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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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Westinghouse brake

Named after G. Westinghouse, its inventor

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The reversing gear is automatic and exceedingly ingenious, the compressed air from the Westinghouse brake reservoir being employed to do the heavy work.

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 Grimm, Baron C. de

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 Wilder, Marshall Pinckney

Air-pump for cycle tyres, 340; for Westinghouse brake, 199.

From How it Works Dealing in simple language with steam, electricity, light, heat, sound, hydraulics, optics, etc., and with their applications to apparatus in common use by Williams, Archibald

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

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