Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
PatentStorm News
Make the Most of Our Site
See this month's Top Inventors and Most Cited Patents.
Stay on top of the latest innovations by subscribing to an RSS feed.
Registered users: Manage your profile.
| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7434668 | Brake cable connecting apparatus A brake cable connecting apparatus that prevents a connecting pin from falling out, and whereby it is unnecessary to adjust the insertion depth of the connecting pin. The brake cable connecting apparatus comprises a regulating projection in the strut to prevent over... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7360631 | Apparatus for operating parking brake An apparatus for operating a parking brake that can reduce an operation stroke. A connecting member has shoe insert grooves with brake shoes inserted into both sides thereof. A first operation lever has one end rotatably combined with one side face of the connecting... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7258208 | Vertical mount disc brake with disc separator A brake (10) which is adapted to be rotationally coupled with an output shaft includes a housing (11). An inner shaft (33) is adapted to be attached to the output shaft for rotation therewith. A disc assembly (64) includes a plurality of ... | 08/21/2007 |
| 7182182 | Drum brake and brake shoe for one such brake A drum brake comprising a plate on which at least one shoe having a friction lining is mounted. A lever moves the shoe against a wheel drum in response to a braking command to effect a brake application. A resilient return spaces the shoe apart from the drum when br... | 02/27/2007 |
| 7172056 | Friction brake with mechanical self-boosting and method for its actuation A disk brake having a first friction brake lining, which for braking can be pressed against a brake disk by pivoting of a support lever. A brake caliper is embodied as a floating caliper and an adjusting device is provided with which a second friction brake lining i... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7093695 | Park brake cable end assembly for a drum-in-hat disc brake assembly This invention relates to an improved park brake cable end assembly for a drum-in-hat disc brake assembly having a disc service brake and a drum-in-hat parking and emergency brake. The drum-in-hat disc brake assembly includes a backing plate adapted to support a dru... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7077249 | Drum brakes with interconnected multi-degrees-of-freedom shoes This invention is a new type of drum brake and its variants for motor vehicles, the shoe mechanism assembly of which has at least one set of interconnected shoe mechanism and automatic adjusting mechanism of brake clearance. The interconnected shoe mechanism consist... | 07/18/2006 |
| 6929101 | Hidden brake system for a wheel A brake system for a wheel including a plunger assembly, brake pad assembly, drum assembly and a spring. The plunger assembly includes a plunger movable in a plunger housing, brake pad assembly chamber in the plunger housing and an axle opening. The brake pad assemb... | 08/16/2005 |
| 6817450 | Brake cable connecting apparatus for drum brake A brake cable connecting apparatus ensures prevention of brake cable disengagement by a simple structure that offers simple and accurate assemblability. The brake cable connecting apparatus comprises the strut 23 engaging with the brake shoe 12 and the... | 11/16/2004 |
| 6802397 | Automatic cable latching device for drum brake levers A parking brake assembly which includes a lever (15) for operation of a brake shoe (11, 12) to provide a parking function. The lever (15) has an automatic latching device (21, 22, 23) for automatically latching to the lever (15) an... | 10/12/2004 |
| 6763918 | Actuator having compact gear reduction A screw actuator comprises a housing (1), a nut (A) and a screw (16) one of which is axially fixed with respect to the housing and the other of which is axially displaceable with respect to the housing for moving an actuating head, as well as a motor (... | 07/20/2004 |
| 6732840 | Brake cable connecting apparatus for a drum brake device A brake cable connecting apparatus of a brake-actuating mechanism for a drum brake is mainly composed of a brake lever (22) and a strut (21). A cable end (24a) of a brake cable (24) is snapped into a free end (22e) of... | 05/11/2004 |
| 6679354 | Actuator mechanism for drum in hat brake An actuator mechanism in a drum-in-hat park brake having a housing with a first end that engages a first web of a first brake shoe and a second end that engages a second web of a second brake shoe. A lever pivotally retained in the housing has a first end... | 01/20/2004 |
| 6651782 | Brake cable connecting apparatus for drum brake A brake cable connecting apparatus having a cable end insertion groove 120a formed by U-like folding the free end of a brake lever 120 on one of brake shoes 1, 2 and a guiding member 150 provided onto the cable end insertion groove 120a. The guiding membe... | 11/25/2003 |
| 6615957 | Dual-mode drum brake assembly having provision for preventing disengagement of members to be mutually engaged A dual-mode drum brake assembly including: (a) a backing plate which is fixed to a vehicle body; (b) first and second arcuate brake shoes disposed on the backing plate; (c) an actuator for moving the two brake shoes away from each other to force the two b... | 09/09/2003 |
| 6612407 | Drum brakes A method of attaching a brake cable assembly onto a drum brake assembly is disclosed for a new form of brake cable having a cable inner portion with an end fitting and a cable outer portion comprising a cable sheath and a guide. The cable guide is inserte... | 09/02/2003 |
| 6581729 | Brake cable-fixing device for a parking brake A compact mechanical shoe actuating mechanism with an improved lever-ratio comprises a space 42 formed by two facing plates 40a and 40b of a strut designed such that an upper side of the space 42 is longitudinally wider than a lower side of the space 42 w... | 06/24/2003 |
| 6550588 | Off highway truck brake assembly and wheel spindle having a spline joint A brake assembly for braking a wheel having a brake anchor, a brake anchor first annular portion, a brake anchor second annular portion, and a plurality of brake anchor splines on the brake anchor first annular portion.... | 04/22/2003 |
| 6513629 | Brake cable-connecting apparatus for drum brake A brake cable-connecting apparatus for a drum brake, having a simplified structure and designed to permit a cable end to be steadily seated on a brake lever, thereby providing improved durability of an inner cable, and to further positively holds a brake ... | 02/04/2003 |
| 6502670 | Mechanical type drum brake device It is an object of this invention to provide a mechanical drum brake device which prevents a cable end from coming off from a brake lever without requiring an improvement in the brake shoe or the brake lever and an additional part. To that end, the lever ... | 01/07/2003 |
| 6378667 | Arrangement and method for fastening a caliper on a wheel carrier A caliper is fastened by a fastening arrangement on a projecting rib of a wheel carrier. The rib has a manufacturing thickness which, for the optional fastening of a floating or fixed caliper, can be reduced on each side by an amount of thickness such tha... | 04/30/2002 |
| 6318207 | Connecting device for control cable A device for detachably connecting an end fitting of a control cable with a control lever in an operating device is composed in such manner that it makes the operating device to be more short and workability of cable connection to be enhanced. The operati... | 11/20/2001 |
| 6253884 | Rear brake unit for a beach buggy A rear brake device for a beach buggy includes an axle sleeve, a brake disc fixed at one side of the axle sleeve and having two semicircular brake members, and a brake drum with a center serrated tube to engage and rotate synchronously with the axle. The ... | 07/03/2001 |
| 6241051 | Brake cable connecting device for drum brake A brake cable connecting device for fastening a brake cable to a brake lever in a blind manner reduces cost and weight of the brake device. The connecting device is formed of a U-shaped channel provided on a free end of the brake lever and a guide unit fo... | 06/05/2001 |
| 6050371 | Unit for a drum brake and drum brake equipped with same A structural unit for a drum brake comprises at least one brake shoe (12) and an adjusting device (32) which comprises an adjusting strut (34), a ratchet-detent wheel mechanism and an adjusting lever (40) which comprises the ratchet (52). The brake shoe (... | 04/18/2000 |
| 5715916 | Wheel brake assembly A parking brake assembly includes a lever that translates pivoting rotation to sliding movement of a tappet in contact with a braking shoe to effect expansion of the brake shoe against the inside diameter of a rotating element. The rotating element is, in... | 02/10/1998 |
