The Neate Trailer Brake with Graduated Release
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THE Neate trailer brake, a device of the type in which a pawl on the hand lever turns a ratchet drum on which the brake cable is wound, another pawl holding the brake in the "on" position until released by a forward thrust of the lever, has frequently been referred to in our columns. It is made by Messrs, Neate Trailer Brake, 60-02, London Road, Kingston-on-Thames, and, in the past few years, has become increasingly popular.
Mr. R. W. Neate has devoted a considerable amount of study to the invention of the graduated-release device, so that the brake may be slightly eased off under full control, an arrangement which offers advantages over the method, otherwise necessary, of completely releasing the brake and then quickly reapplying it to the degree required. The importance of the matter is magnified in caws where the trailer, with its load, is much. heavier than the motive unit.
The invention is now complete and results in a modest increase in weight from 24 lb. to approximately 45 lb.
With the new arrangement the band lever has a pivoted handle, so that backward pressure on it causes a pawl to engage in the teeth of the ratchet drum. Embodied in the drum is a free wheel, the inner member of which is keyed to a brake drum. Normally, the brake drum is held by means of two expanding shoes operated by a cam in the orthodox fashion, the cam lever being acted upon, through a toothed quadrant, by a powerful spring which keeps it in the "on" position. When the brake is being applied, therefore, the free wheel acts, the inner member being held.
When it is desired to release the brake gradually, the lever is moved forward and pressure is exerted against the spring-loaded arm that turns the brake cam spindle, so that the brake may, at will, be released slightly or completely.
The Neate brake gear makes it possible to obtain a pressure of tioo-600 lb. on the brake cam lever, and the new 1128
graduated-release device enables this pressure to be reduced by stages of so little as 5 lb. The spring which holds the brake shoes in contact with the drum normally exerts pressure of about 300 lb., but the boss providing the abutment of the spring in the aluminium casting which encloses the gear is provided with a screw for adjustment purposes. The free wheel has a very fine action, allowing for peripheral stages on the ratchet drum of only about The gear incorporates a device for preventing the cable from springing out upon sudden release, this taking the form of a coil spring which, when the brake is released, stops with a cushioning effect the rotation of the ratchet drum.
The entire gear strikes one as being simply and well designed, compact and wholly free from complications or parts that are likely to cause unreliability. It should be an invaluable addition to the heavy goods-carrying tractor* trailer outfit.