Patent ID: 8468881

Claim:
An apparatus for inspecting and indicating the condition of the braking surface of a brake drum comprising: (a) a housing dimensioned for temporary insertion between the brake pads of a brake drum and placement against the inner surface of the drum without requiring removal of the drum from a vehicle wheel; (b) said housing having a bottom surface, and a sensor device secured to the housing adjacent said bottom surface for detecting the inner surface of the drum; and (c) a signaling device operably connected to said sensor device for signaling to the user whether or not the sensor device has detected the inner surface of the drum, thereby indicating the condition of the drum; in which the bottom surface of the housing has an arcuate shape and includes a pair of end sections which surround a center section, whereby when the device is placed on the inside surface of a new brake drum the end sections are in direct contact with the drum surface but the center section is spaced from the brake drum surface.