Disclosed herein is a single shoe-type brake apparatus. The single shoe-type brake apparatus includes: an integrated sideways U-shaped single brake shoe configured to form an open ring shape, to be integrated into a single body, and to have a separation region on one side thereof so that it is subjected to external force in a direction where it is extended to both sides thereof; a cylinder installed in the separation region, and configured to provide the external force; and a friction material coupled to the outer circumferential surface of the brake shoe, and installed to selectively come into contact with a brake drum as the brake shoe is extended. The friction coefficient of the friction material is considerably lower than that of a common brake friction material, and a brake factor is almost identical to that of a brake apparatus having two shoes.

A friction device for a vehicle having a flanged wheel (with a wheel flange and wheel tread) includes a backing plate and a friction structure. The backing plate may interface with a brake actuator of the vehicle. The friction structure is attached to the backing plate and comprises a friction material; the friction structure has a longitudinal flange side, a longitudinal rim side, and two opposing ends, and defines a brake surface for engaging the flanged wheel for braking. The friction structure includes an extended volume portion of the friction material on the longitudinal flange side, which defines a flange contact region of the brake surface. The flange contact region may at least partially engage the flange and to align the friction device with the wheel tread, e.g., the flange contact region may be complementary in shape to at least part of the flange.

A brake pad 10 can brake a rotation of a disc 200. The brake pad 10 includes a friction material 12 provided on the side of the disc 200 and a back plate 11 bonded to the friction material 12 on the opposite side of the disc 200. A thickness of a central region of the back plate 11 in a rotational direction of the disc 200 is larger than thicknesses of both end regions of the back plate 11 in the rotational direction of the disc. In the case where a minimum value of the thicknesses of the end regions of the back plate 11 is defined as h.sub.1 [mm] and a maximum value of the thickness of the central region of the back plate 11 is defined as h.sub.2 [mm], h.sub.1 and h.sub.2 preferably satisfy a relationship of h.sub.2h.sub.1<3.

A clutch plate assembly includes a central axis, a clutch plate with a first friction surface and a radially outer depressed portion, and a friction material ring. The friction material ring is bonded to the first friction surface and extends radially outside of the first friction surface such that an outer portion of the friction material ring is axially aligned with the clutch plate radially outer depressed portion. In an example embodiment, the first friction surface is disposed at an acute angle to a plane orthogonal to the central axis. In some example embodiments, the first friction surface is conical. In an example embodiment, the radially outer depressed portion is conical and axially offset from the first friction surface. In an example embodiment, the radially outer depressed portion is manufactured by machining, stamping, or coining.

The invention relates to a drum brake, in particular for commercial vehicles, comprising a first brake shoe and a second brake shoe, wherein the first brake shoe is arranged as a leading brake shoe in the drum brake, wherein the second brake shoe is arranged as a trailing brake shoe in the drum brake, wherein at least one leading lining element can be fixed on the first brake shoe, and at least one trailing lining element can be fixed on the second brake shoe, wherein the number of leading lining elements fixed on the first brake shoe is greater than the number of trailing lining elements fixed on the second brake shoe.

A railroad car spring type brake shoe key for connecting a brake shoe to a brake head, wherein the brake shoe key includes a body or shank and a head integrally formed with the body or shank, and wherein the key has a reduced mass head, an alternative configuration head, a surface treatment, or two or more of these modifications that reduces the likelihood that the head will weaken and/or break off the body of the brake shoe key.

A friction device and method for a wheel may include a backing plate and a friction material disposed on the backing plate to form a brake surface to engage a surface of the wheel. The friction material extends between a first end and a second end along a central longitudinal axis, and between a rim side and a flange side. The friction material may include an extended volume portion that includes one or more protrusions and/or recesses extending away from a longitudinal flange side of the friction material to engage the flange of the wheel. The method including engaging and disengaging a brake surface.

A block for wheel brakes comprising a friction portion, in which a friction surface is defined, which, in use, acts upon a peripheral surface of a wheel in order to carry out the braking action, a support plate, which is fixed, in an irreversible manner, to a surface of the friction portion opposite the friction surface, and a base plate, which is fixed to the support plate and comprises a coupling element to fix the block as a whole to a brake system. The block comprises at least one elastic element placed between the support plate and the base plate. The presence of the elastic element creates a ventilation air space between the support plate and the base plate.

A friction device may include a backing plate connected with a friction material. The friction device may include a conditioning insert at least partially embedded within the friction material. The conditioning insert may include opposite first and second longitudinal sides that extend from the backing plate to the conditioning surface and opposite first and second lateral sides that extend from the backing plate to the conditioning surface. The first longitudinal side, the second longitudinal side, the first lateral side, and/or the second lateral side of the conditioning insert can include one or more protrusions extending away from the first longitudinal side, the second longitudinal side, the first lateral side, and/or the second lateral side and into the friction material.