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A gladhand connector or gladhand coupler is an interlocking
hose coupling A hose coupling is a connector on the end of a hose to connect (or ''couple'') it with another hose or with a tap or a hose appliance, such as an irrigation sprinkler. It is usually made of steel, brass, stainless steel, aluminium or plastic ...
fitted to hoses supplying pressurized air from a
tractor unit A tractor unit (also known as a truck unit, power unit, prime mover, ten-wheeler, semi-tractor, tractor truck, semi-truck, tractor cab, truck cab, tractor rig, truck rig or big rig or simply a tractor, truck, semi or rig) is a characteristical ...
to air brakes on a
semi-trailer A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. In the United States, the term is also used to refer to the combination of a truck and a semi-trailer; a tractor-trailer. A large proportion of a semi-trailer's weight is supported by a trac ...
, or from a locomotive to
railway air brake A railway air brake is a railway brake power braking system with compressed air as the operating medium. Modern trains rely upon a fail-safe air brake system that is based upon a design patented by George Westinghouse on April 13, 1869. The ...
s on railroad cars. Gladhand connectors resemble a pair of "hands shaking" when interlocked, hence the name.


Design

Gladhands are designed to allow the driver to disconnect without a mechanic or tools. They sometimes utilize a quick release style to speed up brake release time. A tractor / trailer typically has two gladhands - one for service brakes and another for emergency brakes. Gladhands are color coded. In North America, service lines are blue and emergency brake lines are red and are standardized by
SAE International SAE International, formerly named the Society of Automotive Engineers, is a United States-based, globally active professional association and standards developing organization for engineering professionals in various industries. SAE Internatio ...
's standard SAE J318. Outside North America, the supply lines are red and the control lines are yellow, following
International Organization for Standardization The International Organization for Standardization (ISO ) is an international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries. Membership requirements are given in Art ...
's standard ISO 1728. 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. Gladhand couplers are typically genderless or hermaphroditic, 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.


See also

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Air brake (road vehicle) An air brake or, more formally, a compressed-air-brake system, is a type of friction brake for vehicles in which compressed air pressing on a piston is used to apply the pressure to the brake pad or brake shoe needed to stop the vehicle. Air bra ...
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Railway air brake A railway air brake is a railway brake power braking system with compressed air as the operating medium. Modern trains rely upon a fail-safe air brake system that is based upon a design patented by George Westinghouse on April 13, 1869. The ...


References

{{Commons category, Palm couplings, position=left Pneumatics