Slack adjuster assembly

Claim 1

A SLACK ADJUSTER COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING AN INTERNAL CHAMBER OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE AT ONLY ONE END THEREOF, A SCREW HAVING ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY COAXIAL WITH THAT OF SAID HOUSING, SAID SCREW PROJECTING FROM SAID END OF THE HOUSING, SAID CREW PROJECTING FROM SAID END OF THE HOUSING AND HAVING A PORTION EXTERNALLY THEREOF WITH MEANS FOR CONNECTING TO AN ASSOCIATED BRAKE PART, THREADS ON SAID SCREWS IN SAID CHAMBER, FLEXIBLE MEANS HAVING A WATERTIGHT SEALED REMOVABLE CONNECTION TO THE HOUSING AND ANOTHER WATERTIGHT SEALED REMOVEABL CONNECTION TO THE ROD BETWEEN SAID PORTION AND SAND THREADS IN THE HOUSING, SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS CLOSING AND END OF THE CHAMBER, SAID HOUSING HAVING AND ANNULAR SHOUDLER IN SAID HOUSING FACING SAID END THEREOF, A COLLAR SEATED AGAINST SAID SHOULDER AND HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL PERIMETER SLIDEABLY AND ROTATABLY ENGAGED WITH A COMPLEMENTARY CYLINDRICAL SURFACE OF THE HOUSING IN SID CHAMBER, A RESILIENT RING REMOVABLY RECEIVED WITHIN A GROOVE OF SAID HOUSING AND HAVING AN ANNULAR SURFACE FACING SAID SHOULDER, SAID ANNULAR SURFACE SLIDEABLY ENGAGING SAID COLLAR TO SNUGLY CONFINE THE LATTER BETWEEN SAID SHOULDER AND SAID ANNULAR SURFACE, SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACE EXTENDING FROM SAID GROOVE TO SAID END OF THE CHAMBER TO ACCOMMODATE INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF THE COLLAR WHEN THE RING AND FLEXIBLE MEANS ARE REMOVE FROM THE HOUSING, AN ANNULAR FLANGE ON SAID COLLAR HAVING AN INNER DIAMETER GREATER THAN THE OUTER DIAMETER OF THE THREADS AND HAVING AN OUTER DIAMETER SPACED FROM SAID HOUSING, SAID COLLAR BEING IN THREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID THREADS RADIALLY INARDLY OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SURFACE, AND ANNULAR BEVEL GEAR MOUNTED ON THE END OF SAID FLANGE REMOTE FROM SAID THREADED ENGAGEMENT AND HAVING AN INTERNAL DIAMETER SPACED FROM AND SURROUNDING THE SCREW, ANOTHER BEVEL GEAR ROTATABLE ON AN AXIS SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE FIRST-MENTIONED AXIS AN ENGAGED WITH THE FIRST-MENTIONED GEAR FOR ACTUATION THEREOF, SAID BEVEL GEARS BEING DISENGAGEABLE FROM EACH OTHER WHEN THE COLLAR IS REMOVED FROM SAID END OF SAID CHAMBER, MEANS EXTERNALLY OF SAID CHAMBER EXTENDING THROUGH AND OPENING OF THE HOUSING AND CONNECTED TO SAID OTHER GEAR FOR ACTUATION THEREOF, MEANS FOR SEALING SAID OPENING AGAINST PASSAGE OF DUST INTO SAID CHAMBER, AND MEANS ON THE HOUSING EXTERNALLY OF SAID CHAMBER FOR CONNECTION TO ANOTHER ASSOCIATED BRAKE PART.