Patent ID: 7487695
Filing Date: 2009-02-10
Classification: B61H,G05G,Y10T

Abstract:
1. In a handbrake mechanism, where a hand wheel is used to rotate a gear wheel to apply brakes on a railway car, having a housing with a back wall and a front wall, with a chain winding drum and a main gear wheel rotatably mounted on a drum shaft thereon, a hand wheel shaft rotatably mounted on said housing having a bearing section at a first end and a hand wheel receiving section on a second end external to said housing, a ratchet wheel rotatable with said hand wheel shaft intermediate said first and second ends thereof, a holding pawl in said housing which cooperates with said ratchet wheel so as to prevent reverse rotation thereof, a freely rotatable pinion on said hand wheel shaft and engaging said main gear wheel, said pinion having a radially extending flange cooperating therewith, a disengageable driving connection between said flange and said ratchet wheel, a quick release mechanism which cooperates with said holding pawl to allow reverse rotation of said ratchet wheel for releasing said chain, said quick release mechanism having a manually operable quick release handle, the improvement comprising: (a) a substantially cylindrical shaft portion rotatably mounted in said housing, said shaft portion having one end thereof extending outwardly past exterior surface of said housing for operable engagement with said quick release handle; (b) a cam engaging portion extending outwardly from said shaft portion and selectively engaging a first fork portion and a second fork portion of a movable cam of said handbrake mechanism for effecting rotational motion of said movable cam; (c) a spring engaging portion disposed adjacent a distal end of said cam engaging portion for engagement with at least one spring; (d) a lever arm portion extending outwardly and perpendicular to said substantially cylindrical shaft portion; (e) a detent portion disposed within a distal end of said lever arm portion; (f) a force receiving means disposed within said one end of said shaft portion extending outwardly past said exterior surface of said housing for enabling rotation of said shaft portion upon rotational movement of said quick release handle; (g) a force receiving tab portion in operable engagement with a force transmitting tab portion formed on said holding pawl for applying a force generated by rotation of said holding pawl onto said lever arm portion; and (h) a leaf spring disposed within said housing, said leaf spring including: