Coincidental vehicle steering column and floor shift lock

Claim 2

In an automotive vehicle including steering column apparatus provided with a steering shaft and further including a transmission shift apparatus mounted on the floor of the vehicle passenger compartment in spaced relation to said steering column, said shift apparatus including a support housing on the floor and a selector member therein operably connected to the vehicle power transmission and movable to select different operating ranges thereof, steering column and floor shift locking apparatus comprising a keeper on said steering shaft, a lock bolt mounted in said steering column for movement between locked and unlocked positions relative to said keeper, lockable manual actuating means mounted on said steering column and operably connected with said bolt for causing movement thereof between locked and unlocked positions, cooperable latch means on said selector member of said shift apparatus and said housing thereof, said latch means being movable between a latched position occurring in a predetermined position of said selector corresponding to a nonforward drive range of the vehicle power transmission to hold said selector therein and an unlatched position, lock-blocking means mounted in said steering column for movement between a blocking position preventing movement of said bolt from the unlocked to the locked position thereof by said manual actuating means and an unblocking position, means connecting said blocking means to said selector member so that movement of the latter to said predetermined position thereof causing latching of said cooperable latch means moves said blocking means from the blocking to the unblocking position thereof permitting subsequent movement of said lock bolt from the unlocked to the locked position thereof by said manual actuating means, and means operative in response to such movement of said lock bolt to the locked position thereof to hold said latch means in the latched position thereof.

Claim 3

In an automotive vehicle including steering column apparatus provided with a steering shaft and further including a transmission shift apparatus mounted on the floor of the vehicle passenger compartment spaced relation with said steering column, said shift apparatus including a support housing on the floor and a selector member therein operably connected to the vehicle transmission and movable to select different operating ranges thereof, steering column and floor shift locking apparatus comprising a keeper on said steering shaft, a lock bolt mounted in said steering column for movement between locked and unlocked positions relative to said keeper, lockable manual actuating means mounted on said steering column and operably connected with said bolt for causing movement thereof between locked and unlocked positions, cooperable latch means on said selector member of said shift apparatus and said housing thereof movable between a normal unlatched position and a latched position, means on said latch means and on said selector member operative to move the former to the latched position thereof in response to movement of said selector member to a predetermined position thereof corresponding to a nonforward drive range of the vehicle power transmission to hold said selector member therein, lock-blocking means mounted in said steering column for movement between a blocking position preventing movement of said bolt from the unlocked to the locked position thereof by said manual actuating means and an unblocking position, means operatively connecting said blocking means to said latch means so that movement of the latter to the latched position thereof in response to movement of said selector member to said predetermined position thereof induces movement of said blocking means from the blocking to the unblocking position thereof permitting subsequent movement of said lock bolt from the unlocked to the locked position thereof by said manual actuating means, and means operative in response to such movement of said lock bolt to the locked position thereof to hold said latch meaNs in the latched position thereof.

Claim 4

In an automotive vehicle including steering column apparatus provided with a steering shaft and further including a transmission shift apparatus mounted on the floor of the vehicle passenger compartment spaced relation with said steering column, said shift apparatus including a support housing on the floor and a selector member therein operably connected to the vehicle transmission and movable to select different operating ranges thereof, steering column and floor shift locking apparatus comprising a keeper on said steering shaft, a lock bolt mounted in said steering column for movement between locked and unlocked positions relative to said keeper, lockable manual actuating means mounted on said steering column and operably connected with said bolt for causing movement thereof between locked and unlocked positions, cooperable latch means on said selector member of said shift apparatus and said housing thereof movable between a normal unlatched position and a latched position, means on said latch means and on said selector member operative to move the former to the latched position thereof in response to movement of said selector member to a predetermined position thereof corresponding to a nonforward drive range of the vehicle power transmission to hold said selector member therein, lock-blocking means mounted in said steering column for movement between a blocking position preventing movement of said bolt from the unlocked to the locked position thereof by said manual actuating means and an unblocking position, means operatively connecting said blocking means to said latch means so that movement of the latter to the latched position thereof in response to movement of said selector member to said predetermined position thereof induces movement of said blocking means from the blocking to the unblocking position thereof permitting subsequent movement of said lock bolt from the unlocked to the locked position thereof by said manual actuating means, and means operative in response to such movement of said lock bolt to the locked position thereof to hold said latch meaNs in the latched position thereof.

