Wescon Products Company

Conchemco, Incorporated

Michael A Barnard

Anthony F Beugelsdyk

Marvin L Cox

Arthur L Urban

Bruce J Kester

Dale C Kester

Ed Eater

A panel mount cable control assembly is provided which is useful with a vehicle having controllable mechanisms such as a throttle and choke of an internal combustion engine. The cable control assembly includes independently actuated shifters operatively connected to respective Bowden cables connected to the controllable mechanisms, which each shifter having a different mode of operation. A first shifter is preferably maintained in a desired position through frictional engagement, while a second shifter operates for a free return though a spring which biases the shifter to an initial position. Both shifters are preferably mounted to substantially enclose a chamber of a housing, and are positioned for side-by-side independent pivotal movement with the shifters in abutment.

Panel mount cable control assembly

Dual action bail and lever lawnmower cable control assembly

A cable control assembly snaps into a control panel of a lawn mower or other piece of equipment to thereby enclose the opening in the control panel into which the assembly is received. The cable control assembly hereof includes a case and a shifter which is engaged by a detent spring, the case including a rim and at least one resilient snap for holding the margin of the control panel surrounding the opening therebetween. The detent spring includes a detent positioned between a pair of divergent arms which engage the case and inhibit transverse movement of the spring in the direction of orientation of the arms during pivotal movement of the shifter.

Conduit guide clip

A dual action bail and lever lawn mower control assembly is provided for operating the ground drive of a self-propelled walk-behind lawn mower. The control assembly includes a housing, a shift lever having an extended handle and a substantially circular body which is coupled to a control cable. A bail socket is pivotally received in the housing and is coupled to the bail. A blocking pawl is provided within the housing for engagement with the circular body of the shift lever and the bail socket. The bail socket includes a retainer which is provided with a lug and is spring loaded so that when the bail is pulled back, the spring imparts a rotational force to the retainer. When the lever is shifted to position a recess therein opposite the pawl, the retainer pivots the pawl to enter the recess and hold the lever in the engaged position until the bail is released and a return spring associated with the ground drive pulls on the cable, with the shift lever being then free to return to its original position. The configuration and design of the assembly components permits the assembly to be rearranged to either left hand or right hand mounting through the substitution of only a single part.

Dual action bail and lever lawn mower control assembly

A conduit guide fitting is provided which economically permits mounting a Bowden cable to a mounting bar of a lawn mower or the like. The conduit guide fitting includes a receiver adapted to receive the sheath of the Bowden cable therein and allows the control cable to pass through the receiver for connection to a shiftable control. A projection extends at an oblique angle to the fitting and is adapted to fit in a hole in the mounting bar so as to both hold the cable in position and permit pivoting of the receiver as the control is shifted.

Conduit guide fitting

A push-pull control assembly which is lockable with respect to translational movement includes a rod received with a tube with a control cable attached to the rod and a collet received on an off-centered portion of the rod. The collet includes a raised ridge received within a keyway on the interior channel of the tube whereby the collet does not rotate but is free to translate within the channel. By turning the rod either clockwise or counterclockwise, the collet is wedged against the channel by the off-centered portion of the rod to lock the rod and thus the control cable against further movement. A key may be provided in addition to the collet to modify and limit the available translational movement of the rod.

Control assembly with locking collet

A cable control lever apparatus is provided for use in a walk-behind lawnmower. The lawnmower includes a mower deck, a handle bar connected to the deck for permitting walk-behind operation of the mower, and a pair of control cables supported for translational movement relative to the handle bar. The handle bar including a pair of laterally spaced side arms, and an end bar extending between the side arms and connecting them together. Each side arm includes a transverse hole aligned with the hole in the other arm for receiving a bail formed of a shape corresponding to the shape of the handle bar. The bail includes opposed out-turned ends sized for receipt in the holes in the handle bar to permit relative pivotal movement of the bail between a non-actuated position spaced from the end bar of the handle bar and an actuated position against the end bar. The bail is connected to one of the cables so that movement of the bail is transmitted to the cable. A lever is supported for pivotal movement on one of the out-turned ends of the bail between the bail and the handle bar so that when the bail is in the actuated position, the lever can be pivoted about the one out-turned end of the bail between a non-actuated position and an actuated position. The lever includes structure for retaining the lever in the actuated position, and for releasing the lever when the bail moves to the non-actuated position, allowing the lever to move to the non-actuated position.

