Automatic adjuster for shoe drum brakes

Claim 1

IN A BRAKE COMPRISING A DRUM, A STATIONARY BACKPLATE, OPPOSED ARCUATE SHOES MOUNTED ON SAID BACK-PLATE, AND ANCHORAGE AND APPLYING MEANS BETWEEN ONE PAIR OF ADJACENT ENDS OF THE SHOES, AN ADJUSTING DEVICE LOCATED BETWEEN THE ADJACENT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE SHOES AND COMPRISING A HOUSING MOUNTED ON SAID BACK-PLATE FOR LIMITED MOVEMENT THEREON, A THRUST MEMBER OF ADJUSTABLE LENGTH EXTENDING THROUGH SAID HOUSING AND ENGAGING AT OPPOSITE ENDS WITH SAID OPPOSITE ADJACENT ENDS OF THE SHOES, SAID THRUST MEMBER INCORPORATING TWO PARTS WHICH ARE IN SCREWTHREADED ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER AND OF WHICH ONE CARRIES A STAR-WHEEL AND IS ROTATABLE TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF THE THRUST MEMBER, AND A SPRING-PRESSED BELL CRANK LEVER COOPERATING WITH SAID STAR-WHEEL, SAID THRUST MEMBER BEING MOVABLE THROUGH THE HOUSING WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED WITH THE DRUM ROTATING IN ONE DIRECTION AND TAKING THE HOUSING WITH IT WHEN THE BRAKE IS APPLIED WITH THE DRUM ROTATING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION AND THE MOVEMENT OF THE THRUST MEMBER EXCEEDS A PREDETERMINED VALUE OWING TO WEAR OF THE SHOE LININGS, AND ABUTMENT MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID BELL CRANK TO OPERATE SAID STAR WHEEL AND INCREASE THE EFFECTIVE LENGTH OF SAID THRUST MEMBER IN RESPONSE TO RELATIVE MOVEMENT IN ONE DIRECTION BETWEEN SAID THRUST MEMBER AND SAID BACK PLATE WHENEVER THE MOVEMENT OF SAID THRUST MEMBER IS IN EXCESS OF SAID PREDETERMINED VALUE.