ABSTRACT
According to equation (1-7), the torque provided by a caliper brake having pads similar to those in Figure 4 usually will be greater than that provided by circular pads of equal area, as shown in Figure 5, when acting on disks of equal outside diameter because the proportions of the pads in the brake shown in Figure 4 generally place the center of pressure at a larger radius from the center of the disk. (See also Figure 6.)
Circular pads are often used, nevertheless, in hydraulically activated caliper brakes whenever the hydraulic pressure may be increased relatively cheaply because the pads themselves are supported entirely by the piston face and are therefore cheaper to produce because no additional supporting
structure is required. Noncircular pads are used where increasing the pressure may be relatively expensive and where the maximum performance is required for the pressure that is available, as in aircraft brakes.
