Manual Slack Adjusters

In a S-cam type foundation brake, the final link between the pneumatic system and the foundation brake is the brake adjuster. The arm of the brake adjuster is fastened to the push rod of the chamber with a clevis and the spline end is installed on the brake camshaft. Primarily, the brake adjuster is a lever that converts the linear force of the air chamber push rod into a torque which turns the brake camshaft and applies the brake.
Two types of brake adjusters are in use; manual type brake adjusters, which periodically require a manual adjustment; and self-adjusting brake adjusters, which automatically adjust during normal service braking applications. All brake adjusters use the worm and gear principle and fundamentally differ only in their torque limit specification