Spring device for assisting clutch operators

Claim 1

IN COOPERATION WITH A CLUTCH HAVING A CLUTCH COVER AND RESILIENT MEANS DISPOSED WITHIN THE CLUTCH COVER FOR NORMALLY BIASING THE CLUTCH TO AN OPERATIVE POSITION THE COMBINATION COMPRISING (A) A BELL HOUSING DISPOSED ABOUT SAID CLUTCH, (B) A PAIR OF ALIGNED CROSS SHAFTS JOURNALED IN SAID BELL HOUSING FOR ROTATION WITH RESPECT THERETO, (C) MANUALLY OPERATIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO ONE OF SAID CROSS SHAFTS AND SELECTIVELY OPERATIVE TO CAUSE ROTATION THEROF, (D) A YOKD MEMBER CONNECTING SAID CROSS SHAFTS FOR UNITARY ROTATION, (E) RELEASE MEANS DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID YOKE MEMBER AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED THERETO WHEREBY ROTATION OF SAID CROSS SHAFTS CAUSES RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT OF SAID RELEASE MEANS, (F) LEVER MEANS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID CLUTCH COVER AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID CLUTCH AND HAVING THE INNER ENDS THEREOF OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID RELEASE MEANS WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF SAID RELEASE MEANS IN ONE DIRECTION CAUSES SAID CLUTCH TO BECOME INOPERATIVE AGAINST THE BIAS OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS, (G) ASSIST MEANS INCLUDING ENERGY STORING MEANS DISPOSED ABOUT ONE OF SAID CROSS SHAFTS AND BEING OPERATIVE TO STORE ENERGY OF SAID RESILIENT MEANS UPON RELEASE OF SAID MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS AND MOVEMENT OF SAID RELEASE MEANS IN THE OTHER DIRECTION, (H) LOCKING MEANS INCLUDING (1) A SLEEVE DISPOSED ABOUT ONE OF SAID CROSS SHAFTS, (2) DETENT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BELL HOUSING AND SAID ONE CROSS SHAFT, (3) GUIDE OPENINGS IN SAID MEMBER, AND (4) LOCKING MEMBERS NORMALLY DISPOSED IN SAID GUIDE OPENINGS AND SAID DETENT MEANS IN SAID ONE CROSS SHAFT FOR SECURING SAID SLEEVE TO SAID ONE CROSS SHAFT, AND SAID LOCKING MEMBERS BEING DISPOSED IN SAID GUIDE OPENINGS AND THE DETENT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BELL HOUSING UPON LIMITED ROTARY MOVEMENT OF SAID ONE CROSS SHAFT WHEREBY SAID SLEEVE IS CONNECTED TO SAID BELL HOUSING AND SAID ENERGY STORING MEANS BECOMES OPERATIVE TO AID ROTATION OF SAID ONE CROSS SHAFT AND ASSIST THE OPERATOR IN OPERATING THE CLUTCH.