Brakes
The Meillerwagen was equipped with pneumatic drum brakes, installed on the front and middle axles. The middle axle brakes could also be applied mechanically with a hand-operated cable, to act as a parking brake.
The Meillerwagen’s pneumatic brakes drew air pressure from the towing vehicle, and were operated by the tractor driver as an extension of his vehicle’s brake circuit. A control valve handle on the Meillerwagen regulated the braking force it drew from the tractor, depending on whether the Meillerwagen was laden with a rocket or unladen.
The Meillerwagen was equipped with two compressed air reservoirs, filled from the towing vehicle. These allowed the Meillerwagen to use its pneumatic brakes when it was unhitched from the tractor. In the unhitched mode, the Meillerwagen brakes were operated from the control valve handle, to provide braking ability during winching and hand-manoeuvring around the launch site.
The brake control and regulator system were supplied by Graubremse GmbH. The compressed air reservoirs, pneumatic brake cylinders and drum brakes were supplied by Knorr Bremse GmbH.
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Famous quotes containing the word brakes:
“There is a limit to the application of democratic methods. You can inquire of all the passengers as to what type of car they like to ride in, but it is impossible to question them as to whether to apply the brakes when the train is at full speed and accident threatens.”
—Leon Trotsky (1879–1940)
“What blazed ahead of you? A faked road block?
The red lamp swung, the sudden brakes and stalling
Engine, voices, heads hooded and the cold-nosed gun?”
—Seamus Heaney (b. 1939)