Claim 5

In an automotive vehicle including steering column apparatus provided with a steering shaft and further including a transmission selector apparatus mounted on the floor of the vehicle passenger compartment in spaced relation with said steering column, said selector apparatus including a support housing on the floor and a selector member therein operably connected to the vehicle transmission and movable to select different operating ranges thereof, steering column and floor shift locking apparatus comprising a keeper on said steering shaft, a lock bolt mounted in said steering column for movement between locked and unlocked positions relative to said keeper, lockable manual actuating means mounted on said steering column and operably connected with said bolt for causing movement thereof between locked and unlocked positions, cooperable latch means on said selector member of said shift apparatus and said housing thereof movable between a normal unlatched position and a latched position, means on said latch means and on said selector member operative to move the former to the latched position thereof in response to movement of said selector member to a predetermined position thereof corresponding to a nonforward drive range of the vehicle power transmission to hold said selector member therein, lock-blocking means mounted in said steering column for movement between a blocking position preventing movement of said bolt from the unlocked to the locked position thereof by said manual actuating means and an unblocking position, means operatively connecting said blocking means to said latch means so that movement of the latter to the latched position thereof in response to movement of said selector member to said predetermined position thereof induces movement of said blocking means from the blocking to the unblocking position thereof permitting subsequent movement of said lock bolt from the unlocked to the locked position thereof by said manual actuating means, means biasing said blocking means to the blocking position thereof, said operative connecting means being effective to transfer said bias on said blocking means to said latch means to bias the latter to the unlatched position thereof, and cooperating means on said actuating means and said blocking means operative in the locked position of said lock bolt to hold said blocking means in the unblocking position thereof and thereby effective through said operative connecting means to hold said latch means in the latched position thereof.

Claim 6

In an automotive vehicle including steering column apparatus provided with a steering shaft and further including a transmission selector apparatus mounted on the floor of the vehicle passenger compartment in spaced relation with said steering column, said selector apparatus including a support housing on the floor and a selector member therein operably connected to the vehicle transmission and movable to select different operating ranges thereof, steering column and floor shift locking apparatus comprising a keeper on said steering shaft, a lock bolt mounted in said steering column for movement between locked and unlocked positions relative to said keeper, lockable manual actuating means mounted on said steering column and operably connected with said bolt for causing movement thereof between locked and unlocked positions, cooperable latch means on said selector member of said shift apparatus and said housing thereof movable between a normal unlatched position and a latched position, means on said latch means and on said selector member operative to move the former to the latched position thereof in response to movement of said selector member to a predetermined position thereof corresponding to a nonforward drive range of the vehicle power transmission to hold said selector member therein, lock-blocking means mounted in said steering column for movement between a blocking position preventing movement of said bolt from the unlocked to the locked position thereof by said manual actuating means and an unblocking position, means operatively connecting said blocking means to said latch means so that movement of the latter to the latched position thereof in response to movement of said selector member to said predetermined position thereof induces movement of said blocking means from the blocking to the unblocking position thereof permitting subsequent movement of said lock bolt from the unlocked to the locked position thereof by said manual actuating means, means biasing said blocking means to the blocking position thereof, said operative connecting means being effective to transfer said bias on said blocking means to said latch means to bias the latter to the unlatched position thereof, and cooperating means on said actuating means and said blocking means operative in the locked position of said lock bolt to hold said blocking means in the unblocking position thereof and thereby effective through said operative connecting means to hold said latch means in the latched position thereof.

