Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110311170 | Snap-In Center Seal Bushing - A bushing adapted to secure an O-ring seal in position relative to an area of a passage permitting reciprocation of a push rod forms a generally circular bushing body with opposed end faces. The end faces are separated by a gap so as to provide the bushing with an approximately C-shaped structure. The bushing includes a plurality of locking elements resistant to axial loads imposed on the bushing by the push rod disposed at least substantially within a corresponding plurality of recesses distributed around a circumferential exterior of the bushing. Solid ribs are interspersed with the locking fingers to resist radial loads imposed on the bushing by the push rod during operation. The O-ring seal is secured in position within the passage area of the passage by an end surface of the bushing. | 12-22-2011 |
20130075206 | Parking Piston Direct Connection to APR Rod - In a brake actuator including a plurality of actuator housing portions, a diaphragm seal, partially delimiting a parking brake de-actuation chamber, is retained between adjacent actuator housing portions, and an elastic element disposed between the diaphragm seal and one of the housing portions opposes expansion of the parking brake de-actuation chamber. A push rod extends into and out of a service brake actuation chamber upon respective release of fluid pressure from the parking brake de-actuation chamber and supply of fluid pressure to the parking brake de-actuation chamber. In order to constrain a central portion of the diaphragm seal for movement together with both the push rod and a piston, a clamping arrangement is used to axially clamp the central diaphragm seal portion between an end of the push rod and a surface of the piston. | 03-28-2013 |
20130075211 | Parking Brake Piston for a Parking Brake Chamber - A spring-type brake actuator for a pneumatically-operated vehicle brake is provided, in which the parking brake release piston is formed from at least one stamped actuator piston plate, preferably a stamped aluminum plate. Preferably the biasing force of the power spring of the spring brake actuator bears on a stamped spring seat cap element which is interposed between the power spring and the stamped actuator piston plate. In addition, the parking brake release piston flexible diaphragm may be captured between the stamped actuator piston plate and a stamped backing plate by affixing the backing plate to a joining member, where the joining member includes a threaded insert to receive a manually-actuated parking brake release actuation tool. | 03-28-2013 |
20130075212 | Parking Brake Chamber Internal Breathing System - A spring-type brake actuator for a pneumatically-operated vehicle brake is provided, in which the portion of the brake actuator containing the parking brake actuation power spring is arranged to be vented to atmosphere but not to permit entry of outside environmental air into the power spring chamber, the spring-type brake actuator being provided with an internal breather valve which permits clean dry air from the parking brake release chamber to enter the power spring chamber which the pressure difference between the chambers falls to within a predetermined pressure range. | 03-28-2013 |
20130239798 | Non-Pressure Plate Stone Shield with Energy Absorbing Lugs, and Pushrod Shield for Welded Clevis - A fluid pressure operable actuator includes a housing, with an end wall, and a pushrod projecting through an opening in the end wall for reciprocation upon service pressure application or release. A shield, configured as an annulus, is disposed on the pushrod to restrict contamination of an interior chamber of the actuator housing through a gap existing between an edge of the opening and a pushrod outer surface. To facilitate connecting the shield and the pushrod together, the annulus has a slit with an enlarged void at a radially outer end of the slit. This enlarged void engages an outer pushrod surface as the shield and the pushrod are joined. | 09-19-2013 |
20140048362 | Disc Brake Pad Mounting and Retention System and Method - A system and method are provided for mounting, removing and retaining brake pads in disc brakes, such as air-operated disc brakes utilized on commercial vehicles, in a manner which does not require the use of separate brake pad retaining devices while providing positive retention of the brake pad. A preferred embodiment includes a brake caliper mount having brake pad abutment surfaces having radially-oriented and lateral grooves which permit a brake pad with corresponding projections on is lateral sides to be inserted through an opening of the brake caliper into the radially-oriented grooves until the backing plate projections are aligned with the lateral groove, and advancing the brake actuator behind the brake pad to place the brake pad in an operating position in which the actuator prevents the brake pad from realigning with the radially-oriented grooves until the actuator is retracted to permit brake pad extraction. | 02-20-2014 |
20140110999 | Apparatus and Method for Isolating an Intact Portion of a Service Braking Circuit from a Failed Service Brake Wheel End - An apparatus and method for protecting an intact portion of a service brake system from a failed wheel end of a vehicle is provided. A failure in a wheel end is detected by determining an operation state of each of the wheel ends by monitoring parameters including the pressure in a parking brake air supply line. When it is determined that a failed wheel end is present in the service brake system, an antilock braking modulator or a service brake isolation valve is switched to a state in which the failed wheel end is isolated from the rest of the brake system. The service brake of the failed wheel end is disabled, while the service brakes of the other wheel ends are enabled for normal operation including antilock braking. And the parking brake of the failed wheel end is enabled, while the parking brakes of the other wheel ends are disabled to prevent immobilization of the vehicle. | 04-24-2014 |
20140149011 | System, Controller and Method for Preventing Vehicle Rollaway - Various embodiments of a controller, system and method of preventing vehicle rollaway for a heavy vehicle are disclosed. The controller receives a service brake signal indicating an operator has engaged the service brakes, a parking brake signal indicating the operator intent to actuate the parking brake and a signal indicative of motion. The controller transmits a control signal to at least two braking system components in response the service brake signal, the parking brake signal, and the motion of the vehicle to maintain engagement of the vehicle service brakes after the service brake pressure signal begins to decrease. | 05-29-2014 |
20140326127 | Spring Brake Actuator and Method for Making a Spring Brake Actuator - A brake actuator is provided, in which a diaphragm, used in conjunction with a piston which compresses a parking brake-actuating spring, is arranged such that its outer peripheral region is captured between opposing housing flange portions such that a seal between the interior and exterior of the brake actuator housing is provided in a radially-oriented region of the diaphragm and the housing flange portions away from housing portion jointing components such as a clamp ring or individual fasteners. The diaphragm may also be provided with a wedge-shaped portion at its outer periphery which is axially oriented and configured to reside in a corresponding annular gap between the opposing housing flange portions. | 11-06-2014 |
20140353101 | HINGED TABLE BRAKE SHOE - A brake shoe for a drum brake is provided. The brake shoe includes an arcuate brake table defining a radially outer side configured to receive a brake lining and a radially inner side opposite the radially outer side. The brake table further defines a plurality of sleeves proximate a first end of the brake table. The sleeves are aligned along an axis and axially spaced from one another. Each of the sleeves is configured to receive an anchor pin therein through which the brake shoe may be pivotally coupled to a brake spider. The sleeves are disposed about more than half of a perimeter of the anchor pin. | 12-04-2014 |
20150014103 | Brake Pad Retention Device and Method - A brake pad retaining device is provided for holding a brake pad within a brake caliper of an air disc brake system. The device may be formed as a spring which provides at least four retention forces at longitudinal ends of the brake pad in order to suppress brake pad kick motion and vibration, while applying a biasing force that pre-loads a caliper to its mounting pins. The device may include a mounting section that is coupled to a brake carrier, a first projection and a second projection. The first projection extends from one region of the mounting section to a region near a longitudinal end of the brake pad to thereby exert a radially inward force against the brake pad. The second projection extends from another region of the mounting section to an inner surface of the brake caliper to thereby exert a biasing force against the brake caliper. | 01-15-2015 |
20150041260 | BRAKING SYSTEM WITH NON-SPRING PARKING BRAKE ACTUATOR - A braking system is provided that enables application and release of a parking brake with fluid control and that also maintains application of the brake during a loss of fluid pressure—all without using springs and using only a single fluid control conduit. The brake actuator for the system includes a housing defining service and parking chambers. A pushrod in the parking chamber is configured for movement with a diaphragm in the chamber. The parking brake is applied by introducing fluid on one side of the diaphragm. A clutch surrounds the pushrod and includes a tooth configured to engage corresponding teeth on the pushrod to hold the position of the pushrod even during a loss of fluid pressure. The clutch is rotated under fluid control to move the clutch tooth into and out of alignment with the teeth on the pushrod to hold and release the parking brake. | 02-12-2015 |
20150096847 | Rotary Lever Disc Brake Caliper with Rack and Pinion Mechanism - A rotary lever disc brake actuating mechanism and a method for operating the rotary lever disc brake mechanism is provided. The mechanism includes a rotary lever which rotates a pinion to further rotate brake pad application racks. The racks are arranged to rotate toward an inboard brake pad to advance the brake pad toward a brake disc. The racks may further cooperate with lateral pins fixed to an outboard portion of the brake such that the outboard portion simultaneously advances an outboard brake pad toward the brake disc when the racks rotate. The brake mechanism may be assembled into a cartridge to be placed within an inboard portion of a brake caliper. The brake caliper may be located on a caliper mount via adjustment pins, whereby during new brake pad installation the caliper is self-centered by application of the brake, followed by securing the caliper to the adjustment pins. | 04-09-2015 |
20150096849 | Brake Carrier Mounting Arrangement - A mounting arrangement for a disc brake is provided, in which a torque plate affixed to a vehicle axle and a brake caliper mounting frame affixed to the torque plate have corresponding opposing projections and recesses provided to laterally and circumferentially limit relative motion between the torque plate and the mounting frame. A wedge element with at least one angled face is located between correspondingly-angled faces of the mounting frame and/or the torque plate to generate lateral and/or circumferential loading in response to tightening of vertically-oriented fasteners. The use of the angled components substantially reduces the amount of loading required to be applied by the vertical fasteners to resist relative motion between the torque plate and the mounting frame. | 04-09-2015 |
