A truck mounted braking system is provided with a mechanical pivot adjustment on the bake lever connected to the brake cylinder push rod to permit the braking force applied to the wheels to vary depending on the lading condition of the car, without involving additional pneumatic elements such as a pneumatic empty load device. The brake cylinder may be provided with a channel which permits the push rod to achieve different positions based on different positions of the brake cylinder push rod.

A brake caliper for a disk brake or to a disk brake with a brake caliper for rail vehicles. A brake caliper has caliper arms at which at the ends brake shoes are mounted and which are pivotally driven against each other by a brake cylinder. The brake caliper or disk brake has the advantage that the brake cylinder and the wear adjusting device are contained in a common housing and that the wear adjusting device acts along the same linear axis of movement as the force which is generated between two carriers which are pivotally connected to the caliper arms and drive the same for pivoting in order to subject the brake shoes to tension against each other.

A slack adjuster for use with a railway braking system which has an increased let-out length that enables the use of brake shoes having an increased thickness. The slack adjuster includes at least one of a dual spring and canister assembly, an external yoke trigger, or a combination of both a dual spring and canister assembly and an external yoke trigger. A method of retrofitting a truck mounted brake system is provided, in which the slack adjuster is positioned within the brake system in order to increase the let-out length while maintaining a predetermined spatial envelope within the brake system. The slack adjuster has an increased let-out length enabling the use of thicker brake shoes without requiring modification of the interacting components of the truck mounted brake system since the overall size of the slack adjuster remains the same.

A drainage system for use with a slack adjuster for a railway brake rigging. The drainage system allows fluid and other contaminants to drain from the slack adjuster to prevent the fluid and contaminants from accumulating within the slack adjuster, contacting an operating area of the slack adjuster, and interfering with the operation of the slack adjuster. The slack adjuster includes a main housing portion, a cone nut housing portion enclosing a critical operating area of the slack adjuster, and an overtravel housing portion. The drainage system includes at least one aperture extending through a sidewall portion of the overtravel housing portion. The at least one aperture is configured to allow fluid and/or contaminants to drain there through to reduce exposure of the critical operating area to fluid and/or contaminants. A plug and/or patch can be provided to sealingly and/or removably engage the at least one aperture.

A brake unit for a vehicle has a brake cylinder, a brake piston guided axially in the brake cylinder and a device for adjusting a clearance. The device has two first stops, which strike against each other when the brake unit is opened, and two second stops, which strike against each other when the brake unit is closed. One of the first stops is formed on a blocking element functionally connected to the brake piston. One of the second stops is formed on the blocking element. A blocking member is in engagement with the blocking element under the force of a pre-stressing spring such that the blocking element is blocked by the blocking member when the first stops strike and can continue to latch in relation to the blocking member under the force of the brake piston when the second stops strike.

A brake caliper for a disk brake or to a disk brake with a brake caliper for rail vehicles. A brake caliper has caliper arms at which at the ends brake shoes are mounted and which are pivotally driven against each other by a brake cylinder. The brake caliper or disk brake has the advantage that the brake cylinder and the wear adjusting device are contained in a common housing and that the wear adjusting device acts along the same linear axis of movement as the force which is generated between two carriers which are pivotally connected to the caliper arms and drive the same for pivoting in order to subject the brake shoes to tension against each other.

A slack adjuster for railroad car braking system is provided. The slack adjuster includes a first jaw positioned at a first end of the slack adjuster and a second jaw positioned at a second end of the slack adjuster. A rod assembly is attached to the first jaw and a tube is attached to the second jaw. A nut assembly is provided for transferring a force between the rod assembly and the tube. One or more components configured to bear an axial load of the slack adjuster are attached to the tube by crimping at least a portion of the tube into a groove defined in an outer surface of such component.

A contaminant mitigation device for use with a slack adjuster for a railway brake rigging to protect the critical operating area of the slack adjuster. The critical operating area of a slack adjuster includes the components that are configured to operate together to adjust the brake rigging. The slack adjuster includes at least a main housing portion, a cone nut housing portion enclosing the critical operating area of the slack adjuster, and an overtravel housing portion. The contaminant mitigation device includes a sealing system configured for cooperating with at least one of the main housing portion, cone nut housing portion, and overtravel housing portion to seal the critical operating area against entrance of fluid and/or contaminants therein and/or to at least reduce the exposure of this area to fluid and/or contaminants. The contaminant mitigation device can also include a drainage system associated therewith.