Abstract:
A tractor air brake system including front wheel brake actuators, rear wheel brake actuators, and control valve means for controlling the service air pressure delivered to the front wheel brake actuators. When a tractor is equipped with this brake system, the control valve means operates to vary the service air pressure delivered to the front wheel brake actuators relative to that delivered to the rear wheel brake actuators in order to minimize tractor front wheel lock and loss of steering control when operating a tractor-trailer combination and to provide safe stopping when operating the tractor only.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     When operating a tractor-trailer combination, the tractor rear wheels will have substantially more stopping capability than the tractor front wheels since the trailer weight is disposed on the tractor rear wheels. Consequently, tractor air brake systems generally have rear wheel brakes which are considerably larger than the front wheel brakes to take advantage of this difference in stopping capability between the tractor front and rear wheels. The tractor front and rear wheel brakes and the trailer brakes are sized to provide the total brake torque needed when stopping a fully loaded tractor-trailer in a safe distance during a sudden, panic stop. Unfortunately, there is a drawback to using this type of brake system in that the tractor front wheels have a tendency to lock and cause the loss of steering control when stopping a tractor-trailer on wet or icy surfaces. 
     In order to eliminate this drawback, tractor front wheel brakes have been either disabled or completely removed. This is undesirable because, without tractor front wheel braking, a fully loaded tractor-trailer will not be able to stop in the originally designed safe distance when making a sudden, panic stop due to the inability of the tractor rear wheel brakes and the trailer brakes to produce the designed total brake torque. 
     There is another condition where tractor front wheel braking is necessary to achieve the best and safest possible stopping. That condition is bobtail operation of a tractor (i.e. without a trailer). When operating a bobtail tractor, the tractor rear wheels will have substantially less stopping capability than the tractor front wheels since there is no trailer weight on the tractor rear wheels. Thus, the tractor rear wheel brakes alone may not safely stop the bobtail tractor. Therefore, tractor front wheel braking is essential. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to maintain tractor front wheel braking in a manner that will minimize tractor front wheel lock and loss of steering control when stopping a tractor-trailer combination. 
     It is another object of this invention to maintain tractor front wheel braking in a manner where the designed total brake torque may be produced when making a sudden, panic stop with a tractor-trailer combination. 
     It is a further object of this invention to maintain tractor front wheel braking in a manner that will provide safe stopping when operating a bobtail tractor. 
     The present invention provides a tractor air brake system which includes a source of service and emergency air pressure, front brake actuators for actuating the tractor front wheel brakes, rear brake actuators for actuating the tractor rear wheel brakes, and an application valve for delivering service air pressure from the source to the front and rear brake actuators. The system also includes control valve means connected between the application valve and the front brake actuators. The control valve means operates in a first mode to reduce the service air pressure delivered to the front brake actuators relative to the service air pressure delivered to the rear brake actuators when the tractor is operated with a trailer and the tractor brake system is connected to the trailer brake system. This minimizes tractor front wheel lock and loss of steering control when stopping a tractor-trailer. The control valve means also operates in a second mode to control the service air pressure delivered to the front brake actuators when the tractor is operated without a trailer. This provides safe stopping when operating a bobtail tractor. In its preferred embodiment, the control valve means operates in the second mode to allow the service air pressure delivered to the front brake actuators to be substantially equal to the service air pressure delivered to the rear brake actuators. 
     When operating in the aforementioned first mode, the control valve means of the preferred system allows the service air pressure delivered to the front brake actuators to be substantially equal to that delivered to the rear brake actuators until the service air pressure reaches a first predetermined level. The control valve means then prevents the delivery of service air pressure to the front brake actuators until the service air pressure being delivered to the rear brake actuators reaches a second predetermined level. Then the control valve means functions to deliver service air pressure to the front brake actuators at a faster rate than service air pressure is delivered to the rear brake actuators as the service air pressure being delivered to the rear brake actuators is increased from the second predetermined level to a third predetermined level. Preferably, this third predetermined level is the maximum service air pressure available for delivery from the source to the front and rear brake actuators. Thus, the designed total brake torque may be produced when making a sudden, panic stop with a tractor-trailer. 
     When operating in the aforementioned second mode, the control valve means in its preferred embodiment functions to deliver service air pressure to the front brake actuators at substantially the same rate as service air pressure is delivered to the rear brake actuators. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a schematic of a tractor air brake system embodying the present invention with a control valve according to the invention shown in vertical cross-section; and 
     FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating the operation of the control valve of the present invention. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a tractor air brake system 10 includes a reservoir 12 which is supplied with compressed air by a compressor 14 via a conduit 16. A standard application valve 18 operated by a foot treadle 20 is connected to the reservoir 12 by a conduit 22. A control valve 24 is connected to the application valve 18 by conduits 26, 28. Front wheel brake chambers 30 and 32 are connected by conduits 34 and 36, respectively, to the control valve 24. Rear wheel brake chambers 38 and 40 are connected directly to the application valve 18 by conduits 26, 42. 