Cable control lever apparatus

In a walk-behind, powered lawnmower, a cable control apparatus is provided for supporting at least two different cable assemblies. The apparatus includes a housing for supporting the outer conduits of the cables at a fixed position on the handlebar of the mower and a fastener for fastening the housing to the handlebar. A throttle lever is supported on the housing for pivotal movement, the free end of the first cable being connected to the throttle lever so that movement of the lever is transmitted to the motor by the first cable, adjusting the speed of the motor. The free end of the second cable extends beyond the cable control apparatus and is connected to a separate ground drive lever so that movement of the ground drive lever is transmitted to the ground drive assembly by the second cable, actuating the ground drive assembly. The control apparatus includes an adjustment apparatus for removing slack from the second cable assembly. The adjustment apparatus includes a polygonal channel formed in the housing and sized for receipt of the ground drive conduit fitting so that engagement between the fitting and the channel prevents the fitting from rotating relative to the housing. A turnbuckle is received for threaded engagement on the fitting and is supported at a fixed axial position along the channel so that the turnbuckle can be rotated to adjust the position of the fitting within the channel. A detent is also provided for biasing the turnbuckle toward each of a plurality of rotational positions so that the biasing force must be overcome to rotate the turnbuckle from each position in either direction.

Lawnmower cable control apparatus

A cable assembly for use in transmitting movement between an actuating mechanism and an actuated mechanism includes an adjustment apparatus for use in removing slack between the ends of the cable of the assembly. The adjustment apparatus includes an elongated fitting including a first end adapted for attachment to a conduit within which the cable is supported, and a second free end having a non-circular cross-sectional shape. A housing presents a non-circular bore sized for receipt of the second end of the fitting so that engagement between the fitting and the bore prevents the fitting from rotating relative to the housing. The fitting is axially shiftable within the bore between a plurality of positions to adjust the length of conduit extending through the housing. A button is supported on the housing for selectively locking the fitting in place within the bore and unlocking the fitting for axial movement.

Adjustable cable assembly

An attachment apparatus is provided for attaching an elongated shaft to a structural element, wherein the shaft defines a longitudinal axis, and the structural element includes an opening through the structural element which defines a central axis extending in a direction generally perpendicular to the axis of the shaft. The apparatus includes a helical coil of wire having a central coiled section and opposed end sections protruding from the coiled section, an inner space defined by the coiled section that is sized to grip the shaft and to prevent relative axial movement between the helical coil and the shaft when the coil is mounted on the shaft, and a fastening assembly for fastening the apparatus to the structural element when at least one end section is inserted into the opening. The apparatus is mounted on the elongated shaft by rotating the opposed end sections so that the coiled section unwinds, increasing the diameter of the inner space to a point where it is slightly larger than the cross-sectional diameter of the shaft. The elongated shaft is inserted through the inner space to a desired position relative to the apparatus, and the opposed end sections are rotated so that the coiled section rewinds, decreasing the diameter of the inner space until the shaft is firmly retained through the apparatus. In a preferred embodiment, the fastening assembly includes hook-shaped tips defined by the opposed end sections, and spaced-apart by a distance greater than the diameter of the opening.

Support means for conduit

A remote valve control assembly broadly includes a lever assembly, a control plunger operably coupled with the lever assembly, and a case structure having a pair of case halves. The lever assembly includes a lever and a control handle having a detent pin. The case structure includes interior structure presenting a pivot and a plunger channel. The case structure also includes a single position detent slide mounted on one case half, and a double position detent slide on the other case half. The lever is retained in the case structure on the pivot for relative pivotal movement of the lever assembly between forward and aft positions. The detent pin is adapted to engage at least one of the detent slides for retaining the lever assembly in a desired position. The control handle is configured to selectively disengage the detent pin from the detent slides for movement of the lever assembly. The detent pin is shiftable between a single detent position for engaging the single position detent slide, and double detent position for engaging the double position detent slide. As a result, the control assembly may be placed in a single detent mode for retaining the rotating lever in a center position, and a double detent mode for retaining the rotating lever in the forward and aft positions.

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Wichita, KS, United States of America

Michael A Barnard