Carbon brake disc structures and method of making same

Abstract

Brake disc assemblies and methods for making the same which allow for increased carbon utilization. In one embodiment of the invention, worn or spent discs from a carbon brake disc assembly are used to fabricate new brake discs. The separate discs, individually unsuited for further use in a brake assembly, are secured together with like wear material and subjected to chemical vapor infiltration to configure a disc suitable for use as a new disc. In other embodiments, previously used discs or new carbon material is employed to configure wear pads or wear discs which are affixed to opposite sides of a carrier plate and then subsequently used in a brake disc assembly. In all of the embodiments, carbon screws or threaded rods are employed to hold the components of the disc together. Such carbon screws or threaded rods are fabricated from otherwise worn or spent carbon discs or from new carbon.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.