A brake actuator for a rail vehicle has a sensor for detecting a braking force generated in the brake actuator, a sensor for detecting vibrations generated by the braking force in the brake actuator, and a control unit. The control unit is configured so as to generate a relationship between the speed of the rail vehicle with a generated braking force and a frequency of the vibrations generated by the braking force.

A brake actuator for a rail vehicle has a sensor for detecting a braking force generated in the brake actuator, a sensor for detecting vibrations generated by the braking force in the brake actuator, and a control unit. The control unit is configured so as to generate a relationship between the speed of the rail vehicle with a generated braking force and a frequency of the vibrations generated by the braking force.

Disclosed is a railway braking system including a first pneumatic distribution device formed by a first distributor provided with a single inlet opening connected to a source for supplying pneumatic pressure mediums and with a single outlet opening connected to a parking brake chamber in order to optionally supply a parking brake with a second pneumatic pressure medium so as to place the brake in either of inoperative and operative configurations, and a second pneumatic distribution device formed by a second distributor provided with a single inlet opening connected to the supply source and with a single outlet opening connected to a service pressure chamber in order to supply a service brake with a third pneumatic pressure medium of which the pressure value is predetermined, so as to apply a predetermined braking force when the parking brake is in the operative configuration thereof.

Disclosed is a railway braking system including a first pneumatic distribution device formed by a first distributor provided with a single inlet opening connected to a source for supplying pneumatic pressure mediums and with a single outlet opening connected to a parking brake chamber in order to optionally supply a parking brake with a second pneumatic pressure medium so as to place the brake in either of inoperative and operative configurations, and a second pneumatic distribution device formed by a second distributor provided with a single inlet opening connected to the supply source and with a single outlet opening connected to a service pressure chamber in order to supply a service brake with a third pneumatic pressure medium of which the pressure value is predetermined, so as to apply a predetermined braking force when the parking brake is in the operative configuration thereof.

A pad for disc brakes for railway vehicles comprising a base plate and friction elements fixed to the plate arranged in at least two rows, which have an arcuate shape. Each row has friction elements with one same friction surface and a total friction surface ranging from 40% to 80% of the total friction surface of friction elements of an immediately following more external row. Each friction element of at least one more internal row has a friction surface, which is less than the friction surface of each friction element of an immediately following more external row. The friction elements of each row are arranged on the base plate to act on a surface portion of the disc, which partially overlaps surface portions of the disc on which friction elements of a possible immediately following more external row and friction elements of a possible immediately following more internal row act.

A pad for disc brakes for railway vehicles comprising a base plate and friction elements fixed to the plate arranged in at least two rows, which have an arcuate shape. Each row has friction elements with one same friction surface and a total friction surface ranging from 40% to 80% of the total friction surface of friction elements of an immediately following more external row. Each friction element of at least one more internal row has a friction surface, which is less than the friction surface of each friction element of an immediately following more external row. The friction elements of each row are arranged on the base plate to act on a surface portion of the disc, which partially overlaps surface portions of the disc on which friction elements of a possible immediately following more external row and friction elements of a possible immediately following more internal row act.

In a disc brake apparatus, a parallelism maintaining control mechanism for pressing lining surfaces of pads against a disc rotor in parallel includes a pressure plate which is brought into abutment with a pad holding member, a link arm having a fixing shaft projecting from a caliper body in parallel to a side surface of a disc rotor, a moving shaft disposed in parallel to the fixing shaft and pivotally supporting the pressure plate, joint members which connect the fixing shaft and the moving shaft in parallel to each other and a connecting shaft for pivotally connecting the joint members to each other, and a spring member for pressing the pressure plate against the pad holding member.

In a disc brake apparatus, a parallelism maintaining control mechanism for pressing lining surfaces of pads against a disc rotor in parallel includes a pressure plate which is brought into abutment with a pad holding member, a link arm having a fixing shaft projecting from a caliper body in parallel to a side surface of a disc rotor, a moving shaft disposed in parallel to the fixing shaft and pivotally supporting the pressure plate, joint members which connect the fixing shaft and the moving shaft in parallel to each other and a connecting shaft for pivotally connecting the joint members to each other, and a spring member for pressing the pressure plate against the pad holding member.

A wedge cam brake executes a braking operation by causing proximal end portions of brake arms to press a pair of pad assemblies against both sides of a brake rotor so as to hold it therebetween by means of a cam action of a wedge cam which is caused to move to a braking position along the direction of a rotational axis of a ball screw which is screwed into a ball nut which is provided integrally with the wedge cam as a result of the ball screw being driven to rotate. The wedge cam includes a compression coil spring for pushing to bias the ball nut towards the braking position where the proximal end portions of the brake arms are expanded and a spring holding mechanism for holding the compression coil spring in a biasing force accumulating state.

A wedge cam brake executes a braking operation by causing proximal end portions of brake arms to press a pair of pad assemblies against both sides of a brake rotor so as to hold it therebetween by means of a cam action of a wedge cam which is caused to move to a braking position along the direction of a rotational axis of a ball screw which is screwed into a ball nut which is provided integrally with the wedge cam as a result of the ball screw being driven to rotate. The wedge cam includes a compression coil spring for pushing to bias the ball nut towards the braking position where the proximal end portions of the brake arms are expanded and a spring holding mechanism for holding the compression coil spring in a biasing force accumulating state.