Control mechanism

Claim 2

A control mechanism comprising a bracket member, first and second pulleys rotatably mounted on said bracket member, a control knob operatively connected to one of said pulleys and manually rotatable into a plurality of predetermined circumferential positions, an endless flexible belt mounted around said first and second pulleys, a bellcrank lever having one end thereof pivotally connected to said flexible belt, first, second, and third slots formed in said bracket member, first, second, and third pivot pin members slidably mounted in said first, second, and third slots, respectively, said first and second pivot pin members being secured to said bellcrank lever, a slot formed in the other end of said bellcrank lever, said third pivot pin member being slidably mounted in said bellcrank lever slot, connecting means connected at one end thereof to said third pivot pin member and at the other end thereof to a device to be controlled, the movement of said second pivot pin member along said second slot in response to manual movement of said control knob serving to control the angular relatioNship of said bellcrank lever between said flexible belt and said connecting means and thereby moving said third pivot pin member into predetermined positions along said third slot corresponding to said predetermined circumferential positions of said control knob.

Claim 3

A control mechanism for a vehicular transmission, said control mechanism comprising a bracket member, first and second pulleys rotatably mounted on said bracket member, a control knob operatively connected to one of said pulleys and manually rotatable into a plurality of predetermined circumferential positions corresponding to Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low transmission drive ratios, an endless flexible belt mounted around said first and second pulleys, a bellcrank lever having one end thereof pivotally connected to said flexible belt, first, second, and third slots formed in said bracket member, first, second, and third pivot pin members slidably mounted in said first, second, and third slots, respectively, said first and second pivot pin members being secured to said bellcrank lever, a slot formed in the other end of said bellcrank lever, said third pivot pin member being slidably mounted in said bellcrank lever slot, a cable connected at one end thereof to said third pivot pin member and at the other end thereof to said transmission, the movement of said second pivot pin member along said second slot in response to manual movement of said control knob serving to control the angular relationship of said bellcrank lever between said flexible belt and said cable and thereby moving said third pivot pin member into predetermined positions along said third slot corresponding to said predetermined circumferential positions of said control knob.

Claim 4

A control mechanism for a vehicular transmission, said control mechanism comprising a bracket member, first and second pulleys rotatably mounted on said bracket member, a control knob operatively connected to one of said pulleys and manually rotatable into a plurality of predetermined circumferential positions corresponding to Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low transmission drive ratios, an endless flexible belt mounted around said first and second pulleys, a bellcrank lever having one end thereof pivotally connected to said flexible belt, first, second, and third slots formed in said bracket member, first, second, and third pivot pin members slidably mounted in said first, second, and third slots, respectively, said first and second pivot pin members being secured to said bellcrank lever, a slot formed in the other end of said bellcrank lever, said third pivot pin member being slidably mounted in said bellcrank lever slot, a cable connected at one end thereof to said third pivot pin member and at the other end thereof to said transmission, the movement of said second pivot pin member along said second slot in response to manual movement of said control knob serving to control the angular relationship of said bellcrank lever between said flexible belt and said cable and thereby moving said third pivot pin member into predetermined positions along said third slot corresponding to said predetermined circumferential positions of said control knob.

Claim 5

The control mechanism described in claim 2, and a transverse slot formed in said bracket member adjacent the end of said second slot and serving to cooperate with said second pivot pin member to cause said third pivot pin member to attain the same position in said third slot for both the Park and Neutral positions of said control knob.

Claim 6

A control mechanism comprising bracket means, first and second pulleys rotatably mounted on said bracket means, a control knob operatively connected to one of said pulleys and manually rotatable into a plurality of predetermined circumferential positions, an endless flexible belt mounted around said first and second pulleys, a bellcrank lever having one end thereof pivotally connected to said flexible belt, first, second, and third slots formed in said bracket means, an off-set slot formed in said bracket means adjacent the end of said second slot, a first pivot pin member extending from said bellcrank lever into said first slot, a second pivot pin member connected at an intermediate point on said bellcrank lever and extending into said second slot, lost-motion means formed on the other end of said bellcrank lever, a third pivot pin member extending through said lost-motion means and into said third slot, means for connecting an actuator member thereto formed on said third pivot pin member, said first, second, and third pivot pin members cooperatively responding to manual actuation of said control knob to move along said respective first, second, and third slots to thus cause said actuator member to move into a series of positions corresponding to said plurality of predetermined circumferential positions of said control knob so long as said second pivot pin member remains in said second slot, said third pivot pin member being moved back into a predetermined one of said series of positions when said second pivot pin member is moved into said off-set slot in response to the manual movement of said control knob into a particular one of said plurality of predetermined circumferential positions.

