Abstract: A vehicle brake having a pair of brake shoes moveably mounted and arranged in end-to-end relationship on a fixed backing plate. A pair of levers is pivotally mounted on the backing plate. The levers have thrust transmitting portions which are interposed between a pair of opposed brake shoe ends and a hydraulic service brake actuator for moving the brake shoes into engagement with the brake drum. The levers also have swinging end portions which pivot inwardly in opposite directions upon outward movement of the thrust transmitting portions. The lever thrust portions have concavely curved camming surfaces which slidably engage complementary convexly curved brake shoe end surface for transmitting the hydraulic actuator force to the brake shoes. A mechanically actuated parking brake mechanism is mounted on the backing plate and is operatively connected to the lever swing end portions by a pair of links.

Abstract: A mechanically actuated parking brake having a pair of brake shoes movably mounted and arranged in end-to-end relationship on a fixed backing plate. A pair of levers is pivotally mounted on the backing plate. The levers are interposed between a pair of opposed brake shoe ends and a hydraulic actuator for moving the brake shoe into engagement with the brake drum upon actuation of the vehicle service brake. The branch legs of a Y-shaped cable extend between the swinging ends of the levers with the main cable leg extending about a pulley and connected to a windup reel. The windup reel is rotatably mounted on one end of a brake actuating handle, with the other end of the handle being connected to a parking brake actuating pedal or lever. Application of the vehicle parking brake rotates the windup reel upon rotation of the handle which tensions the cable and draws the lever ends inwardly and expands the brake shoes outwardly into engagement with the brake drum.

Abstract: An automatic brake shoe clearance adjusting device in a shoe drum brake having a pair of brake shoes. The device has a strut of adjustable length movably mounted between the shoes, one end of which connectively engages with one of the shoes, the other end of the strut engaging with the other of the shoes through one end of an L-shaped lever which is pivotally mounted on the strut, the other end of the lever being connected to manual brake actuating means, a spring urging the strut towards the other shoe which is associated with the lever, and a stop integrally mounted on the strut for controlling rotating movement of the lever relative to the strut.

Abstract: An internal shoe-drum brake in which arcuate shoes carrying friction linings for engagement with a rotatable drum are mounted on a stationary back-plate and the shoes are separated at one end to bring them into engagement with the drum by a service actuator for normal service braking and at the other end by a mechanical parking actuator. Abutments are provided at or adjacent to the mechanical parking actuator to take the braking loads when the brake is applied by the service actuator, and means are provided in or adjacent to the service actuator for transmitting servo braking forces from one shoe to the other when the brake is applied by the mechanical parking actuator. An actuating member is operative to actuate the parking actuator to release energy stored therein thereby applying continuously to the shoes a force to urge them into engagement with the drum irrespective of the initial position of the shoes when the actuating member is operated.