 and spring stop 300 being made from essentially rigid materials, including, but not limited to, any or all of the following: metals, composites like fiber glass, or hard plastics.
The method of protecting pneumatic coupling 22 is by the following steps: Housing 100 is retracted away from the pneumatic coupling component 30 or 32 against the urging of spring 200 to expose the pneumatic coupling component as shown in
As shown in
Housing 100 may be any of the following: a cylindrical pipe as shown in
Cover 110 in
In other embodiments of the invention, passage 120 need not have any or all of these properties.
The method of making the apparatus shown in
This invention is easy to use, simple to make, and proven in field trials by the inventor to protect the pneumatic coupling 22. It can be made from a wide variety of materials, with both housing 100 and spring stop 300 being made from essentially rigid materials, including, but not limited to, any or all of the following: metals, composites like fiber glass, or hard plastics.
The coupling of housing 100 to collet clamp 130 may be achieved in many ways, including, but not limited to, casting of one or more parts, gluing, welding, or screwing housing 100 and collet clamp 130 together.
Collet press 140 may be made from a variety of materials, at least one essentially rigid material including composites, such as fiber glass, a hard plastic, and a metal alloy.
Making the apparatus shown in
The preceding embodiments have been provided by way of example and are not meant to constrain the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. An apparatus for protecting a pneumatic coupling of a first pneumatic coupling component and of a second pneumatic coupling component, comprising:
- a housing coupled to a collet clamp to accept a pneumatic line coupled with a pneumatic coupling pair member; and
- a collet press to match said collet clamp in further accepting said pneumatic line;
- wherein said pneumatic coupling pair member is one of said first pneumatic coupling component and said second pneumatic coupling component.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
- said collet clamp accepts said pneumatic line coupled to said pneumatic coupling pair member; and
- a collet press matches said collet clamp to further accept said pneumatic line.
3. The apparatus of claim 2,
- wherein when said housing covers said pneumatic coupling pair member and said collet press is tensioned on said collet clamp, said housing protects said pneumatic coupling; and
- wherein when said housing reveals said pneumatic coupling pair member, said pneumatic coupling is modifiable.
4. A method of making the apparatus of claim 2, comprising the steps of:
- inserting said pneumatic line through said collet press;
- inserting said pneumatic line through said housing and said collet clamp to match said collet press; and
- coupling said pneumatic line to said pneumatic coupling pair member.
5. The method of claim 4,
- wherein said collet clamp includes a collet clamp template coupled to said housing and a collet clamp jaw aligned by said collet clamp template; and
- the step inserting said pneumatic line through said housing and said collet clamp is further comprised of the steps of:
- inserting said pneumatic line through said collet clamp jaw to match said collet press;
- inserting said pneumatic line through said collet clamp template to align with said collet clamp jaw; and
- inserting said pneumatic line through said housing to couple to said collet clamp template.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the central axis of said housing differs from the central axis of said collet clamp.
7. The apparatus of claim 1,
- wherein said collet clamp includes a collet clamp template coupled to said housing and a collet clamp jaw aligned by said collet clamp template; and
- wherein at least said collet clamp template can accept said pneumatic line.
8. The apparatus of claim 1,
- wherein said collet clamp includes a bendable material interacting with said collet press.
9. The apparatus of claim 1,
- wherein said collet clamp includes a collet thread matching said collet press and a collet block tensionable between said collet thread and said collet press; wherein said collet block can accept said pneumatic line.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said collet press is primarily composed of at least one of a composite, a hard plastic, and a metal alloy.
11. A method of making the apparatus of claim 1, comprising the step of: coupling said housing to said collet clamp to create said housing coupled to said collet clamp.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step coupling said housing to said collet clamp further comprising at least one of the steps of:
- casting said housing to said collet clamp to create said housing coupled to said collet clamp;
- gluing said housing to said collet clamp to create said housing coupled to said collet clamp;
- welding said housing to said collet clamp to create said housing coupled to said collet clamp; and
- screwing together said housing and said collet clamp to create said housing coupled to said collet clamp.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second pneumatic coupling component is coupled to a trailer pneumatic line controlling a trailer braking system, and said first pneumatic coupling component is coupled to a truck pneumatic line used to control said trailer braking system.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first pneumatic coupling component is coupled to a first rail car pneumatic line, and said second pneumatic coupling component is coupled to a second rail car pneumatic line.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 13, 2004
Publication Date: Jan 27, 2005
Inventors: Cary Caldwell (Castro Valley, CA), Stefan Matter (Pleasanton, CA)
Application Number: 10/918,269