Patent ID: 11891030
Assignee: WESTINGHOUSE AIR BRAKE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method for controlling air brakes in a vehicle system formed from vehicles in a first segment and a second segment with a brake pipe extending through the vehicles in the first segment and the second segment, the vehicles in the first segment including a lead vehicle and a remote vehicle, the vehicles in the first segment equipped with electronically controlled pneumatic (ECP) devices that use electronic signals to actuate the air brakes onboard the vehicles in the first segment, the vehicles in the second segment including a first vehicle that is adjacent to the remote vehicle in the first segment, the vehicles in the second segment including the air brakes that are not actuated using the electronic signals, the method comprising:
conducting the electronic signals from the lead vehicle to the ECP devices onboard the vehicles in the first segment via a cable extending through the vehicles in the first segment, the electronic signals directing engagement or release of the air brakes onboard the vehicles in the first segment, wherein the electronic signals conducted to the ECP device onboard the remote vehicle in the first segment from the lead vehicle creates a pressure reduction in the brake pipe in the first vehicle in the second segment that is adjacent to the remote vehicle in the first segment; and
pneumatically communicating a pneumatic command signal via the brake pipe to the air brakes onboard the vehicles in the second segment, the pneumatic command signal created by the pressure reduction in the brake pipe in the first vehicle in the second segment that is adjacent to the remote vehicle in the first segment caused by the electronic signals conducted to the ECP device onboard the remote vehicle in the first segment, the pneumatic command signal pneumatically conveyed to the air brakes onboard the vehicles in the second segment via the brake pipe to actuate the air brakes onboard the vehicles in the second segment.