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A brake apparatus includes a brake disk secured to a shaft and a reaction plate secured to a housing. The brake apparatus further includes a fluid actuated piston which urges the brake disk against the reaction plate to slow rotation of the shaft and an adjustment member positioned by the piston. Th

A brake apparatus includes a brake disk secured to a shaft and a reaction plate secured to a housing. The brake apparatus further includes a fluid actuated piston which urges the brake disk against the reaction plate to slow rotation of the shaft and an adjustment member positioned by the piston. The brake apparatus yet further includes a spring interposed between the adjustment member and the piston. The piston positions the adjustment member relative to the brake disk when fluid is applied to said piston. The spring urges the piston away from the adjustment member and brake disk when fluid pressure is removed from the piston.

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1. A brake apparatus, comprising,a brake disk secured to a shaft;a reaction plate secured to a housing;a fluid actuated piston having a contact surface which urges the brake disk against the reaction plate to slow rotation of the shaft;an adjustment member positioned by the contact surface, the adju

1. A brake apparatus, comprising,a brake disk secured to a shaft;a reaction plate secured to a housing;a fluid actuated piston having a contact surface which urges the brake disk against the reaction plate to slow rotation of the shaft;an adjustment member positioned by the contact surface, the adjustment member being mounted within and slideable relative to the reaction plate;a pin including a first portion engaged with the piston, the pin having a second portion in a sliding friction relationship with the adjustment member, wherein the pin extends between the piston and the reaction plate; anda spring retained between the adjustment member and the the reaction plate, wherein:the contact surface positions the adjustment member through movement of the pin relative to the brake disk when fluid is applied to the piston, andthe spring urges the contact surface away from the adjustment member and brake disk when fluid pressure is removed from the piston. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:the adjustment member is a bushing positioned in sliding contact with the pin,movement of the piston toward the brake disk repositions the bushing relative to the pin, andthe frictional force between the pin and the bushing is greater than the force of the spring on the bushing such that the spring force does not reposition the bushing relative to the pin. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the spring is a Bellville spring interposed between the bushing and the contact surface. 4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the spring is a coil spring interposed between the bushing and the contact surface. 5. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a retaining ring secured to the adjustment member, wherein the retaining ring limits the movement of the piston relative to the adjustment member. 6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the force of the spring on the piston is greater than the frictional forces between the piston and the housing. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:the adjustment member includes a sleeve in sliding contact with the housing and a bolt positioned in the sleeve,movement of the piston toward the brake disk urges a head of the bolt into the sleeve which repositions the sleeve relative to the housing, andthe frictional force between the sleeve and the housing is greater than the force of the spring on the sleeve such that the spring force does not reposition the sleeve relative to the housing. 8. The apparatus of 7 , wherein the spring is a Bellville spring interposed between the sleeve and the head of the bolt. 9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the force of the spring transmitted to the piston is greater than the frictional forces between the piston and the housing. 10. A method of operating a brake apparatus having (i) a brake disk secured to a shaft, (ii) a reaction plate secured to a housing, (iii) a fluid actuated piston having a contact surface which urges the brake disk against the reaction plate to slow rotation of the shaft, (iv) an adjustment member positioned by the contact surface, (v) a pin including a first portion engaged with the piston, the pin having a second portion in a sliding friction relationship with the adjustment member, wherein the pin extends between the piston and the reaction plate and the contact surface positions the adjustment member through movement of the pin relative to the brake disk when fluid is applied to the piston, and (vi) a spring interposed between the adjustment member and the contact surface, comprising the steps of:positioning the adjustment member relative to the brake disk by applying fluid to the piston; andurging the piston away from the adjustment member and brake disk with the spring when fluid pressure is removed from the piston. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the pin is secured to the housing and positioned parallel to movement of the piston and the adjustment member is a bushing positioned in sliding contact with the pin, further comprising the steps of:moving t he piston toward the brake disk;repositioning the bushing relative to the pin in response to the moving step; andpreventing movement of the bushing with the frictional force between the pin and the bushing. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the urging step includes the step of interposing a Bellville spring between the bushing and the contact surface. 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the urging step includes the step of interposing a coil spring between the bushing and the piston. 14. The method of claim 11, the brake apparatus further comprising a retaining ring secured to the adjustment member, further comprising the steps of limiting movement of the piston relative to the adjustment member with the retaining ring. 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the adjustment member includes a sleeve in sliding contact with the housing and a bolt positioned with the sleeve, further comprising the steps of:moving the piston toward the brake disk to urge a head of the bolt into the sleeve to reposition the sleeve relative to the housing; andpreventing movement of the sleeve by the spring with the frictional force between the sleeve and the housing. 16. The method of claim 15 the urging step further comprising the step of interposing a Bellville spring between the sleeve and the head of the bolt. 17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of limiting the frictional forces between the piston and the housing to less than the force of the spring transmitted to the piston. 18. A brake apparatus, comprisinga brake disk driven by a shaft;a reaction plate secured to a housing;a selectively moveable piston having a contact surface engageable with the brake disk wherein the brake disk is urged against the reaction plate to slow rotation of the shaft in response to compressive movement of the piston;a pin including a first portion engaged with the piston, the pin having a second portion in a sliding friction relationship with an adjustment member, wherein the pin extends between the piston and the reaction plate;the adjustment member provided between the piston and the reaction member and being operable to: (i) urge the piston away from the brake disk in response to deactivation of the brake assembly, and (ii) readjust a gap clearance between the brake disk and at least one of the piston and the reaction member in response to brake wear, wherein the contact surface positions the adjustment member through movement of the pin relative to the brake disk when fluid is applied to the piston. 19. The brake assembly of claim 18, wherein the adjustment member is the pin is repositioned relative to the adjustment member in response to readjustment of the gap clearance.