Brake maintenance monitor
OwnerNicholas A. Millerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for ensuring periodic adjustment of vehicle braking systems to maintain brake mechanism motion within prescribed bounds are disclosed and include an arrangement for monitoring motion of a selected brake mechanism component each time the vehicle brakes are applied and triggering a visible indicator only when the application of the vehicle brakes results in movement of the monitored component beyond a predetermined distance. Once triggered, the indicator remains triggered or "on" until manually reset.
Claims18
In a vehicle braking system having a plurality of pneumatic diaphragm chamber actuators each having a diaphragm therein and each responsive to air supplied thereto for translating a corresponding actuating rod which in turn functions to apply certain of the vehicle brakes, each actuating rod extending from a corresponding chamber and coupled to the diaphragm thereof for movement therewith, each pneumatic actuator and each corresponding actuating rod applying the brakes of one wheel only of the vehicle, the improvement comprising a like plurality of indicators each responsive solely to excess motion of a brake component indicative of excess translation of a corresponding actuating rod when the vehicle brakes are applied to provide a visible indication of such excess translation and probable need for brake maintenance as well as an indication of the particular wheel where such maintenance is probably needed, each indicator comprising a flag pivotable between a retracted position and an extended position providing the visible indication, and each flag including an axially telescoping arm portion spring loaded to extend a free end thereof away from the pivot, the indicator continuing to provide the visible indication when the brakes are released after such excess translation.
In a vehicle braking system having an air actuated diaphragm chamber having a diaphragm therein, an elongated actuating rod connected to the diaphragm, and a pivotable arm coupled to the actuating rod and responsive to the actuating rod translation to apply and release a vehicle brake at a single wheel;
- the improvement comprising:
- means for monitoring motion of one of the diaphragm, actuating rod, and pivotable arm each time the vehicle brake is applied;
- and for triggering a warning indication when monitored motion exceeds a predetermined limit indicating the brakes of the single wheel require adjustment, the means for monitoring including a pivotable flag and an electrically activated display device both providing warning indications when the monitored motion exceeds a predetermined limit, the means for monitoring further includes a spring for biasing said pivotable flag toward the extended position, and a triggering mechanism for normally holding the flag in a retracted position and responsive to monitored motion in excess of the predetermined limit to release the flag, said means continuing to provide the warning indication when the brake is released after such motion exceeds said limit.
A method of maintaining vehicle brake mechanism motion within prescribed limits comprising the steps of:
- monitoring the motion of a selected mechanism component at a selected wheel in a friction-free manner each time the vehicle brakes are applied;
- triggering an indicator for the selected wheel only when application of the vehicle brakes results in movement of the selected component beyond a predetermined limit;
- periodically scanning a vehicle for triggered indicators;
- manually adjusting the brake mechanism of the selected wheel returning the motion thereof to within the prescribed limits;
- and
- resetting the indicator to an untriggered state, the steps of monitoring and triggering being performed automatically by apparatus dedicated to the brake mechanism while the steps of periodically scanning, manually adjusting and resetting are performed manually.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.