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Air brakes are responsible for stopping the 18-wheelers on the road. They are also responsible for stopping busses, other trucks, and trailers. Originally developed by George Westinghouse for trains, a safer version was patented by George Westinghouse in 1872.
The original air brakes were constructed for use on trains. They are still used in many trains but are now more common in large trucks. Westinghouse originally expanded his invention and created various forms of the automatic brake. When it became automatic, the use of the air brake was expanded to road vehicles.
Trucks use a "compressed air brake system." It is a different type of air brake consisting of a standard disc/drum brake arrangement that uses compressed air in place of hydraulic fluid. The majority of truck air brakes are drum units, although there is an increasing use of disc brakes in trucks.
The compressed air brake system works by pulling filtered air from the atmosphere, compressing the air, and holding it in a high-pressure reservoir. When this air is necessary for braking, the air kept under pressure is routed to the operating cylinders on the brakes. The cylinders operate the braking hardware and slow the vehicle to a stop.
Compressed air brake systems are divided into two parts: the supply system and the control system. The supply system is responsible for compressing, storing, and supplying the high-pressure air to the control system. In addition, the supply system sends air to any other air-operated auxiliary truck systems like the gearbox shift control, the clutch pedal air assistance servo, and others.
The control system is also divided into two circuits: the parking brake circuit and the trailer brake circuit. The dual brake circuit systems are then split into front and rear wheel circuits. These circuits receive air from individual reservoirs for added safety in the event of an air leak. Service brakes are applied through compression of the brake pedal air valve. This regulates both circuits. The parking brake is the air operated spring-brake type applied by spring force in the spring brake cylinder and released by compressed air via the hand control.
The trailer brake is composed of a direct, two-line system. The supply line and the separate control or service line. The supply line receives air from various sources. The control or service line actually controls the use of air in the brakes on the trailer.
For more information on what is stopping an 18-wheeler, please visit http://www.truckaccident-lawyers.com.
Joseph Devine
