The Torrington Company

Other

William E Korzan

James G DeBisschop

Frederick W Mitchell, Iii

Kevin J Audibert

Martin G Riccitelli

Wayne Melvin Avers

David E Boyden

Steve Waldie

John T Lawson

A steering column tilt adjusting system for releasably locking a steering column assembly. The pawl is pivotally coupled to the rack and may be pivotally and slidably moved between fully compressed and fully extended positions. The system includes a pawl, a rack, and a pair of side slide plates. Each of the pawl and the rack support a set of rack teeth. The pawl and rack, which are slidable relative to one another, permit adjustment of the system to a fully compressed locked position (teeth of the pawl engaging the teeth of the rack), a fully compressed unlocked position (the teeth of the pawl and those of the rack are not engaged), a fully extended unlocked position (the teeth are not engaged) or a fully extended locked position (the teeth of the pawl engaging the teeth of the rack). In operation, the length of the adjustment system is unlocked, adjusted and relocked to cause the steering column steering wheel to be repositioned as the driver wants.

Steering column tilt adjusting system

A clamp for securing a torque transmitting coupling between an intermediate shaft and a drive tube in a vehicle steering column consists of a strap wrapped upon itself in a substantially circular form with its ends overlapping, the strap having a radial hole formed through the overlapping ends, and a bolt inserted through the radial hole and threadably engageable with a threaded nut within the circular form of the strap. The bolt preferably has a flared tip for trapping the bolt within the nut and for extending into and through a hole in a wall of the drive tube to engage a recess in the intermediate shaft. It also has an undercut portion above the flared tip for disengaging from threads of the nut when the flared tip is retracted into the wall of the drive tube. Until the shaft is properly positioned in the tube, the threads of the bolt and nut are prevented from engaging to tighten the clamp. The flared tip may have threads to permit easy assembly with the nut and the strap.

Steering column shaft clamp

A collapsible shaft, for a steering column of a motor vehicle, having a predetermined collapse load, includes an inner shaft member having a non-circular cross-section and an outer tube member having a non-circular cross-section congruent with that of the inner shaft member and slidably overlaying the inner shaft member. This shaft arrangement provides for yieldably retaining the inner shaft in a fixed axial position in the outer tube until acted upon by a predetermined force. The means for accomplishing this includes an undercut portion, having a length 'L' and a depth 'D', on one lateral face of the inner shaft, an arcuate spring member, having an arc length 'L-.DELTA.L', fitted into the undercut portion and, when the arcuate spring is compressed during insertion of the shaft into the tube, having its ends almost butted against the ends of the undercut portion and interfering with movement of the inner shaft in the outer tube. The spring member is stressed slightly beyond its elastic limit during insertion of the inner shaft and spring member into the outer tube.

Collapsible shaft having tunable collapse load for motor vehicle

A clamp yoke formed from a flat piece of metal. The flat piece being approximately T-shaped which is bent into the clamp yoke. The top portion of the T forming the yoke ears and the vertical portion forming two approximately parallel shaft portions. The yoke ears each having a bearing bore and the shaft portions each having a shaft receiving bore. The clamp yoke can be provided with a bolt having a reduced diameter middle which allows a shaft to be inserted into the shaft receiving bores without removing the bolt. The bolt is then tightened, drawing the larger diameter portion into the center of the clamp yoke where the bolt engages a transversely relieved portion on the shaft to axially retain the shaft.

One-piece stamped clamp yoke

A double cardan universal joint having a pair of annular ring yokes pivotally connected by a tubular coupling yoke. Specific examples are provided of using the double cardan universal joint as a non-constant velocity joint in a three universal joint steering system whereby a the three universal joint system operates at constant velocity.

Universal joint

A steering shaft coupling comprising: an outer tubular shaft member, a coaxial inner shaft member slidably inserted within the outer tubular shaft member, the outer tubular shaft member having an inner peripheral wall and the inner shaft member having an outer peripheral wall, the inner peripheral wall and the outer peripheral wall having complementary shapes, the complementary shapes transmitting torque between the shaft members, and a biasing member between the inner shaft member and the outer tubular shaft member, the biasing member causing a force opposing the transmitted torque.

Variable length shaft assembly

A steering shaft coupling comprising: an outer tubular shaft member, a coaxial inner shaft member slidably inserted within the outer tubular shaft member, and a plurality of wedges located between the outer tubular shaft member and the inner shaft member. The plurality of wedges being locking wedges wherein the wedges tend to be retained in the spaces between the shaft members upon application of torque from one shaft member to the other shaft member through the wedges.

Growing community of inventors

Bethlehem, CT, United States of America

William E Korzan