     A tractor protection valve 44 such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,859,763, incorporated herein by reference, has its service inlet port 44a connected to the application valve 18 by conduits 26, 46. The emergency inlet port 44b of the tractor protection valve 44 is connected to the reservoir 12 by a conduit 48. Standard gladhand connectors 50 and 52 are connected to the service and emergency outlet ports 44c and 44d, respectively, of the tractor protection valve 44 by conduits 54 and 56, respectively. The gladhand connector 50 supplies service or control air and the gladhand connector 52 supplies emergency or supply air to a trailer air brake system (not shown). The control valve 24 is connected to the emergency outlet port 44d of the tractor protection valve 44 by conduits 56, 58. A push-pull valve 60 is connected to the reservoir 12 by a conduit 62 and to the control port 44e of the tractor protection valve 44 by a conduit 64. 
     The control valve 24 includes a housing 66 having an upper part 68 and a lower part 70 which are connected together with an O-ring seal 72 disposed therebetween. The upper housing part 68 has an inlet port 74 which receives the conduit 28, and the lower housing part 70 has outlet ports 76 and 78 which receive the conduits 34 and 36, respectively. A ratio port 80 in the lower housing part 70 receives the conduit 58. The lower housing part 70 has an exhaust port 82 and an upstanding wall 84 surrounding the exhaust port 82. The lower housing part 70 includes a bore 86 with an annular shoulder 88 at its lower end. 
     A primary piston 92 and a secondary piston 94 are movably disposed in the bore 86 with the secondary piston 94 mounted concentrically about the peripheral surface 96 of the primary piston 92. The primary piston 92 carries a seal 98 in its peripheral surface 93 in contact with the wall of the bore 86 and a seal 100 in its peripheral surface 96 in contact with the inner peripheral surface 95 of the secondary piston 94. The primary piston 92 includes an opening 102 through its lower end and an annular valve seat 104 disposed around the periphery of the opening 102. The secondary piston 94 carries a seal 106 in its outer peripheral surface 97 in contact with the wall of the bore 86. It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the diameter of the primary piston peripheral surface 93 is equal to the diameter of the secondary piston outer peripheral surface 97. A return spring 108 is mounted in the housing 66 normally biasing the primary piston 92 upward into engagement with the upper housing part 68. A check valve 110, preferably formed of rubber, is mounted in the primary piston 92 and is normally biased by a spring 112 toward the valve seat 104. The upper end of the spring 112 seats in a recess 114 formed in the upper housing part 68, and the lower end of the spring 112 engages a plate 116 mounted on the check valve 110. The plate 116 has holes (not shown) therethrough for air flow. 
     A valve member 118 is slidably disposed in the cavity 85 defined by the upstanding wall 84. A retaining plate 120 mounted on the top of the upstanding wall 84 maintains the valve member 118 in the cavity 85. The valve member 118 carries a seal 122 in sliding and sealing engagement with the wall of the cavity 85. The valve member 118 has an exhaust passage 124 therethrough and an annular valve seat 126 at its upper end. A spring 128 normally biases the valve member 118 upward so that its valve seat 126 is in engagement with the check valve 110. Since the spring 128 is stronger than the spring 112, the valve member 118 normally pushes the check valve 110 upward away from the primary piston valve seat 104. The upper end of the spring 128 engages an annular shoulder 125 formed in the valve member exhaust passage 124, and the lower end of the spring 128 engages an annular shoulder 83 formed around the periphery of the exhaust port 82. 
     An inlet chamber 130 is formed in the control valve housing 66 above the primary piston 92 in open fluid communication with the inlet port 74. An outlet chamber 132 is also formed in the control valve housing 66 below the primary and secondary pistons 92, 94 in open fluid communication with the outlet ports 76, 78. A ratio chamber 134 is formed between the primary and secondary pistons 92, 94 and is in open fluid communication with the ratio port 80. The ratio chamber 134 is sealed off from the inlet and outlet chambers 130, 132 by the seals 98, 100, 106. When the parts of the control valve 20 are in their unactuated positions of FIG. 1, fluid communication is open between the inlet and outlet chambers 130, 132 since the check valve 110 is moved away from the valve seat 104 while the exhaust passage 124 is closed by the engagement of the check valve 110 with the valve seat 126. 
