Rail Brake with Guide Wheels

Abstract

A braking system is provided for rail equipment supported for rolling movement on the rails of a railway. The braking system includes a pair of braking elements arranged to be supported laterally spaced apart on the rail equipment for engaging the respective rails of the railway. Each braking element includes an upper brake block for selectively engaging a top side and a side brake block for selectively engaging an inner side of the corresponding rail. Actuators are provided for urging the braking elements downward and outward in relation to the rail equipment. The actuators engage the braking elements with the respective rails to provide a wedging action between respective inner sides of the rails. This arrangement provides considerable braking force using a relatively simple construction.

1 . A braking system for rail equipment which is arranged to be supported on a pair of rails for movement in a longitudinal direction along the rails, the braking system comprising:
 a pair of carriage assemblies, each carriage assembly comprising a frame member and a pair of guide wheels rotatably mounted on the frame member at longitudinally spaced positions;   rail equipment mounting means arranged to support the carriage assemblies on the rail equipment such that the carriage assemblies are movable between a railway position in which the guide wheels of the pair of carriage assemblies are arranged for rolling engagement along respective ones of the rails and a roadway position in which the carriage assemblies are spaced upwardly from the railway position;   a braking component comprising at least one brake block supported on each carriage assembly such that said at least one brake block is movable relative to the respective carriage assembly between an engaged position in which said at least one brake block engages the respective rail in a braking action and a disengaged position in which said at least one brake block is disengaged from the respective rail while the carriage assembly remains in the railway position; and   an actuator arranged to selectively urge the brake blocks of the carriage assemblies towards the engaged position.   
     
     
         2 . The braking system according to  claim 1  wherein the rail equipment mounting means comprises hydraulic actuators for urging the carriage assemblies from the roadway position to the railway position and wherein the braking system further comprises a hydraulic supply in connection with the hydraulic actuators of the rail equipment mounting means which is arranged to supply an active hydraulic pressure at a prescribed pressure level to the hydraulic actuators of the rail equipment mounting means. 
     
     
         3 . The braking system according to  claim 2  wherein the prescribed pressure level comprises a set-point pressure which can be controllably adjusted through a range of selectable pressures. 
     
     
         4 . The braking system according to  claim 1  wherein each guide wheel includes a generally cylindrical portion arranged for rolling engagement along a top side of a head of the respective rail and an inner flange portion which protrudes radially outwardly from the generally cylindrical portion at an inner end thereof in proximity to an inner side of the head of the respective rail. 
     
     
         5 . The braking system according to  claim 1  wherein the rail equipment mounting means is arranged to support the carriage assemblies on the rail equipment such that the carriage assemblies are movable downwardly and laterally outwardly from the roadway position to the railway position. 
     
     
         6 . The braking system according to  claim 1  wherein said at least one brake block of each carriage assembly comprises an upper brake block arranged to engage a top side of a head of the respective rail and a side brake block arranged to engage an inner side of the head of the respective rail. 
     
     
         7 . The braking system according to  claim 6  wherein the brake blocks are slidably mounted on the respective carriage assemblies for sliding movement along respective axes extending downward and laterally outward from the disengaged position towards the engaged position. 
     
     
         8 . The braking system according to  claim 6  wherein each side brake block is fixed in relation to the respective upper brake block for movement therewith relative to the respective carriage assembly between the engaged position and the disengaged position. 
     
     
         9 . The braking system according to  claim 1  wherein there is provided a rail sweep mounted on carriage assembly for engaging the respective rails in the railway position of the carriage assemblies. 
     
     
         10 . The braking system according to  claim 9  wherein there is provided a pair of rail sweeps mounted at longitudinally opposed ends of the frame member of each carriage assembly.