Claims
- 1. A brake backing apparatus for mounting a drum brake assembly on a vehicle axle housing while the vehicle axle shaft remains in situ within the axle housing, said brake backing apparatus comprising a generally planar main backing plate having a generally circular configuration and including an axle receiving opening in a central region thereof, and an axle receiving open channel in said main backing plate communicating with the axle receiving opening, extending radially outwardly therefrom toward an outer peripheral portion of the generally circular main backing plate, terminating at an open entrance mouth at the generally circular outer periphery of the plate leading into said channel, and having a width less than the diameter of the axle receiving opening but at least as great as the diameter of the axle shaft, said channel being dimensioned and arranged to enable the main backing plate to be replaceable or mountable on the axle housing without removing the vehicle axle shaft from the axle housing.
- 2. The brake backing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said main backing plate is adapted to be engaged with an axle housing support flange fixed to the axle housing.
- 3. The brake backing apparatus of claim 2 wherein said main backing plate is adapted to co-operate with fasteners to secure the main backing plate to said support flange.
- 4. The brake backing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cover plate which is releasably engaged with the main backing plate in covering relation with at least a portion of said channel.
- 5. The brake backing apparatus of claim 4 wherein said main backing plate has an arcuate peripheral rim portion and said cover plate has an arcuate outer rim portion adapted to cooperate and mate with said arcuate plate rim portion when engaged with the main backing plate.
- 6. The brake backing apparatus of claim 5 wherein said main backing plate is adapted to mount a pair of brake shoes together with a means for actuating the brake shoes.
- 7. The brake backing apparatus of claim 4 wherein said cover plate includes an arcuate inner portion adapted to complement and complete said axle receiving opening when the cover plate is engaged with the main backing plate.
- 8. The brake backing apparatus of claim 1 wherein said main backing plate is adapted to mount a pair of brake shoes together with a means for actuating the brake shoes.
- 9. In a drum brake assembly for a motor vehicle having an axle housing which mounts an axle shaft, the axle housing having a support flange fixed thereto; the improvement comprising a main brake backing plate releasably secured to said support flange, the main backing plate having a generally circular configuration and including a central opening concentric with the outer periphery of the plate and sized to receive the axle housing and an axle receiving open channel in said main backing plate communicating with the axle receiving opening and extending radially outwardly therefrom toward an outer peripheral portion of the generally circular main backing plate and terminating at an open entrance mouth at the generally circular outer periphery of the plate leading into said channel, said channel having a width less than the diameter of said central opening but at least as great as the diameter of the axle shaft, said central opening and channel coacting to enable the backing plate to be replaceable or mountable on the support flange without removing the vehicle axle shaft from the axle housing.
- 10. The improvement according to claim 9 further comprising a cover plate which is releasably engaged with the main backing plate in covering relation with at least a portion of said channel.
- 11. The improvement according to claim 10 wherein said cover plate includes an inner arcuate portion adapted to complement and complete said axle receiving opening when the cover plate is engaged with the main backing plate.
- 12. The improvement according to claim 10 wherein said main backing plate has an arcuate peripheral rim portion and said cover plate has an arcuate outer rim portion adapted to cooperate and mate with said arcuate plate rim portion when engaged with the main backing plate.
- 13. A method of repairing a drum brake assembly of a vehicle wherein the brake assembly includes a main backing plate releasably attached to an axle housing support flange, the axle housing support flange in turn being fixed to an axle housing having an axle shaft rotatably mounted therein, the method comprising:
- providing a main backing plate having a generally circular configuration and including an axle housing receiving opening in a central region thereof, and an axle receiving open channel in said main backing plate communicating with the axle receiving opening, extending radially outwardly therefrom toward an outer peripheral portion of the main backing plate, terminating at an open entrance mouth at the circular outer periphery of the plate leading into said channel, and having a width less than the diameter of the axle housing receiving opening but at least as great as the diameter of the axle shaft,
- moving said main backing plate generally transversely of the axle shaft such that the axle shaft enters said channel entrance mouth and moves relative to said plate along the channel and into the axle housing receiving opening,
- moving said backing plate parallel to the axle shaft to move the axle receiving opening over the axle housing and bring the main backing plate into engagement with said support flange; and
- securing the main backing plate to said support flange.
- 14. The method of claim 13 further including attaching a cover plate to the main backing plate in overlying relation to the channel.
- 15. A method according to claim 13 wherein:
- said axle housing receiving opening has a diameter approximately the diameter of the axle housing;
- the support flange is spaced from an end of the axle housing to define an axle housing mounting portion between said support flange and said axle housing end;
- the axle shaft includes a portion extending outside of said axle housing beyond said one axle housing end; and
- the method comprises moving the backing plate transversely of the axle shaft and over said axle shaft portion and thereafter moving the backing plate parallel to the axle shaft to position the axle housing receiving opening over the axle housing mounting portion.
- 16. A brake backing apparatus for mounting a drum brake assembly on a vehicle axle housing while the vehicle axle shaft remains in situ within the axle housing, said brake backing apparatus comprising a main backing plate having a generally circular configuration and including an axle receiving opening in a central region thereof and an axle receiving open channel in said main backing plate communicating with the axle receiving opening and extending radially outwardly therefrom toward an outer peripheral portion of the generally circular main backing plate and terminating at an open entrance mouth at the generally circular outer periphery of the plate leading into said channel;
- said channel being dimensioned and arranged to enable the main backing plate to be replaceable or mountable on the axle housing without removing the vehicle axle shaft from the axle housing;
- the brake backing apparatus further comprising a cover plate which is releasably engaged with the main backing plate in covering relation with at least a portion of said channel, said main backing plate having an arcuate outer peripheral rim portion and said cover plate having an arcuate outer rim portion adapted to cooperate and mate with said arcuate plate rim portion when engaged with the main backing plate.
- 17. In a drum brake assembly for a motor vehicle having an axle housing which mounts an axle shaft, the axle housing having a support flange affixed thereto, the improvement comprising a main brake backing plate releasably secured to said support flange, the main backing plate having a generally circular configuration and including a central axle receiving opening concentric with the outer periphery of the plate through which said axle shaft projects, and an axle receiving open channel in said main backing plate communicating with the axle receiving opening and extending radially outwardly therefrom toward an outer peripheral portion of the generally circular main backing plate and terminating at an open entrance mouth at the generally circular outer periphery of the plate leading into said channel, said channel being dimensioned and arranged to enable the main backing plate to be replaceable or mountable on the support flange without removing the vehicle axle shaft from the axle housing, said improvement further comprising a cover plate which is releasably engaged with the main backing plate in covering relation with at least a portion of said channel, said main backing plate having an arcuate outer peripheral rim portion, and said cover plate having an arcuate outer rim portion adapted to cooperate and mate with said arcuate plate rim portion when engaged with the main backing plate.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2037336 |
Feb 1991 |
CAX |
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REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application Ser. No. 07/710,456 filed Jun. 5, 1991, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (8)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
651363 |
Oct 1962 |
CAX |
1075176 |
Apr 1980 |
CAX |
1080138 |
Jun 1980 |
CAX |
1105856 |
Jul 1981 |
CAX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
710456 |
Jun 1991 |
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