Elevator brake pad mounting systems and methods for making and using same

1. An elevator braking system, comprising:

a wedge having a brake pad attachment section; said section having a recessed brake pad receiving portion and a recessed side plate receiving portion;

a brake pad having a notch; said brake pad configured to be received within said recessed brake pad receiving portion; said notch disposed such that a back face of said brake pad is wider than a front face of said brake pad;

a wedge bearing race having a curved surface configured to self-align with a roller bearing during a braking operation; said wedge bearing race being coupled to said wedge; and

a side plate having a fastener receiving portion and an overhanging portion that is perpendicular to said fastener receiving portion; said side plate having a length shorter than an adjoining side of said brake pad;

wherein, said overhanging portion mates with said notch when said brake pad is received within said recessed brake pad receiving portion and said side plate is secured to said recessed side plate receiving portion.

2. The elevator braking system of claim 1 , wherein said brake pad is devoid of an aperture that extends therethrough.

3. The elevator braking system of claim 1 , wherein:

said notch comprises a first notch and a second notch; and

said side plate comprises a first side plate and a second side plate.

4. The elevator braking system of claim 1 , further comprising said roller bearing having a roller.

5. The elevator braking system of claim 4 , wherein said wedge bearing race has a concave outer surface and said roller has a convex outer surface.

6. The elevator braking system of claim 4 , further comprising a clamping jaw; said clamping jaw having a jaw race to which the roller bearing is slidably coupled.

7. The elevator braking system of claim 4 , further comprising a resetting spring; said resetting spring extending beneath a cage of said roller bearing.

8. The elevator braking system of claim 7 , wherein said cage includes a first cage and a second cage; said first cage being coupled to said second cage with at least one spacer.

9. A method for coupling a brake pad to a wedge, comprising:

providing an elevator braking system, comprising:

said wedge having a front surface and a side surface;

said brake pad; and

a side plate having a fastener receiving portion and an overhanging portion that is perpendicular to said fastener receiving portion; said side plate having a length shorter than an adjoining side of said brake pad;

forming a recessed brake pad receiving portion in said front surface and a recessed side plate receiving portion in said side surface;

forming a notch in said brake pad such that a back face of said brake pad is wider than a front face of said brake pad;

situating said brake pad in said recessed brake pad receiving portion; and

securing said side plate to said recessed side plate receiving portion such that said overhanging portion mates with said notch to clamp said brake pad to said wedge.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of securing a wedge race to a rear surface of said wedge.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said wedge race comprises a curved outer surface.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of slidably coupling a roller bearing to said wedge race.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the step of forming a roller bearing by rotatably coupling a roller to a cage of said roller bearing.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said roller includes a curved outer surface.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of using said curved outer surface of said wedge race and said curved outer surface of said roller to automatically align said brake pad to a guiderail during a braking operation.

16. An elevator braking system, comprising:

a wedge having a front face and a side face; said front face including a brake pad receiving portion; said side face including a side plate receiving portion;

a brake pad having a notch; said notch disposed such that a back face of said brake pad is wider than a front face of said brake pad; said brake pad being situated in said brake pad receiving portion; and

a side plate configured to be secured within said side plate receiving portion such that a part of said side plate mates with said notch; said side plate having a length shorter than an adjoining side of said brake pad.

17. The elevator braking system of claim 16 , wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of a first material forming said brake pad is different from a coefficient of thermal expansion of a second material forming said wedge.

18. The elevator braking system of claim 16 , wherein said side plate includes a fastener receiving portion and an overhanging portion perpendicular to said fastener receiving portion.

19. The elevator braking system of claim 16 , further comprising a roller bearing slidably coupled to said wedge.