Abstract:
A tool for removal of U-shaped brake spring or clip associated with a drum brake assembly, includes a foot, which will engage against one leg of the brake spring, and a side arm, which will engage against said leg of the clip or spring, and which will thereby upon pivotal motion of the tool, effect compression of the spring to permit removal thereof from a retention pin.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     In a principal aspect, the present invention relates to a tool, and a method of use of the tool, for removal of a U-shaped metal brake clip or spring of the type commonly utilized in the assembly of a motor vehicle drum brake.  
         [0002]     Various motor vehicles utilize a special U-shaped metal clip or spring to facilitate attachment of a drum shoe in a drum brake assembly. Typically, the clip or spring has a U shape with first and second legs having slots that fit over a retention pin projecting from the housing for the drum brake assembly. The legs are biased outwardly from one another by a connecting crown. The clip or spring is thus positioned over the drum shoe and engaged with the retention pin by sliding the clip so that the slots of the clip legs fit around the retention pin to thereby hold the drum shoe of the drum brake assembly in position within the housing of the assembly. Obtaining access to and then removing the brake clip or brake spring from the retention pin to release the brake shoe is a difficult task because of the shape or configuration of the brake clip and the limited space in which the clip is positioned. Consequently, there is a need for a tool which will enable removal of such brake clips or brake springs in an efficient manner.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Briefly, the present invention comprises a tool for removal of a U-shaped brake retention spring from a brake shoe retention pin wherein the spring is of the type that includes first and second spaced legs connected by a crown and each of the legs includes a slot for receipt of the retention pin. The tool comprises an elongate handle having a longitudinal axis with a manual grip end and a spring engagement end. Located at the spring engagement end is a foot which extends transversely or laterally to the longitudinal axis and is spaced from the end of the handle to define a generally transverse slot between the foot and the end of the handle. Thus, the foot may be fitted between the legs of the brake spring and positioned as a fulcrum against one of those legs. A first side arm is affixed to the handle and extends in the direction of the longitudinal axis toward the foot. The first side arm may be positioned against the second leg of the brake spring and engage that leg to effect biasing of the leg upon pivotal motion of the handle about the fulcrum. Thus, a brake spring or brake clip, which is mounted on a retention pin may be engaged by the tool in a manner which will enable biasing the legs of the brake spring toward one another enabling the spring to thereby be removed by sliding motion from the retention pin. Upon such removal from the retention pin, of course, the brake shoe associated with the brake drum assembly may be removed from the assembly for replacement, repair or the like.  
         [0004]     Thus it is an object of the invention to provide an improved tool for removal of a U-shaped brake spring from a brake shoe retention pin.  
         [0005]     It is a further object of the invention to provide a brake spring removal tool which is compact, easy to use, rugged, inexpensive, and capable of utility for removal of brake spring clips or U-shaped clips having a variety of sizes and configurations.  
         [0006]     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a method for removal of a brake spring from a brake shoe retention pin which utilizes a unique tool.  
         [0007]     A further object of the invention is to provide a brake spring removal tool which may be utilized to effect removal of a brake spring clip from a brake assembly wherein the tool may be reversed in orientation to accommodate and effect removal of brake spring clips by engagement of the brake spring from either side of the brake spring.  
         [0008]     Another object of the invention is to provide a tool which may be used to engage and compress the legs of a U-shaped clip or spring located in a restricted space.  
         [0009]     These and other objects, advantages, and features of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0010]     In the detailed description which follows, reference will be made to the drawing comprised of the following figures:  
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a plan view of the tool of the invention;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the tool of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is an exploded isometric view of the tool of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of the tool of  FIG. 1  wherein the tool is positioned for engagement and removal of a drum brake retention spring;  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged isometric view of the tool of  FIG. 4  as it is engaged with a retention spring; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged isometric view of the tool of  FIG. 5  depicting use of the tool for removal of a drum brake retention spring.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0017]     Referring to the figures, the tool of the invention is comprised of an elongate handle  10  which includes an elongate or longitudinal axis  12  with a manual grip end  14  and a spring engagement end  16 . Typically, the handle  10  is comprised of at least one or more thicknesses of a sheet metal material which is cut or formed by stamping, laser cutting or another metal forming process. The handle  10  further includes a foot  18  at its distal or spring engagement end  16 . The foot  18  extends transversely or laterally from the axis  12  and comprises an extension of the handle  10 . The foot  18  defines a planar bottom surface or face  20 . The foot  18  further defines a slot or opening  22  between the foot  18  and the main body of the elongate handle  10 . Slot  22  defines an internal fulcrum surface or face  36  generally parallel to end or bottom face  20 . A bridge connection section  24  extending along a lateral side of the handle joins or connects the foot  18  with the elongate handle  10 . In the embodiment depicted, the handle  10  at the manual grip end includes a sleeve  70  which facilitates manual gripping of the handle  10 .  
