Wickes Manufacturing Company

Dura Mechanical Components, Inc.

William J LaRocca

David M Trush

Anthony R Gurney

Miles G Doolittle

Vincent N Carpenter

A manual transmission shifter for operating a pair of transmission control cables includes a shift lever, a base, and a cross having first and second axles defining the first and second intersecting orthogonal axes. The first axle ends are pivotally mounted on the base for pivotal movement. A shift lever bracket mounts the shift lever and has a pair of spaced legs which are pivotally mounted on the second axle ends to enable relative pivotal movement of the shift lever about the second axis. A cable control member is attached at its lower end to one of the control cables and has a pair of spaced flanges at its upper end which are pivotally attached to the second axle outwardly of the shift lever bracket legs to enable pivotal movement of the cable control member about the second axis independent of pivotal movement of the shift lever. A bellcrank is pivotally mounted on the base on a third axis that is coplanar with the orthogonal axes. A control arm mounted on the shift lever bracket has a universal connection to a shoe slidably received in a slot in one leg of the bellcrank. This enables operation of the shift lever and cross about the second axis to operate the one cable without moving the other cable.

Manual transmission shifter

A shifter for an automatic transmission is prevented from shifting out of park position when the ignition switch is on unless the service brake is applied. A solenoid-operated blocking member is positioned to selectively block movement of a detent pin to prevent the shift lever from leaving the park position of the shift gate. A circuit including switches responsive to ignition, service brake application and shift lever position controls solenoid activation. A cam responsive to the shift lever release button and to the lever position controls the shift lever position switch.

Shifter mounted brake-transmission interlock

A parking brake assembly is provided including a sleeve or torque tube for locking or releasing a parking brake. The assembly includes a mounting bracket, an axle extending through the bracket, and a U-shaped handle assembly secured to the ends of the axle. A ratchet is secured to the mounting bracket. A pawl is pivotably mounted adjacent to the ratchet. The pawl is connected to the torque tube by a connecting rod. A spring urges the torque tube in a first direction, thereby causing the pawl to engage the ratchet. Rotation of the torque tube in the opposite direction causes the pawl to pivot away form the ratchet, thereby allowing the operator to release the brake.

Parking brake assembly

An improved manually operable gearshift mechanism includes a support of sheet metal construction and a gearshift selector mounted on the support by a ball and socket arrangement for pivotal movement about first and second orthogonal axes. The gearshift selector is pivotal to a plurality of positions relative to the support to position a pair of gearshifting cables in positions corresponding to selectable transmission gears. The positioning of one of the gearshifting cables is achieved by a bellcrank pivotally mounted on the support and displaceable by a pin extending from the ball and displaceable about the second axis with the gearshift selector. Positioning of the other gearshifting cable is achieved by a link forming an extension of the gearshift selector below the first and second axes and which link is pivotal with the gearshift selector about the first axis. The link is pivotally interconnected with the gearshift selector so that the cable attached to the link is maintained substantially against lateral displacement during pivotal movement of the gearshift selector about the second axis.

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

William J LaRocca