Locking device for aircraft controls

Claim 1

A LOCKING DEVICE FOR LOCKING AIRCRAFT COCKPIT PEDAL AND WHEEL CONTROLS, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: FIRST AND SECOND STRAIGHT ELONGATED TUDES TELESCOPING TOGETHER SUCH THAT THEIR OVERALL LENGTH MAY BE VARIED TO CORRESPOND TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN AT LEAST ONE PEDAL OF SAID AIRCRAFT AND SAID WHEEL WHEN SAID WHEEL IS MOVED TO ITS FURTHEST POSITION FROM SAID PEDAL; CLUTCHING MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID TUBES AGAINST INWARD TELESCOPING MOVEMENT AFTER THE SAME HAVE BEEN TELESCOPED OUTWARDLY TO DEFINE SAID DISTANCE; PEDAL ENGAGING MEANS ADJACENT TO THE END OF SAID FIRST ELONGATED TUBE FOR ENGAGING THE PEDAL OF SAID AIRCRAFT; AND WHEEL ENGAGING MEANS ADJACENT THE END OF SAID SECOND ELONGATED TUBE FOR ENGAGING SAID WHEEL TO THEREBY HOLD SAID PEDAL AND WHEEL IN STATIONARY POSITIONS AND THEREBY PREVENT EXTERNAL MOVEMENTS OF THE CONTROL SURFACES OF SAID AIRCRAFT, SAID CLUTCHING MEANS INCLUDING A CLUTCH PLATE HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING THROUGH WHICH SAID SECOND ELONGATED TUBE PASSES, SAID FIRST ELONGATED TUBE INCLUDING A BENT PORTION ADJACENT TO ITS END TELESCOPICALLY RECEIVING SAID SECOND ELONGATED TUBE, SAID PLATE HAVING AN EDGE CRADLED IN SAID BENT PORTION; AND SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID PLATE AT AN ANGLE TO SAID TUBES WHEREBY SAID CENTRAL OPENING CLUTCHES SAID SECOND ELONGATED TUBE TO PREVENT INWARD TELESCOPING MOVEMENT THEREOF, MANUAL RETRACTION OF AN OPPOSITE EDGE OF SAID PLATE TO BRING ITS PLANE INTO A POSITION NORMAL TO THE AXIS OF SAID TUBES RELEASING SAID SECOND TUBE SO THAT THE SAME MAY BE TELESCOPED INTO SAID FIRST TUBE WHEREBY SAID CONTROLS MAY BE RELEASED.