Abstract: A floating caliper brake device for a railroad vehicle includes: a support pin that is supported by a cylindrical portion of a support frame in such a manner as to be slidable in a direction X; a caliper; a first and second brake shoe; a pressurizing device that moves the first brake shoe back and forth; an elastic member that is expandable and contractible in the direction X; a stopper member that is immovable relatively to the cylindrical portion in the direction X; and a moving member that is frictionally engaged with the support pin so as to be slidable in the direction X.

Abstract: A drainage system for use with a slack adjuster for a railway brake rigging wherein the slack adjuster includes a main spring housing, a cone nut housing enclosing a critical operating area of the slack adjuster, and an over travel housing. The drainage system includes at least one opening extending through a sidewall portion of the main spring housing. The opening is configured to allow fluid and/or contaminates to drain therethrough to reduce exposure of the critical operating area of the slack adjuster to the fluid and/or contaminants. A seal/splash guard can be provided at the intersection of the main spring housing and the cone nut housing to prevent fluid and contaminants from entering into the cone nut housing.

Abstract: A slack adjuster that is protected against environmental contaminants via a series of holes positioned circumferentially around each end and covered by a sleeve having a slot is aligned with one of the series of holes while covering the remaining holes. The sleeve protects against infiltration of contaminants at the ends of the slack adjuster and allows any contaminants that do infiltrate the slack adjuster to be expelled through the aligned hole and slot. The central portion of the slack adjuster may also be protected by including a series of circumferential holes that are selectively covered by a sleeve having a drain positioned to align with the lowest holes while covering the remaining holes.

Abstract: The train braking device includes an air brake controller in which a plurality of friction coefficients corresponding to a brake command and a brake initial velocity are stored, an electropneumatic conversion valve that converts a pressure control signal transmitted from the air brake controller into a pneumatic signal, a relay valve that generates a predetermined brake cylinder pressure corresponding to the pneumatic signal, and a brake cylinder that controls brake shoes according to the brake cylinder pressure, wherein the air brake controller generates the pressure control signal based on the friction coefficients corresponding to the brake command and the brake initial velocity.

Abstract: A non-asbestos-based friction material for brakes, clutches or the like for automobiles, large-size trucks, railway cars and various industrial machines. The friction material has excellent friction and rust preventive characteristics, and attacks the plane it faces to a limited extent. The non-asbestos-based friction material is produced by forming and then curing the non-asbestos-based friction material composition comprising a fibrous base, binder and filler as the major ingredients. The composition contains at least one type of steel fibers selected from the group consisting of iron, special dead soft steel and dead soft steel, containing carbon (C) at 0.13% or less at specific contents, in the fibrous base at 1 to 50% by volume of the whole friction material.

Abstract: An electromechanical brake for motor vehicles such as passenger vehicles, has a member that can be electromotively moved in two directions, longitudinally speaking, in order to press at least one brake lining against a friction element in an application stroke and in order to release the brake lining in a restoring stroke. In addition, a clutch is provided which can be actuated by the longitudinally movable member and which effectively disengages the longitudinally movable member from the electric drive motor when a permissible restoring stroke is exceeded. This prevents a mechanical failure or damage to the brake in the event of a malfunction of this kind.

Abstract: Abrasive articles comprising a cured thermosetting binder and abrasive grains. The binder is prepared with a poly-functional molecule comprising at least two functional groups selected from the group consisting of carboxyl and anhydride, and a crosslinking agent which is selected from the group consisting of a mono(hydroxyalkyl)urea comprising a single urea group, a single hydroxyl group, and at least two carbon atoms disposed between the urea group and the hydroxyl group, and 2-oxazolidone. The abrasive articles comprise bonded, nonwoven or coated abrasive articles.

Abstract: A brake actuator includes a tubular housing member, connected at a first end to a cylindrical housing with a member for admitting fluid, a piston with a sealing member mounted for reciprocal movement within such cylindrical housing, a tubular stem connected at one end to such piston, the tubular stem having a first conical surface at its other end, a piston return disposed intermediate such first piston and the tubular housing, a flange connected at one end to another end of the tubular housing, a pair of abutment surfaces carried by such flange and an externally threaded rod having a first portion extending inside the tubular housing and such tubular stem and a second portion extending outwardly from such tubular housing and through the flange, the improvement of a collet style slack adjuster to adjust for wear of braking elements.

