Air brake hose support bracket

{
  "publication_number": "US10281060B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Air brake hose support bracket",
  "abstract": "A railway car air brake hose support bracket has an upper portion with first and second attachment members, a lower portion and an air hose connector. The first attachment member enters into and engages a portion of an accessible compartment of an uncoupling mechanism housing below the coupler head, and the second attachment member is secured to an air brake hose support lug of the railway car coupler. The air brake hose connector engages an air brake hose assembly and suspends this hose assembly from the railway coupler at a predetermined distance above the rail bed. A method of installing the hose support bracket includes positioning the first and second attachment members, securing them in place, and attaching one or more railway brake hose units to the air hose connector, either before or after this positioning and securing of the upper portion of the bracket.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A railway car air brake hose support bracket adapted to suspend a railway air brake hose assembly from a railway car coupler, the air brake hose support bracket comprising: a lower portion that has a grasping feature inward of the railway car with respect to the coupler; an upper portion that is upstanding with respect to the lower portion of the bracket; the upper portion has a first attachment member that connects to a coupler housing beneath a railway car coupler head and a second attachment member that connects to an air brake hose support lug of the railway car coupler, the first attachment member and the second attachment member being laterally spaced from and positioned with respect to each other into a wrap-around configuration; the wrap-around configuration substantially aligns the first attachment member with the compartment of the coupler housing and substantially aligns the second attachment member with the air brake hose support lug; and an air hose connector that is adapted and structured to engage with an air brake hose assembly, the grasping feature securely engaging the air hose connector to the lower portion, whereby the air brake hose support bracket suspends the air brake hose assembly from the railway car coupler.",
    "2. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein the first attachment member projects inward with respect to the railway car coupler and enters into a compartment of the coupler housing.",
    "3. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein the first and second attachment members, when connected to the railway car coupler, are both beneath the railway car coupler head.",
    "4. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein the wrap-around configuration includes a first wall generally perpendicular to a second wall, the first attachment member being at the first wall, and the second attachment member being supported by the second wall.",
    "5. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 4, further including a projecting flange extending at an angle from the second wall at a location generally opposite of the first wall, and the projecting flange supports the second attachment member.",
    "6. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 5, wherein the projecting flange, the first wall and the second wall cooperate to substantially align the first attachment member with a compartment of the coupler housing and to substantially align the second attachment member with the air brake hose support lug.",
    "7. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein the first attachment member projects inward with respect to the railway car coupler and enters into a compartment of the coupler housing below the coupler head.",
    "8. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein a mounting element of the first attachment member projects inward with respect to the railway car coupler and enters into a compartment of the coupler housing below the coupler head.",
    "9. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 8, wherein the mounting element is positioned, sized and shaped to engage at least an edge surface of a compartment of the coupler housing below the coupler head.",
    "10. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein a movable mounting element of the first attachment member projects inward with respect to the railway car coupler and enters into a compartment of the coupler housing below the coupler head, further including at least one stop that projects inward from the first wall, and the stop engages the movable mounting element, the stop being positioned, sized and shaped to reduce rotation of the movable mounting element.",
    "11. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 10, wherein the stop is positioned, sized and shaped to engage at least an edge surface of a compartment of the coupler housing below the coupler head.",
    "12. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein the second attachment member includes a shaft that passes through the air brake hose support lug.",
    "13. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein at least part of the air hose connector is below the underside of the bracket lower portion, the grasping feature and the air hose connector are adapted to allow movement of the air hose connector at a location lower than the underside of the bracket lower portion in response to movement of the air brake hose assembly, further including at least one stop member that limits movement of the air hose connector.",
    "14. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 13, wherein the air hose connector is movable away from the underside of the bracket lower portion by a distance adequate to clear the stop member, whereby range of movement restriction provided by the stop member is avoided.",
