Hydraulic brake and steering system for vehicles

Claim 1

A HYDRAULIC BRAKE AND STEERING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE HAVING SEPARATE HYDRAULIC CIRCUITS FOR FRONT BRAKES AND REAR BRAKES, COMPRISING SEPARATE SOURCES OF FLUID UNDER PRESSURE, A FIRST FLUID CIRCUIT INCLUDING ONE SOURCE AND THE FRONT BRAKES, A SECOND FLUID CIRCUIT INCLUDING THE OTHER SOURCE AND THE REAR BRAKES, A PASSAGE COMMUNICATING PRESSURE BETWEEN SAID CIRCUITS, VALVE MEANS IN SAID PASSAGE OPERABLE BY PRESSURE IN EITHER CIRCUIT WHICH EXCEEDS PRESSURE IN THE OTHER CIRCUIT TO CLOSE SAID PASSAGE, AN AUXILIARY CIRCUIT IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID PASSAGE, SAID VALVE MEANS BEING OPERABLE WHEN THE PRESSURE IS HIGHER IN ONE CIRCUIT TO CLOSE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE AUXILIARY CIRCUIT AND THE OTHER CIRCUIT, AN AUXILIARY BARKE, A SPRING MEANS BIASING THE AUXILIARY BRAKE TOWARD ENGAGEMENT, AND PRESSURE RESPONSIVE MEANS ACTUATED BY PRESSURE IN THE AUXILIARY CIRCUIT OPPOSING THE SPRING MEANS WHEREBY UPON FAILURE OF PRESSURE IN THE FIRST AND SECOND CIRCUITS PRESSURE IN THE AUXILIARY CIRCUIT WILL FAIL AND THE AUXILIARY BRAKE WILL BE ENGAGED.