Abstract: A brake adjuster wherein a thrust block is axially slidable in a cylinder bore and rotatably connected to one of two screw threaded adjuster members which are themselves interconnected by a self-sustaining thread. In use a power spring acts on the thrust block to move it axially within the cylinder bore to apply pressure to a friction pad via the adjuster members. The brake may be released by applying hydraulic pressure to the thrust block, at which time one adjuster member is rotated via a clutch, when a predetermined clearance has been taken up, relative to the other to adjust for pad wear. No relative adjustment occurs during application of the brake under the action of the power spring.

Abstract: A brake slack adjusting apparatus is disclosed which includes a threaded member at least partially extending coaxially within a tubular member. Threadedly engaging the threaded member is a first rotatable member for varying the relative position of the rotatable member with respect to the threaded rod member. A second rotatable member disposed adjacent the threaded rod member and the tubular housing member selectively couples the tubular housing member to the threaded rod member during a brake application stroke to transmit brake forces to the threaded rod member and to vary the relative axial position between the tubular housing member and the threaded rod member. A locking device is provided between the first rotatable member and the second rotatable member to limit the relative movement between the first rotatable member and the threaded rod member when a predetermined force is transmitted through the second rotatable member.

Abstract: A slack adjuster for a rail vehicle brake system, comprising a brake force receiving adjuster tube (1, 1A), a spindle (4; 4A) axially movable therein, and two nuts, an adjuster nut (5; 5A) and a leader nut (6; 6A), which are in non-self-locking thread engagement with the spindle and are held resiliently in clutch engagement with a clutch ring (7; 7A) and a control sleeve (16; 16A) respectively, the latter being axially movable in the tube a distance (A) corresponding to the desired slack. In order to transform this so called stroke-sensing adjuster into the so called clearance-sensing type being independent of the elasticity part of the application stroke the adjuster nut (5; 5A) and the clutch ring (7; 7A) in coaction are arranged to submit a force to the leader nut (6; 6A) for locking the latter against rotation under deformation of a resilient element (13; 30; 34; 38; 5A) at the occurrence of a counter-force on the spindle (4; 4A) during the brake application.

Abstract: A brake cylinder lever on a railway car is supported in a substantially vertical orientation by a roller mounted on an inclined ramp to bias the brake system toward a "brake off" or nondrag condition.

Abstract: An automatic brake resetting device for railway vehicle brakes has two telescopingly displaceable rod members which transmit a braking force. A rotatable coupling element having a threaded shaft with a non-self-locking thread is connected to one of the rod members and a rotary coupling connects the coupling element with the other rod member. The rotary coupling is actuated by axial displacement of the rotatable coupling element with respect to the other rod member and is urged by a spring into the engaged position between the rotatable coupling element and the other rod member. A lever transmits force between a control stop device slideably supported on a guide member and the rotatable coupling element and has such a transmission ratio so as to amplify the force transmitted from a spring of the control stop device to the coupling element.

Abstract: For application to railway cars having limited available transverse space for the brake system, a system of vertically extending brake levers and longitudinally extending brake rods is used to apply the air brake force to wheels located at opposite ends of the car.

Abstract: A brake cylinder comprises a brake actuator device having a fluid operable piston and a coaxial adjoining hand brake operable device for axial actuation of a coaxial tubular push rod, there being a slack adjuster for selectively adjusting the retraction of the push rod. An actuating rod is connected to the piston and the actuating rod is selectively connected and disconnected from the internal periphery of the push rod by locking rollers selectively cooperating with a wedge shaped annulus disposed between the actuator rod and the inner periphery of the push rod. Slack adjustment is permitted by axial travel of the push rod beyond free travel limits as permitted by a friction sleeve connection between the outer periphery of the push rod and the brake cylinder housing. In a modification, the locking device is provided for a fluid spread brake cylinder that is adapted by levers to be connected to a conventional freight brake rigging to be used, for example, for hand brake applications.

Abstract: The invention concerns a composition for a friction material, e.g. for a clutch facing, of the type containing a fibrous reinforcement, a binder and various additives.The composition contains a thermoset binder, the binder making up 15 to 40% by volume of the material.The fibrous reinforcement is a mixture of inorganic and organic fibres which makes up about 70 to 33% by volume of the material. The inorganic fibre is selected from metal fibres, glass fibre, mineral wools, silica fibres and ceramic fibres. The organic fibre can be wood pulp, jute, sisal, cotton.

Abstract: A brake cylinder device for railway vehicles including a built-in automatic slack adjuster and a manually axially positionable piston for resetting the piston and piston rod relative to the slack adjuster when necessary, such as when replacing worn brake shoes, the piston rod being interconnected through a nut and screw, friction clutch, and a key to a manually rotatable member, which, when rotated causes axial displacement of the piston rod and piston to desired adjusted position relative to the slack adjuster.