Abstract: A brake assembly apparatus is provided for a vehicle braking system. The brake assembly apparatus comprises a vibration damping sleeve for damping vibration between a first braking component and a second braking component. The sleeve includes (i) a first set of spring elements projecting toward a circumferential surface of the first braking component and tuned with a first preload against the circumferential surface of the first braking component, and (ii) a second set of spring elements projecting toward a circumferential surface of the second braking component and tuned with a second preload against the circumferential surface of the second braking component. The first and second sets of spring elements cooperate to damp vibration of certain frequencies between the first and second braking components based upon the first and second preloads.

Abstract: A disc brake for a vehicle, in particular for a commercial vehicle, includes a brake carrier which receives at least two brake pads in respective clamping side and rear side pad slots, with the at least one brake pad on the clamping side being held in its pad slot in a form-fitting manner. The at least one brake pad on the clamping side is provided with at least one pad retaining spring which is supported at least on a brake carrier horn of the pad slot of the brake carrier. The at least one clamping spring exerts a tensile force acting radially outward on the brake pad. A brake pad set for the disc brake is also provided.

Abstract: A bracket assembly for a brake assembly and a brake actuator includes a tube configured to receive a camshaft of the brake assembly. A brake spider mounting flange and actuator mounting arm are disposed proximate opposite ends of the tube and configured for coupling to a brake spider and the actuator. The arm has inboard and outboard members—each with a body having one end affixed to the tube and an actuator mounting flange extending from another end of the body. The mounting flanges define aligned bores configured to receive a fastener of the actuator. A centerline of a gusset joining the body and flange of the inboard member is angled relative to at least one of a plane containing a longitudinal axis of the tube and a plane containing a load path line joining the center points of a tube bore and pushrod notch formed in the inboard member.

Abstract: A brake shoe for a drum brake includes a brake table and one or more webs supporting the brake table. One end of each web is pivotally coupled to an associated brake spider and another end of each web responds to a force applied by an actuator that causes the brake shoe to move between positions of engagement and disengagement with an associated braking surface. The brake shoe further includes means for damping movement of the brake shoe, during engagement of the brake shoe with the braking surface, for a natural frequency of the brake shoe having an order of at least two and a causing a bending modal shape of the brake shoe. In one embodiment, the damping means includes a damping plate disposed on one side of a web. A spring acts on a side of the plate opposite the web to urge the plate towards the web.

Abstract: A disc brake for a vehicle, in particular for a commercial vehicle, is provided. The disc brake includes at least one application-side brake pad and a back-side brake pad held in a form-fitting manner in a brake carrier. At least the application-side brake pad is provided with at least one pad-retaining spring which is supported at least on one brake carrier horn of the brake carrier and exerts a radially outwardly acting tensile force on the brake pad.

Abstract: A drum brake assembly includes a brake spider having a central aperture configured to receive an axle extending therethrough and first and second brake shoes. Each of the first and second brakes shoes has a first end pivotally coupled to the brake spider. First and second cam followers are disposed at corresponding second ends of the first and second brake shoes. A camshaft has a shaft extending through a camshaft aperture in the brake spider and disposed along a rotational axis and a cam disposed at a first end of the shaft and in engagement with the first and second cam followers. An electric motor has an output shaft coupled to the camshaft. A controller is configured to drive the electric motor to cause rotation of the camshaft and move the first and second brake shoes between positions of engagement and disengagement with an associated braking surface.

Abstract: Various examples of brake actuators are provided. In one example, a brake actuator includes a parking brake chamber defined by a spring housing and an adapter base. The parking brake chamber includes a parking diaphragm that has an opening and the parking diaphragm is disposed between the spring housing and the adapter base which divides the brake spring chamber into a spring volume and a release volume, with the spring volume of the brake spring chamber being sealed from atmosphere. The parking brake chamber also includes a piston that is disposed in the spring volume and is in contact with the parking diaphragm, and the piston includes a piston passageway through the piston to allow air flow between the release volume and the spring volume.

Abstract: A brake pad for a disc brake with decreased wear characteristics is provided. The brake pad is configured with the distribution of brake pad friction material weighted toward the radially outer region of the brake pad, with the lateral sides of the pad material being generally aligned with radial lines originating at the rotation axis of the brake disc of the disc brake. The brake pad friction material distribution results in decreased brake application pressure between the brake pad and the brake disc while obtaining the same braking force provided by a comparable generally rectangular brake pad, resulting in lower brake pad wear at the same braking force levels.

Abstract: A system is provided for suppressing undesired brake pad motion during brake application, and for installing and removing brake pads utilizing the inventive arrangements. The brake pads and a carrier mount having complementary surface features that retain the brake pad when the brake pad is in its installed position, and a brake pad biasing structure that biases the brake pad in the radially outward direction to bias the contact faces of the mount horn and the brake pad against one another to suppress brake pad kick and vibration and related wear and component fatigue. The radially-outward biasing force may be applied by a spring-loaded plunger located within a bore of a mount horn of the brake pad carrier against a radially-inner surface of a portion of the brake pad extending laterally over the mount horn.

Abstract: A brake actuator comprises a housing having an end wall and a pushrod projecting through an opening in the end wall and terminating at a movable plate in the housing. A spring is enclosed in the housing and surrounds the pushrod. At least one unitary resilient member is disposed on the push rod proximate to the end wall and partially extends through the opening for centering the spring around an axis of the pushrod and restricting contamination into the housing. The unitary resilient member comprises a central aperture and an annular flange surrounding the central aperture. At least one section of a collar radially outward from the annular flange has a thickness less than half of the annular flange thickness for constraining movement of the spring and the push rod in a radial direction.

