Automotive cruise control

Claim 1

IN A CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM FOR AN AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLE HAVING AN ENGINE AND A DRIVER OPERATED THROTTLE CONTROL MEMBER FOR CONTROLLING THE FUEL SUPPLY TO THE ENGINE, A POWER UNIT HAVING A PRESSURE RESPONSIVE ELEMENT LOCATED THEREIN, SAID PRESSURE REPONSIVE ELEMENT BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID THROTTLE CONTROL MEMBER FOR CONTROLLING MOVEMENT THEREOF, FLUID PRESSURE MEANS FOR CAUSING MOVEMENT OF SAID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE ELEMENT, SOLENOID VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE APPLICATION OF SAID FLUID PRESSURE TO SAID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE ELEMENT, MODULATING VALVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID POWER UNIT FOR REGULATING AND CONTROLLING THE APPLICATION OF SAID FLUID PRESSURE TO SAID PRESSURE RESPONSIVE ELEMENT, SPEED RESPONSIVE GOVERNOR MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID MODULATING VALVE MEANS FOR CONTROLLING MOVEMENT THEREOF AT PREDETERMINED SPEEDS, SAID GOVERNOR MEANS INCLUDING A VARIABLE GOVERNOR LOAD SPRING FOR DETERNINING THE SPEED AT WHICH MOVEMENT OF SAID MODULATING VALVE MEANS OCCURS, MANUALLY OPERABLE ACTUATING MEANS FOR RENDERING SAID CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM OPERABLE, AND SPEED CONTROLLED MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID VARIABLE GOVERNOR LOAD SPRING AND SAID ACTUATING MEANS FOR VARYING AND SETTING THE EFFECTIVE FORCE EXERTED BY SAID SPRING TO THAT VALUE WHICH IS NECESSARY FOR AUTOMATIC MAINTENANCE OF VEHICLE SPEED AT THE SPEED OCCURRING DURING ACTUATION OF SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS.