Abstract: A brake system includes a brake cylinder having a piston rod and a brake lever connecting the piston rod to a brake beam and a slack adjuster. An actuating lever is connected to the brake beam and the brake cylinder. A trigger of the slack adjuster is connected to the actuating lever. The actuating lever is pivotally and rotationally connected to the brake beam and swivelably connected to the brake cylinder. Also, a piston stoke indictor including an indicia positioned on a support structure of a brake cylinder to be adjacent the end of a portion of a brake piston at its extended position.

Abstract: A wear adjustor is provided for adjusting the wear of brake pads and a brake disc of a pneumatic disc brake having a brake application device actuated by a rotary lever. The wear adjustor is preferably inserted into an adjusting spindle of the brake application device. An axial bearing is formed axially on a side of a drive ring, and a ball ramp coupling with a freewheel function is formed axially on the opposite side of the drive ring. The ball ramp coupling has balls and a drive socket which is arranged axially, on the drive side, between the axial bearing and the balls thereof, a cone clutch being arranged between the clutch ring on the output side and an elastic sleeve for a cylinder spring. The cone clutch has the output-side clutch ring and a cone socket connected to the elastic sleeve, and clamping balls are arranged between the output-side clutch ring and the cone socket.

Abstract: The specification describes a method and a system for measuring the wear of a disk of composite ceramic material of a disk brake. The method comprises the following operations: measuring the temperature (T) of the disk at a predetermined frequency (f), calculating a wear increment (delta i) as a function of the measured temperature (T) at every temperature measurement, summing the calculated wear increments (delta i) comparing the sum of the wear increments with a predetermined limiting wear index (i lim) and signalling the eventual overstepping of the limiting wear index (i lim).

Abstract: A progressive brake lining wear and temperature sensor having a plurality of parallel arranged spaced apart resistors in connection with a sensing circuit. Each resistor is mounted onto a PC board which in turn is encapsulated within a single molding. A thermistor is also mounted onto the PC board within the molding to sense lining temperature. The thermistor is connected to a ground lead. The ground lead, resistance lead and thermistor lead emerge from the encapsulated sensor for connection to the sensing circuit. The sensor is disposed within the brake lining and is connected to the brake shoe by a securement clip. As the brake lining progressively wears, the resistors are progressively worn away thus changing the overall resistance of the sensor. The change in resistance indicates state of wear. Preferably, three resistors are employed to indicate four degrees of brake lining wear.

Abstract: A brake rod protector for a brake rod in a braking system of a railway vehicle to repair a worn brake rod or to provide protection against wear along an area where wear normally occurs. The protector includes a metal base plate shaped to conform with the brake rod and be attached thereto by welding or the like and a body of plastic material bonded to the outer surface of the base plate and to be slidably engageable with a member of the braking system or the railway vehicle.

Abstract: A guide bearing for mounting unit brake beams, for application to railroad car truck side frame unit brake beam guide brackets, in place of the conventional spring steel wear plate now generally used, comprising a one piece body formed from an ultra high molecular weight polymer or other plastic grades of dry self lubricating characteristics that is of elongate trough configuration defining a web portion and spaced apart side walls shaped and proportioned for force fit seating in the guide bracket, with the inner surfacings of the body side walls being formed to closely receive the brake beam guide lug to be mounted in same, to dispose the brake beam guide lug in substantial coplanar alignment with the desired brake beam movement path radially of the axle wheel to be braked, on actuation of the brakes. The inner surfacings of the body walls have a coefficient of friction with respect to steel of about 0.