20150159715 | BRAKE PADS FOR A VEHICLE BRAKING ASSEMBLY - A brake pad is used in a drum brake. The brake pad includes a frictional material engaging a housing of an associated brake drum when it is desired to slow an associated vehicle. A slot is positioned to create airflow in a single direction across the brake pad. A channel extends through a top surface and a bottom surface of the brake pad. | 06-11-2015 |
Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100236875 | Air Disk Brake Caliper Pre-Stressing Method and Pre-Stressed Caliper Apparatus - A cast iron brake caliper with improved fatigue life, and a process and process equipment for pre-stressing a cast iron brake caliper to provide improved fatigue life, is provided. In the process, a load is applied to a cast iron caliper, where the load is high enough to locally yield and plastically deform the cast iron material, but not high enough to cause material failure, such as cracking. Upon load removal, residual compressive stresses in the cast iron caliper lower the mid-point of the stress range the plastically-deformed region of the caliper sees during in-service use, and thereby lowers the peak stress seen in this region, increasing fatigue life. The process permits a cast iron brake caliper to be designed to use less material and thus fit within constrained wheel rim envelopes, without the need to resort to high cost materials or other alternative design strategies. | 09-23-2010 |
20110219946 | Non-Threaded Method for Assembling a Center Hole Parking Diaphragm and Adapter Push Rod with a Clip and Washer - A brake actuator having a plurality of actuator housing portions includes a diaphragm seal partially delimiting a parking brake de-actuation chamber and retained between adjacent portions of the housing. To produce brake actuation upon depressurization of the parking brake de-actuation chamber, a push rod extends into and out of a service brake actuation chamber upon release of fluid pressure from and supply of fluid pressure to the chamber. A clip or similar element receivable over the end section of the push rod is securable on the end section to compress the diaphragm seal axially relative to the push rod against a seat carried by the push rod while permitting a radial inner edge of the diaphragm seal to remain spaced from an outer surface of the end section. | 09-15-2011 |
20110303496 | Air Disk Brake Caliper Pre-Stressing Method and Pre-Stressed Caliper Apparatus - A cast iron brake caliper with improved fatigue life, and a process and process equipment for pre-stressing a cast iron brake caliper to provide improved fatigue life, is provided. In the process, a load is applied to a cast iron caliper, where the load is high enough to locally yield and plastically deform the cast iron material, but not high enough to cause material failure, such as cracking. Upon load removal, residual compressive stresses in the cast iron caliper lower the mid-point of the stress range the plastically-deformed region of the caliper sees during in-service use, and thereby lowers the peak stress seen in this region, increasing fatigue life. The process permits a cast iron brake caliper to be designed to use less material and thus fit within constrained wheel rim envelopes, without the need to resort to high cost materials or other alternative design strategies. | 12-15-2011 |
20110307091 | Air Disk Brake Caliper Pre-Stressing Method and Pre-Stressed Caliper Apparatus - A cast iron brake caliper with improved fatigue life, and a process and process equipment for pre-stressing a cast iron brake caliper to provide improved fatigue life, is provided. In the process, a load is applied to a cast iron caliper, where the load is high enough to locally yield and plastically deform the cast iron material, but not high enough to cause material failure, such as cracking. Upon load removal, residual compressive stresses in the cast iron caliper lower the mid-point of the stress range the plastically-deformed region of the caliper sees during in-service use, and thereby lowers the peak stress seen in this region, increasing fatigue life. The process permits a cast iron brake caliper to be designed to use less material and thus fit within constrained wheel rim envelopes, without the need to resort to high cost materials or other alternative design strategies. | 12-15-2011 |
20120247885 | Adaptive Torque Plates - An arrangement for securing a carrier for a brake to an axle housing of a vehicle includes a torque plate having an attachment portion securable to the carrier and an annular mounting section securable to a backing plate on the axle housing. The annular mounting section is provided with pluralities of alignment holes and mounting slots, permitting adjustment of a torque plate clocking angle. By way of a torque plate configured in accordance with this invention, clocking angle adjustments can be made in increments of under three degrees. | 10-04-2012 |
20120298454 | Brake Pad Retention System - An improved approach to brake pad retention within a brake caliper is provided by a brake pad and brake caliper system in which brake pad retention features are provided on one of the brake pad or the caliper, with corresponding holes for receiving the retention features being provided on the corresponding pad or caliper part. The retention feature may be pin affixed to or integrally formed with the brake pad backing plate, about which a self-retaining spring bushing is located. The spring bushing and the corresponding retention feature receiving hole are sized so that the spring bushing is radially compressed when the brake pad is installed in the brake caliper by an amount sufficient to retain the brake pad in the caliper while still allowing the brake pad to move tangentially as necessary to transfer braking torque to the axle on which the caliper is mounted. | 11-29-2012 |
