DRUM BRAKE ASSEMBLY

• US 3,795,292 A
• Filed: 02/12/1973
• Issued: 03/05/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Clarence Keller Jr
• Original Assignee: Clarence Keller Jr
• Inventors: Keller, Clarence Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reger, Duane A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Frankfort, Charles E.
• Application Number:
  US05/331,912
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: 188/340,335,326,78
• US Class Current: 188/340
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 51/14 fluid actuated
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 65/091 for axially holding the segments

Abstract

In a brake assembly having a support member and a floating brake shoe provided with a web slidably mounted between oppositely facing guide ledges fixed to the support member for radial movement of the shoe into frictional engagement with a rotating drum. A preloaded shoe hold down spring is interposed between one of the ledges and the shoe web to urge the web against the other oppositely facing ledge so that the brake shoe is centrally positioned with respect to the drum and held out of contact therewith during brake release.

Claims

1. In a brake assembly having a torque spider with oppositely facing ledges located at the outer periphery thereof and spacedapart axially for receiving a shoe web of an associated brake shoe floatingly supported on its ends and an actuator for moving the shoe into engagement with a rotating drum, the improvement for retaining the shoe concentrically of the drum, said improvement comprising:

a shoe hold down device having a base supported on the spider and two spaced-apart legs projecting from the base in overlaying relationship to the shoe web, and a spring finger carried by each leg urged into engagement with one of the ledges so that the legs are prestressed against the web, forcing the web against the other of the oppositely facing ledges to thereby retain the shoe concentrically.

2. The improvement in claim 1 wherein the one ledge is formed with an inner side with which the fingers are engaged and an underside on which the base abuts to position the device with respect to the shoe.

3. The improvement in claim 2 wherein each leg is an open-ended wire loop having a closed end abutting the web and an open end with two sides connected respectively to the base and to its related finger.

4. The improvement in claim 3 wherein the sides forming each loop are substantially parallel, one side being integral with the base and flexible with respect thereto, and the other side being freely flexible about the closed end of the loop.

5. An improved one-piece brake shoe hold down spring adapted to be inserted between a brake shoe and a brake support member, wherein the improvement comprises:

a wire formed with a base from which two spaced-apart legs in the form of loops extend, each loop having a pair of sides joined at one end and open at the other end with one side of the open end of the loop attached to the base and the other side freely flexible to be prestressed when attached to a brake.

6. The improvement in claim 5 wherein the joined end of each loop is integral with said one side of the open end of the loop and rotatably flexible about the base.

7. The improvement in claim 6 wherein said other side of each loop has a finger extending therefrom toward the other finger and terminating short of engagement with one another to provide a space between said fingers to facilitate insertion.