Hydraulic disk brake having a braking torque-to-hydraulic force converter

A disk brake apparatus for a drum mounted for rotation and having a brake disk coupled for rotation therewith, the combination comprising:

• support located adjacent the drum;
• a brake caliper having a friction pad thereon located adjacent a side of the brake side, and having a hydraulic rectilinear motor for driving said pad against the brake disk;
• means for coupling said caliper to said support;
• a hydraulic fluid pump having an actuating lever movable between first and second positions and generating a hydraulic force proportional to the location of said lever between said first and second positions;
• a hydraulic fluid line interconnecting said pump and said motor for delivering said hydraulic force to said motor and thus to said friction pad as generated by said actuating lever;
• and
• converter means, coupled to said brake caliper and to said hydraulic fluid line, for converting the braking reaction force caused by the torque applied to said caliper, when said friction pad engages the rotating disk, to an additional hydraulic force proportional to the amount of torque so applied to said caliper and applying this additional hydraulic force to said motor,
• said converter means comprising a strain gauge coupled to said brake caliper and to said support for generating a signal proportional to the amount of torque applied to said brake caliper.

A disk brake apparatus for a cable hoisting drum mounted for rotation and having first and second brake disks mounted for rotation therewith, the combination comprising:

• a support located adjacent the drum;
• first and second pairs of brake calipers, each pair having an opposed pair of friction pads thereon located on opposite sides of a respective one of the brake disks, and having a pair of hydraulic rectilinear motors for driving said pads against a respective one of the brake disks;
• means for coupling said first and second pairs of calipers to said support;
• a hydraulic fluid pump having an actuating lever movable between first and second positions and generating a hydraulic force proportional to the location of said lever between said first and second positions;
• first and second hydraulic fluid lines interconnecting, respectively, said pump and said motors in said first pair of brake calipers, and said pump and said motors in said second pair of brake calipers, for delivering said hydraulic force to each of said motors, and thus to said friction pads, as generated by said actuating lever;
• and
• converter means, coupled to said first and second pairs of brake calipers and to said first and second hydraulic fluid lines, for converting the braking reaction force caused by the torque applied to each of said first and second pairs of brake calipers, when said friction pads engage the rotating first and second disks, to two additional hydraulic forces proportional to the amount of torque so applied to said calipers and applying these additional forces separately to said motors in said first and second pair of brake calipers.