Air disc brake

A brake assembly for stopping rotation of a rotary disc, said brake assembly comprising;

• a pair of opposed braking elements moveably mounted to respective caliper assemblies, said caliper assemblies being spaced apart from each other by spacer means and positioned on each side of said rotary disc, said braking elements being adapted to be selectively moved into engagement with opposite radial side surfaces of said rotary disc;
• said caliper assemblies being operable to control movement of said braking elements into and out of engagement with said rotary disc, each of said caliper assemblies comprising a caliper housing, cylinder means defined in said caliper housing and piston means moveably mounted in said cylinder means, said piston means comprising a flexible moveable member, a front plate, mounted on said flexible member, a back plate mounted on the opposite side of said flexible member and at least one piston member mounted to said front plate and back plate, and a source of pressurized air communicating with said caliper housing and associated flexible member such that admission of air pressure causes said piston means to be extended so as to move against braking elements driving said braking elements into engagement with said rotary disc and stopping rotation of said disc.

A disc brake apparatus comprising an annular rotor disc carded by a wheel hub to be braked, said rotor disc comprising circular plates spaced by a plurality of curved vanes extending radially along the face of said plates for enhancing the flow of air past the rotor and for enhancing dissipation of heat from the rotor with the outer surface of said circular plates being adapted to be frictionally engaged by a brake pad, said wheel hub being rotatably mounted on a shaft, a plurality of caliper brake assemblies are carried by a stationary support and spaced from each other by spacer means positioned on each side of said rotor disc, each caliper brake assembly comprising a caliper housing, a piston means mounted in a chamber formed in said caliper housing, diaphragm means mounted adjacent and connected to said piston means on said caliper housing, a brake pad assembly comprising a brake pad plate and a brake pad moveably mounted on said caliper housing between support and guide means mounted on said housing, and means connected to one end of said caliper assembly for communicating pneumatic pressure from an outside source to said caliper assembly causing an application of force to said brake pad assembly by said piston means and associated diaphragm means so that the brake pads engage the opposite radial faces of said rotor disc to stop rotation of said rotor disc.