Abstract: An adjustable attachment device for mounting an accessory, such as a bicycle, ski, or cargo rack, to a frame, such as an automobile roof rack. The device includes an elongate pin rotatably mounted across an aperture in a housing to which one end of a strap is attached, the pin having a shaft about which the strap is wound. A collar having a ratcheted perimeter is coupled to the pin. A capsule, having a cavity therein for receiving the collar, is attached to the housing, the capsule including teeth therein for engaging the ratcheted perimeter of the collar. A tool may be directed through an opening in the capsule into the cavity to direct the collar axially for disengaging the ratcheted perimeter from the teeth and to rotate the collar and pin.

Abstract: A drum brake assembly having an automatic adjuster which adjusts the brake shoes for wear as needed during the service braking mode of operation. A spreader bar positioned between the brake shoes is capable of being acted upon by a parking brake actuating lever pivotally mounted on one of the brake shoes to transmit brake actuating forces through the spreader bar to one brake shoe and through the parking brake actuating lever to the other brake shoe to operate the brake assembly during the parking brake mode of operation. One end of the spreader bar is connected to the parking brake actuating lever to transmit tension force thereto during service braking apply, the other end of the spreader bar being connected to the other brake shoe so that service brake applying movement of that other brake shoe pulls the parking brake actuating lever to pivot it in the parking brake apply direction of lever movement.

Abstract: A duo servo drum brake assembly having a parking brake actuating lever combined with an automatic brake adjuster strut, the combined lever and strut engaging adjacent ends of the brake shoes of the assembly for brake adjustment and parking brake actuation of the drum brake assembly. The parking brake actuating lever is pivotally and slidably mounted on the strut for planar pivotal and limited planar translational movements as the lever is subjected to parking brake apply and release forces. The lever has a cam end acting on the end of one brake shoe and on the strut to expand the combined lever and strut mechanism for parking brake actuation. The lever is shorter in overall length than the strut and is no longer than about 1/2 of the radius of the friction braking surface of the brake drum of the brake assembly, yet has effective force multiplication ratios for parking brake apply. The arrangement eliminates the spreader bar typically used in such priior art brake assemblies.

Abstract: An automatic slack adjuster has an adjustment mechanism which includes a ratchet wheel having ratchet teeth and being rotatably mounted to a lower portion of a pivotal arm of the adjuster and drivingly coupled to a set of gears for causing brake shoe and drum clearance adjusting rotation of the gears upon rotation of the ratchet wheel. The mechanism also includes an adjusting assembly having ratchet teeth complementary to the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel and a pair of links pivotally mounting the adjusting assembly to the arm and a push rod pivotally connected to the arm to define a pivotal parallelogram linkage disposing the adjusting assembly with its ratchet teeth in a one-way driving relation with the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel.

Abstract: A self-adjuster for a drum brake of the leading-trailing or duo servo type having the adjuster lever mounted on one of the brake shoe webs and engaged in as separate slot on the spreader and adjuster strut from the slot in which a brake shoe web and a parking brake actuating lever are received, preventing the adjuster lever from being jammed by the brake shoe web or the parking brake actuating lever. The pivot point for the adjuster lever is the same as that for the parking brake actuating lever, and is a pin mounted on the brake shoe web which is received in the other adjuster strut slot with the parking brake lever.

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: A drum brake assembly having a parking brake actuating lever is so arranged that the parking brake cable end may be assembled in a blind fashion to the end of the actuating lever. The cable is provided with an enlarged end or button. The cable and spring are inserted through a guide tube and pushed inwardly into the brake assembly with the guide tube or a combination of the guide tube and a separate spring guide placing the cable button in alignment so that it is aimed at a funnel-like guide and retention member formed on the end of the parking brake actuating lever. Further axial movement of the parking brake cable and its enlarged end result in a camming action which moves the enlarged end through a one-way snap connection so that the cable is able to apply cable tension forces to the parking brake actuating lever.

Abstract: A drum brake assembly having a parking brake actuating lever is so arranged that the parking brake cable end may be assembled in a blind fashion to the end of the actuating lever. The cable is provided with a button. The lever has a return spring which has one end attached to the lever and the other spring secured to the backing plate about a parking brake cable opening through the backing plate. The spring end attached to the lever has a retaining ramp and a hook end, the retaining ramp being above an open channel formed on the lever end and the hook end being secured to the lever one end above the channel. The cable button is inserted axially through the backing plate opening provided for the cable and through the spring, being guided by that spring, to a point above the channel open receiving end.

Abstract: A disc brake comprising a caliper housing having axially aligned first and second cylinder bores; a first piston slidable within the first bore and bearing against one of the friction pads; and a second piston slidable within the second bore and having an internally threaded tubular opening into which a clearance adjuster is screwed. The threads of the adjuster are power transmission threads with a helix angle of about 15 degrees, and there is end-wise clearance between the threads sufficient to allow the first piston to move between its retracted and brakes-applied positions. At the end of the adjuster is a head having a conical clutch facing that engages a corresponding conical seat in the bottom of the first piston, so as to exert a powerful rotational clutch action. A spring urges the adjuster toward the bottom of the first piston, and causes the adjuster to unscrew and extent itself whenever there is any clearance between the clutch facing and seat.

Abstract: A mechanical disc brake comprising a caliper housing having a cylinder bore, with a piston slidably disposed therein which bears at one end against one of the friction pads. Mounted in the outer end of the cylinder bore is an end plate having a screw-threaded bore to receive a power screw. One end of the power screw extends outwardly beyond the end plate and has a lever fixed thereto, which is operated by an air cylinder or other power device. A radially extending head on the inner end of the power screw abuts against a thrust bearing on the end of an adjuster screw that is screw-threaded into the skirt of the piston. A spiral spring is attached at one end to the power screw and at the other end to the adjuster screw, and exerts torque on the adjuster screw tending to rotate the latter in the direction to advance the adjuster screw toward the power screw head whenever there is any axial clearance between the adjuster screw and the power screw. The piston is returned a predetermined small amount (0.010 to 0.

Abstract: A disc brake comprising: a caliper housing having axially aligned first and second cylinder bores; a first piston slidable within the first bore and bearing against one of the friction pads; a second piston slidable within the second bore and having an internally threaded tubular piston rod projecting into the first bore; a threaded clearance-takeup member screwed into the piston rod and having a head abutting against the bottom of the first piston; springs acting against one side of the second piston in the direction to apply the brakes; a hydraulic fluid connection for applying pressure fluid to the other side of the second piston so as to release the brake and compress the spring; and a torsion spring having one end connected through a housing to the second piston, and its other end connected to a tubular sleeve that is nonrotatably connected to the clearance-takeup member.