Coincidental lock

Claim 2

In an automotive steering column structure including, a support column mounted on the vehicle, a steering shaft rotatably mounted within said support column and operatively connected to the vehicle steering gear, a keeper plate fixed to said steering shaft for unitary rotation therewith in a plane extending generally transversely of said support column, a steering shaft lock bolt supported on said support column for bodily movement between a locking position engaging said keeper plate and preventing movement of said steering shaft and an unlocking position remote from said keeper plate, lock means including a sleeve rigidly attached to said support column and a lock cylinder supported on said sleeve for rotary movement and normally secured thereagainst but adapted to receive in a key slot therein a key by which said lock cylinder is freed for rotary movement between a plurality of angular positions, and means connecting said lock cylinder to said lock bolt and operative in response to rotary movement of said lock cylinder to move said lock bolt between the locking and the unlocking positions, the combination comprising, latch means, means supporting said latch means on said support column for movement between latched and unlatched positions respectively engaging said latch bolt in the unlocking position thereof to prevent movement to the locking position and remote from said latch bolt, a push rod, means supporting said push rod in said support column for bodily movement between extended and retracted positions, spring means between said push rod and said latch operative in the retracted position of the former to yieldingly urge said latch toward the latched position thereof, means on one of said lock cylinder and said sleeve defining a cavity therein in communication with said key slot, a pawl, means supporting said pawl on said one of said lock cylinder and said sleeve for bodily movement between a first position spaced from said cavity and projecting into said key slot and a second position in said cavity, said pawl in the first position thereof being engageable on said key in response to insertion of the latter in said key slot and said key thereafter being operative to bodily move said pawl from the first to the second position thereof, means on said key operative in the inserted position thereof to close said cavity and thereby capture said pawl therein, and means connecting said pawl to said push rod so that said pawl in said second position thereof is operative to maintain said push rod in the retracted position thereof.

Claim 3

In an automotive steering column structure including, a support column mounted on the vehicle, a steering shaft rotatably mounted within said support column and operatively connected to the vehicle steering gear, a keeper plate fixed to said steering shaft for unitary rotation therewith in a plane extending generally transversely of said support column, a steering shaft lock bolt supported on said support column for bodily movement longitudinally of the latter between a locking position engaging said keeper plate and preventing movement of said steering shaft and an unlocking position remote from said keeper plate, lock means including a sleeve rigidly attached to said support column and a lock cylinder supported on said sleeve for rotary movement and normally secured thereagainst but adapted to receive in a key slot therein a key by which said lock cylinder is freed for rotary movement between a plurality of angular positions, and means connecting said lock cylinder to sAid lock bolt and operative in response to rotary movement of said lock cylinder to move said lock bolt between the locking and the unlocking positions, the combination comprising, latch means, means supporting said latch means on said support column for movement between latched and unlatched positions respectively engaging said latch bolt in the unlocking position thereof to prevent movement to the locking position and remote from said latch bolt, a push rod, means supporting said push rod on said support column for bodily movement between extended and retracted positions, spring means between said push rod and said latch operative in the retracted position of the former to yieldingly urge said latch toward the latched position thereof, means on said lock cylinder defining a groove therein, said groove communicating with said key slot and terminating at one end in a cavity juxtaposed to and communicating with said key slot, a pawl, means supporting said pawl on said lock cylinder for bodily movement in said groove between a first position spaced from said cavity and projecting into said key slot and a second position in said cavity, said pawl in the first position thereof being engageable on said key in response to insertion of the latter in said key slot and said key thereafter being operative to bodily move said pawl from the first to the second position thereof, means on said key operative in the inserted position thereof to close said cavity and thereby capture said pawl therein, an actuator member, and means rigidly connecting said actuator member to said pawl for bodily movement as a unit therewith in said groove, said actuator member being engageable on said push rod and operative in response to bodily movement of said pawl to the second position thereof to move said push rod to the retracted position thereof and to maintain said push rod in the retracted position.

Claim 4

In an automotive steering column structure including, a support column mounted on the vehicle, a steering shaft rotatably mounted within said support column and operatively connected to the vehicle steering gear, a keeper plate fixed to said steering shaft for unitary rotation therewith in a plane extending generally transversely of said support column, a steering shaft lock bolt supported on said support column for bodily movement longitudinally of the latter between a locking position engaging said keeper plate and preventing movement of said steering shaft and an unlocking position remote from said keeper plate, lock means including a sleeve rigidly attached to said support column and a lock cylinder supported on said sleeve for rotary movement and normally secured thereagainst but adapted to receive in a key slot therein a key by which said lock cylinder is freed for rotary movement between a plurality of angular positions, and means connecting said lock cylinder to sAid lock bolt and operative in response to rotary movement of said lock cylinder to move said lock bolt between the locking and the unlocking positions, the combination comprising, latch means, means supporting said latch means on said support column for movement between latched and unlatched positions respectively engaging said latch bolt in the unlocking position thereof to prevent movement to the locking position and remote from said latch bolt, a push rod, means supporting said push rod on said support column for bodily movement between extended and retracted positions, spring means between said push rod and said latch operative in the retracted position of the former to yieldingly urge said latch toward the latched position thereof, means on said lock cylinder defining a groove therein, said groove communicating with said key slot and terminating at one end in a cavity juxtaposed to and communicating with said key slot, a pawl, means supporting said pawl on said lock cylinder for bodily movement in said groove between a first position spaced from said cavity and projecting into said key slot and a second position in said cavity, said pawl in the first position thereof being engageable on said key in response to insertion of the latter in said key slot and said key thereafter being operative to bodily move said pawl from the first to the second position thereof, means on said key operative in the inserted position thereof to close said cavity and thereby capture said pawl therein, an actuator member, and means rigidly connecting said actuator member to said pawl for bodily movement as a unit therewith in said groove, said actuator member being engageable on said push rod and operative in response to bodily movement of said pawl to the second position thereof to move said push rod to the retracted position thereof and to maintain said push rod in the retracted position.

