Shift control mechanism

A manually operable shift control mechanism for selectively establishing one of a multiplicity of speed ratios in a transmission, the combination comprising:

• a. a shift control housing;
• b. a shift control lever;
• c. clevis means attached to an inner end of said lever;
• d. means for mounting the open end of said clevis means on said housing for angular movement between a multiplicity of consecutively arranged transmission settings respectively corresponding to said transmission speed ratios, and additional means for mounting the open end of said clevis means on said mounting means for pivotable movement in a direction transverse to said angular movement;
• e. control plate mounted on said housing and having an arcuate inner surface provided with a multiplicity of consecutively arranged detent cut-outs that are spaced so as to correspond with said transmission settings;
• f. a pivot arm member mounted on said mounting means and adapted to be angularly movable with said clevis means;
• g. a detent device for releasably maintaining said control lever in positions corresponding with said transmission settings, said detent device including a pivot plate pivotally mounted on said pivot arm member, a follower rotatably mounted on one end of said pivot plate in alignment with said detent cut-outs and a biasing element, interposed between another end of said pivot plate and said pivot arm, for biasing said follower into selective engagement with said detent cut-outs, thereby affording a distinct feel to an operator for each transmission setting;
• h. an electric circuit board attached to one side of said control plate and operatively connected with said transmission, said board being provided with a multiplicity of electric proximity switches corresponding in number and location with at least the majority of said detent cut-outs;
• and
• i. magnet means, for selectively activating said switches, attached to said pivot arm member in close axial proximity with said switches, said magnet means being angularly movable with said pivot arm and adapted to be selectively centered relative to said switches when said follower is engaged with said detent cut-outs.