Abstract: According to the present disclosure a variable ratio parking brake control has a foot operated lever with a cam slot. A guide member is pivotally connected to the lever and it also has a cam slot. A clevis that is connected to a parking brake cable has a bearing pin which is slidably supported within the cam slots of the lever and the guide member. A spring is supported by the guide member and exerts a spring force urging the clevis to the outer ends of the two cam slots. The clevis is slidable from the outer ends of the cam slots to the inner ends of the slots in response to both displacement of the lever from a brake released position to a brake applied position and a load on the clevis that exceeds an amount determined by the force of the spring. The displacement of the clevis from the outer end of the cam slot of the lever to the inner end of the slot increases the mechanical advantage ratio of the brake control system.

Abstract: A force limiting device for a motor vehicle parking brake according to the present invention includes an intermediate lever that is connected by a first cable to a brake pedal and by a second cable to a wheel brake. The intermediate lever is supported on a support lever and the support lever, in turn, is supported on vehicle body structure. The support lever is displaceable from its normal stationary support position to a force limiting position. Tension forces in the first and second cables acting through the intermediate lever will cause the support lever to move from its normal support position to its force limiting position when said tensions exceed a predetermined minimum. With this construction, excessive displacement of the brake pedal will cause the support lever to be displaced rather than produce excessive loads upon the wheel brake.