Automatic slack adjuster for vehicle brakes

Claim 1

AN AUTOMATIC SLACK ADJUSTER FOR A VEHICLE BRAKE SYSTEM COMPRISING A BRAKING LEVER MOUNTED FOR ANGULAR MOVEMENT ABOUT AN AXIS, SAID BRAKING LEVER BEING CONNECTABLE TO BRAKE OPERATING MEANS SO AS TO OPERABLE THEREBY FOR ROTATION ABOUT SAID AXIS, A WORM GEAR MOUNTED IN SAID LEVER FOR ANGULAR ADJUSTMENT ABOUT SAID AXIS, MEANS CONNECTING SAID WORM GEAR TO BRAKE ACTUATING MEANS IN SUCH A MANNAR AS TO OPERATE SAME IN RESPONSE TO ROTATION OF SAID LEVER ABOUT SAID AXIS, A WORM ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID LEVER, SAID WORM MESHING WITH SAID WORM GEAR SO AS TO BE CAPABLE, WHEN ROTATED, TO ADJUST THE ANGULAR POSITION OF SAID WORM GEAR RELATIVE TO SAID LEVER AND THEREBY TO ADJUST THE SLACK OF THE BRAKE SYSTEM, WORM DRIVING MEANS MOVABLE FORTH AND BACK IN RESPONSE TO ANGULAR MOVEMENT OF SAID LEVER ABOUT SAID AXIS, AND COUPLING MEANS FORMING A COUPLING PATH BETWEEN SAID WORM DRIVING MEANS AND SAID WORM, SAID COUPLING MEANS INCLUDING MEANS ACTIVE IN THE SLACK DECREASING DIRECTION OF ROTATION OF SAID WORM AND SAID COUPLING MEANS INCLUDING DECOUPLING MEANS ADAPTED TO INTERRUPT SAID COUPLING PATH IN RESPONSE TO BRAKING FORCES EXCEEDING A PREDETERMINED VALUE ESTABLISHED WHEN ELASTIC DEFORMATION IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM BECOMES EXCESSIVE, WHEREBY THE SLACK WILL NOT BECOME TOO SMALL.