Vehicle parking brake self-adjusting control mechanism

Control mechanism for vehicle parking brakes comprising, in combination, a mounting bracket, an adjusting shaft journaled on said bracket, a brake actuator lever fulcrumed on said shaft for pivotal movement thereon, operating arms means locked on said shaft for attachment to the head end of a normally spring-biased brake actuating cable, a torsion coil locking spring embracing said shaft with one terminal end portion thereof free and the other terminal end portion anchored to said actuator lever, said locking spring normally frictionally engaging and locking the shaft to said actuator lever for unitary rotative movement therewith in one direction to set the parking brakes and in the other direction on release of said brakes, cooperating locking means supported on said lever and bracket for locking said lever in a brake setting pivotal position, said locking means being disengageable to permit return pivotal movement of the lever to a brake released position by the spring-biased brake cable, adjusting spring means continuously exerting a torque force on said shaft tending to rotate the shaft and the associated said operating arm means thereon in said one rotative direction, and a release member movably mounted on said bracket and actuated by said actuator lever, at the end of the return pivotal movement thereof to its brake released position, to engage with the said free terminal end portion of and uncoil the said torsion coil locking spring to an extent sufficient to release the friction grip thereof on said shaft and free it for rotational movement by said adjusting spring means to take-up slack in the said cable and maintain a predetermined minimum tension therein.