Position locator for an adjustable seat supporting assembly

Claim 1

A position locator for an adjustable seat supporting assembly which comprises: a seat supporting channel; a guide rail; support means for supporting said guide rail in a position such that said seat supporting channel may move therealong; a position location plate supported by said supporting means adjacent said guide rail, said plate having a plurality of location positions thereon equally spaced along its length; a locator pin means for association with a selected one of said location positions of said locator plate; a shaft rotatably supported on said support means in such a position that said shaft extends in its length dimension along the length of said guide rail; a plurality of spacing blocks aligned and supported in a single row along the length of said shaft, said spacing blocks being spaced from one another by substantially equal distances and being aligned with said location positions of said locator plate; a pair of locator members received on said shaft, each of said members having (1) a thickness less than said space between adjacent ones of said spacing blocks so that said members are positionable between associated pairs of said blocks, (2) a central opening therethrough of a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of said shaft, (3) a secondary opening connected to said central opening, said secondary opening being of sufficient size to permit movement of said spacing blocks therethrough thus permitting the shifting of said members along the length of said shaft when said blocks are aligned with said secondary openings thereof, and (4) a projecting portion extending to a position in juxtaposition with a portion of said position location plate having said location positions thereon, said positioning of said projecting portion with respect to said position location plate acting to retain said locator member in a fixed attitude with respect to said location plate even though said shaft is rotated in said central opening thereof, said projecting portion also directing said pin means into association with a selected one of said locator positions of said locator plate with which said projecting portion is in juxtaposition, said secondary openings of said locator members not being aligned with one another when said members are on said shaft whereby said shaft has to be in one angular attitude to permit movement of one locator member therealong, and whereby said shaft has to be in a different angular attitude to permit movement of the other locator member therealong; spring means for biasing said locator members toward one another to a central position along the length of said shaft; and mounting means fixed to and movable with said seat supporting channel, said mounting means for movably mounting said locator pin means for movement between an advanced position wherein said pin means is associated with one of said location positions of said locator plate thereby to position said seat supporting channel in a selected position, and a retracted position wherein said pin means is in a position withdrawn from said association but in juxtaposition with said plate whereby said pin means can be brought into engagement with said projecting portion of either of said locator members, said pin means being able to move an engaged one of said members along said shaft against the bias of spring means if said shaft is rotated to such a position that Said spacing blocks thereof are aligned with said secondary opening of said engaged locator member whereby said locator member may be repositioned between a different pair of said spacing blocks to direct said pin means into a different one of said location positions of said locator plate.