Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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,- Backqround of the Invention
Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to interrelated motor
and transmission controls and more particularly has reference
to a singl~ lever control having throttle braking in the neutral
throttle mode~
Description of the Prior Art
Pertinent United States and foreign patents are found in
Class 192, subclasses .096 and .098 and Class 74, subclasses 372,
471R, 475, 476, 433, 491, 504, 5:Ll, 519, 523, 872, 875, 876 and
878 of the official classiications of patents in the United
States Patent and Trademark Office.
~xamples of pértinent patents are United States Patents ~
2,254,144; 3,127,785; 3,511,117; 3,581,603: 3,842,695 and 3,929,039.
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In Patent 3,842,695, the lever and shaft are not capable
of axiaL movement, but a slider shaft in the lever assembly can
be retracted. When the transmisslon is~ln the neutral posltlon,
retraction of the slider shaft disengages key 96 having projection
L00 from the driving gear 56 and pulls pin 108 into hole 110~
Patent 3,581,603 discloses a similar mechanism. Patent 3,842~,695
` differs from the invention in several ways: first, thP lock is
; on the slider shaft, not the lever; second, the slider shaft is
nonrotatable; third, the lock is not spring biased. In Patent
3,581,603, the slider shaft is rotatable.
Patents 3,511,~17 and 3,127,785 disclose control levers
which can be pulled outward when in neutral position, to open
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the throttle independently of the shift function. The cont-
rol lever is spring biased~ In Patent 3,511,117, blocking
flange 134 locks against reverse curved portion 133 of inter-
locking plate 131 to prevent accidental shift while in the
neutral throttle mode. Lateral wings 135 or 136 are inter-
posed between the blocking flange 134 and gear 38 to prevent
axial translation of the control lever 18 except in the
neutral position. Patent 3,127,785 has a sim1larly function
ing plate 70 and flange 37. The lever in Patent 3,929,039
contains a spring-loaded coupling shaft which can he disen-
gaged while the lever is in a neutral position. The coupl-
ing shaft has radially extending pins 25 which couple the
main shaft to the throttle gear. Pressing in the coupling
shaft against the spring disengages the pins from the gear,
and the gear from the shaft. In operation, this mechanism
functions in the reverse manner from the invention.
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No patent suggests the use of a friction plate and spring
or a frictLon pad and proflled surface to prevent throttle
creep ln the neutral throttle operating mode. No patent
~ ~ suggests linking the friction plate to a throttle~gear lock
for economy of manufacture and simplicity of operation~
According to the~present invention there is provided
braking~apparatus for a control unit having a drive member
rotatably supported in a houslng comprising, a friction
member connected to the houslng~ad~acent the drive member,
the drive member having a surface configured to frictionally
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~ engage the friction member~sufficiently~to provide re~lative- ~
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ly large frictional resistance to the movement of the surface
across the friction memher, the surface further having por-
tions recessed from the friction~member sufficiently to pro-
vide relatively small frictional resistance to the movement
of the portions across the friction member.
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¦ Objects of the embodiments of the inventio~ are, there-
fore, to provide improved braking apparatus for a control
' unit having a shaft rotatably supported in and axially
i! - translatable with respect to a housing, one end of the
, shaft connected to a control member externally of the hous-
~, ing, translation of the member toward the housing disengag-
ing the shaft from a drive member rotatably supported
within the housing comprising, a friction plate mounted
on the sha~t adjacent the control member, a helical spring
i 10 connected to the housing and friction plate at remote.ends
and surrounding the end o the shaft bounded axially by
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i ~ the housing and friction pLate for resiliently urging.. the
: friction plate lnto fr:ictional engagement with the control
member, the housing is provided with an external annular
shoulder concentrically spaced about the shaft, the end
. of the spring adjacent the housing closely circumscribing
the shoulder, the control member has:a relatively large
radial surface adjacent the friction plate, the friction
: plate having a radiaL surface configured to abut the
20~ : control~member along:substantially the entlre
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~ :1 30 4-
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f radial surface of the control member, locking means connected to
the friction plate for preventing rotation of the drive member
when the shaft is disengaged from the drive member, the locking
- means comprises an axial member connected to the friction plate,
the housing has a bore, the axial member received within the bore,
and the drive member has a bore configured to receive the axial
member projecting through the housing when aligned with the bore
in the housing upon translation of the control member toward the
:~ housing, the end of the axial member closely adjacent the surface
of the drive member when the bore in the drive member is moved
from alignment with the bore in the housing, thereby preventing
axial translation of the shaft, the axial member has an opening
; adjacent the friction member, and the spring ~eans has a radial
projection received within the opening in the axial member for
connecting the spring measls to the axial member for supporting the
axial member and for resiliently urging the axial member away from
;~ : the driva member when the control member is translated away from
the housing, a friction pad connected to the housing adjacent the
drive member, the ~rive member having a radial end surface con-
flgured to frictionally engage the friction pad sufficiently to-
provide relatively large frlctional resistance to the mo~ement of
the surface across the friction pad, the surface ~urther having
portions recessed from the friction pad sufficiently to provide
relatively small frictional resistance to the movement of the
25 portions across the friction pad, a screw connected to the pad and
threadedly received within the housing for varyingly urging the
pad into frictional enyagem~nt with the drive member. .
