Brake mechanism incorporating floating brake band and means applying the same to reversibly rotated brake drum

Claim 1

A BRAKE MECHANISM COMPRISING A BRAKE DRUM MOUNTED AXIALLY TO FOLLOW THE ROTATING MOTION OF A REVERSIBLY ROTATED OPERATING ELEMENT THAT REQUIRES BRAKING, AN EXTERNAL BRAKE BAND LINED FOR FRICTIONAL BRAKING ACTION AND SUBSTANTIALLY ENCIRCLING SAID BRAKE DRUM IN CIRCULARLY FLOATING RELATION FOR BRAKING CONTRACTION THEREON, MEANS FLOATING WITH SAID BRAKE BAND FOR CAUSING SAID BRAKING CONTRACTION BY PULLING THE ENDS THEREOF TOGETHER THROUGH THE APPLICATION OF A TENSION FORCE HAVING A DIRECTION ESSENTIALLY TANGENT TO THE ENCIRCLING DISPOSITION OF THE BRAKE BAND, AND A PAIR OF FIXED ABUTMENT ELEMENTS EXTENDING FOR ALTERNATIVE LOST MOTION ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BRAKE BAND UPON SAID BRAKING CONTRACTION TO LIMIT CIRCULAR FLOATING THEREOF AND TO REACT ALTERNATIVELY IN OPPOSITION TO THE FORCE SYSTEM URGING SAID CIRCULAR FLOATING AS DETERMINED BY THE DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF SAID BRAKE DRUM, THE ABUTMENT ELEMENTS OF SAID PAIR BEING FORMED BY LUG MEMBERS FIXED RESPECTIVELY TO EXTEND RADIALLY TOWARDS SAID BRAKE DRUM FOR SAID ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH AT A SPACING LESS THAN THE FULL ENCIRCLING LENGTH OF THE BRAKE BAND FROM THE END THEREOF THAT EXTENDS IN THE DIRECTION OF BRAKE DRUM ROTATION, AND SAID BRAKE DRUM BEING SLOTTED IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS CIRCUMFERENCE AT CORRESPONDINGLY PAIRED LOCATIONS TO RECEIVE SAID EXTENDING LUG MEMBERS IN LOST MOTION RELATION FOR SELECTIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH THE LUG MEMBER OF SAID PAIR THAT IS MADE EFFECTIVE BY THE DIRECTION OF BRAKE DRUM ROTATION.