Vehicle parking brake control

Claim 1

IN A MECHANISM OF THE PAWL AND RATCHET TYPE FOR OPERATING A PARKING BRAKE OR THE LIKE OF A VEHICLE, NCLUDING IN COMBINATION A STATIONARY SUPPORT, A RATCHET IMMOVABLY FIXED TO SAID STATIONARY SUPPORT, A BRAKE LEVER SWINGABLY MOUNTED TO SAID SUPPORT, AND WITH SUITABLE MEANS TO CONNECT IT WITH A BRAKE OPERATING CABLE OR ROD, AND ADAPTED TO BE MOVED BETWEEN A BRAKE RELEASED POSITION AND A BRAKE APPLIED POSITION, A PAWL PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID BRAKE LEVER WITH RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID PAWL INTO CONTACT WITH SAID RATCHET FOR HOLDING SAID BRAKE LEVER IN BRAKE APPLIED POSITION, A BRAKE PEDAL, ALSO SWINGABLY MOUNTED ON SAID STATIONARY SUPPORT AND NOT ONLY ADAPTED TO APPLY FORCE ON SAID BRAKE LEVER IN BRAKE APPLYING DIRECTION BUT ALSO TO SWING AWAY FROM SAID BRAKE LEVER ON URGING OF RESILIENT MEANS BETWEEN THEM, WHEN SAID BRAKE LEVER IS HELD BY SAID PAWL IN A BRAKE APPLIED POSITION, A DISTANCE LIMITED BY AN APPROPRIATE STOP BETWEEN SAID BRAKE LEVER AND SAID PEDAL JUST SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT A PAWL CONTROLLING LEVER, PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID PEDAL, TO PIVOT TO A POSITION FROM WHICH MOTION IMPARTED TO SAID PEDAL IN A BRAKE APPLYING DIRECTION WILL CAUSE SAID PAWL CONTROLLING LEVER TO FORCE SAID PAWL OUT OF CONTACT WITH SAID RATCHET, PERMITTING THE MECHANISM TO BE EASED BACK TO BRAKE RELEASED POSITION, SAID PAWL CONTROLLING LEVER BEING OF SUCH DESIGN THAT WHEN MECHANISM REACHES THE BRAKE RELEASED POSITION SAID PAWL CONTROLLING LEVER WILL HAVE BEEN PIVOTED BY CONTACT WITH APPROPRIATE PROJECTION ON SAID RATCHET OR OTHER NON-MOVING PART TO POSITION IN WHICH SAID PAWL IS RELEASED TO MAKE CONTACT WITH SAID RATCHET AND, IN WHICH POSITION SAID PAWL IS OF SUCH DESIGN THAT IT WILL HOLD SAID PAWL CONTROLLING LEVER IN INOPERATIVE POSITION WHILE MECHANISM IS IN BRAKE RELEASED POSITION AND DURING FOOT APPLICATION OF BRAKE.