Claim 7

A control mechanism comprising bracket means, first and second pulleys rotatably mounted on said bracket means, a control knob operatively connected to one of said pulleys and manually rotatable into a plurality of predetermined circumferential positions, an endless flexible belt mounted around said first and second pulleys, a bellcrank lever having one end thereof pivotally connected to said flexible belt, first, second, and third slots formed in said bracket means, an off-set slot formed in said bracket means adjacent the end of said second slot, a first pivot pin member extending from said bellcrank lever into said first slot, a second pivot pin member connected at an intermediate point on said bellcrank lever and extending into said second slot, lost-motion means formed on the other end of said bellcrank lever, a third pivot pin member extending through said lost-motion means and into said third slot, means for connecting an actuator member thereto formed on said third pivot pin member, said first, second, and third pivot pin members cooperatively responding to manual actuation of said control knob to move along said respective first, second, and third slots to thus cause said actuator member to move into a series of positions corresponding to said plurality of predetermined circumferential positions of said control knob so long as said second pivot pin member remains in said second slot, said third pivot pin member being moved back into a predetermined one of said series of positions when said second pivot pin member is moved into said off-set slot in response to the manual movement of said control knob into a particular one of said plurality of predetermined circumferential positions.

Claim 8

For use with an automotive transmission, an instrument panel-mounted control mechanism comprising bracket means, first and second pulleys rotatably mounted on said bracket means, a control knob operatively connected to one of said pulleys and manually rotatable into a plurality of predetermined circumferential positions corresponding to Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low transmission drive ratios, an endless flexible belt mounted around said first and second pulleys, a bellcrank lever having one end thereof pivotally connected to said flexible belt, first, second, and third slots formed in said bracket means, an off-set slot formed in said bracket means adjacent the end of said second slot, a first pivot pin member extending from said bellcrank lever into said first slot, a second pivot pin member connected at an intermediate point on said bellcrank lever and extending into said second slot, lost-motion means formed in the other end of said bellcrank lever, a third pivot pin member extending through said lost-motion means and into said third slot, a cable connected at one end thereof to said third pivot pin member and at the other end thereof to said transmission, said first, second, and third pin members responding to manual actuation of said control knob to move along said respective first, second, and third slots to thus cause said cable to move into a series of positions corresponding to said Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low drive ratio positions of said control knob so long as said second pivot pin member moves along said second slot, said third pivot pin member and said cable being moved back into said Neutral position when said second pivot pin member is moved into said off-set slot in response to the manual movement of said control knob into said Park position.

Claim 9

For use with an automotive transmission, an instrument panel-mounted control mechanism comprising bracket means, first and second pulleys rotatably mounted on said bracket means, a control knob operatively connected to one of said pulleys and manually rotatable into a plurality of predetermined circumferential positions corresponding to Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low transmission drive ratios, an endless flexible belt mounted around said first and second pulleys, a bellcrank lever having one end thereof pivotally connected to said flexible belt, first, second, and third slots formed in said bracket means, an off-set slot formed in said bracket means adjacent the end of said second slot, a first pivot pin member extending from said bellcrank lever into said first slot, a second pivot pin member connected at an intermediate point on said bellcrank lever and extending into said second slot, lost-motion means formed in the other end of said bellcrank lever, a third pivot pin member extending through said lost-motion means and into said third slot, a cable connected at one end thereof to said third pivot pin member and at the other end thereof to said transmission, said first, second, and third pin members responding to manual actuation of said control knob to move along said respective first, second, and third slots to thus cause said cable to move into a series of positions corresponding to said Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low drive ratio positions of said control knob so long as said second pivot pin member moves along said second slot, said third pivot pin member and said cable being moved back into said Neutral position when said second pivot pin member is moved into said off-set slot in response to the manual movement of said control knob into said Park position.

