GB909721A - Improvements relating to braking systems for vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

909,721. Brake actuating mechanisms. GIRLING Ltd. March 24, 1961 [April 3, 1960], No. 3774/60. Class 103 (1). A braking system for vehicles incorporates two brakes or set of brakes applied by separate pedals or levers, which can be operated independently or simultaneously, in which a compensating device is arranged between two systems to compensate for differences in brake lining wear when both pedals or levers are operated and the device is held against compensating movement when only one pedal or lever is operated. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, two brakes or sets of brakes are applied hydraulically by separate master cylinders 10, 11, the pistons of the master cylinders are actuated by separate pedals 23, 24 which are angularly movable about a common axis 25 and the master cylinders are mounted in brackets 13, 14, pivotally attached to opposite end of compensating levers 17, 18 pivoted to move angularly about fixed axes 19, 21 at the middle of their lengths, each bracket carrying an abutment 27 which engages with a complementary abutment 26 on the corresponding pedal to prevent angular movement of the compensating levers when only one pedal is operated, and the abutments on the pedals being carried clear of the abutments on the brackets when both pedals are operated when link 28 pivoted to pedal 24 is swung across to couple the two pedals together so that the compensating levers are then free to move angularly to compensate for differences in brake lining wear in the two brakes or sets of brakes. An alternative arrangement is shown in Fig. 4 in which two separate brake applying members which may be hydraulic or mechanical are actuated by separate pedals through bars 47 coupled to the pedals through links 51 and to the brake applying members and pivotally mounted on the free ends of normally parallel levers 37 which pivot about a common fixed axis 39 and are coupled to an angularly movable arm 41 for angular movement in opposite directions about their axis. The levers 37 carry abutments 52 and adapted to co-operate with abutments 53 on the pedals 35 in such a way that when a brake or a set of brakes is applied by depression of either pedal angular movement of the lever 37 associated with the other pedal is prevented, but when both pedals are depressed both levers 37 are free to move angularly to provide compensation between the two brakes or set of brakes.