360° Cable actuating lever

Claim 3

A device according to claim 1 in which said means for mounting and allowing said rocking motion on an annular pivot comprises: an annular base attached to said lever to provide an annular pivotal fulcrum, said annular base and attached lever held to said bracket when in a static rest position by a tensioned flexible control cable passing between said bracket and said lever and annular base assembly.

Claim 4

The device of claim 2 including means for adjusting the tension of said flexible control cable to vary the force necessary to rock said lever on said annular pivot about its static rest position.

Claim 5

The device of claim 2 in which said control cable is actuated by motion through a point substantially at the geometric center of the annular pivotal fulcrum so that equal rocking displacements in any direction of said lever and integrally attached annular base displaces the control cable equal distances from its static rest position.

Claim 6

An improved control cable actuating mechanism for a vehicle with handle bars comprising: a lever means with an attachable annular pivotal base; a bracket to be attached to the handle bar of said vehicle, said bracket including a base area for mounting said annular pivotal base and also including a passage through said bracket terminating at said base area, said passage adapted to allow insertion of a vehicle control cable to said base area; means for attaching said control cable from said passage in said bracket base area to said lever means; and means for tensioning said control cable to hold said annular base to said bracket base area, said tension sufficient to hold said base to said bracket when at rest while simultaneously allowing said lever to rock in all angular directions on said annular pivotal base in response to both manually applied control forces and randomly directed accidental forces.

Claim 7

An improved control cable actuating mechanism for a vehicle with handle bars comprising: a lever means with an attachable annular pivotal base; a bracket to be attached to the handle bar of said vehicle, said bracket including a base area for mounting said annular pivotal base and also including a passage through said bracket terminating at said base area, said passage adapted to allow insertion of a vehicle control cable to said base area; means for attaching said control cable from said passage in said bracket base area to said lever means; and means for tensioning said control cable to hold said annular base to said bracket base area, said tension sufficient to hold said base to said bracket when at rest while simultaneously allowing said lever to rock in all angular directions on said annular pivotal base in response to both manually applied control forces and randomly directed accidental forces.

Claim 8

A mechanism for actuating control cables on a handle bar equipped vehicle comprising: a bracket including means for selectively attaching said bracket to a handle bar so that said bracket is attachable to said handle bar at variable positions along said handle bar, said bracket including an inclined wall having a protruding boss with a threaded bore formed through said boss and wall and also having an annular groove formed on the surface of said wall with the geometric center of said annular groove located substantially at the center of said threaded bore where said bore pierces said inclined wall, said bracket having a screw threaded into said threaded bore, said screw having a passage formed therein to allow passage of a vehicle control cable therethrough, said screw also including a recessed head adapted for insertion of a ferrule for an armored conduit so that threading such screw moves said ferrule and armored conduit to adjust the tension in said control cable; a conical lever base, said base forming a conical flange collar having an annular circumferential lip adapted to fit inside said annular groove on said bracket wall, said conical collar defining a tapered aperture around its central axis, said conical collar including an integrally attached key extending toward the axial center of said aperture; a lever having a tapered end to mate into the tapered aperture of said conical collar, said lever including a slot formed in said tapered end extending substantially to the axial center of said lever, said slot constructed to fit over said key in said conical collar so that when said tapered lever end is mated into said conical collar base there is formed a chamber at the end of said slot wherein a check ball attached to a control cable is restrained by said key in said chamber, said key and slot also forming a passage for holding a control cable substantially along the central axis of said conical base, said lever further extending outward from said tapered end to allow for application of manual actuating forces; and said lever and conical base held together by inserting said tapered lever into the tapered aperture of said conical base, said base and lever assembly held to said bracket by placing said circumferential lip into said annular groove on said bracket and applying tension to said control cable to transmit a clamping force to said check ball to clamp said lever and base assembly together and to said bracket when actuating forces are not applied to said lever, said clamping simultaneously allowing said lever and base assembly to rock in any angular direction on an annular pivot formed by said circumferential lip and said bracket groove, in response to manual actuating forces producing actuating motion in said cable and in response to randomly directed accident forces.

