A pair of gladhand connectors between railroad cars
A gladhand connector on a trailer

A gladhand connector or gladhand coupler is an interlocking hose coupling fitted to hoses supplying pressurized air from a tractor unit to air brakes on a semi-trailer,[1] or from a locomotive to railway air brakes on railroad cars.[2] Gladhand connectors resemble a pair of "hands shaking" when interlocked, hence the name.[1]

Design

Gladhands are designed to allow the driver to disconnect without a mechanic or tools.[1] They sometimes utilize a quick release style to speed up brake release time.[1] A tractor / trailer typically has two gladhands - one for service brakes and another for emergency brakes.[3] Gladhands are color coded. In North America, service lines are blue and emergency brake lines are red and are standardized by SAE International's standard SAE J318.[4] Outside North America, the supply lines are red and the control lines are yellow, following International Organization for Standardization's standard ISO 1728.[5] The SAE "service" lines are synonymous with the ISO "control" lines and the "emergency" lines are synonymous with ISO "supply" lines.

Mated rubber grommets provide a positive seal.[6] Gladhand couplers are typically genderless or hermaphroditic,[1] allowing them to be freely connected to each other, for example allowing either end of a railcar to be connected to the end of a train. North America has a system of standardized gladhand sizes.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Bennett, Sean (2007). Modern diesel technology: brakes, suspension, and steering. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning. p. 54. ISBN 978-1418013721. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
  2. ^ Pitt, John (2012). USA by rail : plus Canada's main routes (8th ed.). Chalfont St. Peter: Bradt Travel Guides. p. 29. ISBN 978-1841623894.
  3. ^ Byrnes, Mike; Publishers, Associates, Inc. (2003). Bumper to bumper : the complete guide to tractor-trailer operations (4th ed.). Corpus Christi, TX: Mike Byrnes and Associates. p. 165. ISBN 0962168769. Retrieved December 12, 2015.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ "SAE Mobilus".
  5. ^ "Iso 1728:2006".
  6. ^ Knapp, Gordon J. (2011). Is Over the Road Trucking for You? (Second ed.). AuthorHouse. p. 193. ISBN 978-1463403324. Retrieved December 12, 2015.
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