RAILROAD SLACK ADJUSTER

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61/497,735 filed on June 16, 2011. This application is also closely related to Regular U.S. Utility Patent No. 4,662,485 issued to Kanjo et al. on May 5, 1987 and whose teachings are incorporated into this document by reference thereto.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to slack adjusters for railcar brake rigging and, more particularly, this invention relates to a device for aiding in manual length change of a railroad slack adjuster.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As is generally well known, length of some railroad type double-acting compression type slack adjusters can be manually adjusted by rotating the jaw of such slack adjusters so as to replaces the brake shoes without unpinning one end of the slack adjuster from the brake rigging. However, it has been found that the force required to rotate the housing is greater than optimum for an individual tasked with effort of replacing brake shoes.

Therefore, there is a need for a device for aiding in manual length change of a railroad slack adjuster.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a device is configured to aid manual length change of the railroad slack adjuster. The device includes a series of ridges or beads disposed either on the exterior surface of the housing member or on the surface spaced apart from the surface of the housing member by way of a single disk shaped member or a pair of semi-disk shaped members that are clamped together by fasteners. The invention also provides that the single disk shaped member or the pair of semi-disk shaped members may be provided without the series of ridges or beads .

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the instant invention to provide a slack adjuster for railcar brake rigging.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for aiding in manual length change of a railroad slack adjuster .

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device for aiding in manual length change of a railroad slack adjuster that can be retrofitted onto slack adjusters presently in use.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device for aiding in manual length change of a railroad slack adjuster that includes a knurl on an exterior surface of a slack adjuster housing.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device for aiding in manual length change of a railroad slack adjuster that includes a disk-shaped member mounted in substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of said slack adjuster .

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a device for aiding in manual length change of a railroad slack adjuster that includes a plurality of elongated members attached to the exterior peripheral surface of the slack adjuster substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of said slack adjuster.

In addition to the several objects and advantages of the present invention which have been described with some degree of specificity above, various other objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art, particularly, when such description is taken in conjunction with the attached drawing Figures and with the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is one perspective view of a device for aiding in manual rotation of a railroad slack adjuster;

FIG. 2 illustrates one partial cross-sectional view of the slack adjuster of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates another partial cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another perspective view of a device for aiding in manual rotation of a railroad slack adjuster;

FIG. 5 is yet another perspective view of a device for aiding in manual rotation of a railroad slack adjuster;

FIG. 6 is an end planar view of the device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a partial elevation view of the device of FIGS. 4 and 5, particularly illustrating an optional flange;

FIG. 8 is a partial end planar view of the device of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9 is a further perspective view of a device for aiding in manual rotation of a railroad slack adjuster.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Prior to proceeding to the more detailed description of the present invention, it should be noted that, for the sake of clarity and understanding, identical components which have identical functions have been identified with identical reference numerals throughout the several views illustrated in the drawing figures.

The instant invention describes a device for aiding in manual length change of a railroad slack adjuster without unpinning or removal thereof from the railcar brake rigging.

The instant invention is illustrated and described in combination with a slack adjuster of the type that is taught in Regular U.S. Utility Patent No. 4,662,485 issued to Kanjo et al. on May 5, 1987 and whose teachings are incorporated into this document by reference thereto. For the sake of brevity the detail description of such prior art slack adjuster is omitted in this document. Essentially, such slack adjuster 10 is manufactured by the assignee of the instant invention under 2300-DJ model.

Now in reference to FIGS. 1-9, the slack adjuster, generally designated as 10, includes an elongated hollow cylindrical housing member 12 which is preferably provided in three housing portions 76, 78 and 80. The housing member 12 has a first pivotal connection 140 at a first end thereof to the railway vehicle brake rigging (not shown) and an elongated rod member 20, which has a second pivotal connection 142 at a first end thereof to the railcar brake rigging (not shown) . As best shown in FIG. 1, the second pivotal connection 142 is disposed adjacent the trigger mechanism 148. The rod member 20 has a thread 30 provided on at least a portion of the exterior surface thereof. The threaded portion of the rod member 20 extends into the housing member 12 through a second end thereof. A nut 34 is mounted within the housing member 12 for a linear translation movement on the outer threaded portion of the elongated rod 20. A rod guide 12a is also provided and has one end thereof extending into the housing member 12 and being disposed adjacent the nut 34 in at least an alignment with trigger pin. The axially opposite end of the rod guide 12a has an external thread 12b. Each of the first and second pivotal connections, 140 and 142 respectively, is illustrated as a convention bifurcated jaw but may be provided by any other conventional attaching members. Further illustrated in various Figures is a device, generally designated as 150, configured to allow manual change of relative longitudinal position between the housing member 12 and the elongated rod member 20 without unpinning or removing the slack adjuster 10 from the railcar brake rigging (not shown) .

More specifically, in further reference to FIGS. 2-3, the device 150 includes a first member or a cap, generally designated as 160, having one end thereof in at least semipermanently secured connection with an end of the rod guide member 12a, a second member or ratchet shaft, generally designated as 190, having one end thereof disposed adjacent to and is spaced apart from an axially opposite end of the first member 160, the second member 190 having an axially opposite end thereof in at least semi-permanently secured connection with the second pivotal connection, a third member or a ratchet housing, generally designated as 220, being so sized and shaped that the one end of the second member 190 is mounted at least for a rotational movement therewithin and that the axially opposite end of the second member 190 extends beyond an end surface of the third member 220, a first plurality of ratchet teeth 208 provided on the second member 190, a second plurality of ratchet teeth 250 provided in the third member 220 in operative alignment with the first plurality of ratchet teeth 208, and a bias member 260 axially disposed in a space between the axially opposite end of the first member 160 and the one end of the second member 190.

More particularly, the device 150 is configured to allow change in the length of the slack adjuster 10 simply by manually turning the housing member 12 without use of any tools (bars, wrenches, etc) and further without unpinning or removing the slack adjuster 10 from the brake rigging (not shown) . The device 150 includes an internal ratchet arrangement configured to allow translation of the nut 34 on the thread 30 and, more particularly, allowing the elongated rod member 20 to change the longitudinal position relative to the housing member 12 when the housing member 12 is manually rotated in one direction. After the brake shoe change, the first operation of the rail car brake rigging (not shown) resets the length of the slack adjuster 10 by way of locked ratchet teeth 208 and 250.

The instant invention provides means for aiding in manual rotation of the railroad slack adjuster 10.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, such means includes a series of ridges or beads 300 disposed on a portion of the exterior surface of the housing member 12, as best shown in FIG. 1. Essentially, such portion of the exterior surface is provided as a knurled surface portion. The length of the knurled portion is sufficient to be grasped by the person tasked with maintaining the brake rigging (not shown) .

In another embodiment of the invention, as best shown in FIG. 4, such means includes a device, generally designated as 400. The device 400 includes at least one member 404, generally a thin disk-shaped member, that is secured, in at least semi-permanent manner, to the peripheral surface of the slack adjuster 10 by way of a center aperture 406 sized to receive the exterior surface of the railroad slack adjuster 10 therethrough. For example, such at least one member 404 can be welded to the peripheral surface of the slack adjuster 10. The disk shaped member 404 is disposed in a plane being normal to a longitudinal axis 152 of the slack adjuster 10. The device 400 may further include at least one curved slot 408 formed through the thickness of the generally thin disk shaped member 404. Preferably, such at least one curved slot 408 is a plurality of slots 408 formed in a spaced apart relationship with each other. Each slot 408 is sized so as to allow passage of the human digits therethrough. In operation, the personnel tasked with effort of replacing brake shoes (not shown) simply grabs the periphery of the device 400 enabled by the curved slots 408 and rotates the slack adjuster 10 with reduced force due to the increased radial distance of the peripheral edge of the device 400 relative to the longitudinal axis 402 of the slack adjuster 10 and, hence, the resulting increased moment. Such rotation in one direction increases the length of the slack adjuster 10 moving the brake shoes (not shown) away from the wheel threads (not shown) .