    "15. The air hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein at least a part of the air hose connector is alongside the bracket lower portion, the grasping feature and the air hose connector are adapted to allow movement of the air hose connector at a location alongside the bracket lower portion in response to movement of the hose assembly, further including at least one stop member that limits movement of the air hose connector.",
    "16. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein the grasping feature and the air hose connector are adapted to allow rotational movement of the air hose connector along an axis, and further including at least one stop member of the lower portion, which stop member limits rotational movement of the air hose connector in response to movement of the air brake assembly.",
    "17. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 16, further including a shaft on the axis that joins the lower portion to the air hose connector.",
    "18. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 16, further including a plurality of shafts that flank the axis and that engage respective slots that define the extent of rotational movement of the air hose connector along the axis.",
    "19. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein the grasping feature of the bracket includes a rivet that connects the air hose connector to the lower portion.",
    "20. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, further including at least one stand-off inwardly facing toward the coupler and sized and shaped to engage the coupler and achieve fine-tuning of bracket installation on a particular coupler.",
    "21. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein the upper portion wrap-around configuration comprises an indirect wrap-around portion that includes a first wall that is upstanding with respect to the lower portion of the bracket and a free-standing wall that is upstanding with respect to the lower portion of the bracket, the first attachment member being supported by the first wall, and the second attachment member being supported by the free-standing wall, the first attachment member projects inward with respect to the railway car coupler and enters into a compartment of the coupler housing below the coupler head, and the projecting flange, the first wall and the free-standing wall cooperate to substantially align the first attachment member with the compartment of the coupler housing and to substantially align the second attachment member with the air brake hose support lug.",
    "22. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein the an upper wrap-around portion having a first attachment member projects into and connects to an opening into a shelf of an upper compartment of a coupler housing beneath a railway car coupler head, the upper wrap-around portion having a projecting flange, the first attachment member and the second attachment member being generally horizontally spaced from each other, as installed.",
    "23. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 22, wherein a mounting element of the first attachment member projects inward with respect to the railway car coupler, the mounting element enters into the upper compartment and is positioned, sized and shaped to engage at least an edge surface of the shelf opening of the coupler housing.",
    "24. The air hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein the grasping feature and the air hose connector are adapted to allow rotational movement of the air hose connector along an axis, and further including at least one stop member of the lower portion, which stop member limits rotational movement of the air hose connector in response to movement of the air brake assembly.",
    "25. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, further including at least one stand-off inwardly facing toward the coupler and sized and shaped to engage the coupler and achieve fine-tuning of bracket installation on a particular coupler, the stand-off selected from the group consisting of a projecting boss, an adjustable assembly having a screw, a boss containing an adjustable assembly having a screw, a mount, a mount containing an adjustable assembly having a screw, and an oversized boss with removable end portion.",
    "26. The air hose support bracket of claim 1, further including at least one stand-off inwardly facing toward the coupler and sized and shaped to engage the coupler and achieve fine-tuning of bracket installation on a particular coupler, the stand-off selected from the group consisting of a projecting boss, an adjustable set-screw, a boss containing an adjustable set-screw, a mount, a mount containing an adjustable set-screw, an oversized boss with removable end portion.",
    "27. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein a mounting element of the first attachment member projects inward with respect to the railway car coupler and enters into a compartment of the coupler housing below the coupler head.",
    "28. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 1, wherein the first attachment member includes a non-movable mounting element that projects inward with respect to the railway car coupler and enters into a compartment of the coupler housing below the coupler head.",
