Back to results
US 4,438,660 AGranted
Dual mode control lever assembly
AssigneeDeere & Company
InventorCarl E. Kittle
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A control lever assembly includes a housing with a pivot member rotatably mounted therein on a pivot pin. A pair of cam members are pivotally mounted on the pivot pin adjacent opposite sides of the pivot member. One cam member is frictionally coupled to the housing. The other cam member is biased to a neutral position by a centering spring. A cross arm is movable in the pivot member to alternately couple and uncouple one or the other of the cam members from the pivot member, depending upon the energization state of a mode-select solenoid. A detent follower releasably holds the pivot member in a displaced position when in the spring-centered mode. A rotary potentiometer coupled to the pivot member generates an electrical signal representing the position of the pivot member and a lever handle attached thereto.
Claims33
A control lever assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- an operator-movable control lever;
- pivot means for pivotally supporting the control lever in the housing;
- friction means for frictionally coupling the control lever to the housing and yieldably resisting relative motion therebetween;
- resilient means biased to urge the control lever from a displaced position to a neutral position, relative to the housing;
- and
- a selecting member movable between a first position wherein it couples the control lever to the friction means while uncoupling the control lever from the resilient means, and a second position wherein it couples the control lever to the resilient means while uncoupling the control lever from the friction means.
4 more elements
A control lever assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- an operator-movable control lever;
- pivot means for pivotally supporting the control lever in the housing;
- friction means for frictionally coupling the control lever to the housing and yieldably resisting relative motion therebetween;
- resilient means biased to urge the control lever from a displaced position to a neutral position, relative to the housing;
- detent means for releasably holding the control lever in the displaced position;
- and
- a selecting member movable between a first position wherein it couples the control lever to the friction means while uncoupling the control lever from the resilient means, and a second position wherein it couples the control lever to the resilient means while uncoupling the control lever from the friction means.
5 more elements
A control lever assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- an operator-movable control lever fixed to a pivot member, the pivot member having a radially extending bore therein and a transverse opening intersecting the bore;
- pivot means for pivotally supporting the pivot member in the housing;
- friction means for frictionally coupling the control lever to the housing and yieldably resisting relative motion therebetween;
- resilient means biased to urge the control lever from a displaced position to a neutral position relative to the housing;
- and
- a selecting member movable between a first position wherein it couples the control lever to the friction means while uncoupling the control lever from the resilient means, and a second position wherein it couples the control lever to the resilient means while uncoupling the control lever from the friction means, the selecting member including a rod slidably received by the bore and a cross arm fixed to the rod and extending through the opening to first and second ends engageable and disengageable with the friction and resilient means upon movement of the rod in the bore.
4 more elements
A control lever assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- an operator-movable control lever;
- pivot means for pivotally coupling the control lever and the housing;
- a first member pivotally coupled to the housing;
- friction means for frictionally coupling the first member to the housing to yieldably resist relative motion therebetween;
- a second member pivotally coupled to the housing;
- a resilient member coupled between the second member and the housing and biased to urge the second member from a displaced position to a neutral position relative to the housing;
- and
- a third member movable between a first position wherein it couples the first member for movement with the control lever while uncoupling the second member from the control lever and a second position wherein it couples the second member for movement with the control lever while uncoupling the first member from the control lever.
6 more elements
A multiple mode control lever assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- a pivot member pivotally mounted in the housing and including a first part having a radial bore extending therethrough and an opening extending axially through the first part and intersecting the radial bore and a second part having a detent recess in a peripheral surface thereof;
- an operator-movable control lever fixed for pivotal movement with the pivot member;
- a friction member pivotal in the housing;
- friction means yieldably resisting relative movement between the pivot member and the housing;
- a centering member pivotal in the housing;
- a resilient member coupled between the housing and the centering member biased to urge the centering members from a displaced position to a neutral position relative to the housing;
- a detent member supported on the housing biased towards the pivot member and receivable in the detent recess to releasably hold the pivot member in a displaced position;
- and
- a selecting member including a rod slidably received in the radial bore in the pivot member first part and a cross arm fixed to the rod and extending through the opening to first and second ends oppositely engageable and disengageable with the friction member and the centering member.
7 more elements
A control lever assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- an operator-movable control lever fixed to a pivot member, the pivot member including a first part having a radial bore extending therethrough and an opening extending axially through the first part and intersecting the radial bore, a second part having a detent recess in a peripheral surface thereof, and a third part having a track of gear teeth formed thereon;
- pivot means for pivotally supporting the pivot member in the housing;
- a selecting member movable in the bore in the pivot member between first and second positions, the selecting member including a rod slidably received by the bore and a cross arm fixed to the rod and extending through the opening to first and second ends;
- a friction member pivotally mounted on the pivot means, the friction member having a slot slidably receiving the first arm end when the pivot member and friction member are uncoupled, having a notch receiving the first arm end when the pivot and friction members are coupled together, and having a friction element projecting therefrom and biased into sliding engagement with the housing;
- a centering member pivotally mounted on the means, the centering member having a slot slidably receiving the second arm end when the pivot member and centering member are uncoupled, a notch receiving the second arm end when the pivot and centering members are coupled together, and a centering spring coupled between the housing and the centering member and biased to urge the centering member from a displaced to a neutral position;
- a detent follower reciprocal in the housing for being releasably received by the detent recess to releasably hold the control lever in its displaced position;
- a detent spring biased to urge the detent follower into the detent recess;
- first solenoid means operatively connected to the rod of the selecting member for reciprocally moving the rod in the bore;
- second solenoid means fixed to the housing and operatively connected to the detent follower for moving the detent follower out of the detent recess;
- and
- transducer means responsive to movement of the pivot member for generating signals representing a position of the pivot member relative to the housing, the transducer means including a rotary potentiometer mounted in the housing and having a rotatable shaft and a gear wheel fixed to the shaft for meshing engagement with the gear rack.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.