Brake and accelerator controls for operating a motor driven vehicle

In a foot operated control apparatus for operating throttle and brake means of a motor driven vehicle through the operation of a single pedal, said apparatus having a brake lever and means for mounting said brake lever in a motor driven vehicle in association with the brake means of the vehicle to operate said brake means in response to movement of said brake lever, an accelerator lever and means for mounting the intermediate portion of said accelerator lever on said brake lever for pivotal movement relative thereto and in association with the vehicle throttle means and foot pedal means on said accelerator lever and wherein said accelerator lever includes urging means for raising said pedal relative to said brake lever and means connecting said urging means with said throttle means to operate said throttle means to accelerate the motor of said vehicle and depressing movement of said pedal decelerates the motor of said vehicle while movement of said accelerator lever concurrently with movement of said brake lever operates to apply or release the brake means of said vehicle, the improvement comprising a provision of:

• means in association with said brake lever and said accelerator lever for preventing movement of said brake lever to actuate said brake means of said vehicle when said accelerator lever is being moved by said pedal to decelerate said motor through pivotal movement of said accelerator lever relative to said brake lever, movement of said accelerator lever to a position whereby said thorttle means is moved to a motor idling position and operates said preventing means to a second position allowing concurrent movement of said brake lever and accelerator lever thereafter to apply said brake means and prevent thereafter said accelerator leave to actuate said throttle means before said brake means have been completely released.

In a foot operated control apparatus for operating throttle and brake means of a motor driven vehicle through the operation of a single pedal, said apparatus having a brake lever and means for mounting said brake lever in a motor driven vehicle in association with the brake means of the vehicle to operate said brake means in response to movement of said brake lever, an accelerator lever and a foot pedal, and means for mounting the intermediate portion of said accelerator lever on said brake lever for pivotal movement relative thereto and in association with the vehicle throttle means and wherein said accelerator lever includes urging means for raising said foot pedal relative to said brake lever and means connecting said urging means with said throttle means to operate said throttle means to accelerate the motor of said vehicle and depressing movement of said foot pedal decelerates the motor of said vehicle while movement of said accelerator lever concurrently with movement of said brake lever operates to apply or release the brake means of said vehicle, the improvement comprising a provision of:

• means for pivotally mounting said foot pedal on said accelerator lever, said means for mounting said foot pedal including biasing means for urging said foot pedal to pivot away from said accelerator lever;
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• means associated with said foot pedal and said accelerator lever to urge said throttle means to an engine idling position in response to pivotal movement of said foot pedal away from said accelerator lever under the urging of said biasing means, as when said foot pedal is unattended or the operator removes his foot from said foot pedal.

A foot operated control for operating throttle and braking means of a motor driven vehicle through operation of a single pedal, said control comprising:

• a brake lever and means for mounting it for pivotal movement about a fixed axis in said vehicle in association with said braking means for limited movement between a raised brake released position and a depressed brake applied position;
• an accelerator lever, the intermediate portion of said accelerator lever pivotally mounted on said brake lever for both concurrent movement therewith about said axis and for limited pivotal movement relative to said brake lever;
• a foot pedal mounted on said accelerator lever;
• means for connecting said accelerator lever with said throttle means of said vehicle to operate said throttle means from a full acceleration position to an engine idling position in response to depression of said pedal from a fully raised position through said limited pivotal movement relative to said brake lever, continued depression of said foot pedal thereafter causing concurrent movement of said accelerator leverr and brake lever to apply said vehicle braking means;
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• urging means, means connecting said urging means with said throttle means and said accelerator lever to raise said pedal relative to said brake lever toward a full open throttle position so that the vehicle operator, by his foot, can control acceleration by governing the raising of said pedal means due to the actuation of said urging means and thereafter decelerate the vehicle engine toward idling condition and subsequently apply the vehicle brake means through a single continuous depression of said pedal means.

In a foot operated control apparatus for operating throttle and brake means of a motor vehicle through the operation of a single foot pedal, said apparatus having a brake lever and mounting means, said brake lever being provided on said mounting means for movement between a brake applying position and a brake release position, said brake lever being connected to said brake means of the vehicle to operate said brake means in response to pivotal movement of said brake lever toward said brake applying position, and an accelerator lever having said foot pedal mounted thereon, the improvement comprising the provision of:

• means for pivotally suspending the intermediate portion of said accelerator lever from said brake lever for limited pivotal movement relative thereto, and including a connection between a portion of said accelerator lever and said foot pedal, said foot pedal depending from said connection for generally upward and downward movement about said connection;
• urging means, means connecting said urging means with said throttle means and said accelerator lever for operating said throttle means to accelerate the motor of said vehicle in response to upward pivotal raising movement of said pedal relative to said brake lever and to decelerate the motor of said vehicle in response to said generally downward pivotal depressing movement of said pedal relative to said brake lever;
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• means for causing said accelerator lever and brake lever to pivot together relative to said mounting means to operate said brake means when said foot pedal is depressed beyond the distance allowed by said limited pivotal movement provided between said levers.

