Parking brake actuating mechanisms

A parking brake actuating mechanisms (10) having first (11) and second (15) pivotally interconnected levers which act between brake shoes (14,18) so that pivoting (P) of the first lever relative to the second lever increases the effective length of the mechanism thus moving the associated brake shoes apart to engage the parking brake. The first lever includes an actuating cable abutment formation (31a) against which an actuating cable nipple (28) on a free end of a cable (27) is drawn to move the first lever (11) hence operating the mechanism. The first lever is also of hollow form defining a guide passage (29) through which the free end of the cable is directed from an aperture (24) in the backplate (23) of the associated brake to a location adjacent to the abutment formation (31a) to enable the nipple to be engaged with the formation. A leaf spring (40) is also provided to tend to maintain the cable nipple (28) in position for engagement with the abutment formation (31a) on the first lever (11).