| 5484042 | Fluid pressure and mechanical drum brake actuator The invention is drum brake assembly having a dual brake actuator. A piston-cylinder assembly forms the primary brake actuator, and a lever member, together with the piston-cylinder assembly, forms a composite structure which acts as a secondary brake act... | 01/16/1996 |
| 5398999 | Vehicle brake assembly and method of installation A method of installing a vehicle spindle and brake assembly on a vehicle component. First, the spindle and brake assembly are "preassembled" into a complete brake unit. The preassembled spindle and brake assembly includes a spindle, a rotatable component,... | 03/21/1995 |
| 5377789 | Snap-in park brake cable This invention relates to a cable actuated parking brake mechanism for a drum brake. A lever and an associated lever return spring are arranged to accommodate blind assembly of the cable to the lever. The spring guides the cable from an opening in the bac... | 01/03/1995 |
| 5366049 | Drum brake shoe hold-down bracket and cable guide A drum brake (10) includes a backing plate (11) supporting a pair of drum brake shoes ( 12, 14) having brake shoe webs (16, 18). An opposing pair of brake shoe ends (26, 28) have adjacent thereto a combination drum brake shoe hold-down bracket and cable g... | 11/22/1994 |
| 5322145 | Drum brake operating mechanism An improved operating mechanism for a drum brake assembly including a mounting flange for securing the brake assembly to a vehicle component, a hollow abutment block secured to the mounting flange, and a backing plate secured to the mounting flange. A pai... | 06/21/1994 |
| 5275260 | Dual mode drum brake assembly A dual mode drum brake assembly having an improved duo-servo parking and emergency brake lever mechanism includes a pivot lever pivotally supported relative to a first brake shoe and operatively coupled to exert an outward force on the first brake shoe wh... | 01/04/1994 |
| 5226511 | Spring activated automatic drum brake adjuster The automatic adjuster (5) for the drum brake (6) comprises first and second oppositely disposed end members (30, 40) each having slots (32, 42) for receiving nonrotatably brake shoe webs (10, 14) and a parking lever (22). The first end member (30) includ... | 07/13/1993 |
| 5180037 | Drum-in-hat parking brake for a disc brake assembly For a vehicle having a relatively large axle tube, a mechanically operated drum brake is provided having a hollow abutment post between adjacent ends of a pair of opposed arcuate brake shoes and having an improved actuating mechanism for the brake shoes m... | 01/19/1993 |
| 5167304 | Drum brake torsion/compression strut spring The torsion/compression strut spring (60) is disposed about a forked end (54) of a parking brake strut (50) in a drum brake (10). The forked end (54) is received loosely about the web (12A) of an associated drum brake shoe (12) and a parking brake lever (... | 12/01/1992 |
| 5137120 | Blind cable lever arm stamping A flat lever (314) for use in a blind-cable-connection parking brake system is formed by stamping from sheet steel stock. At one end, the lever is adapted for pivotal connection with a backing plate, and at its other end, the lever is stamped to defined o... | 08/11/1992 |
| 5127495 | Parking brake and method therefor A parking brake system comprising a drum brake (200) comprising two shoes (206) outwardly movable relative to a friction surface of a drum (224); an activation device (220, 222) for generating an activation force to move the shoes outwardly to a first pos... | 07/07/1992 |
| 5092428 | Drum brake A drum brake in which a parking brake is incorporated. A parking brake lever is mounted in the interior of a vehicle and is operable to pull a parking lever through a cable. The rotation of the parking lever causes a pair of brake shoes to be forced tight... | 03/03/1992 |
| 5070968 | Leading/trailing drum brake having servo parking brake A drum brake assembly wherein the hydraulic service brake acts as a leading/trailing brake and the parking or emergency brake acts as a duo-servo brake. A lever member is pivotally mounted on one of a pair of brake shoes and operated by a brake actuating ... | 12/10/1991 |
| 5062506 | Rotary drum brake assembly bracket An anchor bracket (100) is provided for securing return springs (36) and (36') in close proximity to a cam (32) of a rotary drum brake assembly (200). Bracket (100) has an inverted "U" type configuration comprising a bridging portion (40) from opposite si... | 11/05/1991 |
