TRINGLE D'ACCELERATEUR RENFORCEE

REINFORCED THROTTLE ROD

Abrégé français

L'invention concerne une tringle d'accélérateur composite (10) constituée d'une tringle solide (16) suffisamment allongée pour s'étendre entre deux éléments (18, 29) dont l'un doit être commandé. Un tube (21) est monté coulissant sur la tringle (16) et maintenu en place uniquement par des courbes (30, 32, 34, 36) dans la tringle (16) et le tube (28) empêchant le tube (28) de glisser longitudinalement le long de la tringle (16). On sélectionne le tube (28) de telle manière que sa longueur est suffisante pour avoir un effet de renforcement dans des parties centrales de la tringle solide (16).

Abrégé anglais

A composite throttle rod (10) is formed of a solid rod (16) that is elongated
sufficiently to extend between two elements (18, 29), one of which is to be
controlled. A tube (21) is slidably mounted over the rod (16) and held in
place only by bends (30, 32, 34, 36) in the rod (16) and tube (28) that
prevent the tube (28) from sliding longitudinally along the rod (16). The tube
(28) is selected to have sufficient length to provide a reinforcing effect in
central portions of the solid rod (16).

Revendications

-6-
WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
1. An elongated composite rod for carrying axial
loads between two elements comprising a solid rod of
length to extend between the two elements, a tube
slidably fitted over said rod and closely fitting
thereon to make an assembly, and at least one bend
portion in the rod and tube assembly to lock the tube in
position on the rod between ends of the rod.
2. The composite rod of claim 1 wherein the tube
is mounted in the central portions of the rod and end
portions of the rod protrude from the tube.
3. The composite rod of claim 1 wherein said
solid rod has an outside diameter, and the tube has an
inside diameter that is between 0.020 and 0.040 inches
in diameter larger than the outside diameter of the
solid rod.
4. A method of forming a composite rod comprising
providing a small diameter solid rod of a desired
length, sliding a tube that closely fits over the rod
into position between ends of the rod to form a
composite, and bending the tube and the rod on the
interior of the tube in at least one location to lock
the tube into position on the rod.
5. The method of claim 4 including bending the
tube and rod composite in two mutually perpendicular
planes.

Description

CA 02370179 2001-10-25
WO 00/66901 PCT/US00/11477
-1-
REINFORCED THROTTLE ROD
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An elongated rod that has to carry axial loads
and which has a small diameter attachment end portions
is reinforced with the small diameter ends protruding
from the tube and then by slipping a close-fitting tube
over the rod before bending it to its final shape, which
locks the close-fitting tube in place.
Various types of throttle rods have been
advanced in the prior art, and generally will fall into
two types . One is where a wire or cable is slidably
mounted in an outer flexible sleeve. The sleeve will
guide the wire and prevent it from buckling under loads .
This involves a two-part system that has to have
mountings for the sleeve as well as the control rod
ends. Also, in many throttle arrangements, the
connecting ends of the throttle control rod have to be
relatively small diameter in order to connect to control
linkages that are used from accelerators to fuel control
modules the ends are welded into tubes or a larger
shaft. Those problems are compounded by the need for
having a relatively long rod that is seldom in a
straight line, and requires off-set bends. Where a
larger diameter tube is used having small diameter ends
welded in place, the cost of the assembly becomes rather
high. Yet, reinforcement of the rod in the center
portions is necessary, particularly when the lengths of
such rods can be in the range of four feet or more. The
rods may carry both compression and tension loads.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A composite reinforced throttle rod that uses
a small diameter solid rod that can be attached to the
ends of fuel control elements (accelerator and foot or
hand fuel control lever) easily, and which can

