The Bendix Corporation

Michael A Kluger

James J Colpaert

Robert T DuCharme

A drum brake assembly includes a pair of brake shoes which are movable from a non-braking position to a braking position in engagement with a rotatable member. A hydraulic actuator is engageable with the pair of brake shoes to move the latter to the braking position and a strut extends between the pair of brake shoes to substantially define the non-braking position. The strut comprises a unitary sleeve with a bore for receiving projections extending from the pair of brake shoes. The bore is stepped with a threaded portion and a tapered diameter portion. The threaded portion engages one of the projections on one of the brake shoes such that rotation of the unitary sleeve by a pawl causes the unitary sleeve and other brake shoe to move away from the one brake shoe. The unitary sleeve is radially expanded at an intermediate location to define a ratchet wheel in engagement with the pawl. Moreover, a parking lever is engageable with the unitary sleeve to move the pair of brake shoes to a braking position in response to movement of the parking lever.

Drum brake adjuster

An improved drum brake adjuster includes an adjustable strut with threadably engaged parts disposed between a pair of brake shoes to maintain a controlled spacing between the brake shoes. The adjuster includes an extendible member engaging one of the brake shoes and extending to lengthen the strut in response to the force of an adjusting spring. A pivot member engages the extendible member and the other brake shoe. The adjuster also includes a resilient member and a clutch device disposed between the extendible member and the pivot member. The resilient member and the clutch device cooperate to prevent change in the length of the strut unless brake lining wear occurs.

Automatic non-servo brake adjuster

A brake assembly includes a backing plate, a pair of brake shoes slidably mounted on the backing plate, and a wheel cylinder supported on the backing plate between contiguous ends of the shoes. A retaining clip attaches the wheel cylinder to the backing plate. The retaining clip includes a base and a pair of opposed tabs extending from the base. One portion of each tab resiliently and releasably attaches the clip to the backing plate. Another portion of each tab projects into a recess in the wheel cylinder to resiliently and releasably retain the wheel cylinder in a mounted position on the backing plate. The clip and the wheel cylinder are capable of being attached to the backing plate from the same side of the backing plate.

Backing plate-wheel cylinder retaining clip

The present invention relates to an improved drum brake assembly having an automatic adjuster to compensate for lining wear to a pair of brake shoes. A backing plate includes an anchor to pivotally support the pair of brake shoes and to secure a hydraulic actuator thereto. An extendible member cooperates with the pair of brake shoes to define a non-braking position and the hydraulic actuator is operable to move the pair of brake shoes to a braking position in engagement with a rotatable member. A pawl is pivotally engageable with the extendible member and the hydraulic actuator via a spring extending from one of the pair of brake shoes to the pawl so as to pivot when the hydraulic actuator is operable. The pivoting of the pawl causes the pawl to extend the extendible member if the movement of the pair of brake shoes is above a predetermined value. The pawl includes an arm which is pivotally engageable with a piston of the hydraulic actuator. The arm also defines an arcuate abutment between the other brake shoe and the hydraulic actuator. In addition a parking lever may also be pivotally engageable with the hydraulic actuator and define another arcuate abutment opposing the one brake shoe.

A drum brake assembly includes a pair of brake shoes which are movable by a hydraulic actuator to a position engaging a rotatable member. A backing plate supports the hydraulic actuator and carries an anchor to pivotally support the pair of brake shoes relative to the backing plate. In order to maintain a predetermined running clearance between the pair of brake shoes and the rotatable member, an extendible member cooperates with the brake shoes to limit retraction of the latter. A pawl pivotally engages one of the brake shoes and the extendible member to provide for extension of the extendible member and a resilient member is engageable with the pawl to extend the extendible member and also to retract the pair of brake shoes. The pawl also releasably connects with the extendible member and the one brake shoe when the resilient member is engageable with the pawl. When the resilient member is disengageable from the pawl, the pawl is free to separate from the extendible member and the one brake shoe. Moreover, the pawl defines a floating connection with the one brake shoe and the extendible member so as to tilt into engagement with a ratchet wheel on the extendible member when the resilient member is engageable with the pawl. In particular the floating connection is defined by axial clearances between the pawl and extendible member and between the pawl and one brake shoe.

Drum brake automatic adjuster

A drum brake assembly includes a backing plate which supports a pair of brake shoes and a hydraulic actuator cooperates with the pair of brake shoes to move the latter to a braking position. An anchor pin extends from the backing plate to oppose torque developed by the pair of brake shoes during braking. In order to align the pair of brake shoes with the hydraulic actuator, a single clip is carried by the anchor pin and the clip opposes axial movement between the backing plate and the pair of brake shoes opposes separation between the backing plate and the hydraulic actuator. In an alternative embodiment the single clip forms a hook at one end to releasably engage the backing plate.

Brake shoe guide and wheel cylinder retainer for a drum brake

A drum brake assembly includes a torque member which supports a hydraulic actuator. The hydraulic actuator is engageable with a pair of brake shoes and is operable to move the pair of brake shoes into a braking position. The torque member comprises a central portion which attaches to an axle assembly and a plurality of arms extending radially outward from the central portion. In the preferred embodiment the plurality of arms cooperate with the central portion to substantially form a Y-shaped member. One of the arms substantially forms the hydraulic actuator to integrally form the latter with the one arm. The other arms are provided with slots to direct the movement of the pair of brake shoes and a resilient spring within the slots opposes axial movement of the pair of brake shoes.

Torque member for a drum brake

A drum brake assembly includes a backing plate which supports a pair of brake shoes and a hydraulic actuator is engageable with the pair of brake shoes to urge the latter into braking engagement with a drum. An adjuster also engages the pair of brake shoes to maintain a running clearance between the drum and the pair of brake shoes. A cable between the backing plate and the adjuster connects with one of the pair of brake shoes in order to actuate the adjuster when the one brake shoe moves relative to the backing plate. The connection between the cable and one brake shoe is provided by a grooved-arcuate tab integrally formed from the one brake shoe.

Growing community of inventors

South Bend, IN, United States of America

Michael A Kluger