Automatic adjuster for spring applied mechanisms
OwnerJohn Woollamsinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a spring applied mechanism such as a fail-safe disc brake having a disk and pads, there is provided an automatic adjuster to maintain even travel and pressure to the brake pads from the spring pack regardless of pad wear. The adjuster has a piston operable by hydraulic pressure to draw a pushrod back from the brake pad and a lock actuator in the form of a collet operable between the piston and the pushrod to provide positive movement of the pushrod with the piston in the direction of force application from the spring pack while allowing relative movement between the piston and the pushrod during movement of the piston in the opposite direction.
Claims6
An automatic adjuster for spring applied mechanism of the type wherein travel of an actuating member under spring pressure may vary depending upon component wear, the automatic adjuster comprising:
- a piston movable by force application from spring pressure in one direction to apply a desired force and by other actuating means in the opposite direction to remove the desired force;
- a pushrod movable by and with the piston;
- lock actuator operable between the piston and the pushrod arranged to provide positive movement of the pushrod with the piston in said one direction of force application from spring pressure while allowing relative movement between the piston and the pushrod during movement of the piston in the opposite direction;
- and
- a further lock actuator, including an offset collar mounted on, and offset with respect to said pushrod, operable to releasably engage or contact, and thus being operable between, the pushrod and a housing for the piston, respectively, the further lock actuator being arranged to control movement of the pushrod between predetermined limits during retraction of the pushrod.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.