Self-amplifying safety brake

A self-amplifying safety brake for a disc, the brake comprising:

• a housing;
• a spring assembly oriented perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the disc, the spring assembly comprising a first spring end and a second spring end;
• a sleeve assembly co-axially housing the spring assembly, wherein movement of the sleeve assembly in a first co-axial direction compresses the spring assembly at the first spring end and movement of the sleeve assembly in a second co-axial direction decompresses the spring assembly at the first spring end;
• a spring compressor configured to move the sleeve assembly in the first and second co-axial directions;
• a brake plate for frictionally engaging the disc;
• a lever-cam assembly associated with the sleeve assembly and the brake plate, the lever-cam assembly configured to translate movement of the sleeve assembly in the first co-axial direction into movement of the brake plate away from the disc, and to translate movement of the sleeve assembly in the second co-axial direction into movement of the brake plate toward the disc;
• and
• an amplification assembly having:
• a spring end adjacent the second spring end;
• a brake end adjacent the brake plate,
• whereby force against the brake plate from engagement with the disc is transmitted from the brake end to the spring end to compress the spring assembly at the second spring end and move the sleeve assembly in the second co-axial direction to amplify braking by further moving the brake plate toward the disc.