Abstract 889,083. Change-speed control. REGIE NATIONALE DES USINES RENAULT. June 14, 1960 [June 24, 1959], No. 20874/60. Class 80 (2). A vehicle gear-change lever 1 having a ball connection with an axially-movable and rotatable cranked selecting and establishing rod 13 is so arranged as to prevent inadvertent engagement of reverse gear. As shown, lever 1 houses a compression spring 16 engaging the ball 14 at the end of rod 13 and is attached to a curved sleeve 5 carrying a pivot-pin 6 engaging a slot 8 in a socket 7 through which rod 13 passes. In neutral, and when lever 1 is moved forwardly for forward gear selection, pin 6 engages the lower end of slot 8, but before the lever can be moved rearwardly for selecting reverse gear it must first be moved axially against spring 16 to slide pin 6 into engagement with the upper end of slot 8 and to disengage the upper edge of sleeve 5 from a detent shoulder 18 on socket 7. Ball 14 is mounted eccentrically on the end of rod 13 and may be rotated to adjust sleeve 5 in relation to shoulder 18. The lever may be mounted on the dashboard or steering column.
A GEAR SHIFT CONTROL DEVICE FOR SELECTIVELY ENGAGING AND DISENGAGING THE GEARS OF A GEAR BOX HAVING FOUR FORWARD SPEEDS AND ONE REVERSE SPEED COMPRISING AN ANNULAR BEARING, A HOLLOW SOCKET ROTATABLY CARRIED IN SAID BEARING, SAID SOCKET FIXED AXIALLY OF SAID BEARING, A DOWNWARDLY DEPENDING PORTION ON SAID SOCKET HAVING AN ELONGATED VERTICAL SLOT THEREIN, A LEVER WITH A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PORTION AND AN ARCUATE UPPER TUBULAR PORTION, A TRANSVERSE PIN SECURED TO SAID ARCUATE PORTION AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SLOT TO PIVOTALLY CONNECT THE LEVER TO SAID SOCKET, SAID LEVER HAVING A CONICAL HOLLOW SECTION THEREIN ADJACENT AND BELOW SAID ARCUATE TUBULAR PORTION, A BENT GEAR BOX CONTROL ROD EXTENDING THROUGH SAID SOCKET, ARCUATE PORTION AND CONICAL HOLLOW SECTION, A BALL MEMBER SECURED TO THE END OF SAID ROD IN SAID CONICAL SECTION, SPRING MEANS IN SAID CONICAL SECTION BELOW SAID ROD END AND BEARING AGAINST SAID BALL MEMBER AND THE SURFACE OF SAID CONICAL SECTION, SHOULDERS ON SAID SOCKET OPPOSITE SAID ELONGATED SLOT, THE EDGE OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO ABUT ONE OF SAID SHOULDERS WHEN SAID LEVER IS PULLED DOWNWARDLY TO SELECT A FORWARD SPEED AND TO CLEAR SAID SHOULDERS WHEN SAID LEVER IS PUSHED UPWARDLY, SAID SPRING MEANS BEING DISPOSED TO HAVE ITS AXIS OFFSET WITH RESPECT TO THE AXIS OF THE BALL MEMBER WHEN SAID LEVER IS PUSHED UPWARDLY.