Patent ID: 7261190

Claim:
A brake assembly having first and second brake shoes that are retained on a backing plate with each of the first and second brake shoes having a first end and a second end wherein the first ends are aligned with an actuator assembly and the second ends are spaced apart by a spacer mechanism and spring means for urging the first and second brake shoes toward the actuator assembly and the adjuster mechanism to maintain a predetermined running clearance between a first friction pad of the first brake shoe and a second friction pad of the second brake shoe and a drum such that an input force applied to the actuator assembly moves the first ends and correspondingly the first and second friction pads associated with the first and second brake shoes into engagement with said drum to effect a brake application, the movement of the first ends resulting from an actuation force derived from an input force applied to a cable pulling on a lever of the actuator assembly, said lever being characterized by a first end that is connected to the first ends of said first and second brake shoes and a second end, a tine attached to the second end to which the cable is connected, said tine being resiliently deflected with respect to said second end by a predetermined force such that a tab on the tine engages said lever, said input force is transmitted through said tine and into the lever such that the tine and second end move in unison to deliver an actuation force to the first end of the lever until the input force equals a predetermined force and any additional input force thereafter proportionally deflects the tine with respect to the second end such that movement of the lever is reduced as a function of the deflection of said tine and as a result the actuation force delivered to said first ends to effect said brake application is correspondingly reduced.