The history of brakes
Slideshow timeline
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Over
the years many different types of brakes have been used on many different types
of vehicles. The main types of brakes were wooden block brakes, drum brakes and
disc brakes.
One of the earliest brakes invented was the wooden block brake, which was
used on horse drawn carriages for many years. This type of brake consisted of a
long handle, which acted as a lever to make braking easier, attached to a block
of wood. This handle ended near the driver's seat. When the driver wanted to
stop the cart he/she would rein in the horses and pull up on the lever. This
action would push the wooden block against the wheel causing friction. The
wheel would be slowed down, as a result of the friction, and the cart would
stop.
As the development of brakes continued throughout the years, the drum brake came into existence. It was first created as a way to make the wooden block easier to move. This model consisted of a cable wrapped around a metal drum. As the cart moved the cable tightened, thus making it easier to pull the lever and stop the cart. After the invention of the rubber tire, however, the wooden block brake became obsolete. A new brake was needed. This is when the second model (as seen above) was invented. It started out very similar to the original cable around a drum model but it soon became apparent that after a while, the cable would swell or shrink due to weathering and thus become ineffective at stopping the vehicle. It was the modified into a more complex braking system which was enclosed in a metal drum attached to the wheel. This type of drum brake was called the internal expanding shoe brake and consisted of a set of brake shoes, springs and pistons. This brake worked by expanding a set of brake shoes using pistons until they rubbed against the inside of the drum, causing friction and slowing the wheels down, thus stopping the car. This type of brake is still used in some cars today; however, a new and improved type of brake was created which is now often used in combination with the drum brake.
This type of brake is called the disc brake and is often used in combination with drum brakes and anti-lock braking system (ABS). The disc brake consists of a set of brake pads and pistons. When the driver applies the brakes, the pistons activate, squeezing the brake pads together on either side of the wheel. This method of braking applies a great amount of friction to the wheels to stop the car.
The development of brakes over the years has come very far; all the way from a simple wooden block and lever to highly efficient piston activated brakes. The development of brakes is still continuing and engineers have developed systems such as ABS and automatic brakes that activate when a sensor detects that a collision is imminent.
As the development of brakes continued throughout the years, the drum brake came into existence. It was first created as a way to make the wooden block easier to move. This model consisted of a cable wrapped around a metal drum. As the cart moved the cable tightened, thus making it easier to pull the lever and stop the cart. After the invention of the rubber tire, however, the wooden block brake became obsolete. A new brake was needed. This is when the second model (as seen above) was invented. It started out very similar to the original cable around a drum model but it soon became apparent that after a while, the cable would swell or shrink due to weathering and thus become ineffective at stopping the vehicle. It was the modified into a more complex braking system which was enclosed in a metal drum attached to the wheel. This type of drum brake was called the internal expanding shoe brake and consisted of a set of brake shoes, springs and pistons. This brake worked by expanding a set of brake shoes using pistons until they rubbed against the inside of the drum, causing friction and slowing the wheels down, thus stopping the car. This type of brake is still used in some cars today; however, a new and improved type of brake was created which is now often used in combination with the drum brake.
This type of brake is called the disc brake and is often used in combination with drum brakes and anti-lock braking system (ABS). The disc brake consists of a set of brake pads and pistons. When the driver applies the brakes, the pistons activate, squeezing the brake pads together on either side of the wheel. This method of braking applies a great amount of friction to the wheels to stop the car.
The development of brakes over the years has come very far; all the way from a simple wooden block and lever to highly efficient piston activated brakes. The development of brakes is still continuing and engineers have developed systems such as ABS and automatic brakes that activate when a sensor detects that a collision is imminent.
