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US 4,301,902 AGranted
Combination vehicle speed and direction control
AssigneeIndus Wheel Company Div. of Carlisle Corporation
InventorsStephen L. Gatsos, Jerry A. Gardner
Life of this patent
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AssigneeIndus Wheel Company Div. of Carlisle Corporation
InventorsStephen L. Gatsos, Jerry A. Gardner
Estimating the term…
A combination speed control and transmission forward-reverse control for a lawn tractor, or the like, having an engine including a drive shaft and output pulley, a transmission including a driven input shaft and pulley, and a belt-tensioning, or other similar type clutch. The control includes an actuating lever mounted on the tractor chassis, and control cables extending between the actuating lever and the clutch, and between the actuating lever and the transmission forward-reverse shift linkage. Movement of the actuating lever in the forward direction shifts the transmission linkage to the forward position and releases the clutch to engage the driving and driven pulleys with one another. Further forward motion of the actuating lever causes a greater coupling of the driving and driven pulleys to cause the lawn tractor to move forward faster. Returning of the actuating lever to a neutral position disengages the clutch and moves the transmission shift linkage to neutral. Movement of the actuating lever in a reverse direction shifts the transmission linkage into reverse gear, and couples the driving and driven pulleys together. Further reverse movement of the actuating lever causes greater coupling of the driving and driven pulleys to move the lawn tractor faster in reverse. The actuating lever is also coupled to the vehicle brake. Application of the brake causes the actuating lever, and the transmission and clutch which are controlled by it, to move to neutral. Similarly, movement of the actuating lever to neutral, in addition to disengaging the clutch and moving the transmission to the neutral position, causes the brake to be applied.
A vehicle having an engine driving a clutch assembly having a disengaged position and a range of low to high speed operating positions, the clutch assembly driving a transmission having a neutral position, a forward gear and a reverse gear, and a combination vehicle speed and direction control including an actuating lever mounted for movement on the vehicle, first means for coupling the actuating lever to the transmission, second means for coupling the actuating lever to the clutch assembly, the actuating lever having a neutral position in which the transmission is in neutral and the clutch assembly is in said disengaged position, a first movement of the actuating lever from the neutral position moving the transmission into said forward gear and the clutch assembly into the range of operating positions, and a second movement of the actuating lever moving the transmission into the reverse gear and the clutch assembly into the range of operating positions.
A vehicle having an engine driving a variable speed sheave assembly having a disengaged position and a range of low to high speed operating positions, the variable speed sheave assembly driving a transmission having a neutral position, a forward gear and a reverse gear, and a combination vehicle speed and direction control including an actuating lever mounted for movement on the vehicle, a brake lever, first and second linkage levers, each having a first end movably coupled respectively to the actuating lever and the brake lever, a second end of each of the first and second linkage levers being pivotally coupled together, first means for coupling the actuating lever to the transmission, second means for coupling the actuating lever to the variable ratio sheave assembly, and third means for coupling the actuating lever to the brake lever, the actuating lever having a neutral position in which the transmission is in neutral and the variable speed sheave assembly is in said disengaged position, movement of the actuating lever from the neutral position in a first direction moving the transmission into said forward gear and the variable ratio sheave assembly into the range of operating positions, movement of the actuating lever in a second and opposite direction moving the transmission into the reverse gear and the variable ratio sheave assembly into the range of operating positions, and actuation of the brake lever moving the actuating lever to the neutral position.
A vehicle having an engine driving a double pulley variable ratio sheave assembly having a disengaged position and a range of low to high speed operating positions, the variable ratio sheave assembly driving a transmission with a neutral position and reverse and forward gears, and a combination vehicle speed and transmission control including an actuating lever mounted for movement on the vehicle chassis, a brake lever, first and second linkage levers, the first linkage lever having a first end pivotally coupled to the actuating lever, the second linkage lever having a first end pivotally coupled to the brake lever, and the first and second linkage levers having second ends pivotally coupled to one another, a first flexible element having a first end coupled to the actuating lever at a first point along the actuating lever and a second end coupled to the actuating lever at a second point spaced from the first point, the flexible element extending from the actuating lever to the transmission and being coupled to the transmission such that movement of the actuating lever in one direction shifts the transmission into a forwrd gear and movement of the actuating lever in another direction shifts the transmission into a reverse gear, a second flexible element having a first end coupled to the actuating lever at a third point along the actuating lever and a second end coupled to the actuating lever at a fourth point spaced from the third point, the second flexible element extending from the actuator to the variable ratio sheave assembly to vary the drive speed of the transmission between a disengaged position and a range of low to high speed operating positions, and a third flexible element having a first end coupled to the actuating lever at a point along the actuating lever and a second end coupled to the brake lever, the first and second linkage levers and third flexible element cooperating such that movement of the brake lever to a position for stopping motion of the vehicle causes the actuating lever to move the first flexible element to a position corresponding to the transmission neutral position, and the second flexible element to a position corresponding to the variable ratio sheave disengaged position.