20140047690 | Disc Brake Pad Mounting and Retention System and Method - system and method are provided for mounting, removing and retaining brake pads in disc brakes, such as air-operated disc brakes utilized on commercial vehicles, in a manner which does not require the use of separate brake pad retaining devices while providing positive retention of the brake pad. A preferred embodiment includes a brake caliper mount having brake pad abutment surfaces having radially-oriented and lateral grooves which permit a brake pad with corresponding projections on is lateral sides to be inserted through an opening of the brake caliper into the radially-oriented grooves until the backing plate projections are aligned with the lateral groove, and advancing the brake actuator behind the brake pad to place the brake pad in an operating position in which the actuator prevents the brake pad from realigning with the radially-oriented grooves until the actuator is retracted to permit brake pad extraction. | 02-20-2014 |
20140048360 | Disc Brake Pad Mounting and Retention System and Method - A system and method are provided for mounting, removing and retaining brake pads in disc brakes, such as air-operated disc brakes utilized on commercial vehicles, in a manner which does not require the use of separate brake pad retaining devices while providing positive retention of the brake pad. A preferred embodiment includes a brake caliper mount having brake pad abutment surfaces having radially-oriented and lateral grooves which permit a brake pad with corresponding projections on is lateral sides to be inserted through an opening of the brake caliper into the radially-oriented grooves until the backing plate projections are aligned with the lateral groove, and advancing the brake actuator behind the brake pad to place the brake pad in an operating position in which the actuator prevents the brake pad from realigning with the radially-oriented grooves until the actuator is retracted to permit brake pad extraction. | 02-20-2014 |
20140102838 | Turbo Drum for Drum Brakes - A drum brake assembly and a drum having an annular drum wall with an open end and an attachment end. The drum wall further includes an outer drum surface and an inner braking surface, each of which extends between the open end and the attachment end. The drum includes a hub attachment section which is attachable to an associated wheel hub. The drum also has a drum wall connection section extending between the attachment end of the drum wall and the hub attachment section, where the drum wall connection section comprises a plurality of radially angled vanes interspersed with a corresponding plurality of air openings. | 04-17-2014 |
20140131148 | Disc Brake Pad Mounting and Retention System and Method - A system and method are provided for retaining brake pads in disc brakes, such as air-operated disc brakes utilized on commercial vehicles, and for installing and removing brake pads, without the need to employ brake pad retaining devices which radially over-top the brake pads. A preferred embodiment includes a retaining element, preferably a spring steel clip, having protrusions which face in opposite directions to engage corresponding slots in a brake pad lateral edge and in a brake pad carrier brake pad-facing surface. When installed in a radially-inward direction, the brake pad carrier side protrusion engages the brake pad carrier slot, and cooperates with the brake pad lateral side protrusion to resist brake pad movement in the radially-outward direction. The brake pad carrier side protrusion may be manually pressed toward the brake pad to disengage the protrusion from the carrier slot to permit withdrawal of the brake paid from the carrier. | 05-15-2014 |
20140151163 | AIR DISC BRAKE ADJUSTER FOR IMPROVED RUNNING CLEARANCE - A wear adjuster, securable to disc brake caliper structure includes, a stem extending along an axis about which the stem is rotatable in opposite directions, a spindle driver securable to an axial end of the stem to transmit rotational motion of the stem to an adjusting spindle, and an input element receiving input force supplied to the wear adjuster to produce rotation of the stem. A running clearance element is rotatable together with the input element to a limited extent, and a ratchet arrangement, located between the input element and the running clearance element, initiates any necessary adjustment for wear after rotation of the input element beyond the limited extent, and completes such adjustment during return rotation of the input element. To avoid transmitting an excessive amount of the input force received by the input element, a lost motion connection is defined between the ratchet arrangement and the input element. | 06-05-2014 |
20150128400 | Disc Brake Pad Mounting and Retention System and Method - A system and method are provided for mounting, removing and retaining brake pads in disc brakes, such as air-operated disc brakes utilized on commercial vehicles, in a manner which does not require the use of separate brake pad retaining devices while providing positive retention of the brake pad. A preferred embodiment includes a brake caliper mount having brake pad abutment surfaces having radially-oriented and lateral grooves which permit a brake pad with corresponding projections on is lateral sides to be inserted through an opening of the brake caliper into the radially-oriented grooves until the backing plate projections are aligned with the lateral groove, and advancing the brake actuator behind the brake pad to place the brake pad in an operating position in which the actuator prevents the brake pad from realigning with the radially-oriented grooves until the actuator is retracted to permit brake pad extraction. | 05-14-2015 |