Claim 5

In an automotive steering column structure including, a support column mounted on the vehicle, a steering shaft rotatably mounted within said support column and operatively connected to the vehicle steering gear, a keeper plate fixed to said steering shaft for unitary rotation therewith in a plane extending generally transversely of said support column, a steering shaft lock bolt supported on said support column for bodily movement longitudinally of the latter between a locking position engaging said keeper plate and preventing movement of said steering shaft and an unlocking position remote from said keeper plate, lock means including a sleeve rigidly attached to said support column and a lock cylinder supported on said sleeve for rotary movement and normally secured thereagainst but adapted to receive in a key slot therein a key by which said lock cylinder is freed for rotary movement between a plurality of angular positions, and means connecting said lock cylinder to said lock bolt and operative in response to rotary movement of said lock cylinder to move said lock bolt between the locking and the unlocking positions, the combination comprising, a latch, means supporting said latch on said support column for pivotal movement between a latched position engaging said lock bolt in the unlocking position thereof to prevent movement to the locking position and an unlatched position remote from said lock bolt, an intermediate lever, means pivotally supporting said intermediate lever on said support column, spring means between said latch and said intermediate lever, a push rod, means supporting said push rod on said support column for bodily movement between an extended position and a retracted position, means operatively connecting said intermediate lever and said push rod so that the latter is operative in the retracted position thereof to compress said spring means and thereby yieldingly urge said latch toward the latched position thereof, means on said lock cylinder defining a groove therein, said groove communicating with said key slot and terminating at one end in a cavity juxtaposed to and communIcating with said key slot, a pawl, means supporting said pawl on said lock cylinder for bodily movement in said groove between a first position spaced from said cavity and projecting into said key slot and a second position in said cavity, said pawl in the first position thereof being engageable on said key in response to insertion of the latter in said key slot and said key thereafter being operative to bodily move said pawl from the first to the second position thereof, means on said key operative in the inserted position thereof to close said cavity and thereby capture said pawl therein, an actuator member, and means rigidly connecting said actuator member to said pawl for bodily movement as a unit therewith in said groove, said actuator member being engageable on said push rod and operative in response to bodily movement of said pawl to the second position thereof to move said push rod to the retracted position thereof and to maintain said push rod in the retracted position.

Claim 6

In an automotive steering column structure including, a support column mounted on the vehicle, a steering shaft rotatably mounted within said support column and operatively connected to the vehicle steering gear, a keeper plate fixed to said steering shaft for unitary rotation therewith in a plane extending generally transversely of said support column, a steering shaft lock bolt supported on said support column for bodily movement longitudinally of the latter between a locking position engaging said keeper plate and preventing movement of said steering shaft and an unlocking position remote from said keeper plate, lock means including a sleeve rigidly attached to said support column and a lock cylinder supported on said sleeve for rotary movement and normally secured thereagainst but adapted to receive in a key slot therein a key by which said lock cylinder is freed for rotary movement between a plurality of angular positions, and means connecting said lock cylinder to said lock bolt and operative in response to rotary movement of said lock cylinder to move said lock bolt between the locking and the unlocking positions, the combination comprising, a latch, means supporting said latch on said support column for pivotal movement between a latched position engaging said lock bolt in the unlocking position thereof to prevent movement to the locking position and an unlatched position remote from said lock bolt, an intermediate lever, means pivotally supporting said intermediate lever on said support column, spring means between said latch and said intermediate lever, a push rod, means supporting said push rod on said support column for bodily movement between an extended position and a retracted position, means operatively connecting said intermediate lever and said push rod so that the latter is operative in the retracted position thereof to compress said spring means and thereby yieldingly urge said latch toward the latched position thereof, means on said lock cylinder defining a groove therein, said groove communicating with said key slot and terminating at one end in a cavity juxtaposed to and communIcating with said key slot, a pawl, means supporting said pawl on said lock cylinder for bodily movement in said groove between a first position spaced from said cavity and projecting into said key slot and a second position in said cavity, said pawl in the first position thereof being engageable on said key in response to insertion of the latter in said key slot and said key thereafter being operative to bodily move said pawl from the first to the second position thereof, means on said key operative in the inserted position thereof to close said cavity and thereby capture said pawl therein, an actuator member, and means rigidly connecting said actuator member to said pawl for bodily movement as a unit therewith in said groove, said actuator member being engageable on said push rod and operative in response to bodily movement of said pawl to the second position thereof to move said push rod to the retracted position thereof and to maintain said push rod in the retracted position.