US1308559A - Control mechanism - Google Patents

Description

A'. F. STAPLES.

CONTROL MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JULY 19. 1am.

Lmaflmm Patentedluly 1, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l A. F STAPLES. CONTROL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED LULYIQ, 191B.

Patented July 1, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

422552555 FEEEEQE ALBERT F. STAPLES, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CONTROL MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1, 1919.

Application filed July 19, 1918. Serial No. 245,745.

This invention relates to control-mechanism for use upon motor-vehicles.

In connection with the planetary type of power-transmission mechanism, particularly as used in the well-known Ford automobile, the control-mechanism includes a pedal which has three operative positions. In the intermediate position of this pedal the high speed drive-clutch and the low-speed driveclutch are both disengaged, and it is often desirable to hold the pedal in this position for a substantial length of time, when the vehicle is coasting or during a short stop-.

One object of the invention is to provide means by which the holding of the pedal in intermediate or neutral position is facilitated. To this end it is' proposed to use a device which cooperates with the foot and constitutes an abutment or stop so located as to support the foot in the proper position of rest. This stop is preferably yielding, however, so that it may be disengaged by a mere pressure of the foot when pushing the pedal beyond the intermediate position.

When the pedal before mentioned is in its intermediate position the engine of the vehicle is relieved from load, and it tends to accelerate unless checked by a partial clo-' sure of the throttlefvalve. A further object of the present invention is to provide means by which the engine-speed shall be checked, without manipulation of the usual throttlecontrolling means or other attention on the part of the operator, whenever the pedal is moved to intermediate position. To this end it is proposed to use a device adapted to be engaged and controlled 'by the foot when moving the pedal to and holding itin intermediate position, this device being arranged to control the engine through the throttlevalve or any other suitable speed-controlling device. I

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side-elevation oi control-mechanimn enibodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a rear-elevation, on a larger scale than Fig. 1, of a portion ofthe mechanism including particularly the foot engaging abutments; Fig. 3 is a plan-view of the parts shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan-view of the entire mechanism; Fig. 5 is a partial rear-elevation showing particularly the connections with the throttle-valve; and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the extensible link forming a part of said connections.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in mechanism adapted particularly for use with the Ford automobile. The clutch-controlling pedal 10 is shown in Fig. 1, in its normal position, by full lines, while its intermediate position is shown in dotted lines. Directly above the path of movement of this pedal is an abutment or stop 11, in the form of a roller, so located that it may be engaged by the toe when the pedal is in its intermediate position. lBy pressing the toe lightly against this roller the foot may be steadied and supported in.the correct position to hold the pedal in intermediate or neutral position.

To further facilitate the maintenance of the foot in the desired position, a second abutment 12, also in the formof a roller, is

preferably mounted behind the roller 11, so that the toe is embraced by the two rollers and thus steadied against movement in either direction.

The two rollers are supported on rods 13, which are fixed, inparallel position, on a metal strip 14. Being rotatable, the rollers permit the toe to pass more freely into and out of operative engagement with them. The strip 14 is twisted to provide a neck 15 in which the width of the metal is horizontal,

and its forward end is fixed to a divided collar 16 which may be clamped around the usual steering-column 17 of the vehicle.

The arrangement just described not only affords a simple and convenient device for supporting therollers in the proper position, but it also provides for a yielding movement of the rollers in a vertical direction, the strip 14 being, for this purpose, made of spring-metal so that it can bend resiliently in the neck 15. This yielding support of the rollers makes it unnecessary.

' to shift the foot upon the pedal when moving it into and out of cooperative relation with the rollers, since the latter, while sup porting the foot with suflicient firmness in the required positions, will yield when subjected to an enhanced pressure, so as to ride over the toe during forward and rearward movements of the toe in moving the pedal from one osition to another.

Althoug 1 the chief utility of the rollers is in holding the foot in intermediate position, it will be noted that they also assist in holding it in each of the other two positions, the roller 12 supporting the foot while the pedal is in normal position, and the roller 11 supporting the foot against retracting movement when the pedal is held in its forward position.

To prevent the rollers from rotating too freely and from rattling on the rods 13, a

flat spring 18 is arranged to bear frictionally against the ends of the rollers, as shown in Fig. 3.

To carry out the second part of the invention before mentioned, the control-mechanism is associated with the throttle-valve of the engine. A carburete 19 of ordinary form is shown in the drawings, the throttlevalve being embodied in this carbureter in a familiar manner, and being actuated by a rocking arm 20. This throttle-valve is normally controlled by the usual hand-lever 21, which is carried on the steering-column and cotiperates with the usual retaining-segment 22. The lever 21 rotates a rod 23. passing downwardly through the steeringcolumn, and near its lower end the rod carries an arm 24 which is connected, through a link 25, with the throttle-valve arm 20. In Fig. 4 the parts just described are shown in the position in which the throttle-valve is nearly closed, the valve being opened by rearward movement of the lever 21, which causes the link 25 to be pulled by the arm 24.

The means peculiar to the present invention for operating the throttle-valve comprise an actuating member or toe-plate 26, which is located between the rollers 11 and 12. This member is fixed on a rod 27 which turns in sleeves 28 on a plate 29 which is fixed to the strip 14, as shown in Fig. 2. By means of a universal joint 30.

the rod 27 is connectedwith a rod 31 which extends forwardly and downwardly. This rod 31 is supported. near its forward end, by a bearing-arm 32, which is shown as slotted so 'as to embrace and be fixed by a .bolt 33 conveniently located on the frame of the vehicle. An arm 34, projecting upwardly from the rod 31, is connected with the throttle-valve through the intermediation of the link 25.

In order that the two throttle-controlling members may act independently through the link 25. this link is made in two independently movable members 35 and 36, which are embraced by a sleeve 37 (Fig. 6). The

sleeve is fixed to the member 35 by a pin 38',

but the member 36 is free to slide in the sleeve, this movement being limited, however, by a pin 39 which projects outwardly from the member 36, through a longitudinal slot in the sleeve. A spring 40, attached. at its ends to the pins 38 and 39, tends to hold the latter at the inner end of its slot as shown in Fig. 6. The arm 34 on the rod 31 is connected with the link-member 36 by means of a link 41, which is pivoted to the arm 34 at one end, while its other end is attached to a pivot-pin 42 depending from the member 36 through a longitudinal slot in the sleeve 37.

When the hand-lever 21 is moved to operate the throttle-valve the link- members 35 and 36 retain the relative position shown in Fig. 6 and move as a unit. When the throttle-valve is opened in this manner the movement of the link 25 is transmitted to the toe-plate 26, which is thus moved to the depressed position shown in Fig. 1. If then the toe-plate be raised by engagement with the toe, as before described, the rod 31 is turned and the arm 34, acting through the link 41 and the pin 42, moves the link-member 36 outwardly (to the right) in the sleeve 37, and thus moves the throttle-valve toward closed position, this movement being permitted by the extension of the spring 40. When the toe-plate 26 is released the spring 40 returns the link-member 36 to its normal position in the sleeve s0 that the throttlevalve is again opened to the extent determined by the position of the hand-lever 21.

A valuable feature of the illustrated embodiment of the invention resides in the fact that it may be applied to an automobile with practically no alteration thereof, the only requirement bein the provision of. a hole in the foot-board or the admission of the rod 31.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment thereof hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it may be embodied in various other forms within the scope of the following claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. Control mechanism. for a motor-vehicle, comprising; a pedal having three operative positions, and means, adjacent the path of movement of the pedal, for engagement with the foot to steady the foot when holding the pedal in its intermediate position.

2. Control-mechanism, as in claim 1, in which the said means comprise two abutments between which the toe ma be introduced when holding the pedal in its inter- .nediate position.

3. Control-mechanism, as in claim 1, in which said means comprise an abutment located in position to be engaged by the sole of the foot while holding the pedal in its intermediate position, 4

4. Control-mechanism as in claim 3, in which said abutment is in the form of a roller.

5. Control-mechanism, as in claim 3, in which aid abutment is mounted yieldingl'y so that it may be displaced by the foot while moving the pedal from its intermediate positlon to its extreme position.

G. Control mechanism, as in claim 1, in which said means are provided with a clamp ing device by which they may be secured to and supported on the steering-column of the vehicle.

7 Control-mechanism, for a motor-vehicle, comprising; a pedal for controlling the transmission'mechanism of the vehicle, and means for controllin the speed of the engine of the vehicle, said means being located adjacent the pedal in position to be engaged by the foot, when the pedal is moved to a certain position, and to be moved thereby in a direction to reduce the engine-speed.

8. Control-mechanism, as in claim 1, in combination with an I engine-controlling member arranged in position to be engaged by the foot while holding the pedal in its intermediate position.

9. Control mechanism, for a motor-vehicle, comprising: a pedal having three operative positions; two abut-meats between which the toe may be introduced when holding the pedal in its intermediate position; and an engine-controlling member located in position to be engaged by the too when introduced between said abutments.

10. Control-meehanism,, for a motor-vehicle, comprising; a support, two rollers rotatably mounted in parallel position on the support, and means for securing the support to the vehicle with-the rollers located above the path of movement of the upper end of the pedal.

11. (lontrolanechanism, as in claim 10, in

which said support is in the form of a resilient arm and said means is in the form of a clamp by which said arm may be secured to the steering-column of the vehicle,

12. In combination with a control-pedal, an abutment located adjacent the pedal, in position to be engaged by the toe of the foot when, resting on the pedal, said abutment being mounted yieldingly so that it may be displaced and ride over the end'of the toe when the pedal is depressed.

ALBERT F. STAPLES.

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