I was on flea-Bay looking for something else and came across this listing.
Now I have no idea how a hand-operated trailer brake works or what it actually does.....figured some of you guys know the whole scoop.

Just curious....I don't think I need one for anything but would like to know their application.
Does it just operate a remote set of lights? Send a pulse of hydraulic fluid to a set of axle drums?? Or is it a left-handed monkey wrench?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/46-50-51-54-55-57-60-Vintage-Ford-Chevy-Dodge-Truck-Warner-Trailer-Hand-Brake-/321405114921?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item4ad53cda29&vxp=mtr
Tom

 

Big trucks with air brakes have whats called a trolly, that is bassically hand operated emergency brake that looks similar to that.

 

I had one exactly like that one on an old '72 Cutlass I bought 30+ years ago. I never used it for anything but I think it operated pretty much like a modern trailer controller. It wasn't interlocked with brake, you just had to apply the electric brakes of the trailer by pushing or pulling on the handle.

 

It's an early electric brake controller that was mounted to bottom of the steering column. New brake controls have a small hand operated lever integrated into them. They modernized them in the 60's and 70's and added an automatic mode as shown below. The automatic mode was accomplished by adding a T to one of the brake lines (in the later years they did it at the MC) and attached a line from the T to the controller.

 

Also known as a Johnny Bar. It allows the trailer brakes to be operated independent of the vehicle brakes. Nice for a downgrade when the trailer starts to fishtail.

Brad

 

I drove truck back in the 70's and 80's, and I never hear it refereed to as any thing but the 'spike'.
Here is what we in the industry called a Johnny Bar

 

Our old horse trailer had one similar - Coming into KY one winter we ran into ice on the downhill of a long grade. The trailer with 2 horses in it started to fishtail around the truck. Applied the trailer brake without touching the truck brakes and it straighten the rig out all the way down that hill. I was one happy guy! They work well if you use them correctly.

 

I'll bet them horses left a shovelful for you after that!

Thanks guys, I knew you'd know the purpose of that thing.

Tom