Self-energizing disc brakes

Claim 1

In a disc brake including a rotatable disc, the structure comprising a nonrotatable supporting framework comprising a substantially flat support member having two radially extending outwardly projecting limbs forming a notch therebetween disposed alongside said brake disc adjacent one of the radially extending side faces thereof, a pair of combination axially fixed anchoring-and-locating members one on each of said limbs which are angularly spaced apart and extending axially to provide torque-taking surfaces located along one side only of said disc and disposed closely adjacent thereto, a pair of friction elements having means providing slidable support relatively to said anchoring-and-locating members disposed one on each side of said disc to be engageable with opposite braking Surfaces of said disc, both of said friction elements consisting of an elongated friction liner and backing having inclined abutment surfaces forming slidable torque-taking remote ends adapted to operatively transmit anchoring thrust to complementary inclined abutment surfaces of said support member disposed at angularly spaced locations which are closely adjacent said disc and located adjacent said pair of combination anchoring-and-locating members, a rigid caliper carried at least in part directly by said anchoring-and-locating members and proportioned to be positioned between the said anchoring-and-locating members and having surfaces adapted to be complementary with said torque-taking surfaces and slidably supported thereby at one side of said rotatable disc, said caliper having a pair of limbs straddling the said periphery of the disc and carrying a friction element on each of said limbs, a brake-applying mechanism supported by one limb of said caliper and arranged to be operated to press the friction element associated therewith toward the disc and the other limb disposed in operative engagement with the other friction element to move it toward the disc under the reaction set up on the caliper by said brake-applying mechanism as said other limb is drawn toward said anchoring-and-locating members, said other friction element being disposed between said other limb and the associate side of said disc, said caliper being freely movable in an axial direction relative to said anchoringand-locating members and positively located radially and circumferentially with respect to said friction elements.