Claim 10

A control mechanism comprising first and second plate members interconnected at a predetermined angle with respect to one another, a shaft rotatably mounted through said first plate member, a control knob secured to one end of said shaft and manually rotatable into a plurality of predetermined circumferential positions, a first pulley secured to the other end of said shaft, a second pulley rotatably mounted on said first plate member, an endless flexible belt mounted around said first and second pulleys, a bellcrank lever having one end thereof pivotally connected by a first pivot pin member to the outer periphery of said flexible belt, first, second, and third straight slots formed in said second plate member, an off-set slot formed in said second plate member adjacent the end of said second straight slot, said first pivot pin member extending into and being slidably mounted in said first straight slot, a second pivot pin member connected at an intermediate point on said bellcrank lever and extending into and being slidably mounted in said second straight slot, a slot formed in the other end of said bellcrank lever, a third pivot pin member being slidably mounted in both said bellcrank lever slot and said third straight slot, a cable connected at one end thereof to said third pivot pin member and at the other end thereof to a device to be controlled, the movement of said second pivot pin member along said second straight slot and said off-set slot in response to manual movement of said control knob serving to control the angular relationship of said bellcrank lever between said flexible belt and said cable to actuate said cable into different linear positions corresponding to said plurality of predetermined circumferential positions of said control knob, with said cable being further caused to assume one predetermined position for two predetermined circumferential positions of said control knob.

Claim 11

A control mechanism comprising first and second plate members interconnected at a predetermined angle with respect to one another, a shaft rotatably mounted through said first plate member, a control knob secured to one end of said shaft and manually rotatable into a plurality of predetermined circumferential positions, a first pulley secured to the other end of said shaft, a second pulley rotatably mounted on said first plate member, an endless flexible belt mounted around said first and second pulleys, a bellcrank lever having one end thereof pivotally connected by a first pivot pin member to the outer periphery of said flexible belt, first, second, and third straight slots formed in said second plate member, an off-set slot formed in said second plate member adjacent the end of said second straight slot, said first pivot pin member extending into and being slidably mounted in said first straight slot, a second pivot pin member connected at an intermediate point on said bellcrank lever and extending into and being slidably mounted in said second straight slot, a slot formed in the other end of said bellcrank lever, a third pivot pin member being slidably mounted in both said bellcrank lever slot and said third straight slot, a cable connected at one end thereof to said third pivot pin member and at the other end thereof to a device to be controlled, the movement of said second pivot pin member along said second straight slot and said off-set slot in response to manual movement of said control knob serving to control the angular relationship of said bellcrank lever between said flexible belt and said cable to actuate said cable into different linear positions corresponding to said plurality of predetermined circumferential positions of said control knob, with said cable being further caused to assume one predetermined position for two predetermined circumferential positions of said control knob.

Claim 12

For use with an automotive transmission, an instrument panel-mounted control mechanism comprising first and second plate members interconnected at a predetermined angle with respect to one another, a shaft rotatably mounted through said first plate member, a control knob secured to one end of said shaft and manually rotatable into a plurality of predetermined circumferential positions corresponding to Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low transmission drive ratios, a first pulley Secured to the other end of said shaft, a second pulley rotatably mounted on said first plate member, an endless flexible belt mounted around said first and second pulleys, a bellcrank lever having one end thereof pivotally connected by a first pivot pin member to the outer periphery of said flexible belt, first, second, and third parallel slots formed in said second plate member, a transverse slot formed in said second plate member adjacent the end of said second parallel slot, said first pivot pin member extending into and being slidably mounted in said first parallel slot, a second pivot pin member connected at an intermediate point on said bellcrank lever and extending into and being slidably mounted in said second parallel slot, a slot formed in the other end of said bellcrank lever, a third pivot pin member being slidably mounted in both said bellcrank lever slot and said third parallel slot, a cable connected at one end thereof to said third pivot pin member and at the other end thereof to said transmission, the movement of said second pivot pin member along said second parallel slot and said transverse slot in response to manual movement of said control knob serving to control the angular relationship of said bellcrank lever between said flexible belt and said cable to actuate said cable into different linear positions corresponding to said plurality of predetermined circumferential positions of said control knob, with said cable being further caused to assume one predetermined position for both the Park and Neutral circumferential positions of said control knob.

