Anti-skid braking control device including cam and oppositely disposed, reciprocating pistons

Claim 1

An anti-lock hydraulic brake control device (5) including a pair of inlet ports (13 1 ,13 2 ) connected to a pair of brake circuits (I 1 ,I 2 ) from separate outlets of a tandem master cylinder (20) actuated by a brake pedal (19), the device (5) including within its housing (22) a pair of alternately reciprocating pistons (9 1 ,9 2 ) with pin-connected cam followers (3 1 ,3 2 ) attached thereto, the followers situated for alternate engagement with a driven cam (2) located between said cam followers (3 1 ,3 2 ), each of said pistons (9 1 ,9 2 ) including a respective completely radially oriented through-passage (12 1 ,12 2 ) adapted in one forward position to register in fluid alignment the respective inlet port (13 1 ,13 2 ) of the device (5) and an outlet port (18 1 ,18 2 ) connected to rear (R) and front (F) brakes of the vehicle respectively and adapted in a second rearward position to isolate the said inlet port (13 1 ,13 2 ) from fluid communication with the through-passage (12 1 ,12 2 ), each piston (9 1 ,9 2 ) also including therein off-set and bleed off configurations or portions for relieving brake pressure from the outlet port (18 1 , 18 2 ) comprising an axially and radially flow-through passageway (D-C) partially formed by an elongated groove or recess or indentation in the outer periphery of the piston which passageway leads to a central relief chamber or cavity (23 1 ,23 2 ) in the piston, the off-set and bleed off portions of the piston (9 1 ,9 2 ) and its cavity being configured to connect the respective brake (R,F) to an associated piston/expansion relief or release chamber (17 1 ,17 2 ) situated between one end of said respective piston (9 1 ,9 2 ) and an abutment (18 1 ,18 2 ) of a respective end cap (7 1 ,7 2 ) of the single housing (22) of the brake control device (5), wherein each of said pistons (9 1 ,9 2 ) directly slides on an inner peripheral chamber surface within a chamber of said housing (22) and is of a single, one-piece construction with the supply through-passage (12 1 ,12 2 ) being axially spaced by a predetermined amount from the off-set portion of the respective piston (9 1 ,9 2 ), each said piston/expansion chambers (17 1 ,17 2 ) including a respective coil spring (1 1 , 1 2 ) with opposite ends located within said respective abutment (18 1 ,18 2 ) of the said respective end cap (7 1 ,7 2 ) and a recess of the other end of the respective said piston (9 1 ,9 2 ), wherein rotation of said cam (2) causes alternate application and release of the respective brakes (R,F) by one of said brakes being applied by appropriate alignment of the through-passage (12 1 ,12 2 ) and respective brake with the supply inlet port (13 1 ,13 2 ) while the other brake is being released by appropriate alignment of the other brake to the piston/expansion chamber (17 1 ,17 2 ) after the supply inlet port (13 1 ,13 2 ) of the associated other brake has been isolated from the through-passage (12 1 ,12 2 ) by sliding movement of the piston away from the position in which the through-passage is open to the master cylinder.