    "29. A railway car air brake hose support bracket adapted to suspend a railway air brake hose assembly from a railway car coupler, the air brake hose support bracket comprising: an upper portion having a first attachment member that connects to a coupler housing beneath a railway car coupler head and a second attachment member that connects to an air brake hose support lug of the railway car coupler, the first attachment member and the second attachment member being laterally spaced from each other; a lower portion that has a grasping feature inward of the railway car with respect to the coupler; an air hose connector that is adapted and structured to engage with an air brake hose assembly, the grasping feature securely engaging the air hose connector to the lower portion, whereby the air brake hose support bracket suspends the air brake hose assembly from the railway car coupler; a mounting element of the first attachment member projects inward with respect to the railway car coupler and enters into a compartment of the coupler housing below the coupler head, wherein the mounting element is movable, and further including at least one stop that engages the movable mounting element to limit movement of the movable mounting element.",
    "30. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 29, wherein the upper portion is an indirect wrap-around portion that includes a first wall that is upstanding with respect to the lower portion of the bracket and a free-standing wall that is upstanding with respect to the lower portion of the bracket, the first attachment member being supported by the first wall, and the second attachment member being supported by the free-standing wall, the first attachment member projects inward with respect to the railway car coupler and enters into a compartment of the coupler housing below the coupler head, and the projecting flange, the first wall and the free-standing wall cooperate to substantially align the first attachment member with the compartment of the coupler housing and to substantially align the second attachment member with the air brake hose support lug.",
    "31. The air brake hose support bracket of claim 29, wherein the second attachment member is an assembly that includes a shaft that passes through the air brake hose support lug.",
    "32. A method for suspending an air brake hose assembly from a railway car coupler, comprising: providing a railway car air brake hose support bracket with an upper first attachment member, an upper second attachment member, and a lower portion that has an air hose connector; positioning the first attachment member into a coupler compartment below the coupler's head; positioning the second attachment member for engagement with an air brake hose support lug of the railway car coupler; securing the first attachment member to the coupler compartment and securing the second attachment member to the air brake hose support lug to rigidly attach the air brake hose support bracket to the railway car coupler into a wrap-around configuration that substantially aligns the first attachment member with the compartment of the coupler housing and substantially aligns the second attachment member with the air brake hose support lug; and attaching at least one railway air brake hose component to the air hose connector thereby suspending a railway air brake hose assembly from the railway car coupler.",
    "33. The method of claim 32, wherein the positioning of the first attachment member includes entering the first attachment member into the coupler compartment and, before or after securing the first attachment member, hooking a leading portion of the first attachment member into engagement with at least one edge of an opening in a shelf of the coupler compartment.",
    "34. The method of claim 32, wherein the securing of the air hose connector to the lower portion includes having at least part of the air hose connector below an underside of the lower portion, whereby the air brake hose assembly is movable below the installed brake hose support bracket as same suspends the air brake hose assembly from the railway car coupler."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This application is a continuation of and claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/528,108, filed Oct. 30, 2014, hereby incorporated by reference hereinto.\n\nThe present subject matter relates to supports for railway car air brake hoses, and particularly to railway car air brake hose support brackets that are attached to a railway car coupler and provide support for air brake hose assemblies, which brackets are especially suitable for so-called cushioned railway cars in that the hose support brackets move with the railway car coupler.\n\nSuspension devices for railway car air brake hose assemblies are known for suspending the hose assemblies from a variety of different locations of a railway car, including frames, bodies, coupler yokes and couplers themselves. Some suspension devices are intended to allow controlled and limited vertical movement of the air brake hose assemblies that they suspend, such as those resembling flexible and/or adjustable straps. A typical function of such devices is to provide a secondary or safety support mechanism for the air brake hose assembly or a portion of the hose assembly. Other suspension devices within this general category are the spring-style air brake hose supports disclosed in co-pending application of applicant, namely Ser. No. 14/102,049, filed Dec. 13, 2013, incorporated by reference hereinto.",
  "cpc": [
    "F16L 3/1222",
    "B60T 17/046",
    "B61G 5/08",
    "B61H 11/06",
    "B61H 13/34",
    "F16L 3/1218",
    "F16L 3/127"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B60T 17/04",
    "B61G 5/08",
    "F16L 3/12",
    "F16L 3/127",
    "B61G 5/00",
    "B61H 11/06",
    "B61H 13/34"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Ireco LLC"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Brian G. Maki"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2017-03-03",
  "publication_date": "2019-05-07",
  "grant_date": "2019-05-07",
  "priority_date": "2014-10-30",
  "application_number": "US-201715448932-A",
  "family_id": "55809327",
  "cited_by_count": 3,
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}