Claim 9

A mechanism for actuating control cables on a handle bar equipped vehicle comprising: a bracket including means for selectively attaching said bracket to a handle bar so that said bracket is attachable to said handle bar at variable positions along said handle bar, said bracket including an inclined wall having a protruding boss with a threaded bore formed through said boss and wall and also having an annular groove formed on the surface of said wall with the geometric center of said annular groove located substantially at the center of said threaded bore where said bore pierces said inclined wall, said bracket having a screw threaded into said threaded bore, said screw having a passage formed therein to allow passage of a vehicle control cable therethrough, said screw also including a recessed head adapted for insertion of a ferrule for an armored conduit so that threading such screw moves said ferrule and armored conduit to adjust the tension in said control cable; a conical lever base, said base forming a conical flange collar having an annular circumferential lip adapted to fit inside said annular groove on said bracket wall, said conical collar defining a tapered aperture around its central axis, said conical collar including an integrally attached key extending toward the axial center of said aperture; a lever having a tapered end to mate into the tapered aperture of said conical collar, said lever including a slot formed in said tapered end extending substantially to the axial center of said lever, said slot constructed to fit over said key in said conical collar so that when said tapered lever end is mated into said conical collar base there is formed a chamber at the end of said slot wherein a check ball attached to a control cable is restrained by said key in said chamber, said key and slot also forming a passage for holding a control cable substantially along the central axis of said conical base, said lever further extending outward from said tapered end to allow for application of manual actuating forces; and said lever and conical base held together by inserting said tapered lever into the tapered aperture of said conical base, said base and lever assembly held to said bracket by placing said circumferential lip into said annular groove on said bracket and applying tension to said control cable to transmit a clamping force to said check ball to clamp said lever and base assembly together and to said bracket when actuating forces are not applied to said lever, said clamping simultaneously allowing said lever and base assembly to rock in any angular direction on an annular pivot formed by said circumferential lip and said bracket groove, in response to manual actuating forces producing actuating motion in said cable and in response to randomly directed accident forces.

Claim 10

The mechanism of claim 6 in which said means for tensioning said cable includes means for applying a selectively variable tension to said cable.

Claim 11

A mechanism for actuating control cables on a handle bar equipped vehicle comprising: a bracket including means for selectively attaching said bracket to a handle bar so that said bracket is attachable to said handle bar at variable positions along said handle bar, said bracket including an inclined wall having a protruding boss with a recess formed therein for positioning an armored conduit ferrule within said recess, said wall having a passage extending from said recess through said wall to allow passage of a control cable through said wall, said wall having an annular groove formed in said wall with the geometric center of said groove at the center of the passage where said passage pierces said wall; a conical lever base, said base including an annular lip adapted to fit inside said annular wall groove, said base also including a threaded bore for receiving a threaded lever handle extending through said base along the central axis of said base; a lever, said lever including a threaded end constructed to be threaded into the bore of said conical base, said lever including a longitudinal aperture through said threaded end allowing insertion of a vehicle control cable therethrough, said lever including also a threaded transverse aperture intersecting said longitudinal aperture for threading a set screw to hold an inserted control cable within said longitudinal aperture upon advancing said set screw into said transverse aperture to contact said cable; and said lever and base held together by threading said lever to said base, said lever and base assembly mounted to said bracket when in a static rest position by placing said annular lip into said annular groove in said bracket wall, said lever and base assembly held to said bracket by tension in said control cable, said cable held within said lever by said set screw and passing through said bracket to clamp said assembly to said bracket, said clamping force simultaneously allowing said lever and base to rock in any angular direction on annular pivot formed by said lip and groove in response to manual actuating forces to actuate said control cable and in response to randomly directed accident forces.

Claim 12

A mechanism for actuating control cables on a handle bar equipped vehicle comprising: a bracket including means for selectively attaching said bracket to a handle bar so that said bracket is attachable to said handle bar at variable positions along said handle bar, said bracket including an inclined wall having a protruding boss with a recess formed therein for positioning an armored conduit ferrule within said recess, said wall having a passage extending from said recess through said wall to allow passage of a control cable through said wall, said wall having an annular groove formed in said wall with the geometric center of said groove at the center of the passage where said passage pierces said wall; a conical lever base, said base including an annular lip adapted to fit inside said annular wall groove, said base also including a threaded bore for receiving a threaded lever handle extending through said base along the central axis of said base; a lever, said lever including a threaded end constructed to be threaded into the bore of said conical base, said lever including a longitudinal aperture through said threaded end allowing insertion of a vehicle control cable therethrough, said lever including also a threaded transverse aperture intersecting said longitudinal aperture for threading a set screw to hold an inserted control cable within said longitudinal aperture upon advancing said set screw into said transverse aperture to contact said cable; and said lever and base held together by threading said lever to said base, said lever and base assembly mounted to said bracket when in a static rest position by placing said annular lip into said annular groove in said bracket wall, said lever and base assembly held to said bracket by tension in said control cable, said cable held within said lever by said set screw and passing through said bracket to clamp said assembly to said bracket, said clamping force simultaneously allowing said lever and base to rock in any angular direction on annular pivot formed by said lip and groove in response to manual actuating forces to actuate said control cable and in response to randomly directed accident forces.

Claim 13

The mechanism of claim 8 in which said means for attaching said control cable includes means for actuating said control cable at substantially the geometric center of said annular pivot so that equal angular displacements in any direction of said annular pivot from said bracket displaces the control cable equal distances from the static rest position.