Gladhand connector

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]

A pair of gladhand connectors between railroad cars

A gladhand connector on a trailer

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

• Air brake (road vehicle)
• Railway air brake