US4244237A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Tilt steering column mechanism
Assignee: Navistar International Corp
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Filing: 1979-05-29
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Granted: 1981-01-13
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Expires: 1999-05-29
Abstract
Abstract A tilt steering column mechanism having two brackets, one of which is connected to a cab frame member and the other of which is connected to a steering column and is slideable within the first bracket upon tilting or pivoting of the steering column about a point remote from the second bracket. The first bracket carries a slideable lock bolt, which is spring-biased on opposite ends in opposite axial directions by a plurality of springs of differing magnitude, and has a raised frusto-conical portion thereon which cooperates with any one of a number of uniformly spaced frusto-conical receptacles provided in the second bracket. A handle, fixedly mounted to one end of the lock bolt causes the sliding of the lock bolt through the intermediary of a rotary cam and pin follower, which pin follower, in the raised cam land position, against the bias of the springs, holds the frusto-conical portion in the selected frusto-conical receptacle. The steering column is pivoted to predetermined points, corresponding to the frusto-conical receptacle spacing, about a horizontal axis, upon releasing the loading on the springs by rotating the handle about the axis of the lock bolt and moving the cam follower to the lowered cam land position, thereby causing the springs of greater magnitude to move and slide the lock bolt against the bias of the springs of lesser magnitude and unseat the frusto-conical portions from their respective frusto-conical receptacles.
Inventors
- 👤 Loren G. Sprunger
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 07:13
CPC Classifications
B; B62; B62D; B62D1/00; B62D1/02; B62D1/16; B62D1/18; B62D1/184; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T403/00; Y10T403/32; Y10T403/32254; Y10T403/32262; Y10T403/32319; Y10T403/32327; Y10T403/32361; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/20; Y10T74/20576; Y10T74/20636
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
346 words
An improved tilt steering column mechanism for a steering column tiltable about a universal joint at the base thereof, comprising: a support bracket means connected to a vehicle cab frame for supporting the steering column above the universal joint connection; a slider bracket means connected to the steering column and having arm means passing forwardly into the support bracket means for limiting tilting of the steering column to the fore-and-aft direction; frusto-conical detent means slideably mounted to the support bracket means and movable transversely with respect to the steering column for locking arm means of the slider bracket means to the support bracket means at selected frusto-conical detent receiving means provided on one lateral side of the arm means corresponding to one of several selectable fore-and-aft tilt positions of the steering column; first spring means carried on the support bracket means and engaging the frusto-conical detent means for moving the frusto-conical detent means out of engagment with the frusto-conical detent receiving means; and a rotary cam means slideably mounted to the support bracket means, a cam follower pin means fixed to the frusto-conical detent means, and a second spring means of lesser magnitude than and opposing the first spring means urging the rotary cam means into engagement with the cam follower pin means and the frusto-conical detent means into engagement with the frusto-conical detent receiving means; lever means fixed to the frusto-conical detent means for moving the frusto-conical detent means into engagement with the frusto-conical detent receiving means by rotating the cam follower pin means along a rising cam land surface of the rotary cam means and loading the opposing spring means and for moving the frusto-conical detent means out from engagement with the frusto-conical detent receiving means by rotating the cam follower pin means in a reverse direction along a now falling cam land surface of the rotary cam means and releasing the loading on the opposing spring means whereby the first spring means moves the frusto-conical detent means out from the frusto-conical detent receiving means against the lesser force of the second spring means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
346 words
An improved tilt steering column mechanism for a steering column tiltable about a universal joint at the base thereof, comprising: a support bracket means connected to a vehicle cab frame for supporting the steering column above the universal joint connection; a slider bracket means connected to the steering column and having arm means passing forwardly into the support bracket means for limiting tilting of the steering column to the fore-and-aft direction; frusto-conical detent means slideably mounted to the support bracket means and movable transversely with respect to the steering column for locking arm means of the slider bracket means to the support bracket means at selected frusto-conical detent receiving means provided on one lateral side of the arm means corresponding to one of several selectable fore-and-aft tilt positions of the steering column; first spring means carried on the support bracket means and engaging the frusto-conical detent means for moving the frusto-conical detent means out of engagment with the frusto-conical detent receiving means; and a rotary cam means slideably mounted to the support bracket means, a cam follower pin means fixed to the frusto-conical detent means, and a second spring means of lesser magnitude than and opposing the first spring means urging the rotary cam means into engagement with the cam follower pin means and the frusto-conical detent means into engagement with the frusto-conical detent receiving means; lever means fixed to the frusto-conical detent means for moving the frusto-conical detent means into engagement with the frusto-conical detent receiving means by rotating the cam follower pin means along a rising cam land surface of the rotary cam means and loading the opposing spring means and for moving the frusto-conical detent means out from engagement with the frusto-conical detent receiving means by rotating the cam follower pin means in a reverse direction along a now falling cam land surface of the rotary cam means and releasing the loading on the opposing spring means whereby the first spring means moves the frusto-conical detent means out from the frusto-conical detent receiving means against the lesser force of the second spring means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
222 words
The improved tilt steering column mechanism according to claim 1, wherein, the support bracket means comprise a base plate fixed to the vehicle cab frame and having three spaced-apart flange members projecting forwardly therefrom, the flange members each having at least one flat lateral side perpendicular to the base plate; and wherein, the slider bracket means comprise two identical spaced-apart arm means each having a pedestal fixed to a base on the steering column and each having two parallel lateral flat sides projecting forwardly from the pedestal and passing through alongside of the flat lateral side of each of the flange members, the arm means each having an elongated slot on the identical lateral flat side and a plurality of uniformly spaced-apart frusto-conical holes on the identical opposite lateral flat side tapering downwardly into the slot and comprising the frusto-conical detent receiving means; and wherein, the frusto-conical detent means comprise an elongated locking bar having two axially spaced-apart frusto-conical detent portions thereon slideably carried in matching transverse bores provided in each of the flat lateral sides of the flange members, the frusto-conical detent portions each tapering downwardly in the same axial direction into an elongated anchor portion of a size passing through the slot in each arm means anchoring the respective arm means to the flange members of the support bracket means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
189 words
The improved tilt steering column mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the rotary cam means further includes a cup connected to the side opposite of the flat lateral side of the one flange member and having a pair of slots on diametrically opposite points extending axially from the rim towards the bottom, the rotary cam means having a closed bottom cylindrical body portion slip fitted inside the cup and having radially projecting lugs on diametrically opposite points slip fitted in the slots, the cup and the rotary cam means each having a hole centered in the bottom thereof through which the locking bar passes, and wherein the second spring means comprise a thrust washer and a plurality of spring washers sleeved over the locking bar between the bottom of the cup and the outside bottom of the rotary cam means, and the cam follower pin means is fixed to an end portion of the locking bar which passes through the holes in the bottoms of the cup and rotary cam means, and the handle is fixed to the end of the locking bar adjacent the cam follower pin means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
77 words
The improved tilt steering column mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, one frusto-conical detent portion is slideably mounted to one end of the locking bar, and a third spring means acting in cooperation with the first spring means is provided on the one end of the locking bar for resiliently connecting the frusto-conical detent portion thereto and for axially positioning both frusto-conical detent portions in respective aligned frusto-conical detent receiving holes in the arm means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The improved tilt steering column mechanism according to claim 4 wherein, four uniformly spaced-apart frusto-conical holes are provided in each arm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
The improved tilt steering column mechanism according to claim 5 wherein, the first spring means comprise a compression spring sleeved over the locking bar and having one end contacting one flange member on the side opposite the flat lateral side and the other end contacting a flat washer sleeved over and connected to the locking bar.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
56 words
The improved tilt steering column mechanism according to claim 6 wherein the third spring means comprise a pair of jam nuts screwed onto a threaded end portion of the one end of the locking bar against a flat washer abutting a spring washer in turn abutting the large end of the slideably mounted frusto-conical detent portion.
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) | 1984-01-13 | 1984-07-14 | 1985-01-13 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-01-13 | 1988-07-14 | 1989-01-13 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-01-13 | 1992-07-14 | 1993-01-13 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |