Abstract: In a hydraulic drum brake and parking brake assembly, when a hydraulic actuator is operated to engage an opposed pair of brake shoes with a brake drum after a predetermined amount of wear had occurred on the friction pads of the brake shoes, a torsion spring adjusts a cam in the parking brake portion of the mechanism to compensate for the wear. The parking brake will thus operate properly despite the wear.

Abstract: The present invention involves an improvement in a conventional drum brake assembly which utilizes a pair of brake shoes separated by an adjustable strut. A parking brake lever is pivotally attached to one of the brake shoes and when it is rotated in a braking direction, causes both brake shoes to expand by interacting with the adjustable strut. A plate spring attached to a backing plate allows the parking brake lever to pass in the braking direction after assembly of the drum brake, thereby removing slack and properly adjusting the drum brake. The plate spring can be displaced from outside the drum brake to allow the parking brake lever to pass in the opposite direction for disassembly of the drum brake.

Abstract: An automotive vehicle drum brake including a brake drum for connected to the vehicle wheel and a backing plate for connected to the vehicle. At least one brake shoe is and pivotally mounted with respect to the backing plate. A non-rotative nut mounted for linear motion with respect to said backing plate and has a pivotal connection with the brake shoe. A power screw is threadably engaged with the nut. An electric motor powers the power screw to turn the same to actuate the brakes. A parking brake mechanism is also provided by a coil spring which surrounds a drum which is connected with the power train from and including the electrical motor and the power screw. An actuator is provided to move the coil spring to an unwound position to allow the parking brake to release.

Abstract: A single generally U-shaped wire spring has a plurality of torsional spring loops formed in the center and fitting over an anchor mounting post for a leading-trailing shoe assembly. Each arm of the spring extends along the web of a shoe and terminates in a hook end which fits within a slot in the associated shoe web. The spring will return the brake shoes to their retracted position after service or parking brake operation, reengaging the adjuster/strut assembly after actuation of the wheel cylinder during service brake operation; retain the lower ends of the shoes against the anchor plate; and hold the shoes against the backing plate by the cantilever spring force component of the spring acting against retaining lips formed as part of the anchor mounting post, resulting in a cantilever spring load directed onto the web of each shoe toward the backing plate.

Abstract: Each of a pair of wire springs has a loop end fitting on an anchor mount for a leading-trailing shoe assembly. Each spring has an arm extending from its loop end along the web of a shoe and terminates in a hook end which fits within a slot in the associated shoe web. The springs will return the brake shoes to their retracted position after serice or parking brake operation by cantilever spring bias force stored in the spring arms as the springs are installed, reengaging the adjuster/strut assembly after actuation of the wheel cylinder during service brake operation; retain the lower ends of the shoes against the anchor plate; and hold the shoes down against the backing plate by torsional spring bias forces of the springs which are stored in the spring loop ends and are directed onto the web of each shoe toward the backing plate through the spring arms and the arm outer portions which are immediately adjacent to the spring arm hook ends.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drum brake with two shoes, each having a web (16) and a rim (18), of which the face confronting the drum receives a friction lining (20). The drum brake is arranged on a supporting plate (10) and also includes a mechanical control lever (34) comprising a body of considerable length and of small thickness in relation to its width, the body having, at a first end (36), an orifice (38) intended for receiving an articulated connection with the web (16) of one of the shoes (14) at an intermediate point near the orifice, and a notch intended for interacting with a spacer (62) making it possible to subject the shoes (12, 14) to a stress moving them away from one another, and at the second end (40), a fastening point for an actuating cable (54) of the lever. The cable is equipped with a ferrule (60) at its end interacting with the lever.

Abstract: A parking brake assembly of the blind-cable-connection type including a backing plate containing an opening, a helical guide spring arranged to guide a flexible resilient inner cable member toward a ramp surface on a parking brake lever for the blind connection to the inner cable member to the lever, characterized in that the angle of inclination of the ramp surface relative to the cable axis is contained in a plane that is both parallel with the longitudinal axis of the lever and that is inclined at an acute angle relative to the axis of the inner cable member. This construction permits the parking brake lever to be simply and economically formed from a blank of flat metal stock, the cable-retaining slot being defined by a slot contained between bifurcated portions of the ramp surface. The helical guide spring includes portions having tightly wound turns, thereby to assist in connecting the spring with the backing plate and/or with the parking brake lever.

Abstract: An improved surge braking mechanism for trailer vehicles including a brake shoe carried on a lever plate by an articulated linkage system. The braking mechanism moves the lever plate to bring the brake shoe into braking engagement with a brake drum of the trailer vehicle in response to the forward inertia of the trailer vehicle during braking. When the inertia of the trailer vehicle is either neutral or rearward, the braking mechansim acts to take the brake shoe out of braking engagement with the brake drum. The articulated linkage system limits the movement of the brake shoe away from the brake drum during rearward movement of the trailer vehicle. Upon transitional motion of the brake shoe in response to forward movement of the trailer vehicle, the brake shoe is smoothly returned to its normal position ready for braking of such forward movement. Undesired temporary braking engagement of the brake shoe observed during such transitional movement in known surge braking mechanisms is thereby prevented.

Abstract: A single generally U-shaped wire spring has a partial loop formed in the center and fitting over an anchor for a leading-trailing shoe assembly. Each arm of the spring extends along the web of a shoe and terminates in a hook end which fits within a slot in the associated shoe web. The slots are so located in the web to obtain the desired distribution of spring loads on the adjuster/strut assembly and on the anchor plate. The spring will return the brake shoes to the adjuster/strut assembly after actuation of the wheel cylinder during service brake function; retain the lower ends of the shoes against the anchor plate; and hold the shoes against the backing plate by the force component of the spring wire acting against the bottom side of the cable support and against the top of the outer ramp of the anchor plate, resulting in a spring load directed onto the web of each shoe.

Abstract: A mechanically-operated drum brake device which comprises a pair of brake shoes each coming in contact with an anchor at one end portion on the same side and engaging with a floating type actuator and a brake lever rotatably supported on the actuator at their other end portions, respectively. There is provided structure for holding in place the brake shoes and the actuator relative to a back plate at a predetermined distance therebetween in the axial direction of a brake drum. There is also provided a stop member to control the inward contracting movement of the brake shoes when the brake is released.

Abstract: A parking brake assembly comprising a pair of brake shoes pivotally mounted on a backing plate, a brake operating lever pivoted to the brake shoe and operable by a remote cable for pivoting the brake shoes against a brake drum, and a coil spring provided under compression between the brake lever and the backing plate. During shipment of the parking brake assembly, it is attached to an axle and the coil spring has an end that extends to an opening in the back plate. The cable including a conduit and an inner member, preferably a flexible strand, is handled separately. After the parking brake assembly is attached to an automotive vehicle, the cable can be connected even though the brake drum is in place and prevents seeing the interior of the brake assembly. Specifically, the strand is then forced through the conduit and the coil.

Abstract: An internal shoe-drum brake includes a first actuator disposed between one pair of adjacent brake shoe ends, a strut extending between the shoes adjacent the actuator, an abutment device disposed between the other pair of adjacent shoe ends, and a mechanical second actuator. Lever arms are pivotally engaged with the strut at spaced locations and are operatively associated with the second actuator. Rollers carried by the lever arms engage the brake shoes at intermediate locations lengthwise thereof so that actuating forces from the second actuator are applied to the shoes at said intermediate locations to initiate duo-servo operation of the brake.

Abstract: The invention relates to a brake shoe retainer mounting assembly. The assembly has a cylindrical anchor pin with through bore. This pin is located to extend through the brake shoe and through a brake spider. A retaining washer is located at either end of the pin and the assembly is held in position by a fastener which extends through the bore.

Abstract: The invention concerns the construction of a blank with a view to manufacturing a handbrake control lever (34) for a drum brake. The blank defines two fingers situated essentially at the extension of the body of the blank, one of the fingers is to be folded back to form a trough (62) to accept a cable, the other finger is to be positioned relative to the trough (62) so as to prevent the cable from escaping from the latter.

Abstract: An improved spider assembly (46) for expanding shoe drum brakes (10) of the type utilizing cantilever mounted anchor pin members (18) is provided. The anchor pin includes a pivot surface portion (62) and a slightly enlarged headed portion (66) extending from the outboard side of the spider member (14). A specially configured washer (80) is slidably received upon the pivot surface portion of the anchor pin and is of a sufficient outer diameter (82) to axially retain the brake shoe webs (26) upon the anchor pin. The washer (80) is provided with a radially extending portion (94) and an axially extending portion (84) extending from the outer periphery of the radially extending portion at a diameter (86) greater than the outer diameter (88) of the anchor pin.

Abstract: A drum brake spider assembly (100) for an expanding shoe drum brake (10) having a removable anchor pin (18) is provided. A spider member (14) is provided with an anchor pin receiving bore (39) in which the anchor pin is removably received. The anchor pin receiving bore is provided with a first counterbore (114) at the inboard end thereof and a second counterbore (118) at the outboard end thereof. The anchor pin is provided with two annular grooves (122 and 124) in which are received first and second snap rings (128 and 130). The diameter (116) of the first counterbore is smaller than the outer diameter of the first snap ring when the snap ring is radially expanded sufficiently to remove same from the first groove in the anchor pin.

Abstract: An anchor pin assembly (100) for a drum brake (10) is provided. The anchor pin assembly is mountable to a drum brake spider (14) provided with an anchor pin receiving bore (34). The assembly includes two anchor pin pieces (102 and 104) having inclined ramps (116 and 118) formed on the inner ends thereof, an expansion member (120) having mating ramps (122 and 124) formed thereon and a bolt (132) and nut (138) for applying an axially inward compressive force to the pieces to cause radially outward expansion of the expansion member.

Abstract: A drum brake assembly includes a pair of brake shoes (16, 18) which are movable by a hydraulic actuator (14) to a braking position. A parking brake lever assembly (24) is operable to also move the pair of brake shoes to the braking position. An anchor assembly (40) is attached to a backing plate (12) and is engageable with the pair of brake shoes to either absorb braking torque during a service brake application, or impart movement from one brake shoe to the other during a parking brake application. The anchor assembly includes a connecting member (44) engageable with the pair of brake shoes and rotatable in response to operation of the parking brake lever assembly to a released position on the anchor assembly (40).

Abstract: A mechanical parking brake mechanism which comprises firstly a sector pulley pivoted on the backing plate of a brake drum to guide an intermediate portion of a parking brake wire and formed at its guide face with at least two radial recesses spaced from each other at a predetermined interval and secondly a parking brake wire integrally provided at its intermediate portion with at least two projections to be selectively engaged with the respective recesses of the sector pulley in accordance with the length of pulling stroke of the parking brake wire, thereby to avoid undesired excessive force acting on the parking brake wire and to enhance transfer efficiency in the input force applied to the parking lever of the mechanism.

Abstract: An internal drum brake of the kind including a strut between a hand brake lever pivoted on one shoe and the other shoe, has a wear adjuster comprising a pair of screw-threaded members with a pawl and pawl wheel for relative rotation thereof on operation of the service brake system, the axis of the screw-threaded members intercepting the line of action between the shoe and an abutment which limits return movement of the shoe to a brake-released position, one of the members having a spacer between the shoe and the abutment, the spacing effect of the spacer being changed on relative rotation of the screw-threaded members.

