Safety brake mechanism

Claim 1

IN AN AUTOMATIC SAFETY BRAKING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE HAVING AN AXLE SUPPORTED BY GROUND ENGAGING WHEELS AND EQUIPPED WITH A SOURCE OF FLUID PRESSURE, A SERVICE BRAKE MECHANISM AT VEHICLE WHEEL ADAPTED TO BE CONTROLLED BY THE DRIVER IN NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION COMPRISING A BRAKE ASSEMBLY HAVING A ROTATABLE ACUTUATOR SHAFT, SUPPORT MEANS MOUNTING A FLUID PRESSURE MOTOR ON THE AXLE ADJACENT SAID WHEEL, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING SAID MOTOR WITH SAID ACTUATOR SHAFT, MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING SAID SERVICE BRAKE MECHANISM TO APPLY THE SERVICE BRAKES TO DECREASE VEHICLE SPEED WHEN SAID FLUID PRESSURE DECREASES BELOW A CERTAIN VALUE COMPRISING A CASING ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON THE VEHICLE CONTAINING A FLUID TIGHT PRESSURE CHAMBER AND A SPRING CHAMBER CONTAINING SPRING MEANS, SAID CHAMBERS BEING SEPARATED BY MEMBER DISPLACEABLE IN RESPONSE TO PRESSURE CHANGES IN SAID FLUID PRESSURE CHAMBER, A CONDUIT CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID FLUID PRESSURE CHAMBER AND SAID SOURCE, A MECHANICAL LINKAGE CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID MEMBER AND SAID ACTUATOR SHAFT COMPRISING AN ACTUATING LEVER SECURED TO SAID ACTUATOR SHAFT AND A FLEXIBLE CABLE SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON A BRACKET RIGID WITH SAID MOTOR SUPPORT,SAID CABLE BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED AT ONE END TO SAID MEMBER AND HAVING A SLIDE CONNECTION WITH SAID LEVER AT ITS OPPOSITE END, SAID ARRANGEMENT BEING SUCH THAT WHEN SAID SOURCE FLUID PRESSURE EXCEEDS SAID CERTAIN VALUE SAID MEMBER HOLDS SAID SPRING MEANS COMPRESSED AND SAID MECHANICAL LINKAGE INOPERABLE BUT WHEN SAID SOURCE FLUID PRESSURE FALLS BELOW SAID VALUE SAID COMPRESSED SPRING MEANS EXPANDS TO PULL SAID CABLE TO ACTUATE SAID LINKAGE TO ROTATE SAID ACTUATOR SHAFT TO APPLY SAID SERVICE BRAKE MECHANISM, SAID SLIDE CONNECTION OF SAID CABLE TO SAID LEVER COMPRISING A FITTING ON THE CABLE SLIDABLE IN AN APERTURE IN SAID LEVER AND AN ABUTMENT ON THE CABLE END DRAWN TIGHT WITH THE LEVER WHEN THE CABLE IS PULLED TO BRAKE APPLIED CONDITION, AND MANUAL MEANS FOR DISPLACING SAID ABUTMENT TO SLACKEN THE CABLE AND RELEASE THE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED BRAKES FOR REMOVAL OF THE STOPPED VEHICLE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY AND REPAIR.