Patent ID: 8607940

Claim:
A brake comprising a pair of brake pads, each pad being moveable generally radially outwardly into contact with a brake drum by a respective operating lever acted on at one end by a brake applying means and pivoted at the other end from a backplate, each pad being contacted by a portion of the respective operating lever intermediate the lever ends and moving radially outwardly between a pair of circumferentially spaced abutments which extend generally perpendicular to the backplate and which react braking torque when the brake is applied, a first end of each of the pair of abutments affixed to the backplate and second ends of each of the pair of abutments being linked circumferentially via a linking portion to brace the pair of abutments against relative circumferential deflection when the brake is applied, the linking portion comprising a rigid portion extending from the second end of one of the pair of abutments to the second end of the other of the pair of abutments, and wherein the backplate is provided with an aperture adjacent each pad through which the pad can be inserted into or withdrawn from its operational position between the circumferentially spaced abutments.