Actuating system and apparatus for brakes and clutches and the like

A brake system for applying braking force to retard the movement of a bicycle wheel or the like comprising:

• a pair of lever arm means for holding brake pad means for movement between an open non-braking position and a closed braking position relative to the bicycle wheel and for applying braking force thereto in the closed braking position;
• pivotal connecting means for providing a central pivotal axis and connecting said lever arm means and enabling pivotal movement thereof between the open non-braking position and the closed braking position and in the closed braking position between a minimum braking force application position and a maximum braking force application position;
• force reaction cam surface means on one of said lever arm means for applying actuating force and for causing pivotal movement of said lever arm means between the various positions;
• movable actuating means operably connected to said lever arm means and being movable relative thereto for applying brake actuating force to said surface means and for causing pivotal movement of said lever arm means between the minimum braking force application position and the maximum braking force application position and various selectively controlled force application positions therebetween in response to externally applied force;
• spring means operably associated with said movable actuating means for applying spring generated force of substantially constant magnitude to said lever arm means independently of the externally applied force at each of the various selectively controlled force application positions along said surface means and being effective in each position to cause selectively controlled application of braking force to the bicycle wheel through said lever arm means proportional to the applied spring force and the position of said movable actuating means while enabling return of said lever arm means toward the minimum braking force application position in response to reduction of the externally applied force and return of said lever arm means to the non-braking position upon removal of the externally applied force;
• and
• control means connected to said movable actuating means for applying the externally applied force thereto and for causing movement of said movable actuating means relative to said lever arm means resulting in pivotal movement of said lever arm means between the various positions and for changing the location of the place of application of the spring force to the lever arm means relative to the central pivotal axis of said lever arm means.