Gear shift mechanism

Claim 1

A MANUAL GEAR SHIFTING MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING A VEHICLE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WHICH HAS AT LEAST ONE NONDRIVING POSITION AND WHICH IS SHIFTABLE FROM SAID NONDRIVING POSITION INTO REVERSE GEAR POSITION AND INTO AT LEAST THREE FORWARD SPEED GEAR POSITIONS, BY LINEAR MOVEMENT OF A SINGLE GEAR ACTUATING LEVER IN ONE DIRECTION AND IS SHIFTABLE FROM SAID FORWARD SPEED POSITIONS INTO REVERSE AND INTO SAID NON-DRIVING POSITION BY LINEAR MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATING LEVER IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SAID SHIFTING MECHANISM INCLUDING: A HOUSING, A GENERALLY U-SHAPED SLOT FORMED IN SAID HOUSING WITH THE LIMBS OF THE U EXTENDING FORWARDLY AND REARWARDLY WITH REFERENCE TO THE ORIENTATION OF THE VEHICLE AND WITH THE BIGHT PORTION OF THE U EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY, AND CONNECTING THE REAR ENDS, OF SAID LIMBS, A MANUALLY OPERABLE SHIFTING STICK RECIPROCABLE IN EACH OF SAID LIMBS AND IN SAID BIGHT PORTION, AND MEANS CONNECTING SAID SHIFTING STICK TO SAID ACTUATING LEVER AND OPERATIVE TO TRANSLATE THE MOVEMENT OF SAID STICK IN ONE OF SAID LIMBS, IN ONE DIRECTION, INTO MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATING LEVER A PRE-DETERMINED DISTANCE IN A CORRESPONDING DIRECTION, AND TO TRANSLATE MOVEMENT OF SAID STICK IN THE OTHER OF SAID LIMBS, IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID ONE DIRECTION, TO FURTHER MOVE SAID ACTUATING LEVER IN SAID ONE DIRECTION.