Brake mechanisms

Claim 1

A BRAKE ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A PAIR OF BRAKE SHOES ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A SURROUNDING BRAKE DRUM, A HOUSING HAVING ALIGNED OPENINGS, PLUNGER ASSEMBLIES GUIDED FOR RECTILINEAR MOVEMENT IN SAID OPENINGS ADAPTED WHEN URGED APART TO URGE SAID SHOES TOWARD SAID DRUM, AN ADJUSTING NUT RECEIVED IN ONE OF SAID PLUNGER ASSEMBLIES, SAID ADJUSTING NUT HAVING A THREADED BORE, MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY ROTATING SAID ADJUSTING NUT WHEN THE TRAVEL OF SAID PLUNGER ASSEMBLY BETWEEN BRAKE DISENGAGED AND BRAKE ENGAGED POSITIONS EXCEEDS A PREDEERMINED AMOUNT. A STUD THREADED INTO SAID ADJUSTING NUT, A STAR WHEEL RIGID WITH SAID STUD ADJACENT THE OUTER END THEREOF, MEANS FORMING A CYLINDRICAL EXTENSION ON SAID STUD PROJECTING BEYOND SAID STARWHEEL, A LOCKING MEMBER EXTENDING ACROSS SAID FLAT OUTER END SURFACE OF SAID STUD, SAID LOCKING MEMBER HAVING A CYLINDRICAL RECESS FITTING AROUND SAID CYLINDRICAL EXTENSION TO PREVENT LATERAL SHIFTING MOVEMENT OF SAID LOCKING MEMBER WITH RESPECT TO SAID STUD WHILE PERMITTING RELATIVE ROTATION BETWEEN SAID LOCKING MEMBER AND SAID STUD, THE ENDS OF SAID LOCKING MEMBER EXTENDING AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID STAR WHEEL, SPRING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LOCKING MEMBER AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID STAR WHEEL TO RELEASABLY LOCK SAID STUD AGAINST ROTATION WITH RESPECT TO SAID LOCKING MEMBER, SAID LOCKING MEMBER HAVING A DIAMETRAL A SLOT FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE END OF SAID BRAKE SHOE THEREBY LOCKING SAID ONE BRAKE SHOE AGAINST LATERAL SHIFTING MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID STUD.