Frame-mounted brake is independent of wheels and consists of simple lever-actuated foot. Brake makes good contact with surface even though foot pad is at higher or lower level than wheels, this is particularly important when a rollable platform is used on irregular surface

Morris, A. L.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

May 1974	 B74-10045 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
Ames Research Center / 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage 
commercial application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Brake for Rollable Platform 
The problem: 
To provide a rollable platform with a brake which 
will lock in place on either level or irregular surfaces. 
Handle 
Guide 
Platform 
LLTZ [
	
Beam 
Leg 
Collar	
'.	 Foot 
- Foot Pad 
The solution: 
A frame-mounted brake which is independent of 
the wheels and consists of a simple lever-actuated foot.
provided with a pad of rubber or other high-friction 
material. 
When the brake is inoperative, the pin indicated in 
the diagram is held in an upper groove by gravity, so 
there is no tendency for the device to rattle or the 
tube to turn; the foot is held well above the surface 
on which the platform rests. To set the brake, it is 
only necessary to raise the handle slightly to disen-
gage the pin from the upper groove and then turn it 
900 in either direction so that the pin is lined up with 
the slot. Then, the handle is pushed down until the 
pin has cleared the bottom of the guide (causing the 
spring to be compressed somewhat and the foot to 
contact the ground) and rotated a quarter-turn in 
either direction so that the pin is now located in the 
lower groove (detent). The compressed spring holds 
the foot firmly in contact with ground, preventing 
the frame from moving. To release the brake, the 
procedure is reversed. 
The brake is proportioned so that the pin is about 
halfway down the slot when the pad is level with the 
bottom of the wheels; this ensures that the brake will 
make a good contact with a surface even though the 
foot pad is at a higher or lower level than the wheels, 
a feature which is particularly important when the 
rollable platform is used on an irregular surface. 
Note: 
No additional documentation is available. Specific 
questions, however, may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
Ames Research Center 
Moffett Field, California 94035 
Reference: B74-10045 
Patent status: 
This is the invention of a NASA employee, and 
--
Tube
Slot S Spring 
	 Pin 
How it's done: 
The diagram illustrates the brake in the raised 
position and mounted on the frame of a rollable plat-
form between a pair of caster wheels. The collar and 
guide are welded or otherwise suitably fastened to 
the frame; the tube slides freely in the guide. The leg 
is mounted for sliding movement in the collar and 5	 terminates in the enlarged swivel-foot which may be
(continued overleaf) 
This document was prepared under the Sponsorship of the National 	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States 	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States 	 will be free from privately owned rights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19740000045 2020-03-17T14:00:25+00:00Z
U.S. Patent No. 3,715,015 has been issued to him. 
Inquiries concerning license for its commercial devel-
opment may be addressed to the inventor: Mr. Arthur 
L. Morris, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, 
California 94035.
Source: Arthur L. Morris 
Ames Research Center 
(ARC-10512)
. 
. 
B74-10045	 Category 06 •


Brake for rollable platform

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