A disc brake is a type of brake that uses calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a spinning disc to create friction, which slows the rotation of a shaft such as a vehicle axle, either reducing its speed or holding it stationary. The energy of motion is converted into heat, which must then be dissipated to the surrounding environment. Disc brakes are found in most automobiles, where they are more expensive to manufacture than a drum brake, and are also fitted on some higher end bicycles. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
YearSourced to the subject's own accountFrederick William Lanchester patented the first caliper-type automobile disc brake in 1902; copper braking surfaces made it impractical on the roads of the time, and disc brakes did not see wide automotive use until the 1950s. SignificanceSourced to the subject's own accountDisc brakes proved themselves on railroad streamliners, airplanes and tanks before and during the Second World War, and by the early 1950s had become a regular fitting on new passenger rail rolling stock, ahead of their later spread to production cars. 1 Connections
Associated With
Invented By
Source Frederick W. Lanchester (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Disc brake (Wikipedia)
WikipediaHistory, Early experiments subsection, para 1
The first caliper-type automobile disc brake was patented by Frederick William Lanchester in his Birmingham factory in 1902 and used successfully on Lanchester cars.
History, Early experiments subsection, para 2
Successful application began on railroad streamliner passenger trains, airplanes, and tanks before and during World War II.
View the Source Frederick W. Lanchester (Wikipedia)
Invented By: Frederick William Lanchester, Article bodyQuote, Invented By: Frederick William Lanchester, Article body
On 1 December 1902, Lanchester was awarded Patent No. 26,407 for the disc brake.
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