     An effective area A 1  is provided on the upper face of the primary piston 92 between the peripheral surface 93 and the opening 102, and is subjected to fluid pressure P 1  in the inlet chamber 130. An effective area A 2  is provided on an intermediate face of the primary piston 92 between the peripheral surfaces 93 and 96, and is subjected to fluid pressure P 2  in the ratio chamber 134. An effective area A 3  is provided on the lower face of the primary piston 92 between the peripheral surface 96 and the opening 102, and is subjected to fluid pressure P 3  in the outlet chamber 132. An effective area A 4  is provided on the upper face of the secondary piston 94 between its inner and outer peripheral surfaces 95 and 97, and is subjected to fluid pressure P 2  in the ratio chamber 134. An effective area A 5  is also provided on the lower face of the secondary piston 94 between its inner and outer peripheral surfaces 95 and 97, and is subjected to fluid pressure P 3  in the outlet chamber 132. In this embodiment, the area A 1  is equal to the area A 2  plus the area A 3 , i.e. A 1  =A 2  +A 3 , and the areas A 4  and A 5  are each equal to the area A 2 , i.e. A 4  =A 5  =A 2 . Thus, the sum of the areas A 3  and A 5  is equal to the area A 1 . 
     OPERATION--TRACTOR-TRAILER COMBINATION 
     When a tractor equipped with the tractor air brake system 10 is operated with a trailer to form a tractor-trailer combination, the gladhand connector 50 is connected to the service or control line and the gladhand connector 52 is connected to the emergency or supply line of the trailer air brake system (not shown). The push-pull valve 60 is manually operated to deliver air pressure from the reservoir 12 through the conduits 62, 64 to the control port 44e of the tractor protection valve 44. This opens the tractor protection valve 44 connecting the conduit 46 to the conduit 54 for delivering service or control air pressure through the gladhand connector 50 to the trailer service line, and connecting the conduit 48 to the conduit 56 for delivering emergency or supply air pressure through the gladhand connector 52 to the trailer emergency line. 
     In a normal braking application with the tractor-trailer combination, the tractor air brake system 10 delays the actuation of the tractor front wheel brakes which produces significant brake torque while the tractor rear wheel brakes and the trailer brakes are being actuated to produce considerable brake torque. When the foot treadle 20 is depressed, the application valve 18 delivers service air pressure from the reservoir 12 through the conduits 22, 26, 28 to the inlet chamber 130 of the control valve 24. The application valve 18 simultaneously delivers service air pressure through the conduit 42 to the rear wheel brake chambers 38, 40 and through the conduits 46, 54 to the trailer service line. The service or control pressure P 1  delivered from the application valve 18 to the control valve inlet chamber 130 acts on the primary piston 92 over the area A 1  producing a downward force P 1  A 1  thereon. The emergency or supply pressure P 2  delivered from the reservoir 12 to the ratio chamber 134 of the control valve 24 via the conduits 48, 56, 58 acts on the primary piston 92 over the area A 2  producing an upward force P 2  A 2  thereon assisting the negligible force S of the spring 108. The supply pressure P 2  in the ratio chamber 134 also acts on the secondary piston 94 over the area A 4  holding it downward against the housing shoulder 88. In this embodiment the supply pressure P 2  in the ratio chamber 134 will be equal to the air pressure maintained in the reservoir 12 (for example, 100 psi). It should be understood, however, that the supply pressure P 2  in the ratio chamber 134 may be less than the air pressure maintained in the reservoir 12 by installing conventional means such as a pressure reducer in the conduit 58 or at the ratio port 80. 
     The service air pressure initially delivered to the control valve inlet chamber 130 passes between the check valve 110 and the primary piston valve seat 104, through the primary piston opening 102 into the outlet chamber 132, and then through the conduits 34, 36 to the front wheel brake chambers 30, 32. This initial delivery of service air pressure to the front wheel brake chambers 30, 32 causes the tractor front wheel brakes to be lightly applied each time the application valve 18 is actuated. That is, the brake shoe linings are lightly engaged with the brake drums but no significant brake torque is produced by the tractor front wheel brakes. This light application of the tractor front wheel brakes serves, however, to prevent foreign material such as rust, dirt, or moisture from accumulating on the front brake drums. 
