Steering mechanism with manual and electric drive for motor vehicles

Claim 1

POWER ASSISTABLE STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES INCLUDING A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY, MANUALLY CONTROLLABLE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT OPENING AND CLOSING MEANS, AND THE MANUALLY ROTATABLE COMBINATION COMPRISING: A STEERING HAND MEMBER, A STEERING GEAR INPUT ELEMENT, AND POWER OPERABLE STEERING DRIVE MEANS COUPLING SAID HAND MEMBER WITH SAID INPUT ELEMENT, SAID DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING A DRIVEN ELEMENT COUPLED WITH ONE OF SAID HAND MEMBER OR SAID INPUT ELEMENT, A DRIVING ELEMENT DISPOSED FOR COACTION WITH SAID DRIVEN ELEMENT AND REACTION AGAINST THE OTHER OF SAID HAND MEMBER OR SAID INPUT ELEMENT, AND ELECTRIC MOTOR MEANS ENERGIZABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE OPERATION OF SAID CIRCUIT OPENING AND CLOSING MEANS AND ADAPTED FOR IMPARTING MOTION TO SAID DRIVING ELEMENT SO AS TO EFFECT ROTATIONAL DISPLACEMENT OF SAID INPUT ELEMENT RELATIVE TO SAID STEERING HAND MEMBER IN EITHER OF TWO OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS, WHEREIN SAID MOTOR MEANS IS MOUNTED ON SAID MANUALLY ROTATABLE COMBINATION AND ROTATES WITH SAID COMBUSTION, AND WHEREIN SAID ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT OPENING AND CLOSING MEANS IS SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO BE MANUALLY CONTROLLABLE IRRESPECTIVE OF THE MAGNITUDE OF THE MANUAL TORQUE APPLIED TO SAID HAND MEMBER.