Automatic mechanical brake adjuster

Claim 1

In a vehicle having a wheel rotatably mounted on a support which, in turn, is rotatably mounted on a frame portion of said vehicle for steering movement about a generally vertical axis and including a rotatable brake disk which rotates whenever the wheel rotates, a braking mechanism characterized by a brake shoe in confronting relation to an axial face of said disk, an operator-controlled brake operating linkage operable to transmit brake engaging force when moved in one direction, spring means biasing said linkage in said one direction, a lever mounted on said support for pivotal movement between a brake engaged position and a brake disengaged position, said lever including relatively rotatable parts and a ratchet mechanism therebetween one of said relatively rotatable parts being in operating relationship with said shoe, and back-off distance limiting means including an adjustable link extensible upon being subjected to predetermined elongating force, opposite ends of said link being secured to said support and said one part by pivot connections, one of said pivot connections being a lost-motion connection which determines the back-off distance for said brake shoe.