A parking brake operating system for a vehicle or the like including an operating member movably connected with a vehicle chassis, and a pair of brake operating means, comprising:
- (a) a floating reaction bracket housing (512) including a unitary generally U-shaped first housing portion defining a base portions (512b), and first and second arm portions (512a, 512c) connected with the ends of said base portion, said arm portions being generally parallel and relatively laterally offset, said arm portions containing first (513) and second (515) openings, respectively;
- (b) a reaction cable assembly, including:
- (1) a first outer tubular conduit (508) connected at one end with said reaction housing first opening, said first conduit being adapted for connection at its other end with the vehicle chassis;
- (2) a first inner strand member (506) mounted for relative longitudinal movement within said first conduit, said first strand member extending through said first housing opening and being adapted for connection at opposite ends with the operating member and with one of the wheel brake operating means, respectively;
- (c) second cable means including a second inner strand member (520) adapted for connection at one end with the other of the wheel brake operating means;
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- (d) quick-release cable slack adjusting means (530) for connecting the other end of said second inner strand member with said second housing opening, said cable slack adjusting means including:
- (1) a rod (560) extending through said second housing opening, one end of said rod being connected with said second inner strand member and the other end of said rod having an enlarged end portion (560c), said rod including between its ends an intermediate portion containing on its periphery a plurality of longitudinally-spaced annular locking grooves (560b);
- (2) a helical compression spring (564) arranged concentrically about said rod between said rod enlarged end portion and said second housing arm portion for biasing said rod longitudinally in one direction relative to said housing;
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- (3) clip means for preventing longitudinal displacement of said rod relative to said housing, said clip means including a clip member arranged for orthogonal displacement relative to said rod between locked and released positions relative to at least one of said grooves,
- (a) said clip member being generally U-shaped and including a pair of leg portions (540a, 540b) resiliently biased together toward engagement with opposite sides of second housing arm portion;
- (b) a first leg portion (540a) of said clip member containing a locking slot (540d) having a relatively wide portion (540d') for freely receiving said rod intermediate portion when said clip member is in the released position, said slot including a restricted portion (540d") adapted for insertion within one of said grooves when said clip member is in said locked position.