Abstract: A brake includes a pair of lever brake shoes and a pair of idler brake shoes. The lever brake shoes are each pivotally coupled to a brake spider at a first end. The idler brake shoes are each pivotally coupled to the brake spider at a first end and to corresponding ones of the first and second lever brake shoes at a second end. The pivotal connections to the brake spider may be different for each of the lever and idler brake shoes. An actuating member engages the second end of each of the lever brake shoes and causes the lever brake shoes and idler brake shoes to move between positions of engagement and disengagement with a braking surface. The linings on the lever brake shoes may be circumferentially nearer to the first ends of each shoe than the second end of each shoe.

Abstract: A method of assembling a vehicle braking system retrofit package includes assembling a braking mechanism having a first bias. The method also includes assembling at least one automatic hydraulic brake adjuster (AHBA) having a second bias and a third bias. The method further includes coupling the at least one AHBA in flow communication with the braking mechanism such that the second bias and the third bias cooperate with the first bias to facilitate modulating the braking mechanism to predetermined positions.

Abstract: A spherical braking system mounted on a drive shaft of a vehicle comprising a brake sphere pad positioned just above and below a brake sphere and resting on an at least one segment of a brake housing wherein, the brake housing includes a top segment and bottom segment coupled to mounting dogs by using screws. A hydraulic cap installed on a threaded portion of a hydraulic shaft which is encircled by bushing and coupled near a brake sphere. A plurality of hydraulic lines connected from at least one hydraulic splitter are coupled to the hydraulic cap. When the driver depresses the brake pedal, pistons are forced into fluid chambers in the master cylinder. The resulting hydraulic pressure is transmitted through the hydraulic splitter and hydraulic lines to hydraulic caps which results the vertical movement of the brake pads causes a braking torque to be generated, slowing the rotation of the drive shaft and driven shaft simultaneously, which therefore decreases the speed of the vehicle.

Abstract: The invention relates to a drum brake device (10), which is provided as a wheel brake for a motor vehicle. The invention proposes embodying the drum brake device (10) with a brake belt (14), which is disposed inside a brake drum (12) and can flex in the radial direction of the brake drum (12). Thrust exerted on one end (18) of the brake belt (14) with a simultaneous bracing of the other end (20) of the brake belt (14) causes the brake belt (14) to be pressed against the brake drum (12) from the inside and produces a braking moment. The invention has the advantage that a friction force exerted on the brake belt (14) by the brake drum (12) augments the thrust on the end (18) of the brake belt (14) and thus boosts the braking moment. Another advantage is that the brake belt (14) always rests uniformly against the brake drum (12) over its entire circumference, even, for example, when the brake drum (12) expands due to heating.

Abstract: This invention is a new type of drum brake and its variants for motor vehicles, the shoe mechanism assembly of which has at least one set of interconnected shoe mechanism and automatic adjusting mechanism of brake clearance. The interconnected shoe mechanism consists of two interconnected composite shoes of multiple degrees of freedom. Each composite shoe consists of a shoe and a driving lever. The shoe is jointed to the driving lever with a cylindrical pin or a elliptical pin matching with a cylindrical hole or a spherical joint, and the driving lever is pivoted on the backplate of brake with a cylindrical pin or a elliptical pin matching with a cylindrical hole or a spherical joint. The automatic clearance adjusting mechanism is fixed on the backplate and interconnected with the driving lever.

Abstract: Drum brake wear sensor system which senses brake wear and lights a warning light when lining wear reaches a predetermined amount.

Abstract: A drum brake is disclosed in which at least two, and preferably four, friction pad assemblies are symmetrically arranged with respect to the drum. The pad assemblies are slidably guided for movement towards and away from the drum in a substantially radial direction on drag-taking abutments in a relatively stationary drag-taking member, and the pad assemblies are applied to the drum by levers upon which actuators act.

Abstract: This invention relates to a braking apparatus wherein the heat absorbing mass of a rotating braked element, such as a vehicle wheel, is increased by securing to such as each wheel of a vehicle, a brake drum, the peripheries of the wheels and drums constituting braking surfaces against which a plurality of brake shoes are pressed during a brake application by a movable member between which and each pair of the plurality of brake shoes there is interposed an equalizer lever that is pivoted intermediate its ends on the movable member, each equalizer lever being thereby rockable relative to the movable member to enable each one of the corresponding pair of brake shoes to transmit substantially the same braking force to the braking surface braked thereby notwithstanding the rate of wear of either one of any pair of brake shoes exceeding that of the other brake shoes.