Assembly for locking and unlocking an automobile seat in selected vertical positions

A seat-supporting assembly for selectively and independently adjusting the vertical positions of the front and rear portions of an automobile seat comprising:

• a seat rail for attachment to an automobile seat,
• a floor rail for attachment to an automobile floor,
• a rotatable first latch member pivotably mounted at one point to the rearward portion of the seat rail and at another point to the rearward portion of the floor rail for permitting the selective adjustment of the relative positions of the rearward portions of the rails upon its rotation, said first latch member including a plurality of spaced notches,
• a rotatable second latch member pivotably mounted at one point to the forward portion of said first seat rail and pivotably interconnected at a second point to the forward portion of the floor rail for adjusting the relative positions of the forward portions of the rails upon its rotation, said second latch member including a plurality of spaced notches,
• a first locking plate rockably connected to said first seat rail by the combination of a first pin fixedly mounted on said first seat rail and a first elongated arcuate slot formed in said first locking plate, said first pin protruding through said first slot,
• said first locking plate including a first stop pin for selectively engaging and disengaging the spaced notches of said first latch member and the adjustment of the rearward portions of said rails when the notches are disengaged and to preclude the rotation of said first latch member and the adjustment of the rearward portions of said rails when the notches are engaged,
• a first flange formed on said seat rail and including a first elongated slot to guide said first stop pin along only one linear path of motion and into engagement with one of said notches of said first latch member,
• said first arcuate slot formed in said first locking plate being formed so that a wall of said first arcuate slot opposite said first elongated slot interacts with said first pin to preclude the movement of said first locking plate and first stop pin along said linear path of motion when said first locking plate is in the first locking position,
• a second locking plate rockably connected to said seat rail by the combination of a first pin fixedly mounted on said seat rail and an elongated arcuate slot formed in said second locking plate, said second pin protruding through said slot,
• said second locking plate including a second stop pin for selectively engaging and disengaging the spaced notches of said second latch member to permit the rotation of said second latch member and the adjustment of the forward portions of said rails when the stops are disengaged and to preclude the rotation of said second latch member and the adjustment of the forward portions of said rails when the notches are engaged,
• a second flange formed on said seat rail and including a second elongated slot to guide said second stop pin along only one linear path of motion and into engagement with one of said notches of said second latch member,
• said second arcuate slot formed in said second locking plate being formed so that a wall of said second arcuate slot opposite said second elongated slot interacts with said second pin to preclude the movement of said second locking plate and second stop pin along said linear path of motion when said second locking plate is in the second locking position,
• a lever interconnected with said first and second locking means for selectively disengaging said locking means from said latch members, and
• resilient means for urging said locking plate and said lever into the locking position.