Adjustable steering column

Claim 1

IN A MOTOR VEHICLE, AN AXIALLY ADJUSTABLE STEERING COLUMN COMPRISING AN OUTER TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A FIRST TRANSVERSE SLOT LOCATED IN THE WALL THEREOF, SAID OUTER TUBULAR MEMBER BEING RIGIDLY CONNECTED TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE, AN INNER TUBULAR MEMBER AXIALLY MOVABLE WITH RESPECT TO SAID OUTER TUBULAR MEMBER, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID OUTER AND INNER TUBULAR MEMBERS FOR PREVENTING RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN, A SLEEVELIKE MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF AXIALLY SPACED TRANSVERSE GROOVES ON THE SURFACE THEREOF AND ADJACENT SAID FIRST TRANSVERSE SLOT, SAID SLEEVELIKE MEMBER BEING LOCATED BETWEEN SAID OUTER AND INNER MEMBERS AND FIXEDLY CONNECTED TO THE LATTER FOR AXIAL MOVEMENT THEREWITH AND BEARING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FORMER, A FIRST CYLINDRICAL ROLLER LOCATED IN SAID FIRST SLOT FOR ENGAGING ONE OF SAID GROOVES, A LOCKING RING TELESCOPED OVER SAID OUTER TUBULAR MEMBER AND MOVABLE AXIALLY WITH RESPECT THERETO, SAID LOCKING RING HAVING A FIRST POSITION FOR FORCING SAID FIRST ROLLER INTO ONE OF SAID GROOVES TO THEREBY PREVENT AXIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER TUBULAR MEMBERS AND A SECOND POSITION FOR PERMITTING SAID FIRST ROLLER TO MOVE FROM ONE GROOVE TO ANOTHER WHEN THE INNER TUBULAR MEMBER AND SLEEVELIKE MEMBER ARE MOVED AXIALLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID OUTER TUBULAR MEMBER, MANUALLY OPERATED ACTUATING MEANS FOR CAUSING MOVEMENT OF SAID LOCKING RING FROM SAID FIRST TO SAID SECOND POSITION, FIRST RESILIENT MEANS FOR RETURNING SAID LOCKING RING FROM SAID SECOND TO SAID FIRST POSITION, A FIRST POLYGONAL SHAPED STEERING SHAFT COMPONENT LOCATED WITHIN SAID INNER TUBULAR MEMBER, A SECOND STEERING SHAFT COMPONENT TELESCOPED OVER SAID FIRST STEERING SHAFT COMPONENT AND MOVABLE AXIALLY WITH RESPECT THERETO, SAID SECOND STEERING SHAFT COMPONENT HAVING A POLYGONAL BORE LOCATED THEREIN FOR RECEIVING AND ENGAGING SAID FIRST STEERING SHAFT COMPONENT TO PREVENT RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN AND A SECOND TRANSVERSE SLOT EXTENDING THROUGH THE WALL THEREOF, MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND STEERING SHAFT COMPONENT FOR CAUSING ROTATION THEREOF, A SECOND CYLINDRICAL ROLLER LOCATED IN SAID SECOND SLOT, A SECOND RING TELESCOPED OVER SAID SECOND STEERING SHAFT COMPONENT, SAID SECOND RING HAVING A TAPERED RAMP ON THE INNER SURFACE THEREOF FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SECOND ROLLER, SECOND RESILIENT MEANS FOR URGING SAID RING IN A DIRECTION TENDING TO FORCE SAID SECOND ROLLER RADIALLY TO CAUSE FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT AND ELIMINATION OF TORSIONAL LASH BETWEEN SAID STEERING SHAFT COMPONENTS, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SECOND STEERING SHAFT COMPONENT AND SAID INNER TUBULAR MEMBER FOR CAUSING CONCOMITANT AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID INNER TUBULAR MEMBER UPON AXIAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND SHAFT COMPONENT BUT PERMITTING RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN.