The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 19, 1999
Filed:
Nov. 20, 1997
Lyle E York, Peoria, IL (US);
Vijay Ramasamy, Peoria, IL (US);
Daniel E Hayward, Chillicothe, IL (US);
Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, IL (US);
Abstract
Current seat construction typically includes a mechanism by which the back portion of the seat may be adjustably reclined. These mechanisms have been known to have unacceptable relative movement between the seat components which has been the source of operator discomfort. The present invention comprehends a reclining mechanism that includes a gear connection between a pair of spaced extensions defined by a back portion of a seat assembly. The extensions engage a pair of stub shafts, each of which defines a gear assembly thereon. The stub shafts each define a hex-shaped socket and are interconnected by a shaft member. The shaft member defines a spherical hex head portion that engages the respective sockets and accommodates a preselected amount of lateral misalignment between the sides of the seat assembly and the respective stub shafts.