VEHICLE BRAKE

• US 3,826,176 A
• Filed: 06/28/1972
• Issued: 07/30/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ernest C. Ike
• Original Assignee: Ernest C. Ike
• Inventors: Ike, Ernest C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Geoghegan, Edgar W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hershkovitz, Abraham
• Application Number:
  US05/267,311
• Time in Patent Office: 762 Days
• Field of Search: 92/15,23,24,25,63,64 188/265
• US Class Current: 92/25
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/083 Combination of service brake actuators with spring loaded brake actuators
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 17/16 Locking of brake cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: F15B 15/262 using friction, e.g. brake pads

Abstract

A captive air brake for vehicles adapted to be used as a parking brake for trucks having a mechanical lock for holding the brake in a brake applied position after the energy for application of the brake has been supplied by a captive body of fluid under pressure. dThis is a continuation of application Ser. No. 73,711, filed Sept. 21, 1970, now abandoned.

Claims

1. A vehicle brake comprising:

a housing, a brake operating member mounted in said housing for reciprocable movement between brake operating and brake releasing positions, a piston within said housing and positioned with respect to said brake operating member for movement therewith, said piston being held by said brake operating member in a manner to be movable with respect thereto a short fixed distance, a captive air chamber containing a body of fluid under pressure in said housing at one side of said piston with the fluid pressure of said captive chamber applied to said piston in a manner to move said brake operating member to said brake operating position, a pressure chamber on the opposite side of said piston from said captive air chamber with said pressure chamber having a port for the introduction of pressurized fluid to move said piston in opposition to said captive body fluid pressure, and a mechanical lock including means for locking said brake operating member against movement relative to said housing toward said brake releasing position when fluid pressure is released from said pressure chamber and additionally including means for unlocking said mechanical lock in response to introduction of pressurized fluid into said pressure chamber, said locking means including a one-way lock for permitting said brake operatingmember to move toward said brake operating position while locking said brake operating member agains movement in the opposite direction, said unlocking means including an unlocking device connected between said piston and said one-way lock for movement with respect to said brake operating member responsive to the introduction of fluid under pressure into said pressure chamber for locking said one-way lock, thereby permitting movement of said brake operating member to said brake releasing position, said mechanical lock additionally including an expansible support that comprises a first member adapted to engage said housing, a second member adapted to engage said piston and move therewith and a link extending between said first and second members with said link having an aperture surrounding one of said members and an end engaging the other of said members for pivoting said link to grip said one member in said aperture when said members are mvoed in one direction with respect to each other.

2. A vehicle brake comprising:

a housing, a brake operating member mounted in said housing for reciprocable movement between brake operating and brake releasing positions, a piston within said housing and positioned with respect to said brake operating member for movement therewith, a captive air chamber containing a body of fluid under pressure in said housing at one side of said piston with the fluid pressure of said captive chamber applied to said piston in a manner to move said brake operating member to said brake operating position, a pressure chamber on the opposite side of said piston from said captive air chamber with said pressure chamber having a port for the introduction of pressurized fluid to move said piston in opposition to said captive body fluid pressure, and a mechanical lock including means for locking said brake operating member against movement relative to said housing toward said brake releasing position when fluid pressure is released from said pressure chamber and additionally including means for unlocking said mechanical lock in response to introduction of pressurized fluid into said pressure chamber, said mechanical lock comprising;

a plurality of rods mounted in said housing in said captive air chamber and extending toward said piston, a lock stem in said captive air chamber between said rods and operatively engaging said brake operating member for movement therewith along a path parallel to said rods as said brake operating member moves between said brake operating and brake releasing positions, a plurality of links with a separate link extending from said stem to each of said rods and having an aperture surrounding said rod for gripping said rod when said stem is pushed by said brake operating member moving toward said brake releasing position, spring means engaging each of said links on the opposite side of its aperture from said stem and urging said links toward said brake operating member, a spider mounted on said stem, nd a set of push pins slidably mounted in said spider for movement with respect to said stem along a path parallel to said rods with one nd of each of said pins engaging one of said links on the side of the aperture therein opposite said stem for unlocking said link from said rod nd another end of each of said pins being operably connected to said piston for movement therewith.

3. A mechanism for controllably locking and unlocking a vehicle brake, comprising:

a brake operating member movable between brake engaging and brake releasing extreme positions and having first and second stops attached thereto spaced a distance apart, a flange captured on said brake operating member between its said stops and movable therebetween, a captive fluid body positioned to normally urge said flange against the first stop of the operating member with force capable of moving said member to its brake engaing position, a fluid pressure chamber communicating with said flange in a manner that the flange is urged against the second stop of the operating member fo moving said member to its brake release position when the fluid pressure within said chamber is sufficient to overcome an oppositely directed force of said captive fluid body, and means responsive to the position of said flange relativ to the brake operating member for locking the brake operating member against movement toward its brake releasing position when said flange is against said first stop and for unlocking the brake operating member when said flange is against said second stop, whereby fluid pressure within said pressure chamber controls the state of said lock.

4. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein said brake operating member is a rod and said first and second stops are spaced apart flanges rigidly attached to said rod adjacent one end thereof.

5. The mechanism of claim 3 wherein said locking means includes a one-way lock that permits the brake operating member to move toward its said brake operating position when either locked or unlocked.