US4222474A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Single lever control with detent mechanism for holding lever vertically
Assignee: Outboard Marine Corp
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Filing: 1978-03-27
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Granted: 1980-09-16
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Expires: 1998-03-27
Abstract
Abstract A single lever control for the throttle and clutch of a marine propulsion device including a housing pivotally supporting both a main control lever and an auxiliary warm-up lever, a throttle lever, and a gear shift lever. The throttle lever is alternately operable to regulate the setting of a remotely located engine throttle in response to movement of either the main control lever from a neutral position or the warm-up lever from an idle position. The gear shift lever is operable to shift an engine clutch in response to initial movement of the main control lever from the neutral position. A lock-out lever mounted inside the housing cooperates with a lock-out plate carried by the warm-up lever and with a recessed, arcuate surface on the gear shift lever to prevent movement of warm-up lever when the main control lever is displaced from the neutral position and to prevent movement of the main control lever when the warm-up lever is displaced from the idle position. In one embodiment, the locking arm of a locking mechanism carried by the main control lever cooperates with a notched index plate mounted on the exterior of the housing and coaxially with the control lever pivot axis to releasably lock the main control lever in the neutral position. In another embodiment, the index plate and the control lever are arranged to afford selective adjustment of the angular orientation of the main control lever so it will be substantially vertical when in the neutral position irrespective of the angular orientation of the housing to the horizontal.
Inventors
- 👤 Hrishikesh Choudhury
- 👤 Heinrich E. Luksch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 23:39
CPC Classifications
B; B63; B63H; B63H21/00; B63H21/21; B63H21/213; F; F02; F02B; F02B61/00; F02B61/04; F02B61/045; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/20; Y10T74/20576; Y10T74/20582; Y10T74/20612; Y10T74/20636; Y10T74/20642
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim
270 words
A single lever control comprising a housing including a side wall, a control lever, a shaft journaled by said side wall for rotation relative to said housing and about an axis extending horizontally when said side wall is vertically disposed, said shaft being operable in response to rotation thereof to actuate a remotely located throttle relative to a neutral position, means connecting said control lever to said shaft in a selected one of a plurality of angularly spaced locations of said control lever relative to said shaft to provide for common movement of said control lever and said shaft in both rotary directions to actuate the remotely located throttle in response to movement of said control lever, whereby said control lever can be located substantially vertically when the throttle is in the neutral position irrespective of the angular disposition of said housing relative to the axis of said shaft, and detent means for releasably locating said control lever in an upright vertical position when the throttle is in the neutral position irrespective of the angular disposition of said housing relative to the axis of said shaft, said detent means comprising a detent member, releasable interengaging means on said control lever and on said detent member for releasably holding said control lever relative to said detent member, and means on said housing and on said detent member for selectively mounting said detent member on said housing in a selected one of a plurality of positions such that engagement of said releasable interengaging means releasably holds said control lever in the vertical position when the throttle is located in the neutral position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
270 words
A single lever control comprising a housing including a side wall, a control lever, a shaft journaled by said side wall for rotation relative to said housing and about an axis extending horizontally when said side wall is vertically disposed, said shaft being operable in response to rotation thereof to actuate a remotely located throttle relative to a neutral position, means connecting said control lever to said shaft in a selected one of a plurality of angularly spaced locations of said control lever relative to said shaft to provide for common movement of said control lever and said shaft in both rotary directions to actuate the remotely located throttle in response to movement of said control lever, whereby said control lever can be located substantially vertically when the throttle is in the neutral position irrespective of the angular disposition of said housing relative to the axis of said shaft, and detent means for releasably locating said control lever in an upright vertical position when the throttle is in the neutral position irrespective of the angular disposition of said housing relative to the axis of said shaft, said detent means comprising a detent member, releasable interengaging means on said control lever and on said detent member for releasably holding said control lever relative to said detent member, and means on said housing and on said detent member for selectively mounting said detent member on said housing in a selected one of a plurality of positions such that engagement of said releasable interengaging means releasably holds said control lever in the vertical position when the throttle is located in the neutral position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
323 words
A single lever control comprising a housing including a side wall, a control lever, a shaft journaled by said side wall for rotation relative to said housing and about an axis extending horizontally when said side wall is vertically disposed, said shaft being operable in response to rotation thereof to actuate a remotely located throttle relative to a neutral position, means connecting said control lever to said shaft in a selected one of a plurality of angularly spaced locations of said control lever relative to said shaft to provide for common movement of said control lever and said shaft in both rotary directions to actuate the remotely located throttle in response to movement of said control lever, whereby said control lever can be located substantially vertically when the throttle is in the neutral position irrespective of the angular disposition of said housing relative to the axis of said shaft, and detent means for releasably locating said control lever in an upright vertical position when the throttle is in the neutral position irrespective of the angular disposition of said housing relative to the axis of said shaft, said detent means comprising, a mounting hole on the exterior surface of said side wall, a generally circular index plate including a plurality of openings which are circumferentially spaced at equal angular intervals, which are alignable with said mounting hole, and which are adapted to receive removable fastening means, releasable interengaging means on said control lever and on said index plate for releasably holding said control lever relative to said index plate, and fastening means extending through a selected one of said openings and into said mounting hole for selectively fastening said index plate to said housing side wall in a selected one of a plurality of positions such that said releasable interengaging means are engageable so as to releasably hold said control lever in the vertical position when the throttle is located in the neutral position.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
323 words
A single lever control comprising a housing including a side wall, a control lever, a shaft journaled by said side wall for rotation relative to said housing and about an axis extending horizontally when said side wall is vertically disposed, said shaft being operable in response to rotation thereof to actuate a remotely located throttle relative to a neutral position, means connecting said control lever to said shaft in a selected one of a plurality of angularly spaced locations of said control lever relative to said shaft to provide for common movement of said control lever and said shaft in both rotary directions to actuate the remotely located throttle in response to movement of said control lever, whereby said control lever can be located substantially vertically when the throttle is in the neutral position irrespective of the angular disposition of said housing relative to the axis of said shaft, and detent means for releasably locating said control lever in an upright vertical position when the throttle is in the neutral position irrespective of the angular disposition of said housing relative to the axis of said shaft, said detent means comprising, a mounting hole on the exterior surface of said side wall, a generally circular index plate including a plurality of openings which are circumferentially spaced at equal angular intervals, which are alignable with said mounting hole, and which are adapted to receive removable fastening means, releasable interengaging means on said control lever and on said index plate for releasably holding said control lever relative to said index plate, and fastening means extending through a selected one of said openings and into said mounting hole for selectively fastening said index plate to said housing side wall in a selected one of a plurality of positions such that said releasable interengaging means are engageable so as to releasably hold said control lever in the vertical position when the throttle is located in the neutral position.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1983-09-16 | 1984-03-17 | 1984-09-16 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1987-09-16 | 1988-03-17 | 1988-09-16 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1991-09-16 | 1992-03-17 | 1992-09-16 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |