Appeal No. 2005-0354
Application No. 09/399,412
Appellant's invention relates to a method and apparatus for enhancing the
braking efficiency of a railway freight train consist. An understanding of the invention
can be derived from a reading of exemplary claim 1, which is reproduced below.
1. A method of substantially achieving a minimum stopping distance
of a freight train consist without incurring any significant detrimental wheel
slide, said method comprising the steps of:
(a) preprogramming preselected information into a computer
disposed on a freight locomotive including velocity dependence of wheel
to rail adhesion;
(b) determining a speed of such freight train consist,
(c) communicating a signal that is indicative of said speed
determined in step (b) to such computer disposed on such freight
locomotive;
(d) determining in such computer a pressure that can be applied to
brake cylinders which will maintain substantially maximum adhesion
between wheels being braked and rail surfaces in contact with such
wheels such that braking energy is substantially evenly distributed to all of
such wheels;
(e) communicating a signal representative of such pressure
determined in step (d) to a pressure control valve in fluid communication
with such brake cylinders; and
(f) using said velocity dependence of wheel to rail adhesion in
maintaining a maximum pressure on such brake cylinders that will stop
such train consist in a shortest possible distance while simultaneously
substantially preventing wheel slide along said rails, minimizing variation in
wheel temperatures, and substantially evenly distributing braking energy
to all of such wheels.
2
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