Mechanical actuator for disc brake

Claim 1

In a brake: a rotor having a pair of friction faces; a pair of friction elements, one of said elements being disposed adjacent each of said friction faces; a stationary torque member; a caliper housing slidably mounted on said torque member and having portions disposed adjacent each of said friction elements for urging the latter into frictional engagement with the corresponding friction faces when a brake application is effected; said caliper housing defining a bore therewithin, fluid pressure responsive means within said bore for effecting a service brake actuation, and mechanical actuating means for effecting a mechanical actuation of said brake; said mechanical actuating means including a force transmitting member operably connected to one of said friction elements, a pair of mating recessed sockets, each of said sockets having an axis, said sockets carried on said force transmitting member and on said housing respectively, said sockets cooperating with each other to define a cavity therebetween, a substantially spherical force transmitting element disposed in the cavity defined by said sockets, one of said sockets being mounted coaxial with said force transmitting member, and pin means for mounting the other socket for rotative movement about an axis offset from the axis of the one socket, the offset between said axes being less than the sum of the radius of the spherical force transmitting element and the radius of said pin means, and lever means for rotating said other socket about said pin means from a neutral position wherein the other socket is aligned with the one socket to an actuated position wherein the other socket is displaced from the one socket, said force transmitting element being urged up the sides of said sockets upon rotation of said other socket to the Actuated position to thereby generate a force tending to separate said sockets whereby forces are generated acting through said force transmitting member to effect a mechanical brake actuation.