A vehicle having an engine driving a clutch assembly having a disengaged position and a range of low to high speed operating positions, the clutch assembly driving transmission having a neutral position, a forward gear and a reverse gear, and a combination vehicle speed and direction control including an actuating lever mounted for movement on the vehicle, a brake lever, linkage means having a first end movably coupled to the actuating lever and a second end movably coupled to the brake lever, first means for coupling the actuating lever to the transmission, second means for coupling the actuating lever to the clutch assembly, the actuating lever having a neutral position in which the transmission is in neutral and the clutch assembly is in said disengaged position, movement of the actuating lever from the neutral position in a first direction moving the transmission into said forward gear and the clutch assembly into the range of operating positions, movement of the actuating lever in a second direction moving the transmission into the reverse gear and the clutch assembly into the range of operating positions, and actuation of the brake lever moving the actuating lever to the neutral position.
A vehicle including an engine, a power shaft coupled to the engine and having an idle and a range of low to high speeds for vehicle operation, a transmission having a neutral position, a forward gear position and a reverse gear position, means for coupling the power shaft to the transmission, and a combination vehicle speed and direction control comprising an actuating lever mounted for movement on the vehicle, first means for coupling the actuating lever to the transmission, second means for coupling the actuating lever to the power shaft, the actuating lever having a neutral position corresponding to the power shaft idle and the transmission neutral position, and a range of vehicle low to high speed operating positions in which the power shaft is in said range of low to high speeds for vehicle operation and the transmission is in one of said forward and reverse gear positions, movement of the actuating lever in a first direction from its neutral position moving the transmission into said forward gear position and the power shaft into a speed within the range of speeds for vehicle operation, and movement of the actuating lever in a second direction from its neutral position moving the transmission into said reverse gear position and the power shaft into a speed within the range of speeds for vehicle operation.
A vehicle having an engine driving a clutch assembly having a disengaged position and a range of low to high speed operating positions, the clutch assembly driving a transmission having a neutral position, a forward gear and a reverse gear, and a combination vehicle speed and direction control including an actuating lever mounted for movement on the vehicle, first means for coupling the actuating lever to the transmission, second means for coupling the actuating lever to the clutch assembly, the actuating lever having a neutral position in which the transmission is in neutral and the clutch assembly is in said disengaged position, movement of the actuating lever in a first direction from the neutral position moving the transmission into said forward gear and the clutch assembly into an engaged position within the range of operating positions, and movement of the actuating lever in a second direction moving the transmission into the reverse gear and the clutch assembly into an engaged position within the range of operation positions.
A vehicle having an engine driving a clutch assembly having a disengaged position and a range of low to high speed operating positions, the clutch assembly driving a transmission having a neutral position, a forward gear and a reverse gear, and a combination vehicle speed and direction control including an actuating lever mounted for movement on the vehicle, first means for coupling the actuating lever to the transmission, second means for coupling the actuating lever to the clutch assembly, the actuating lever having a neutral position in which the transmission is in neutral and the clutch assembly is in said disengaged position, a first movement of the actuating lever from the neutral position coincidentally moving the transmission into said forward gear and the clutch assembly into a position within the range of operating positions, and a second movement of the actuating lever coincidentally moving the transmission into the reverse gear and the clutch assembly into a position within the range of operating positions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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No related US applications are recorded in the indexed filing history.
Purposes of road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub-unit, e.g. of systems using conjoint control of…:…
With motor driven cutters or wheels: with motor driven wheels
Of change-speed gearing: of mechanical type
Conjoint control of vehicle sub-units of different type or different function: including control of driveline clutches
Term ended 4 Sep 1999 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
This invention relates to drive mechanisms and control mechanisms for vehicles, such as lawn tractors and the like. Particularly, this invention relates to a control mechanism which incorporates both speed and directional functions into a single control for a such a vehicle.
Typically, a lawn tractor or like vehicle has an engine, a transmission, a V-belt coupling, or the like, between the engine and transmission, and a clutch mechanism for controlling tension on the V-belts of the coupling. The clutch mechanism of the lawn tractor may be any of a large number of known types. For example, there are the double pulley, variable ratio sheave clutches described in Clarke U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,132,121; 4,128,017; and 4,176,560. Other types of speed-control assemblies are described in the various references cited in the above-identified patents.
For purposes of illustration, the single control mechanism of the instant invention will be disclosed in connection with the variable speed drive assembly of the above-identified Clarke U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,017. It is understood that the single control mechanism of this invention is adaptable for use with a very large number of different clutch mechanisms, or may be used directly as an engine throttle control if desired.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle in connection with which the present invention can be used;
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional side elevational view of a control assembly for vehicle speed and direction;
With particular reference now to FIG. 1, a single control 10 for speed and direction (i.e., forward or reverse) is mounted on a vehicle 12, such as a lawn tractor. Vehicle 12 includes a chassis 14 upon which is mounted an actuating lever 16 for control 10. Actuating lever 16, accessible to the vehicle 12 operator, controls both whether the vehicle 12 is travelling in a forward direction or a reverse direction, and the vehicle speed in that direction.
Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 2-3, actuating lever 16 includes a lower part 18 pivotally mounted by means of a pin 20 from a bracket 22 provided on chassis 14. Actuating lever 16 further includes an upper part 24 pivotally mounted by means of a pin 26 (see also FIG. 9) and urged by a wire spring 30 into its position with respect to lower part 18 illustrated in FIGS. 2-3.
Actuating lever 16 controls a clutch assembly 32 (FIGS. 5-8), such as, for example, the clutch assembly described in detail in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,017. Actuating lever 16 also controls a transmission assembly such as, for example, the combination transmission-differential-axle assembly described in detail in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,128,017.