Brake pedal assembly with displacement limiter

Claim 1

A brake pedal assembly for applying the brakes of an automotive vehicle comprising a mounting bracket, an elongated brake lever having an upper end and a lower end, a pedal on the lower end of the brake lever, a head on the upper end of the brake lever, means pivotally connecting said brake lever to said bracket at a point adjacent the upper end of the brake lever permitting movement of the lower end of the lever forwardly to a brake-applying position and rearwardly to a brake-release position, lever displacement limiting means comprising a tie-bar mounted on said bracket providing a first abutment positioned to be struck by the head of said lever to block rearward movement of the lower end of said lever beyond the brake-release position, a brake booster provided with a valve body having a push rod pivoted to said brake lever, said push rod being located beneath said tie-bar, said tie-bar being located beneath said head in a position to receive a downward impact when struck by said head, whereby, should the tie-bar be torn away from said bracket and driven downwardly by the downward impact of said head the tie-bar will strike the push rod, said bracket having laterally spaced mounting flanges defining an opening clearing said valve body, said tie-bar comprising an elongated horizontal member having ends secured to said respective mounting flanges, said bracket having a second abutment positioned to be struck by said head during rearward movement of the lower end of the lever after the head has struck the tie-bar, said head having a first projection for striking said first abutment and a second projection for striking said second abutment.