Caliper disk brake for steel mill cranes

Abstract

A caliper disk brake for steel mill cranes includes a pair of armatures having an electromagnetic coil and a spring interposed between them to operate in a clamshell fashion. The spring urges the armatures apart, while actuation of the coil urges the armatures together. Each of a pair of caliper arms is pivotally connected to a respective one of the armatures at one end thereof, and has a pressure plate pivotally maintained at an opposite end. The pressure plates are maintained in juxtaposition to wear pads which are axially movable in apertures maintained in a pair of stationary plates. A disk, adapted for interconnection with the shaft of a steel mill crane hoist motor is positioned between the plates and wear pads. Actuation of the electromagnetic coil closes the armature and disengages the wear plates from the disk, while deactivation of the coil allows the spring to urge the armatures apart, causing the caliper arms to pivot such that the pressure plates engage the wear pads and force them into braking frictional engagement with the disk. The pressure plates and wear pads are free floating and self aligning.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.