Kelsey-hayes Company

Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Kurt H Rinker

Anthony C Evans

William A Jolley

Richard T Chauvin

Karl Goering

Kenneth D Kossak

Thomas D Weiser

A steering column has a jacket including relatively axially slidable, telescoping, upper and lower jacket members. An anchorage pivotally supports the lower jacket member for vertical tilt movement of the steering column. Locking mechanism locks the steering column in vertically adjusted position and locks the upper jacket member in axially adjusted position relative to the lower jacket member.

Tilt-telescope steering column

A vehicle steering column can be frictionally locked in selected positions of adjustment by a cam-operated friction disk clamping mechanism. The cam operator includes a rotary shaft having an anti-friction thrust bearing on one end and an anti-friction cam mechanism on the other end. Anti-friction elements in the bearing and cam mechanism enable the shaft to be easily operated, while permitting the friction disks to have a strong clamping action.

Anti-friction cam-operated friction disk clutch

A disc brake for an automotive vehicle having a caliper slidably supported by at least one pin on a stationary supporting member secured to a non-rotatable portion of the vehicle is disclosed. An elastomeric bushing is disposed within a receiving bore through the caliper and contains a low friction bearing slidably receiving the caliper supporting pin therein. Seal means are provided at either end of the bushing to prevent the passage of dirt and other contaminants to the low friction bearing.

Caliper disc brake guide and retention means

An improved seal is disclosed for hydraulically sealing a piston-cylinder assembly used in activation of a floating caliper disc brake. The improved seal comprises an annular groove circumscribing the cylinder wall within which a ring type elastomeric seal is seated so as to sealingly engage the piston. The floor of the annular groove has a flat portion and sloped portion. By varying the ratio of the flat portion to the sloped portion a desired axial force resisting retraction of the piston into the cylinder may be pre-determined thereby preventing excessive brake shoe drag upon the rotor.

Hydraulic disc brake piston seal

A brake shoe assembly is disclosed for use in an automotive disc brake of the floating caliper type. The brake shoe assembly comprises a backing plate and a friction material pad secured thereto. The backing plate is configured to receive riveted, bonded or molded friction material thereto. The friction pad leading and trailing edges may be chamfered to vary the pad surface area in the event of uneven wear and thereby modify the pad surface loading to correct for same.

Sliding caliper disc brake friction pad assemblies

Vehicle disc brake shoe

A pin type floating caliper disc brake for an automotive vehicle is disclosed in which the brake shoe assemblies transfer the braking torque directly to the anchor plate support. The caliper containing the hydraulic actuation piston is slidably supported upon pins extended inboard of the anchor plate support and carries no braking torque. The caliper assembly in combination with the anchor plate support are configured to permit brake shoe assemblies of varying areas and thickness and to accommodate solid or vented rotor designs without modification to the caliper or anchor plate support. The rotor may readily be removed without removal of the anchor plate support.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Kurt H Rinker