Transmission disabling apparatus

Claim 2

In a vehicle: an engine starting motor, a transmission having a mechanism adapted selectively to establish a neutral condition or a drive condition, a manually operable selector having a neutral position, and elements interconnecting the last mentioned selector with the mechanism for manually controlled selecting operation but under some conditions selecting the drive condition when the manually operable selector is in a neutral position, and a manually operated switch having a ''''run'''' position and a ''''start'''' position and effective in the ''''start'''' position to energize the engine starting motor and in the ''''run'''' position to maintain the engine running, once started; transmission disabling means independent of said mechanism effective when actuated positively to preclude said drive condition; and means operative in response to actuation of the switch either to ''''start'''' or ''''run'''' position and concurrent selection of the manually operable selector to a ''''neutral'''' position, to actuate said transmission disabling means.

Claim 3

In a vehicle, an engine starting motor, a transmission, a transmission range selector having a ''''neutral'''' position wherein the transmission is subject to possible unintended drive operation, the range selector establishing contact between a first terminal and a second terminal when in said ''''neutral'''' position, and a manually operated switch having a ''''run'''' contact and a ''''start'''' contact, means establishing a starting circuit from a source of voltage through the ''''start'''' contact and first and second terminals in sequence to the engine starting motor, and in which the ''''run'''' contact only is connected to said source of voltage when the switch is in ''''run'''' position, the improvement comprising: transmission disabling means effective when electrically energized positively to preclude said drive operation; a first relay having normally open contacts and an operating coil; means defining an energizing circuit from said ''''run'''' contact through the contacts of said first relay to said disabling means for energizing the disabling means when the first relay is energized; a second relay having an operating coil connected between the ''''start'''' contact and the ''''run'''' contact and a pair of normally open contacts connected respectively to the ''''run'''' contact and the operating coil of the first relay for energizing the first relay, and therefore the second relay, when the ''''run'''' contact only is connected to the voltage source and the first and second terminals are in contact; and a means for maintaining energization of the first relay when the ''''start'''' and ''''run'''' contacts are both connected to the source of voltage and the first and second terminals are in contact.

Claim 4

In a vehicle, an engine starting motor, a transmission, a transmission range selector having a ''''neutral'''' position wherein the transmission is subject to possible unintended drive operation, the range selector establishing contact between a first terminal and a second terminal when in said ''''neutral'''' position, and a manually operated switch having a ''''run'''' contact and a ''''start'''' contact, means establishing a starting circuit from a source of voltage through the ''''start'''' contact and first and second terminals in sequence to the engine starting motor, and in which the ''''run'''' contact only is connected to said source of voltage when the switch is in ''''run'''' position, the improvement comprising: transmission disabling means effective when electrically energized positively to preclude said drive operation; a first relay having normally open contacts and an operating coil; means defining an energizing circuit from said ''''run'''' contact through the contacts of said first relay to said disabling means for energizing the disabling means when the first relay is energized; a second relay having an operating coil connected between the ''''start'''' contact and the ''''run'''' contact and a pair of normally open contacts connected respectively to the ''''run'''' contact and the operating coil of the first relay for energizing the first relay, and therefore the second relay, when the ''''run'''' contact only is connected to the voltage source and the first and second terminals are in contact; and a means for maintaining energization of the first relay when the ''''start'''' and ''''run'''' contacts are both connected to the source of voltage and the first and second terminals are in contact.

Claim 5

In a vehicle, an engine starting motor, a transmission, a transmission range selector having a ''''neutral'''' position wherein the transmission is subject to possible unintended drive operation, the range selector establishing contact between a first terminal and a second terminal when in said ''''neutral'''' position, and a manually operated switch having a ''''run'''' contact and a ''''start'''' contact, means establishing a starting circuit from a source of voltage through the ''''start'''' contact and first and second terminals in sequence to the engine starting motor, and in which the ''''run'''' contact only is connected to said source of voltage when the switch is in ''''run'''' position, the improvement comprising: transmission disabling means effective when electrically energized positively to preclude said drive operation; a first relay having normally open contacts and an operating coil; means defining an energizing circuit from said ''''run'''' contact through the contacts of said first relay to said disabling means for energizing the disabling means when the first relay is energized; a second relay having an operating coil connected between the ''''start'''' contact and the ''''run'''' contact and a pair of normally open contacts connected respectively to the ''''run'''' contact and the operating coil of the first relay for energizing the first relay, and therefore the second relay, when the ''''run'''' contact only is connected to the voltage source and the first and second terminals are in contact; and means defining a unidirectional current conducting path from the second terminal of the range selector to the operating coil of the first relay and effective to energize the same when the range selector is in neutral position and said second terminal is energized.

Claim 6

In a vehicle, an engine starting motor, a transmission, a transmission range selector having a ''''neutral'''' position wherein the transmission is subject to possible unintended drive operation, the range selector establishing contact between a first terminal and a second terminal when in said ''''neutral'''' position, and a manually operated switch having a ''''run'''' contact and a ''''start'''' contact, means establishing a starting circuit from a source of voltage through the ''''start'''' contact and first and second terminals in sequence to the engine starting motor, and in which the ''''run'''' contact only is connected to said source of voltage when the switch is in ''''run'''' position, the improvement comprising: transmission disabling means effective when electrically energized positively to preclude said drive operation; a first relay having normally open contacts and an operating coil; means defining an energizing circuit from said ''''run'''' contact through the contacts of said first relay to said disabling means for energizing the disabling means when the first relay is energized; a second relay having an operating coil connected between the ''''start'''' contact and the ''''run'''' contact and a pair of normally open contacts connected respectively to the ''''run'''' contact and the operating coil of the first relay for energizing the first relay, and therefore the second relay, when the ''''run'''' contact only is connected to the voltage source and the first and second terminals are in contact; and means defining a unidirectional current conducting path from the second terminal of the range selector to the operating coil of the first relay and effective to energize the same when the range selector is in neutral position and said second terminal is energized.