Drum brake with automatic recentering of the shoes

A drum brake comprising a support plate on which is mounted in sliding relationship two brake shoes capable of being brought into friction engagement with a rotating drum by brake shoe expansion means interposed between adjacent first ends of the shoes, said first ends retracted towards each other by resilient means, brake motor means interposed between adjacent second ends of the shoes, a strut interposed between and operatively connected to the second ends of said shoes, second resilient means retracting the second ends of the shoes into engagement with said strut, said strut having an opening therethrough including shoulders, abutments fixed relative to the support plate and extending into the opening of the strut, a free-floating recentering device disposed within said opening and comprising two slidable elements each engaging peripheral areas about the opening of said strut to provide slidable engagement therebetween, and spring means disposed between and supported by the slidable elements, said slidable elements each engaging a respective shoulder and abutment whereby activation of said brake motor means effects expansion of the second ends of the brake shoes and operatively effects expansion of the first ends including circumferential rotational displacement of the shoes relative to said brake motor means so that the shoes engage the rotating drum and upon deactivation of said brake motor means the recentering device effects return of said brake shoes to a central position relative to the rotating drum.