     Equal service air pressure is delivered to the front and rear wheel brake chambers 30, 32, 38, 40 until the service or control pressure P 1  in the control valve inlet chamber 130 reaches a first predetermined level represented by point 142 in FIG. 2. At this first predetermined level (for example, 10 psi), the control pressure P 1  in the inlet chamber 130 acting against the top of the annular shoulder of valve member 118 produces a downward force on the valve member 118 to overcome the force of the spring 128. The check valve 110 and the valve member 118 are moved downward together to a position where the check valve 110 engages the primary piston valve seat 104. This closes fluid communication between the inlet and outlet chambers 130, 132, and it remains closed until the control pressure P 1  in the inlet chamber 130 reaches a second predetermined level represented by point 144 in FIG. 2. 
     When this second predetermined level (for example, 50 psi) of control pressure P 1  is reached, the downward force P 1  A 1  on the primary piston 92 overcomes the upward forces P 2  A 2  and S thereon. This causes the primary piston 92 to be moved downward while the check valve 110 is held against the valve seat 126 thereby keeping the exhaust passage 124 closed. The downward movement of the primary piston 92 moves the valve seat 104 away from the check valve 110 thus opening fluid communication between the inlet and outlet chambers 130, 132. Service air pressure is then delivered through the control valve 24 and the conduits 34, 36 to the front wheel brake chambers 30, 32. 
     When the primary piston valve seat 104 is moved away from the check valve 110, delivery pressure P 3  is established in the outlet chamber 132. The delivery pressure P 3  acts on the primary piston 92 over the area A 3  producing an upward force P 3  A 3  thereon assisting the upward forces P 2  A 2  and S. The primary piston 92 is moved upward so that the valve seat 104 engages the check valve 110 thereby closing fluid communication between the inlet and outlet chambers 130, 132. The control valve 24 thus assumes a lapped or holding position since the check valve 110 is in engagement with both valve seats 104 and 126. 
     The control valve 24 remains in this lapped position until the control pressure P 1  is increased to a point where the downward force P 1  A 1  on the primary piston 92 overcomes the upward forces P 2  A 2 , P 3  A 3  and S thereon. At that point, the primary piston 92 is moved downward again and moves the valve seat 104 away from the check valve 110 to reopen fluid communication between the inlet and outlet chambers 130, 132. The delivery pressure P 3  is then increased and the primary piston 92 is moved back upward to reengage the valve seat 104 with the check valve 110. As the control pressure P 1  is increased, the primary piston 92 is moved downward and upward to alternately open and close fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet chambers 130, 132. Since the area A 3  acted on by the delivery pressure P 3  is less than the area A 1  acted on by the control pressure P 1 , the delivery pressure P 3  is increased at a faster rate than the control pressure P.sub. 1. This relationship between P 1  and P 3  is represented by the line 144-146 in FIG. 2 and is determined by the formula ##EQU1## The control valve 24 continues to operate in this manner until the control pressure P 1  reaches a third predetermined level where in this embodiment P 1  =P 2  =P 3 . At this third predetermined level (for example, 100 psi) of control pressure P 1  represented by point 146 in FIG. 2, the forces P 1  A 1 , P 2  A 2 , P 3  A 3  on the primary piston 92 are balanced since A 1  =A 2  +A 3  and P 1  =P 2  +P 3 . The control valve 24 assumes its lapped position with the check valve 110 in engagement with both valve seats 104 and 126, and the service air pressure in the front wheel brake chambers 30, 32 is then substantially equal to the service air pressure in the rear wheel brake chambers 38, 40. 
     When the foot treadle 20 is then subsequently released, the control pressure P 1  is quickly exhausted to the atmosphere through the application valve 18. The primary piston 92 is moved upward thus moving the check valve 110 upward away from the valve seat 126. This opens the exhaust passage 124, and the delivery pressure P 3  is quickly exhausted to the atmosphere through the exhaust port 82 as the parts of the control valve 24 return to their unactuated positions of FIG. 1. 
     OPERATION--TRACTOR ONLY 
     When the tractor equipped with the tractor air brake system 10 is operated without a trailer (i.e., in bobtail condition), the push-pull valve 60 is manually operated to seal the conduit 62 and vent the conduit 64 to the atmosphere thereby releasing the air pressure at the control port 44e of the tractor protection valve 44. This closes the tractor protection valve 44 thus sealing the conduits 46, 48 and venting the conduits 54, 56, 58 to the atmosphere. 
