Rear viewing device

Claim 1

A rear viewing device adapted to be attached to a vehicle such as an automobile, truck or the like, and which is remotely adjustable to permit selective viewing of a wide area by the operator of the vehicle and which is automatically returnable to its original predetermined normal viewing position, said device comprising, a mirror, support means adapted to be attached to said vehicle for mounting said mirror for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, means carried by said support means and connected to said mirror for resiliently biasing said mirror to a predetermined normal viewing position, an air cylinder carried by said support means, a piston mounted for translation within said air cylinder and operatively connected to said mirror, the external surface of said piston and the internal bore of said cylinder defining therebetween a clearance, an air pressure source operatively communicating with said air cylinder, valve means for permitting the passage of air at an adjustable and controlled rate from said air pressure source into said air cylinder to thereby translate said piston along said cylinder and rotate said mirroR, said air cylinder, said piston, said clearance and said valve means cooperating for applying a force in a direction and of sufficient magnitude to rotate said mirror about said axis against the action of said biasing means from said predetermined normal viewing position to one of a plurality of other viewing positions and for automatically relieving the force on said mirror by exhausting air from said cylinder at a controlled rate whereby the rate of air passage through said cylinder determines the angle of rotation of the mirror and the mirror will be returned by said biasing means to its normal viewing position when the rate of air passage through said cylinder and said clearance is reduced to zero.