Transfer case with straight line shifter

Claim 2

In a transfer case in a vehicle having front and rear wheels for selectively providing two and four wheel drive, shift lever means supported for limited rotary movement only in a single pLane, a pair of shift rods extending into said transfer case, link means operatively connected to said shift lever means, pin and slot means pivotally and slidably connecting said link to each of said rods, connector means operatively connecting a first of said shift rods to the transfer case gearing so that said first rod can control the power flow through said transfer case to the rear wheels of the vehicle, connector means operatively connecting a second of said shift rods to the transfer case gearing so that said second rod can control the power flow through said transfer case to said front wheels of the vehicle, and interlock means comprising a shoulder formed within each of said rods and inwardly of said link means for contacting said link means and comprising a pair of interlock pins operatively disposed between the shift rods and elongated recess in one of said rods and cooperating cam surfaces on said rods which cooperate with said pins to permit the rods to be positioned by movement of said lever means in said plane at a four wheel low position, a neutral position, a two wheel high position and a four wheel high position and further which inhibits the positioning of said rods at a two wheel low position.

Claim 3

In a vehicle having front and rear drive wheels and having gearing means for providing two or four wheel drive, a shift lever, support means mounting said shift lever for limited rotary movement in a plane to predetermined positions to condition said transmission for two wheel high range drive, four wheel high range drive, neutral, and four wheel low range drive, a link member having a straight inner edge portion, connector means connecting said link member to said shift lever, a first shift rod operatively connected to said link member and to said transmission for controlling the power flow into the rear drive wheels, a second shift rod operatively connected to said link member and to said transmission for controlling the power flow into the front drive wheels, sliding pivot connector means mounting said link member for limited turning movement in a first direction on each of said rods, and contact shoulder means formed within each of said rods and adjacent to said link member for contact with the straight inner edge portion when said link member is turned in an opposite direction so that one rod will not be moved ahead of the other, and interlock means comprising a pair of interlock pins disposed between said shift rods and opposing cam surfaces on said rods to permit said rods to be shifted together by movement of said shift lever in said plane between four wheel low and neutral position and which holds said second rod in said neutral position as said lever turns said link member to position said first rod at a predetermined position conditioning said transmission for two wheel high range drive.

Claim 4

In a vehicle having front and rear drive wheels and having gearing means for providing two or four wheel drive, a shift lever, support means mounting said shift lever for limited rotary movement in a plane to predetermined positions to condition said transmission for two wheel high range drive, four wheel high range drive, neutral, and four wheel low range drive, a link member having a straight inner edge portion, connector means connecting said link member to said shift lever, a first shift rod operatively connected to said link member and to said transmission for controlling the power flow into the rear drive wheels, a second shift rod operatively connected to said link member and to said transmission for controlling the power flow into the front drive wheels, sliding pivot connector means mounting said link member for limited turning movement in a first direction on each of said rods, and contact shoulder means formed within each of said rods and adjacent to said link member for contact with the straight inner edge portion when said link member is turned in an opposite direction so that one rod will not be moved ahead of the other, and interlock means comprising a pair of interlock pins disposed between said shift rods and opposing cam surfaces on said rods to permit said rods to be shifted together by movement of said shift lever in said plane between four wheel low and neutral position and which holds said second rod in said neutral position as said lever turns said link member to position said first rod at a predetermined position conditioning said transmission for two wheel high range drive.

Claim 5

In a vehicle having selectively powered front and rear drive wheels and having a geared transmission in a transfer case operatively connected to said drive wheels for providing low speed ratio, high speed ratio and neutral, a shift lever, support means mounting said shift lever for limited rotary movement in a plane to predetermined positions to condition said transmission for two wheel high range drive, four wheel high range drive, neutral, and four wheel low range drive, an elongated link member having a straight inner edge portion, connector means operatively connecting said link member intermediate its ends to an end portion of said shift lever, a first shift rod mounted for axial movement in said transfer case operatively connected to said transmission for controlling the power flow into the rear drive wheels, first pin and slot means slidably and pivotally connecting one end portion of said link member to said first shift rod, a second shift rod mounted for axial movement in said transfer case and operatively connected to said transmission for controlling the power flow into the front drive wheels, second pin and slot means slidably and pivotally connecTing the other end portion of said link member to said second shift rod, interlock means comprising a pair of interlock pins disposed between said shift rods and opposing cam surfaces on said shift rods for connecting the ends of said pins to permit said rods to be shifted between four-wheel low and neutral and which holds said second rod in said neutral position as said lever turns said link member to position said first rod at a predetermined position conditioning said transmission for two wheel high drive range, recess means in one of said rods for receiving the end of one of said pins to permit said second rod to be moved by said lever from a neutral position to a position in which the front wheels are driven at a high speed ratio, and shoulder means formed in each of said rods adjacent to said inner edge portion of said link member for contact therewith to limit the sliding pivotal movement of said link member relative to said rods in one direction to prevent said second rod from moving ahead of said first rod in shifting from four-wheel low to neutral and to prevent said first rod from moving ahead of said second rod in shifting from neutral to four-wheel low.

Claim 6

In a vehicle having selectively powered front and rear drive wheels and having a geared transmission in a transfer case operatively connected to said drive wheels for providing low speed ratio, high speed ratio and neutral, a shift lever, support means mounting said shift lever for limited rotary movement in a plane to predetermined positions to condition said transmission for two wheel high range drive, four wheel high range drive, neutral, and four wheel low range drive, an elongated link member having a straight inner edge portion, connector means operatively connecting said link member intermediate its ends to an end portion of said shift lever, a first shift rod mounted for axial movement in said transfer case operatively connected to said transmission for controlling the power flow into the rear drive wheels, first pin and slot means slidably and pivotally connecting one end portion of said link member to said first shift rod, a second shift rod mounted for axial movement in said transfer case and operatively connected to said transmission for controlling the power flow into the front drive wheels, second pin and slot means slidably and pivotally connecTing the other end portion of said link member to said second shift rod, interlock means comprising a pair of interlock pins disposed between said shift rods and opposing cam surfaces on said shift rods for connecting the ends of said pins to permit said rods to be shifted between four-wheel low and neutral and which holds said second rod in said neutral position as said lever turns said link member to position said first rod at a predetermined position conditioning said transmission for two wheel high drive range, recess means in one of said rods for receiving the end of one of said pins to permit said second rod to be moved by said lever from a neutral position to a position in which the front wheels are driven at a high speed ratio, and shoulder means formed in each of said rods adjacent to said inner edge portion of said link member for contact therewith to limit the sliding pivotal movement of said link member relative to said rods in one direction to prevent said second rod from moving ahead of said first rod in shifting from four-wheel low to neutral and to prevent said first rod from moving ahead of said second rod in shifting from neutral to four-wheel low.

Claim 7

A transfer case for a vehicle having front and rear drive wheels for selectively providing two or four wheel drive comprising a shift control lever, support means mounting said shift control lever for limited turning movement in a straight line pattern to different predetermined stations to condition the gearing in said transfer case for any one of a plurality of different drive modes, first shift rod extending into said transfer case having connector means operatively connected to the gearing in said transfer case and being longitudinally movable therein for conditioning the rear wheels for low range drive, neutral and high range drive, second shift rod means extending into said transfer case having connector means operatively connected to the gearing in said transfer case and being longitudinally movable therein for conditioning the front wheels for low range drive, neutral, and high range drive, a link member having a straight inner edge portion operatively connected to said control lever and slidably and pivotally connected to the ends of said shift rods so that said lever can be employed to move said rods longitudinally, and a stop shoulder on each of said rods and inwardly of said inner edge portion of said link member to contact and limit the turning movement of said link member to prevent one of said rods to be moved ahead of another, and interlock means comprising a pair of interlock pins operatively disposed between said shift rods and comprising opposing cam surfaces on said shift rod which cooperates with said interlock pins to permit said shift rods to be shifted simultaneously by said lever between four wheel drive and neutral and which inhibits movement of said second rod when said lever moves said first rod to said two wheel high position and recess means in said first rod to receive one of said interlock pins allowing said second rod to be shifted to a position in which power is directed to said front wheels as well as said rear to provide a four wheel high position.

Claim 8

A transfer case for a vehicle having front and rear drive wheels for selectively providing two or four wheel drive comprising a shift control lever, support means mounting said shift control lever for limited turning movement in a straight line pattern to different predetermined stations to condition the gearing in said transfer case for any one of a plurality of different drive modes, first shift rod extending into said transfer case having connector means operatively connected to the gearing in said transfer case and being longitudinally movable therein for conditioning the rear wheels for low range drive, neutral and high range drive, second shift rod means extending into said transfer case having connector means operatively connected to the gearing in said transfer case and being longitudinally movable therein for conditioning the front wheels for low range drive, neutral, and high range drive, a link member having a straight inner edge portion operatively connected to said control lever and slidably and pivotally connected to the ends of said shift rods so that said lever can be employed to move said rods longitudinally, and a stop shoulder on each of said rods and inwardly of said inner edge portion of said link member to contact and limit the turning movement of said link member to prevent one of said rods to be moved ahead of another, and interlock means comprising a pair of interlock pins operatively disposed between said shift rods and comprising opposing cam surfaces on said shift rod which cooperates with said interlock pins to permit said shift rods to be shifted simultaneously by said lever between four wheel drive and neutral and which inhibits movement of said second rod when said lever moves said first rod to said two wheel high position and recess means in said first rod to receive one of said interlock pins allowing said second rod to be shifted to a position in which power is directed to said front wheels as well as said rear to provide a four wheel high position.

Claim 9

The transfer case defined in claim 4 and further comprising pin and slot means for slidably and pivotally connecting the ends of each of said rods to said link member to permit said control lever to exert a turning force on said link to thereby turn said link with respect to one of said pins to shift one of said rods longitudinally as the other is being held by at least one of said interlock pins.