Brakes – Position adjusters – Supports
Patent
1992-08-06
1994-05-31
Butler, Douglas C.
Brakes
Position adjusters
Supports
188206R, 188341, F16D 5122, F16D 6522, F16C 2304
Patent
active
053161114
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a vehicle axle beam and brake assembly of the kind in which an internal shoe drum brake is operated by a brake camshaft supported for rotation by two spaced bearing assemblies carried by the axle beam, one of the bearing assemblies being supported on the axle beam by a brake anchor bracket, and the brake camshaft having at one end nearest to the brake anchor bracket a cam by means of which brake shoes are caused to be actuated upon rotation of the brake camshaft. Such a vehicle axle beam and brake assembly is hereinafter referred to as "of the type described". The axle beam may, for example, be a trailer axle having S cam operated brakes.
Conventionally, the brake camshaft in an assembly of the type described is supported at the cam end in a plain bearing at the brake anchor bracket and in a spherical bearing adjacent its other end. One such construction is illustrated and described in British patent no. 1183469 of North American Rockwell Corporation. The spherical bearing is mounted on the axle beam and the brake anchor bracket, after machining, is secured on the axle beam as by welding.
Servicing of the bearing at the anchor bracket requires removal of the brake drum and the associated hub and bearing assembly to enable the brake camshaft to be withdrawn and so allow bearing removal. This is time consuming and introduces a risk that, on re-assembly, the hub and bearing assembly may not be adjusted correctly, so adversely affecting bearing assembly life.
Welding of the brake anchor bracket to the axle beam can introduce some distortion. Because of this a bush of the plain bearing in which the brake camshaft is received has to have appreciable clearance from the brake camshaft to allow for any misalignment at the anchor bracket. This results in many kilometers of use being required to bed in new brake linings before optimum brake performance is obtained, and this is undesirable. The clearance necessary also acts to promote more rapid wear of the plain bearing by allowing access of road dirt and wash out of lubricant because seals provided at each end of the bush cannot be properly effective, increasing the necessary frequency of servicing.
The present invention seeks to facilitate withdrawal of the brake camshaft and its bearings for servicing and maintenance.
According to the present invention there is provided a vehicle axle beam and brake assembly comprising an internal shoe drum brake having brake shoes operated by a brake camshaft supported for rotation by two spaced, first and second, bearing assemblies carried by an axle beam, the first bearing assembly being supported on the axle means by a brake anchor bracket having opposite first and second sides, and the brake camshaft having adjacent and remote ends respectively near to and remote from the brake anchor bracket and a cam at said adjacent end by means of which the brake shoes are caused to be actuated upon rotation of the brake camshaft, the first bearing assembly being releasably mounted on a first mounting at the brake anchor bracket having an aperture of a shape to allow the cam to be passed therethrough and through which the brake camshaft extends so that the cam is adjacent said first side of the brake anchor bracket and the brake camshaft extends from said second side to the second bearing assembly, the second bearing assembly being releasably secured to the axle means at a second mounting and having an aperture through which the brake camshaft extends, and the aperture of at least one of the mountings being open or openable laterally of the brake camshaft, the construction and arrangement being such that when the bearing assemblies have been released from the mountings the apertures enable the brake camshaft, with both of the bearing assemblies thereon, to be manoeuvred to pass the cam from said first side to said second side of the brake anchor bracket and withdraw the brake camshaft and the bearing assemblies from the mountings.
The apertures of both mountings may be open or openable laterally of the brake cams
REFERENCES:
patent: 1878911 (1932-09-01), Stoner
patent: 2331652 (1943-10-01), Buckendale
patent: 2892662 (1959-06-01), Scheel
patent: 3106991 (1963-10-01), Winge
patent: 3650360 (1972-03-01), King et al.
patent: 4337851 (1982-02-01), Pringle
Butler Douglas C.
Rubery Owen-Rockwell Limited
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