Extensible support structure

Claim 2

An extensible support structure for supporting a device in adjustable positions relative to a structural member, said support structure comprising an elongated housing having means for attaching the housing to the structural member, said housing having at least one inner surface defining an elongated passageway having a wall with at least one discontinuity extending the length of the passageway so that the cross section of the passageway can be contracted and expanded, a first elongated member telescopically received in the elongated passageway and being free to assume an infinite number of axial positions in the elongated passageway with respect to the housing, said first member having one end extending from the passageway and adapted for attachment to the device, and means for contracting and expanding the cross section of the passageway so that portions of the wall forming the passageway clampingly engage the first member to frictionally lock said first member in one of the axial positions, said means for contracting and expanding comprising a cam disposed on a rotatable shaft, said shaft engaging one side of the discontinuity and the cam engaging the other side so that rotation of the cam in one direction positively contracts the cross section of the passageway and rotation of the cam in the opposite direction positively expands the cross section of the passageway to enable axial positioning of the first member therein.

Claim 3

An extensible support structure according to claim 1, wherein the housing is formed of a pair of elongated members and includes means loosely interconnecting said pair of members to form the passageway with a pair of longitudinally extending discontinuities in the wall of the passageway and wherein the means for contracting forces the pair of members of the housing into clamping engagement on the first member.

Claim 4

An extensible support sutructure according to claim 2, wherein the first member has at least two flat clamping surfaces and wherein each of said pair of members forming the housing has at least one flat clamping surface engaging a respective flat clamping surface of the first member as the pair of members are moved into clamping engagement thereon.

Claim 5

An extensible support structure for supporting a device in adjustable positions relative to a structural member, said support structure comprising a first elongated member, a pair of elongated members, means loosely interconnecting said paiR of members to form a housing having an elongated passageway with a wall surface with a pair of longitudinally extending discontinuties extending the length of the passageway so that the cross section of the passageway can be contracted and expanded, said housing having means for attaching the housing to the structural member, each of the pair of members forming the housing having a substantially U-shaped configuration with the legs of one of the pair of members disposed in the legs of the other of said pair, said first member being telescopically received in the elongated passageway and being free to assume an infinite number of axial positions in the elongated passageway with respect to the housing and having one end extending from the passageway and adapted for attaching to the device, and means for positively expanding and contracting the cross section of the passageway to allow axial positions of the first member therein and to clampingly engage the first member and frictionally lock said first member in one of the axial positions, said means for interconnecting and said means for expanding and contracting the two members comprising a rod extending through aligned apertures in said pair of members and through a pair of elongated slots in said first member, said rod having mounted thereon a pair of cam members engaged in the aligned apertures of the other of said pair of members, wherein rotation of said rod causes the cam members and rod to force the pair of members together into clamping engagement on the first member, and wherein the coaction of the rod extending through the slots in the first member limits the range of axial positions of the first member in the passageway.

Claim 6

An extensible support structure for supporting a device in adjustable positions relative to a structural member, said support structure comprising a first elongated member, a pair of elongated members, means loosely interconnecting said paiR of members to form a housing having an elongated passageway with a wall surface with a pair of longitudinally extending discontinuties extending the length of the passageway so that the cross section of the passageway can be contracted and expanded, said housing having means for attaching the housing to the structural member, each of the pair of members forming the housing having a substantially U-shaped configuration with the legs of one of the pair of members disposed in the legs of the other of said pair, said first member being telescopically received in the elongated passageway and being free to assume an infinite number of axial positions in the elongated passageway with respect to the housing and having one end extending from the passageway and adapted for attaching to the device, and means for positively expanding and contracting the cross section of the passageway to allow axial positions of the first member therein and to clampingly engage the first member and frictionally lock said first member in one of the axial positions, said means for interconnecting and said means for expanding and contracting the two members comprising a rod extending through aligned apertures in said pair of members and through a pair of elongated slots in said first member, said rod having mounted thereon a pair of cam members engaged in the aligned apertures of the other of said pair of members, wherein rotation of said rod causes the cam members and rod to force the pair of members together into clamping engagement on the first member, and wherein the coaction of the rod extending through the slots in the first member limits the range of axial positions of the first member in the passageway.

Claim 7

An extensible support structure according to claim 4, wherein the first member has at least four flat surfaces extending along the length thereof, and wherein each of the pair of members forming the housing have a pair of flat surfaces for engaging a respective pair of flat surfaces of the first member during a clamping action.

Claim 8

An extensible support structure according to claim 5, wherein at least one of said pair of members includes biasing means for applying a preloading on the first member when the structure is in an unclamped condition.

Claim 9

An extensible support structure for supporting a device such as a steering column in adjustable positions relative to a structural member such as a dashboard of a motor vehicle, said support structure comprising first and second elongated members each having, a U-shaped configuration with the legs of the second member received within the legs of the first member to form an elongated housing with an elongated passageway having a cross section which is both contractable and expansible, means for interconnecting said first and second members to form the elongated housing, one of said first and second members having means adapted for attaching the housing to the structural member, a third elongated member telescopically received in the elongated passageway and being free to assume an infinite number of axial positions in the elongated passageway with respect to the housing, said third member having one end extending from the passageway adapted for attaching to a steering column, and means for forcing the first and second members forming the housing into clamping engagement on the third member to frictionally lock said third member in one of the axial positions, said means for interconnecting and said means for forcing the first and second members together comprising a rod extending through aligned apertures in the legs of said first and second members with cam members disposed thereon for engaging the apertures of one of said members so that rotation of said rod forces the first and second members into clamping engagement on the third member.

Claim 10

An extensible support structure for supporting a device such as a steering column in adjustable positions relative to a structural member such as a dashboard of a motor vehicle, said support structure comprising first and second elongated members each having, a U-shaped configuration with the legs of the second member received within the legs of the first member to form an elongated housing with an elongated passageway having a cross section which is both contractable and expansible, means for interconnecting said first and second members to form the elongated housing, one of said first and second members having means adapted for attaching the housing to the structural member, a third elongated member telescopically received in the elongated passageway and being free to assume an infinite number of axial positions in the elongated passageway with respect to the housing, said third member having one end extending from the passageway adapted for attaching to a steering column, and means for forcing the first and second members forming the housing into clamping engagement on the third member to frictionally lock said third member in one of the axial positions, said means for interconnecting and said means for forcing the first and second members together comprising a rod extending through aligned apertures in the legs of said first and second members with cam members disposed thereon for engaging the apertures of one of said members so that rotation of said rod forces the first and second members into clamping engagement on the third member.

Claim 11

An extensible support structure according to claim 7, wherein the third member has a pair of elongated slots receiving said rod, said slots defining the range of infinite axial positions of tHe third member within the passageway formed by the first and second members.

Claim 12

An extensible support structure according to claim 7, wherein said third member has at least four flat surfaces extending the length thereof, and each of said first and second members has at least a pair of flat surfaces for engaging a pair of the flat surfaces of the third member when said first and second members are moved to a clamping engagement thereon.

Claim 13

An extensible support structure according to claim 9, where at least one of the first and second members includes biasing means for applying a preloading force on the third member when the first and second members are in a released position.

Claim 14

An extensible support structure according to claim 10, wherein the first and second members are formed of sheet metal and wherein the legs of the members are provided with reinforcing pads adjacent the apertures therein to increase the surface acted on by the cam members and the rod during clamping and unclamping of the third member.