These and other and further objects and features of the
invention are apparent in the disclosure which includes the above
and below speci~ications and claims and drawings.
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~ ,, Brief Description of the Drawinqs
- FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal cross section of a single lever
control embodying the features of the present invention.
~; FIGURE 2 is a top plan detail of the mounting flange shown
in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 3 i5 a top plan detail o the collar shown in
FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 4 is a longitudinal cross section taken substantially
: along the li.ne 4-4 of FIGURE 30
FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal cross section of the hand lever
shown in FIGUR~ 1.
FIGURE 6 is a top plan det:ail of the throttle gear and
: : shifting gear shown in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 7 is a rear plan view of the apparatus shown in
FIGURE 1.
: FIGURE 8 is a sectional detail taXen substantially:along
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~ the line 8-8 of FIGURE 1.
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Detailed Description of the Drawinqs
Referring to Figure 1, a single lever control unit 1
is shown attached to a mounting board 2. Preferably, the unit
lS adapted to sequentially operate a transmission and throttle
and, selectively, to operate the throttle independently of the
transmission.
The control unit 1 has a shaft 4 mounted in a housing
6 for rotational and axial movement~ The shaft 4 is provided
; with keys 8 adjacent an annular flange 10. The keys 8 are
.~ 10 configured to engage keyways 12 in a hub 14 rotatably mounted
. in the housing 6. The flange 10 abuts an annular shoulder 16
~: on the hub 14 when the keys 8 and keyways 12 are engaged~
The shaft 4 communicates rotary actuating forces to the hub
14 through the keys 8.
A space 18 is provided adjacent the shaft 4 above
the annular flange 10 to permit axial translation of the
:shaft 4.: When translated~ the Xeys 8 and keyways 12
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dlsengage, thereby permitting rotation of the shaft 4 without
:~ consequent rotation of the hub 14. The lower surface of the
keys 8 abut the upper surface of the hub 14 until further
rotation of the shaft 4 causes the keys 8 to realign with the
keyways 12. : :.
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.~ A spring 20 surrounds the end of the shaft 4.
The upper end of the spring 20 abuts an annular shoulder 22
on the housing 6. The lower end of the spring 20 abuts a
friction plate 24 mounted on the shaft 4 adjacent a throttle
actuating member 26 rigidly connected to the end of the shaft 4.
The spring 20 continuously urges the keys 8 and annular flange
10 on the sha*t 4 toward the hub 14. This causes the keys 8
to automatically engage the keyways 12 when the shaft 4
rota~es ~he keys 8 into alignment with the keyways 12.
The hub 14 has a throttle gear portion 30. The
throttle gear 30 is a Geneva type wheel which operatively
engages a Geneva wheel 32 rotatably mounted in the housing 6.
The Geneva wheel 32 is rigidly connected to a shift control
arm 34: the arm 34 and wheel 32 rotating simultaneously. As
shown in figure 6I rotation of the throttle gear 30 causes
; rotation of the Geneva wheel shift gear 32 only when the teeth
of the gears 30 and 32 are meshed. Substantial rotation of
the throttle gear 30 in either direction causes the teeth of
the throttle gear 30 and~shift gear 32 to disengage. Continued
rotation of the throttle gear 30 causes a reversed curve portion
34'of the shift gear 32 to mate with a curved surface 36 on
the throttle gear 30 to prevent rotation of the shift gear 32.
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The sequential shifting and throttling operations
- of the control unit as well as the selective independent
throttling operation of the control unit can now be readily
understood. The throttle control arm 40 is connected to an
engine throttle operator (not shown). Similarly, the shift
control arm 34 is connected to a transmission operator (not
shown). The connections are made in a manner to permit
neutral idling of the engine when the throttle gear 30 and shift
gear 32 are aligned as in Figure 6. Rotation of the shaft
4 in one direction rotates the throttle gear 30 in the same
direction. Initially, the shift gear 32 is also rotated in
the same direction. When the reversed curve portion 34'of
the shift gear 32 abuts the curved portion of the throttle
gear 30, the shift gear 32 stops rotating. At this point,
the shifting of the transmission Exom neutral to an operative
gear, for example, forward gear, is complete. Continued
rotation of the shaft 4 causes rotation of th throttle gear
30 and throttle actuating member 26. Conse~uently, the
engine is throttled. When the shaft 4 is rotated in the
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opposite direction, the throttle gear 30 and throttle
actuating member 26 rotate in a similar direction. Initially,
engine throttle is reduced~ Continued rotation of the shaft
` ~ 4 causes the teeth on the throttle gear 30 and shift gear 32
to mesh. The transmission is shifted from forward gear to
neutralO If the shaft 4 is further rotatedj the transmission
i is shited from neutral to reverse gear. Reverse throttle is
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then applied by continued rotation of the shaft 4. In
order to prevent throttling while the shifting gear 32 is
rotating, the throttle control arm 40 is connected to the
throttle operator by an appropriate lost motion device, or
any similarly functioning device.
A locking arm 42 is connected to the friction
plate 24 and is receive~ within an opening 44 in the housing
6. The end 46 of the spring 20 projects through an opening
in the locking arm 42 and is thereby connected to the locking
arm 42. The throttle gear 30 is provided with a notch 48
configured to receive the locking arm 42 when the notch 48
is aligned with the opening 44 in the housing 6. The notch
48 is positioned to align with the opening 44 in the housing 6
when the throttle gear 30 and shift gear 32 are in neutral
alignment.
Axial translation of the shaft 4 in neutral dis-
engages the keys 8 from the keyways 12 and projects the
locking arm 42 into the notch 48 in the throttle gear 30,
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thereby locking the throttle gear 30 and shift gear 32 in
neutral position. Rotation of the shaft 4 throttles the
engine. The spring 20 urges the friction plate 24 into
frictional engagement with the throttle actuating member 26
to prevent throttle creep. When the shaft 4 is rotated to
the neutral position, the keys 8 automatically engage the
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~5 keyways 12-and the locking arm 42 automatically disengages the
notch 48 in the throttle gear 32 by means of axial loading
created by -the spring 20. The end 46 of the spring 20
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connected to the locking arm 42 facilitates removal of the
arm 42 from the notch 48 in the throttle gear 30 and supports
the arm 42.
When the throttle gear 30 is rotated from neutral
alignment, the notch 48 in the throttle gear 30 is moved from
alignment with the opening 44 in the housing 6. The locking
arm 42 prevents axial translation of the shaft 4.
A detent 50 is mounted in the housing 6 adjacent the
throttle gear 30. The detent has a spring ~2 which continuously
urges a roller 54 against the side of the throttle gear 30.
`` The gear 30 is provided with spaced notches 56, 58 and 60
configured to receive the roller 54. The central notch 58
is positioned to receive the roller 54 when the throttle gear
30 is in neutral alignment. The side notches 56 and 60 are
positioned to receive the roller 54 when the reverse curved
portion 34`of the shift gears 32 is ~irst rotated into
contact with the ~urved portion 36 of the throttle gear 30.
Engagement of the roller 54 with the notches 56, 58 and 60
tendsto lock the throttle gear 30 against rotation. The
operator of the contxol unit 1 is thereby given indications
that the engine is in neutral or forward or reverse gear.
Additionally, the side notches 56 and 60 are positioned to
` engage the roller 54 when the control unit l, operating in
se~uential mode, completes the shifting operation and begins
the throttling operation.
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;~ A friction pad 61 is connected to the end of a
screw 62 threadedly mounted in a housing 6. As best
shown in Figure 8, the pad 61 is positioned to abut a
; specially profiled surface 64 of the thxottle gear 30.
The surface 64 has a portion 66 recessed from the friction
pad 61~ the arc length of the portion 66 corresponding to
the amount of angular displacement of the throttle gear 30
during which the throttle gear 30 rotates the shifting
gear 32. When the control unit l operates in the shifting
mode, the fxiction pad 61 offers relatively little frictional
resistance to the rotation of the throttle gear 30 since
the frictio.n pad 61 is aligned with the recessed portion
66 of the throttle gear 30. In the throttling mode, however~
:. the friction pad 61 is aligned with the portion 67 of the
profiled surface 64 of the gear 30. closely adjacent the
inward surface of the housing 6, thereby offering a relatively
large frictional resistance to the xotation of the throttle
~gear 30. The amount-of frictional resistance offerred by
the pad 61 to the rotation of the gear 30 can be adjusted
20 by the screw 62~
It is appreci ted that the control unit 1 is readily
: adaptable for use with power boat engines. Consequently,
sleeve hearings 68, 6g and 71 are provided to seal the unit 1
and to prevent damage to the components of the unit l due to
the environment.