         [0018]     The tool further includes a cantilever first side arm  26  which is attached to the handle  10  by means of first and second rivets  28 ,  30 . The first side arm  26  includes a planar section  32  which is generally parallel to and spaced from the outside flat plane or surface of the handle  10 . The planar section  32  includes an end face  34  which is generally aligned with distal face or fulcrum surface  36  of slot  22 . The planar section  32  thus overlies the slot  22  and is spaced from the handle  10  but parallel thereto. The arm  26  is also configured so that the end portion of planar section  32  of the arm  26  includes or defines a foot having the end face  34  generally parallel to end face  20  of the handle  10  and distal face  36  of slot  22 .  
         [0019]     A second cantilever side arm  40  is attached by the rivets  28 ,  30  to the opposite side of the handle  10  and comprises a mirror image of the first side arm  26 . Thus, the second side arm  40  includes an end face  42  and a second section or portion  44  generally parallel to and spaced from the handle  10 . The sections or portions  44  and  32  are preferably equally spaced from the sides of the handle  10 . However, the spacing may be varied to accommodate clips of different size for example.  
         [0020]     In use, as depicted for example in  FIGS. 4, 5  and  6 , the handle  10  and, more particularly, the foot  18  of the handle  10  is inserted between legs  50  and  52  of a brake retention spring  49  of a type wherein the legs  50 ,  52  are connected by a crown  54 . Each of the legs  50  and  52  include a longitudinal slot  56  and  58 . The slots  56  and  58  overlie one another and are provided to slidably fit on a headed pin  60  which projects from the drum brake housing  62  and serves to retain a brake shoe  64  affixed or mounted to the housing  62 . In order to remove the brake shoe  64  from the housing  62  it is necessary to bias the spring or brake clip  49  in a manner which will move the respective legs  50 ,  52  toward one another so that the spring or brake clip  49  may be slidably removed from the pin  60 . This may be effected by placing the notch or slot  22  over the top leg  50  of the brake spring  49  so that the foot  18  will fit in a manner whereby the fulcrum surface  36  may engage the underside of upper leg  50 . The upper leg  50  may then also be engaged by the planar surface  34  associated with the first arm  26 . Then as the first arm  26  is brought to bear against the first leg  50  upon rotational movement of handle  10 , the legs  50 ,  52  will be moved toward one another thereby enabling the tool and, more particularly, the handle  10  to be manipulated so as to withdraw the spring or clip  49  from the headed pin  60 .  
         [0021]     Because of the design of the tool, utilizing first and second side arms  26 ,  40 , the tool may be used in a reverse sense. That is, the tool may be fitted against either side of the brake spring or clip  49  by inserting the foot  18 , for example, in the manner depicted in  FIG. 6 , or by inserting the foot  18  in the opposite sense so that the free end of the foot  18  will project outwardly in the drawing of  FIG. 6 . In such an instance, the fulcrum surface or distal surface  36  will remain active as a fulcrum and the foot engaging surface  34  of the first arm  26  will not initially engage the legs that are free. Rather, the end surface  42  of side arm  40  will engage the leg  50  to effect compression of the legs  50  and  52  toward one another to facilitate removal of the spring or clip  49  from headed pin  60 .  
         [0022]     In use, the tool may be utilized to bias or bend brake clips of the type depicted by insertion of the tool from either side of the brake clip  49 . The particular configuration of the end of the handle  10 , the size and dimension of the foot  18 , the configuration of the side elements or side arms  26 ,  40 , may all be varied to provide a tool having various design alternatives, but in each instance a fulcrum is provided to fit against one of the legs of the spring and a biasing surface against the other spring. Pivoting or twisting movement of the handle  10 , for example, in the direction of the arrow in  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  effects clip compression.  
         [0023]     It is to be noted that the tool may also be utilized when reinstalling the clip  49 . That is, the tool may be utilized to manipulate the brake clip or brake spring  49  so that it will be appropriately compressed so as to fit over a retention pin  60 . The tool may then be removed from engagement with the clip or spring  49 .  
         [0024]     Thus, various alternatives in the construction of the invention are possible, including many of those described herein. The invention therefore is to be limited only by the following claims and equivalents thereof.