Automatic slack adjuster

Claim 1

IN A SLACK ADJUSTER INCLUDING A MOVABLE BODY AND AN ARM INTEGRAL WITH THE BODY AND ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A BRAKE APPLYING MEMBER, AN INTERNALLY SPLINED RELATIVELY ROTATABLE MEMBER CARRIED BY SAID BODY AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THERETHROUGH A BRAKE ACTUATOR CAM SHAFT, A DRIVEN RATCHET INCLUDING INCREMENTALLY SPACED TEETH OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID ROTATABLE MEMBER FOR EFFECTING INCREMENTAL ROTATION THEREOF IN A SLACK TAKE UP DIRECTION, AND A DRIVE RATCHET HAVING TEETH COOPERATING WITH THE TEETH OF SAID DRIVE RATCHET, THE INVENTION WHICH COMPRISES MEANS FOR EFFECTING ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT OF SAID DRIVEN RATCHET IN RESPONSE TO A PREDETERMINED DEGREE OF MOVEMENT OF SAID BODY IN A BRAKE APPLYING DIRECTION, AND MEANS INCLUDING FIRST AND SECOND COOPERATING PARTS CARRIED RESPECTIVELY BY SAID BODY AND BY SAID DRIVE RATCHET, MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID FIRST PART AGAINST MOVEMENT AS THE BODY IS MOVED BETWEEN BRAKE APPLIED AND RELEASED POSITIONS, ONE OF SAID PARTS INCLUDING A SINGLE PROJECTION ONLY AND THE OTHER OF SAID PARTS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED ARMS DEFINING A PAIR OF SPACED APART CAMMING FACES COOPERATING WITH SAID PROJECTION, ONE OF SAID FACES BEING NORMALLY SPACED FROM SAID PROJECTION BUT ENGAGEABLE WITH THE SAME TO ROTATE SAID DRIVE RATCHET INDEPENDENTLY TO THE DRIVEN RATCHET AND IN ONE DIRECTION BUT ONLY AFTER SAID BODY IS MOVED THE PREDETERMINED DEGREE IN A BRAKE APPLYING DIRECTION, SAID ONE CAM FACE AND SAID PROJECTION BEING RELATED IN SIZE AND CONFIGURATION THAT SAID DRIVEN RATCHET IS ROTATED MORE THAN ONE BUT LESS THAN TWO TOOTH INCREMENTS DURING SAID PREDETERMINED DEGREE OF MOVEMENT, SAID PROJECTION AND SAID ONE CAM FACE BEING MOVED CLEAR OF THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF ONE WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER SO THAT CONTINUED MOVEMENT OF SAID SLACK ADJUSTER BEYOND THE PREDETERMINED DEGREE IN A BRAKE APPLYING DIRECTION HAS NO EFFECT ON SAID DRIVE RATCHET, THE OTHER OF SAID FACES BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID PROJECTION TO ROTATE SAID DRIVE RATCHET IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION TO ROTATE THE DRIVEN RATCHET A ONE TOOTH INCREMENT UPON THE RETURN OF SAID SLACK ADJUSTER TO ITS BRAKE RELEASED POSITION.