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~' An interlock collar 70 and a collar retainer 72 are
connectPd to the control unit 1 prior to mounting the control
unit 1 on the mounting surIace 2. A neutral interlock hand
lever 74 is connected to the end of the shaft 4 projecting
through the opening 76 in the mounting surface 2. The lower
: end of the hand lever cap 78 surrounds a portion of the inter-
lock collar 70 and is provided with means to lock the hand
lever 74 against further rotation when the hand lever 74 is
moved to a nPutral position.
~: 10 As sh~wn most clearly in FIGURE 5, the hand lever 74
: has a block 80 slidably mounted within the cap 78~ The block
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80 is connected to a release butl:on 82 by an arm 84 slidably
mounted within the shaft 86 of the hand laver ,4. A spring 88
connected to the arm 84 and the c;haft 86 urges the block 80
toward the center of the cap 78. A screw 90 projects through
a slot~ln the arm 84 and is received within a sliding block
92-formed inside the shaft 86 to~keep the arm 84 in proper
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alignment. Moving the button 82 in the direction indicated by
the numeral 94 slides the block 80 toward the side of the cap
780 When the button 82 is released, the spring 88 causes the ~-
~: block 80 to automaticall~ move toward the center of the cap 78.
~ The cap 78 lS positioned on the collar 70 in a manner
; which enables the radially inward surface of the block 80 to
-: abut the-radially ou~ward surface of the upper axial portion
102 of the collar 70~ The cap 78. is connected to the shaft 4
and rotates with the shaft 4. Rotation of the shaft ~ causes
the block 80 to move along the surface 102 of the collar 70`.
A no~ch 100 provided in the upper axial portion 102 of the
collar 70 is configured to receive the block 80 when the block
: 3~ 80 is aligned with the notch. Preferably, the notch 100 is
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,~ positioned ~o engage the block 80 when the hand lever 74 and
shaft 4 are rotated to a neutral position. Engagement of a
block 80 and notch 100 prevents further rotation of the hand
lever 74 and sha~t 4.
Moving the button 82 in the direction indicated by
numeral 94 moves the block 80 toward the side of the cap 78,
thereby disengaging the block 80 and the notch 100. The hand
lever 74 and shaft 4 can then be rotated from the neutral
position. When the ~and lever 74 and shaft 4 are returned to
the neutral position, the spring 88 causes the block 80 to
automatically engage the notch 100 thereby automatically pre-
venting urther rotation of the hand lever 74 and shaft 4.
The collar 70 is held against the housing 6 by the
~` retainer 72 which overlies an annular flange 104 on the lower
axial portion 106 of the collar 70. The retainer 72 is pro-
vided with serrations 108 configured to engage serrations 110
on the lower axial portion 106 of the collar 70 adjacent the
flange 104. ~he serrations 108 and 110 prevent rotation of the
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collar 70 when engaged. Prior to mounting the control unit 1
on the mounting plate 2, the collar 70 is oriented in the
retainer 72 in any desir~ed position~ Preferably, the collar 70
is oxiented in a manner which position~ the interlock~notch 100
;~ to engage the block 80 when the hand lever 74 is in an appropriate
neutral orientationO
Cap 78 is provided with an annular shoulder 112 which
abuts the outward surface o the mounting board 2 when the keys
8 on the shaft 4 engage the keyways 12 in the hub 14. When the
shaft 4 is translated axially to disengage the keys 8 and key~
ways 12, the shoulder 112 is spaced from the suxface of the
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mounting board 2 thereby pxoviding an indication to the
operator that the control unit 1 is in the neutral throttle
mode of operation.
In an alternative embodiment, the cap 78 is posi~ioned
on the collar 70 in a manner which enables the axially inward
surface of the block 80 to abut the axially outward end of
the upper axial portion 102 of the collar 70 when the hand
lever 74 is rotated from the neutral position whilP the control
unit 1 is in the neutral throttle mode of operation. When the
hand lever 74 is rotated to the neutral position, the block 8C
engages the notch lOO,thereby permitting axial translation of
the shaft 4 and engagement of the keys 8 with the keyways 12
under loading from the spring 20. The hand lever 74 is rotated
from the neutral position in the manner previously described.
While the invention has been described with reference
to a specific embodiment, the exact nature and scope of the
invention is defined in the following claims.
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