Patent ID: 7404473

Claim:
A manual brake release for a rail vehicle parking brake, the parking brake having an actuating piston movable between an applied position and a released position, the manual brake release comprising: a. a positioner connected to the actuating piston, said positioner operable to move said actuating piston at least from said applied position to said released position; b. at least one indicator rod having a handle at one end and an opposite end attached to said positioner such that movement of said indicator rod moves said positioner and thus said actuating piston at least from said applied position to said released position; c. an operating station located on at least one side of said rail vehicle, said operating station having a face plate which is visible externally of said rail vehicle, said handle movable relative to said face plate between a first position and a second position, said first and second positions corresponding to said applied and released positions; d. said handle movable manually to said second position at which said handle extends outward sufficiently from said face plate such that it can be seen that said handle is at said second position; e. markings on said face plate correlating said first and second positions of said handle to said applied and released positions such that said applied and released positions are understandable by viewing a position of said handle relative to said face plate; f. an operating lever connected between said at least one indicator rod and said actuating piston, said operating lever rotatable responsive to movement of said at least one indicator rod; g. a detent link connected between said operating lever and said actuating piston such that movement of said operating lever moves said detent link and thus said actuating piston; and h. wherein movement of said handle to said second position causes said positioner to rotate said operating lever, and thus said detent link which moves said actuating piston to said released position.