It has been found preferential to install such device 400 without the use of special tools. Accordingly, in further reference to FIGS. 5-6, such at least one disk-shaped member 402 is provided as a pair of semi disk-shaped members 410 with each of the pair of semi-disk shaped members 410 including a generally thin main body portion 412 with a generally straight edge 414 and a curved edge 416. There is also an axial edge slot 418 being formed through a thickness of the main body portion 412 in open communication with the generally straight edge 414, the edge slot 418 being shaped so as to at least partially abut the exterior surface of the slack adjuster 10. Each semi-disk shaped member 410 further defines an upturned flange 420 disposed on the straight edge 414 generally perpendicular to surfaces of the main body portion 412. Each upturned flange 420 has a pair of apertures 424 formed through a thickness thereof, wherein an upturned flange 420 of one semi-disk shaped member 410 is positioned at a distance 419 from an upturned flange 420 of an opposite one semi-disk shaped member 410 and wherein the device 10 further includes threaded fasteners 426 passed through aligned apertures 424 and threaded nuts 428 so as to clamp the pair of semi-disk shaped members 410 on the slack adjuster 10, wherein both main body portions 412 are disposed in a plane being normal to the longitudinal axis 152 of the slack adjuster 10. It would be understood that the shape of the edge slot 418 and the distance or gap 419 are dimensioned to allow for clamping action when fasteners 426 and 428 are sufficiently tightened.

Each flange 420 is defined by a pair of flange portions 422 separated therebetween by the edge sot 418. Each flange portion 422 carries one aperture 424. Each main body portion 412 may be adapted with a pair of curved slots 408.

The at least one disk-shaped member 402 or the pair of semi disk-shaped members 410 are advantages in reducing the manual force required to rotate the housing member 12 during use .

Now in further reference to FIGS. 7-8, either the disk shaped member 400 or semi disk-shaped member 410 may be adapted with a curved flange 430 disposed on the peripheral edge of the disk-shaped member 400 or on the curved edge 416 of the main body portion 412 of the semi disk-shaped member 410 and having generally rounded side edges 432. An optional knurling arrangement essentially defining series of ridges or beads 436 may be disposed on an exterior surface 434 of the curved flange 430 so as to provide gripping means facilitating rotation of the housing member 12. Preferably, the curved flange 430 is disposed centrally on the curved edge 416. It would be appreciated that the series of ridges or beads 436 may be provided as an alternative to the curved slots 408, although it is also contemplated that the ridges or beads 436 may be provided in combination with curved slots 408. It would be also appreciated that the series of ridges or beads 436 provided on an exterior surface 434 is disposed in a spaced apart relationship with the exterior surface of the railroad slack adjuster.

At least one optional stop members 440 may be also provided and is being secured to the exterior surface of the housing member 12 of the slack adjuster 10 with a fastener 442, for example such as a conventional set screw. One edge 444 of the at least one stop member 440 abuts a surface of said main body portion 412. Preferably, the at least one stop member 440 is a pair of stop members 440 when the device 400 includes a pair of semi-disk shaped members 410, each of the pair of stop members 440 having an edge 444 thereof directly abutting a surface of the main body portion 412 of a respective one of the pair of semi-disk shaped members 410.

In another embodiment of FIG. 9, the device, generally designated as 500, includes a plurality of elongated members 510 secured, for example such as by welding method, to the peripheral surface of the housing member 12 of the slack adjuster 10 substantially transverse to the longitudinal axis thereof. Four elongated members 510 are shown in FIG. 9, being equally spaced apart from each other, although other quantities of elongated members 510 are contemplated by the instant invention. To simplify fabrication and installation, distal ends of a pair of elongated members 510 are connected by a curved member 512 in a unitary, one-piece manner. Such curved member 512 is then welded or secured in any other suitable manner to the peripheral surface of the slack adjuster 10.

Thus, the present invention has been described in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same. It will be understood that variations, modifications, equivalents and substitutions for components of the specifically described embodiments of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims .