Patent ID: 8307955
Filing Date: 2012-11-13
Classification: B61H,G05G,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A handbrake mechanism for a railway car, where a hand wheel is used to rotate a gear wheel to apply brakes, comprising: a housing with a back wall and a front wall, with a chain winding drum and said gear wheel rotatably mounted on said housing, a hand wheel shaft rotatably mounted on the housing, said hand wheel fixed on an end of said hand wheel shaft external to the housing, a ratchet wheel rotatable with the hand wheel shaft intermediate the first and second ends thereof, a freely rotatable pinion on the hand wheel shaft and engaging the gear wheel, the pinion having a radially extending flange cooperating therewith, a disengageable driving connection between the flange and the ratchet wheel; a quick release mechanism which cooperates with a holding pawl to allow reverse rotation of the ratchet wheel for releasing the chain, a motion enabling mechanism to dispose a release lever into brake application starting position, the release lever having a shaft portion, wherein the motion enabling mechanism comprises: said holding pawl which cooperates with the ratchet wheel so as to prevent reverse rotation thereof, and having a locating portion rotatably mounted over the release lever; a ratchet engaging portion of the holding pawl configured to engage a ratchet tooth of the ratchet wheel constraining the rotational movement of the ratchet wheel; a force transmitting portion of the holding pawl for engagement with a force receiving portion of the release lever; an outwardly extending substantially cylindrical pin portion of the release lever extending away from the shaft portion for engagement with a first fork portion of a movable cam for effecting rotational motion of the movable cam; at least one spring member for substantially rotating the release lever into brake application position; an attachment portion of the release lever located substantially adjacent the substantially cylindrical pin portion for engagement with the at least one spring member; an outwardly extending lever arm portion of the release lever substantially perpendicular to the shaft portion of the release lever; a detent disposed within the lever arm portion for engagement with a corresponding detent leaf spring fixed within the handbrake housing; and a release handle engaging an external end of the shaft portion of the release lever for enabling rotation of the release lever upon movement of the release handle.