Valve-controlled braking system for vehicles

Claim 1

In combination, in a vehicle having front and rear wheels and a master hydraulic cylinder for front and rear wheel braking systems; a first hydraulic feed line connecting said cylinder to the junction of feedlines to the individual rear wheel brakes; a second hydraulic feed line connecting said cylinder to the junction of feedlines to the individual front wheel brakes; a manually controlled valve having open and closed positions, and valve having a rod which is rotated in one direction to close the valve and is rotated in opposite direction to open the valve; manually operable means accesible to a driver in the interior of the vehicle for opening and closing the valve, said means including a rotatable flexible linkage connected at one end to said rod and at the other end to a rotatable knob on the dashboard of the vehicle; means inserting said valve in the hydraulic feed path of the second line between the cylinder and the feed line junction of front wheel brakes for the hydraulic fluid to pass through to the front wheel brakes when the valve is open and fluid flow to the front wheel brakes is blocked when the valve is closed, said inserting means including that when the valve is closed before brake pressure is applied only the rear wheels can be braked and the front wheels move freely for permitting the driver of a vehicle to have enhanced control on icy or slippery road surfaces, said inserting means further including that when the valve is closed after brake pressure is applied the front wheels remain locked when other braking pressure is removed for providing a braking assist when a vehicle is parked on steep hills; and means at the dashboard of the vehicle being connected by said flexible linkage to the rod for the driver of the vehicle to remotely open and close the valve by operating the dashboard means.