Claim 13

For use with an automotive transmission, an instrument panel-mounted control mechanism comprising first and second plate members interconnected at a predetermined angle with respect to one another, a shaft rotatably mounted through said first plate member, a control knob secured to one end of said shaft and manually rotatable into a plurality of predetermined circumferential positions corresponding to Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, and Low transmission drive ratios, a first pulley Secured to the other end of said shaft, a second pulley rotatably mounted on said first plate member, an endless flexible belt mounted around said first and second pulleys, a bellcrank lever having one end thereof pivotally connected by a first pivot pin member to the outer periphery of said flexible belt, first, second, and third parallel slots formed in said second plate member, a transverse slot formed in said second plate member adjacent the end of said second parallel slot, said first pivot pin member extending into and being slidably mounted in said first parallel slot, a second pivot pin member connected at an intermediate point on said bellcrank lever and extending into and being slidably mounted in said second parallel slot, a slot formed in the other end of said bellcrank lever, a third pivot pin member being slidably mounted in both said bellcrank lever slot and said third parallel slot, a cable connected at one end thereof to said third pivot pin member and at the other end thereof to said transmission, the movement of said second pivot pin member along said second parallel slot and said transverse slot in response to manual movement of said control knob serving to control the angular relationship of said bellcrank lever between said flexible belt and said cable to actuate said cable into different linear positions corresponding to said plurality of predetermined circumferential positions of said control knob, with said cable being further caused to assume one predetermined position for both the Park and Neutral circumferential positions of said control knob.

Claim 14

The control mechanism described in claim 7, and a lock mechanism having a key operable therewith; a device to be controlled; and a linkage system operatively connected between said lock mechanism, said device to be controlled, and one of said first and second pulleys, for automatically locking said device to be controlled in response to the manual movement of said key into the Lock position in said lock mechanism after the manual movement of said control knob into said Park position.

Claim 15

The control mechanism described in claim 8, wherein said linkage system includes a first pivotally mounted plate member, a first linkage member pivotally connected at one end thereof to said first pivotally mounted plate member and at the other end thereof to said lock mechanism, means formed on said first pivotally mounted plate member for pivotally mounting at least one actuator member thereon for connection with said device to be controlled, a second pivotally mounted plate member having a contoured slot formed therein, a second linkage member pivotally connected between said first and second pivotally mounted plate members, an opening formed in a face of one of said first and second pulleys, and a formed linkage member slidably mounted in said contoured slot and positioned adjacent said face of one of said first and second pulleys for selective insertion in said opening by said second pivotally mounted plate member in response to said manual movement of said key into said Lock position in said lock mechanism after said manual movement of said control knob into said Park position for locking said device to be controlled.

Claim 16

The control mechanism described in claim 7, and a lock mechanism having a key operable therewith; a plurality of devices to be controlled; and linkage system operatively connected between said lock mechanism, said plurality of devices to be controlled, and one of said first and second pulleys, for automatically locking said plurality of devices to be controlled in response to the manual movement of said key into the Lock position in said lock mechanism after said manual movement of said control knob into said Park position.

Claim 17

The control mechanism described in claim 10, wherein said linkage system includes a first pivotally mounted plate member, a first linkage member pivotally connected at one end thereof to said first pivotally mounted plate member and at the other enD thereof to said lock mechanism, means formed on said first pivotally mounted plate member for pivotally mounting a plurality of actuator members thereon for respective connection with said plurality of devices to be controlled, a second pivotally mounted plate member having a contoured slot formed therein, a second linkage member pivotally connected between said first and second pivotally mounted plate members, and an opening formed in the face of one of said first and second pulleys, and a formed linkage member slidably mounted in said contoured slot and positioned adjacent said face of one of said first and second pulleys for selective insertion in said opening by said second pivotally mounted plate member in response to said manual movement of said key into the Lock position in said lock mechanism after said manual movement of said control knob into said Park position for locking said plurality of devices to be controlled.

Claim 18

For use with an automotive steering wheel and parking brake, the control mechanism described in claim 11, wherein said actuator members consist of a second cable connected between said mounting means and said steering wheel, and a third cable connected between said mounting means and said parking brake, said second and third cables serving to lock said respective steering wheel and parking brake in response to said manual movement of said key into the Lock position in said lock mechanism after said manual movement of said control knob into said Park position and manual application of said parking brake.

Claim 19

The control mechanism described in claim 12, wherein said key is removable from said lock mechanism only when moved into said Lock position therein.

Claim 20

The control mechanism described in claim 13, and a starter button assembly operatively connected to said control knob.