Westinghouse brake

American  

noun

1. a railroad air brake operated by compressed air.

---

Westinghouse brake British  

/ ˈwɛstɪŋˌhaʊs /

noun

1. a braking system, invented by Westinghouse in 1872 and adopted by US railways, in which the brakes are held off by compressed air in the operating cylinder: controlled leakage of the air or a disruptive emergency causes the brakes to be applied. The system is used on most heavy vehicles and is replacing the vacuum system on many railways

---

Etymology

Origin of Westinghouse brake

Named after G. Westinghouse, its inventor

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Westinghouse brake

In a second we were conscious—almost too conscious—of the application of the Westinghouse brake.

From The Beetle by Richard Marsh

A further improvement introduced in the Westinghouse brake in 1906 was designed to give quick action for service as well as emergency stops.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 4 "Bradford, William" to "Brequigny, Louis" by Various

People drink soda water all their lives, and along comes a genius and hears the fizz, and goes and invents a Westinghouse brake.

From The Wit and Humor of America, Volume III. (of X.) by Marshall Pinckney Wilder

The feed-water is heated by a portion of the exhaust steam and the exhaust from the Westinghouse brake, and the boiler is consequently fed by pumps, is kept cleaner, and makes steam better.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 458, October 11, 1884 by Various

Platforms movin' by the instantaneous action of the Westinghouse brake on a train of one hundred cars is a sight to see.

From Samantha at the World's Fair by Baron C. de Grimm

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---