     In a normal braking application with the tractor in its bobtail condition, the tractor air brake system 10 simultaneously actuates the tractor front and rear wheel brakes. When the foot treadle 20 is depressed, the application valve 18 delivers service air pressure from the reservoir 12 through the conduits 22, 26, 28 to the inlet chamber 130 of the control valve 24. The service or control pressure P 1  delivered from the application valve 18 to the control valve inlet chambers 130 passes into the outlet chamber 132 and acts on the secondary piston 94 over the area A 5  moving it upward since there is no supply pressure P 2  delivered to the ratio chamber 134 via the conduit 58. The secondary piston 94 is moved upward so that the annular shoulder 101 thereon engages the annular shoulder 99 on the primary piston 92. The primary and secondary pistons 92, 94 then remain stationary as service air pressure is delivered through the control valve 24 and the conduits 34, 36 to the front wheel brake chambers 30, 32. Simultaneously, service air pressure is delivered to the rear wheel brake chambers 38, 40 through the conduit 42. 
     When the control pressure P 1  in the control valve inlet chamber 130 reaches the first predetermined level represented by the point 142 in FIG. 2, the check valve 110 and the valve member 118 are moved downward together to a position where the check valve 110 engages the primary piston valve seat 104. This momentarily closes fluid communication between the inlet and outlet chambers 130, 132. 
     As the control pressure P 1  in the control valve inlet chamber 130 is increased slightly, it acts on the primary piston 92 over the area A 1  producing a downward force P 1  A 1  thereon. This downward force P 1  A 1  is then sufficient to move the primary and secondary pistons 92, 94 downward together against the force of the spring 108. The downward movement of the primary piston 92 moves the valve seat 104 away from the check valve 110 to open fluid communication between the inlet and outlet chambers 130, 132. 
     When the primary piston valve seat 104 is moved away from the check valve 110, delivery pressure P 3  is established in the outlet chamber 132. The delivery pressure P 3  acts on the secondary piston 94 over the area A 5  and since the area A 5  is equal to the area A 2  in this embodiment, an upward force P 3  A 2  is exerted on the primary piston 92. The delivery pressure P 3  also acts on the primary piston 92 over the area A 3  producing an upward force P 3  A 3  thereon assisting the upward forces P 3  A 2  and S. Consequently, the primary and secondary pistons 92, 94 are moved upward together so that the valve seat 104 engages the check valve 110 to close fluid communication between the inlet and outlet chambers 130, 132. The control valve 24 is now in its lapped position. 
     The control valve 24 remains in its lapped position until the control pressure P 1  is increased to a point where the downward force P 1  A 1  on the primary piston 92 overcomes the upward forces P 3  A 2 , P 3  A 3  and S thereon. At that point, the primary piston 92 and the secondary piston 94 are moved downward together, thereby moving the valve seat 104 away from the check valve 110 to reopen fluid communication between the inlet and outlet chambers 130, 132. The delivery pressure P 3  is then increased and the primary piston 92 and the secondary piston 94 are moved upward together, thereby reengaging the valve seat 104 with the check valve 110. As the control pressure P 1  is increased, the primary and secondary pistons 92, 94 are moved downward and upward together to alternately open and close fluid communication between the inlet and outlet chambers 130, 132. Since the sum of the areas A 3  and A 5  acted on by the delivery pressure P 3  is equal to the area A 1  acted on by the control pressure P 1 , the delivery pressure P 3  is increased at substantially the same rate as the control pressure P 1 . This relationship between P 1  and P 3  is represented by the line 142-146 in FIG. 2, and is determined by the formula P 3  = P 1  -(S/A 1 ). Therefore, the service air pressure delivered to the front wheel brake chambers 30, 32 will always be substantially equal to the service air pressure delivered to the rear wheel brake chambers 38, 40 during a braking application on the bobtail tractor. 
     When the foot treadle 20 is then subsequently released, the control pressure P 1  is quickly exhausted to the atmosphere through the application valve 18. The primary and secondary pistons 92, 94 are moved upward to move the check valve 110 upward away from the valve seat 126. This opens the exhaust passage 124, and the delivery pressure P 3  is quickly exhausted to the atmosphere through the exhaust port 82 as the parts of the control valve 24 return to their unactuated positions of FIG. 1. 
     OPERATION--TRACTOR-TRAILER COMBINATION WITH TRAILER BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE 
     In the event of a failure (e.g. a pressure leak) in the trailer air brake system (not shown) of the tractor-trailer combination, the tractor protection valve 44 automatically seals the conduits 46, 48 and vents the conduits 54, 56, 58 to the atmosphere. The tractor air brake system 10 then operates in the same manner as it does in the bobtail tractor condition, previously described, because the supply pressure P 2  will be released from the ratio chamber 134 of the control valve 24. 
     The tractor air brake system of the present invention may include wheel brakes of any known type such as cam brakes or wedge brakes connected to the front and rear wheel brake chambers. 
     It will be understood that the claims are intended to cover all modifications and variations of the preferred embodiments of the invention.