Band brake mechanism for an automatic transmission of an automobile

A band brake mechanism for an automatic transmission of an automobile comprising:

• a housing;
• a band hoop in said housing formed by thin spring steel having opposite ends, a middle portion, and a width;
• a first socket and second socket fixed to opposite ends of the band hoop, said first socket being made of a first band-like member having a width equal to said width of said hoop and a bent portion with a middle section, the middle section being partially cut out and hollowed, said second socket being made of a second band like member, having a width equal to said width of said hoop, a curl-like bent portion forming a cylindrical channel, and a cut-and-bent portion facing said curl-like portion with a curvature opposite to said curl-like portion;
• an anchor fitted into said middle section of said first socket;
• a pin fitted into and held in said cylindrical channel by said cut-and-bent portion with the pin contacting said channel across the full width of said second socket;
• a brake drum around which the band hoop is arranged;
• two parallel spaced friction linings circumferentially fixed to the inner surface of the band hoop for pressing the brake drum having a space therebetween;
• an aperture through said hoop into said space;
• the curvature radius of the middle portion of the band hoop in a free condition being longer than that of the portion between the middle portion and each end of the band hoop;
• the size and form of the band hoop being preshaped so that the band hoop occupies a position by its own elasticity in which any portion of the band hoop is not in contact with the drum when the band hoop is in set position before braking;
• projections integrally formed with said housing being arranged around the band hoop for supporting and locating the band hoop in the set position, so that the full length of the band hoop keeps a constant space to the peripheral surface of the drum.