Abstract: In a drum brake assembly a pair of brake shoes (12, 14) are carried by a backing plate (10) and are engageable with the brake drum (18) to effect a service brake application. A parking lever (26) cooperates with the pair of brake shoes to engage the shoes with the brake drum and effect a parking brake application. A connector (34, 84, 94, 96) is slidably carried by the backing plate and pivotally anchors at least one of the brake shoes to the backing plate. The connector (34, 84) or another structure (128) transmits braking torque from one brake shoe to the other only during a parking brake application. The connector is releasably secured to the backing plate in a fixed position by a latch (36, 88, 114) which is connected to the parking lever. Movement of the parking lever to a position effecting a parking brake application causes the latch to release the connector for sliding movement relative to the backing plate.

Abstract: An anchor plate is disclosed for a drum brake assembly having a backing plate and a pair of brake shoes arranged in end-to-end relationship thereon. The anchor plate engages a knob integral with the backing plate, the knob extending from the backing plate a distance to extend into the plane defined by the brake shoe webs. The backing plate knob defines a pair of knob faces, each knob face facing a corresponding brake shoe web. Disposed in overlying and force-fit engagement with the knob is an anchor plate of thin material having a planar surface and two substantially perpendicular tabs extending therefrom. The tabs define load bearing surfaces for receiving the brake shoe webs. The tabs are spaced apart a distance equal to, but preferably slightly less than, the distance between the knob faces for snug intereference fit therewith. The planar top surface of the anchor plate has, integral therewith, retaining tabs extending substantially parallel to, and overlying the brake shoe webs.

Abstract: In a drum brake assembly a hydraulic actuator is engageable with a pair of brake shoes to move the same into engagement with a rotatable member. A parking lever also cooperates with the pair of brake shoes to move the same into engagement with the rotatable member and an anchor plate forms a connecting member between the pair of brake shoes. A backing plate supports the pair of brake shoes and the anchor plate. The anchor plate is movably supported by the backing plate and a latch cooperates with the anchor plate in a first position to fix the anchor plate to the backing plate. The latch is movable to a second position spaced from the anchor plate to permit the latter to move relative to the backing plate. In order to control the position setting of the latch, the latch is coupled to the parking lever so that the latch remains in the first position until the parking lever is moved whereupon the latch is also moved to the second position.

Abstract: A drum brake used in a vehicle generally includes a backing plate secured to a non-rotatable member of a wheel shaft; a pair of brake shoes slidably attached to the backing plate; a wheel cylinder disposed between each end portion of the brake shoes where they are closely positioned to each other; and a substantially U-shaped return spring to be engaged with each web portion of the brake shoes at the extreme ends thereof for biasing both in a mutually approaching direction. The U-shaped return spring in this invention is characteristically provided with, at each end portion thereof, where the same is engaged with each web portion of the shoes, a notch whereinto the web portion is to be fitted for securely positioning the return spring.

Abstract: The invention relates to a braking device for a road trailer, which device has a zero braking action when the driving vehicle is reversing.

Abstract: A drum brake, primarily for a trailer, which gives normal braking torque in forward direction and low torque in reverse. This is achieved by having a pivoted lever acting between the one ends of two shoes remote from the ends between which the brake actuator is located. The shoes act on the lever at different effective radii and the forces applied by the shoes to the lever hold it in a first position during forward rotation, thus allowing normal braking torque, and a second position during reverse rotation which allows the ends of the shoes acted on by the actuator to move apart thus allowing a limitation of the reverse braking torque by limiting the stroke of the actuator.

Abstract: A drum brake, primarily for a trailer, which gives normal braking torque in forward direction and low torque in reverse. This is achieved by having a pivoted lever acting between the one ends of two shoes remote from the ends between which the brake actuator is located. The shoes act on the lever at different effective radii and the forces applied by the shoes to the lever hold it in a first position during forward rotation, thus allowing normal braking torque, and a second position during reverse rotation which allows the ends of the shoes acted on by the actuator to move apart thus allowing a limitation of the reverse braking torque by limiting the stroke of the actuator.