Abstract: A brake pad for a disc brake with decreased wear characteristics is provided. The brake pad is configured with the distribution of brake pad friction material weighted toward the radially outer region of the brake pad, with the lateral sides of the pad material being generally aligned with radial lines originating at the rotation axis of the brake disc of the disc brake. The brake pad friction material distribution results in decreased brake application pressure between the brake pad and the brake disc while obtaining the same braking force provided by a comparable generally rectangular brake pad, resulting in lower brake pad wear at the same braking force levels.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for mounting, removing and retaining brake pads in disc brakes, such as air-operated disc brakes utilized on commercial vehicles, in a manner which does not require the use of separate brake pad retaining devices while providing positive retention of the brake pad. A preferred embodiment includes a brake caliper mount having brake pad abutment surfaces having radially-oriented and lateral grooves which permit a brake pad with corresponding projections on is lateral sides to be inserted through an opening of the brake caliper into the radially-oriented grooves until the backing plate projections are aligned with the lateral groove, and advancing the brake actuator behind the brake pad to place the brake pad in an operating position in which the actuator prevents the brake pad from realigning with the radially-oriented grooves until the actuator is retracted to permit brake pad extraction.

Abstract: In a brake actuator including a plurality of actuator housing portions, a diaphragm seal, partially delimiting a parking brake de-actuation chamber, is retained between adjacent actuator housing portions, and an elastic element disposed between the diaphragm seal and one of the housing portions opposes expansion of the parking brake de-actuation chamber. A push rod extends into and out of a service brake actuation chamber upon respective release of fluid pressure from the parking brake de-actuation chamber and supply of fluid pressure to the parking brake de-actuation chamber. In order to constrain a central portion of the diaphragm seal for movement together with both the push rod and a piston, a clamping arrangement is used to axially clamp the central diaphragm seal portion between an end of the push rod and a surface of the piston.

Abstract: An apparatus and method are provided for suppressing undesired brake pad motion during brake application, and for installing and removing brake pads utilizing the inventive arrangements. One embodiment of the invention includes brake pads and a carrier mount having complementary surface features that retain the brake pad when the brake pad is in its installed position and a brake pad biasing structure that biases the brake pad in the radially outward direction to bias contact faces of the mount horn and the brake pad against one another to suppress brake pad kick and vibration and related wear and component fatigue.

Abstract: Various embodiments of an apparatus and method for impact forming a cotter pin in a brake assembly are disclosed. In one example, an impact forming tool comprises a handle for receiving an operating force, a stationary portion and a hammer portion. The stationary portion is connected to the handle at a proximate end. An orientation pin is positioned on a distal end and two anvil pins are positioned on the stationary portion between the proximate end and the orientation pin. The hammer portion communicates with the operating force and moves linearly across the face of the stationary portion from a first position to a second position. The hammer portion has a symmetrical arcuate end, wherein a vertex of the symmetrical arcuate end is between the two anvil pins when the hammer is in the second position.

Abstract: An internally ventilated brake disc cooling air flow enhancement arrangement is provided. Between a radially inner region of a brake disc that includes brake disc-to-axle hub mounting elements and cooling vanes between the parallel friction rings of the brake disc there are provided cooling air flow-modifying features. The flow-modifying features are circumferentially arranged around the radially inner region and are sized, shaped and positioned in a manner that deflects cooling air entering the internally ventilated brake disc in the radially inner region toward the entrances of cooling channels between the vanes to increase cooling air mass flow and thereby increase heat transfer an removal from the brake disc.

Abstract: A spring-type brake actuator for a vehicle brake such as a pneumatically-actuated brake is provided, in which the actuator's operating rod is pulled toward the actuator to apply the brake. The actuator's parking brake release piston is located closer to the brake than the service brake piston, and the parking brake power spring is positioned between the mounting end of the actuator and the parking brake piston such that when parking brake release pressure is removed from the parking brake release chamber the parking brake piston biases the operating rod in the brake application direction, drawing the operating rod further into the actuator.

Abstract: A brake pad for a disc brake with decreased wear characteristics is provided. The brake pad is configured with the distribution of brake pad friction material weighted toward the radially outer region of the brake pad, with the lateral sides of the pad material being generally aligned with radial lines originating at the rotation axis of the brake disc of the disc brake. The brake pad friction material distribution results in decreased brake application pressure between the brake pad and the brake disc while obtaining the same braking force provided by a comparable generally rectangular brake pad, resulting in lower brake pad wear at the same braking force levels.

Abstract: A lock washer for releasably locking a fastener to an object is provided. The washer includes a body defining a bore configured for alignment with a bore disposed in the object. The bores are configured to receive a shank of the fastener and are disposed about a center axis along which the fastener extends. The washer further includes one or more fingers each having a first end coupled to the body and a second end configured to selectively engage a flat on either a head of the fastener or a nut. The finger is movable between a disengaged position wherein the second end of the finger is configured for disengagement from the flat and an engaged position wherein the second end of the finger is configured for engagement with the flat. The finger is biased towards the engaged position.

Abstract: A brake actuator apparatus is provided for an air disc brake of a vehicle air braking system. The apparatus comprises a bridge housing having (i) a first end portion, (ii) a second end portion distal from the first end portion, (iii) a vehicle outboard surface extending between the first and second end portions, and (iv) a vehicle inboard surface extending between the first and second end portions. The apparatus further comprises a first tappet having a longitudinal central axis and disposed at the first end portion and extending between the outboard surface and the inboard surface, and a second tappet having a longitudinal central axis and disposed at the second end portion and extending between the outboard surface and the inboard surface. The apparatus also comprises a gear train disposed on the outboard surface and including a plurality of gear wheels operatively coupled to the tappets.