A foot operated control apparatus for operating throttle and brake means of a motor driven vehicle through the operation of a single pedal, said apparatus comprising:

• a brake lever and means for mounting said brake lever in a motor driven vehicle in association with the brake means of the vehicle to operate said brake means in response to depressive movement of said brake lever;
• an accelerator lever and a foot pedal, said foot pedal being mounted on a free end of said accelerator lever;
• a connection between a portion of said accelerator lever and said foot pedal, said foot pedal depending from said connection for generally upward and downward movement about said connection;
• means associated with said brake lever and accelerator lever for limiting pivotal movement of said accelerator lever and pedal relative to said brake lever causing concurrent movement of said accelerator lever and brake lever after a limited pivotal movement of said pedal and accelerator lever relative to said brake lever, whereby upward pivotal movement of said accelerator lever relative to said brake lever operates said throttle means to accelerate and downward pivotal movement decelerate the motor of the vehicle while downward movement of said accelerator lever concurrently with movement of said brake lever operates the braking means of the vehicle;
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• means for urging said accelerator lever and pedal relative to said brake lever to raise said lever and pedal in an upward direction after the braking means have been completely released.

In a foot operated control apparatus having an accelerator lever and associated foot pedal, the intermediate portion of said accelerator lever pivotally mounted on a brake lever with said pedal depending therefrom for operating the vehicle engine throttle means in response to pivotal movement of the pedal relative to the brake lever and for operating the vehicle braking means in response to concurrent movement of the pedal and brake lever, the improvement comprising the provision of:

• means in connection with said throttle means and accelerator lever for operating said throttle means to accelerate and decelerate the vehicle engine in response to pivotal movement of the pedal generally upwardly and downwardly relative to said brake lever, respectively;
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• means for urging said accelerator lever and associated pedal generally upwardly relative to said brake lever activating said throttle means toward an accelerating mode so that the vehicle operator, by his foot, can control the operating speed of the vehicle engine by governing said pedal raising due to the actuation of said urging means which accelerate said vehicle engine and operate said throttle means to a vehicle motor decelerating mode and subsequently operate the vehicle brake lever by depressing said pedal generally downwardly in a ontinuous single depression of said pedal from a raised position relative to said brake lever.

In a foot operated control apparatus for operating throttle and brake means of a motor vehicle through the operation of a single foot pedal, said apparatus haveing a brake lever and mounting means, said brake lever being provided on said mounting means for movement between a brake applying position and a brake release position, said brake lever being connected to said brake means of the vehicle to operate said brake means in response to pivotal movement of said brake lever toward said brake applying position, and an accelerator lever having said foot pedal mounted thereon, the improvement comprising the provision of:

• means for pivotally suspending the intermediate portion of said accelerator lever from said brake lever for limited pivotal movement relative thereto, and including a connection between a portion of said accelerator lever and said foot pedal, said foot pedal depending from said connection for generally upward and downward movement about said connection;
• urging means, means connecting said urging means with said throttle means and said accelerator lever for operating said throttle means to accelerate the motor of said vehicle in response to upward pivotal raising movement of said pedal relative to said brake lever and to decelerate the motor of said vehicle in response to said generally downward pivotal depressing movement of said pedal relative to said brake lever;
• means for causing said accelerator lever and brake leaver to pivot together relative to said mounting means to operate said brake means when said foot pedal is depressed beyond the distance allowed by said limited pivotal movement provided between said levers;
• separately movable first and second lever portions in said accelerator lever and throttle means, said first portion being associated with said throttle means and said second portion being associated with said pedal;
• means for urging said first portion to move said throttle means into a motor idling position;
• connecting means for connecting said first and second portions together for common movement in response to movement of said pedal;
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• means associated with said connecting means for selectively operating it to release said first and second portions to thereby allow movement of said first portion under its urging to place said throttle in an engine idling position irrespective of the positioning of said pedal.