Claim 7

In an automotive vehicle including steering column apparatus provided with a stationary portion rotatably mounted therewithin a steering shaft, and further including a transmission floor shift apparatus mounted on the floor of the vehicle passenger compartment in spaced relation with said steering column, said floor shift apparatus including a support housing on the floor and a selector member therein operably connected to the vehicle power transmission and movable to select different operating ranges thereof, steering column and floor shift locking apparatus comprising a keeper member mounted on said steering shaft, a lock bolt mounted slidably in said steering column stationary portion for movement between locked and unlocked positions relative to said keeper member, lockable manual actuating means including a key controlled cylinder lock and sector device and a rack member connected to said lock bolt and reciprocable within said stationary portion by rotation of said key-controlled cylinder lock and sector device, ignition switch means connected with the vehicle electrical ignition circuit and mounted on said steering column, means connecting said actuating rack member with said ignition switch means, a fork latch bolt rotatably mounted on said floor shift housing, a striker fixed to said selector member, cam means on said selector member engageable with said fork bolt upon movement of said selector member to a predetermined position thereof correspondiNg to a nonforward driving range of the vehicle power transmission to move said fork bolt from a normal unlatched position thereof to a latched position in engagement with said keeper, a blocking member rotatably mounted in said steering column stationary portion for movement between a blocking and an unblocking position, shoulder means on said blocking member and on said actuating rack member engageable in the blocking position of said blocking member to prevent movement of said actuating rack from the unlocked to the locked position of said lock bolt, spring means mounted between said stationary portion of said steering column and said blocking member urging the latter to said blocking position thereof, flexible cable means connecting said blocking member with said fork bolt to transfer the bias on said blocking member in a manner to bias said fork bolt to the unlatched position thereof, said movement of said selector member to said predetermined position thereof being operative to transfer motion of said fork bolt to the latched position thereof through said connecting means to move said blocking member from the blocking to the unblocking position thereof against the action of said biasing means, and further shoulder means on said blocking member and said actuating rack operative in the unblocking position of said blocking member and the locked position of said rack to prevent forced movement of said blocking member and said connecting means and said fork bolt as a unit out of the latched position of said fork bolt.

Claim 8

In an automotive vehicle including steering column apparatus provided with a stationary portion rotatably mounted therewithin a steering shaft, and further including a transmission floor shift apparatus mounted on the floor of the vehicle passenger compartment in spaced relation with said steering column, said floor shift apparatus including a support housing on the floor and a selector member therein operably connected to the vehicle power transmission and movable to select different operating ranges thereof, steering column and floor shift locking apparatus comprising a keeper member mounted on said steering shaft, a lock bolt mounted slidably in said steering column stationary portion for movement between locked and unlocked positions relative to said keeper member, lockable manual actuating means including a key controlled cylinder lock and sector device and a rack member connected to said lock bolt and reciprocable within said stationary portion by rotation of said key-controlled cylinder lock and sector device, ignition switch means connected with the vehicle electrical ignition circuit and mounted on said steering column, means connecting said actuating rack member with said ignition switch means, a fork latch bolt rotatably mounted on said floor shift housing, a striker fixed to said selector member, cam means on said selector member engageable with said fork bolt upon movement of said selector member to a predetermined position thereof correspondiNg to a nonforward driving range of the vehicle power transmission to move said fork bolt from a normal unlatched position thereof to a latched position in engagement with said keeper, a blocking member rotatably mounted in said steering column stationary portion for movement between a blocking and an unblocking position, shoulder means on said blocking member and on said actuating rack member engageable in the blocking position of said blocking member to prevent movement of said actuating rack from the unlocked to the locked position of said lock bolt, spring means mounted between said stationary portion of said steering column and said blocking member urging the latter to said blocking position thereof, flexible cable means connecting said blocking member with said fork bolt to transfer the bias on said blocking member in a manner to bias said fork bolt to the unlatched position thereof, said movement of said selector member to said predetermined position thereof being operative to transfer motion of said fork bolt to the latched position thereof through said connecting means to move said blocking member from the blocking to the unblocking position thereof against the action of said biasing means, and further shoulder means on said blocking member and said actuating rack operative in the unblocking position of said blocking member and the locked position of said rack to prevent forced movement of said blocking member and said connecting means and said fork bolt as a unit out of the latched position of said fork bolt.