CA 02370179 2001-10-25
WO 00/66901 PCT/US00/11477
-2-
accommodate adjustable ends as well, is slipped into a
close-fitting tube while the rod is still straight. The
close fitting tube has a close slip-fit over the rod.
The rod is then bent to its desired configuration, and
in this manner, locks the tube into place on the rod so
that the tube acts as a reinforcement for increasing the
column strength of the composite throttle rod for
carrying axial loads, in particular, compression loads.
This permits the rod to carry the needed loads without
bending or buckling, and provides for connecting ends
that are the appropriate size without welding the parts
together or otherwise fabricating the parts to reduce
manufacturing time and costs and to provide a rod that
has adequate strength for operation.
It should be noted that in a compact or small
size vehicle such as a skid steer loader, there is no
place where there is a straight line path between the
operator accelerator control and the fuel control
levers, such as a control lever on a fuel injection pump
of a diesel engine. In other words, the rod always to
be bent in at least one or two off-set sections to clear
components.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a
reinforced throttle rod made according to the present
invention shown schematically attached to a fuel control
lever of an injection pump and a manual operator lever,
for example, for use on a skid steer loader;
Figure 2 is a view illustrating a step in the
manufacture of the reinforced throttle rod of the
present invention with a straight length of tubing
receiving a straight length of rod prior to bending; and

CA 02370179 2001-10-25
WO 00/66901 PCT/US00/11477
-3-
Figure 3 is a view of the composite rod after
bending where the ends of the rod protruding from a
central tube.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In Figure 1, the reinforced throttle rod
indicated generally at 10 is provided with small
diameter end portions 12 and 14 that are formed from a
continuous rod 16 of the same diameter as the end
portions. The end portions 12 and 14 are of small
diameter so they can be used for attaching to a control
lever 18 at one end, and it can either be bent or
connected through a connection sleeve 20 that is
adjustably mounted onto the end portion 12 of the rod
16. The rod then can be joined to the control lever 18
in a normal manner. This will provide for length
adjustment.
The end 14 has a bent end ( see Figure 3 ) 24
that can be received in an opening 26 of a fuel control
lever 29 of a fuel control element such as an injection
pump of a diesel engine. The bent end 24 is of size so
that it can be inserted through the common size opening
26 used in fuel control levers. The ends also can be
reversed with the correction sleeve on the end connected
to the fuel control lever 29. The sleeve 20 can be held
on the end 12 of the rod with a set screw.
The composite rod 10 includes the interior
solid rod 16, and an outer close fitting tubular sleeve
28, which as shown in Figure 2, in an initial stage of
assembly, can be slid onto the rod with the tubular
sleeve 28 located at the appropriate location between
the opposite end portions 12 and 14 of the rod. The
tube is shorter than the rod 16 and leaves end portions
extending out. The tube is close fitting, for example,
a quarter-inch outside diameter rod is a standard rod

CA 02370179 2001-10-25
WO 00/66901 PCT/US00/11477
-4-
for use with fuel control assemblies, and will fit into
the standard connection openings of a fuel control lever
28 as well as receive the connection sleeve 20 for
attachment to a hand or foot control lever 18. The rod
bent end 24 also will fit into standard openings of fuel
control or throttle levers on fuel control elements such
as any inj ection pump on the engine . The tubing 28 that
is used for reinforcing is preferably in the range of
0.020 to 0.040 inches larger than the outside diameter
of the rod 16. It would be thus close fitting and would
yet provide clearance for sliding straight lengths of
rod into straight lengths of tube.
Once the tube 28 has been slid into place on
the rod 16, the composite assembly is formed with
suitable bends indicated at 30 and 32 (Figure 3) in one
plane, and bend 34 and 36 (Figure 1) in another plane
perpendicular to provide clearance around components on
the interior structure of a skid steer loader or other
vehicle. The bends 30, 32, 34 and 36 as shown, provide
a locking function to securely hold the tube 28 from
sliding along the rod 16, and thus locking the
reinforcing tube 28 in position. The tube 28 is of
sufficient size so that axial loading particularly
compression loading on the center portions of the rod 16
will not cause excessive bending. The composite rod
greatly increase the overall strength under axial loads .
Thus, a very easy to manufacture, low cost
composite throttle rod with adequate strength is
provided.
The rods 16 may be in the range of four feet
or more in length, and with the small diameters required
for attaching the ends, a larger diameter rod is needed
in center portions of the rod. The rod can be steel,

CA 02370179 2001-10-25
WO 00/66901 PCT/US00/11477
-5-
and the sleeve or tube 28 also can be steel, or
aluminum, if desired.
Although the present invention has been
described with reference to preferred embodiments,
workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes
may be made in form and detail without departing from
the spirit and scope of the invention.

Dessin représentatif