Steering wheel tilt-lock

A tilt-lock for a tilt-adjustable steering wheel on an upper end of a steering column mast jacket comprising:

• means defining a worm gear sector,
• means mounting said worm gear sector on said steering column mast jacket for pivotal movement as a unit with said steering wheel about a first transverse axis of said mast jacket,
• a latch plate mounted on said mast jacket for pivotal movement about a second transverse axis of said mast jacket between a matching position and a releasing position,
• spring means between said mast jacket and said latch plate biasing said latch plate to said latching position,
• manual lever means on said mast jacket operative to move said latch plate from said latching to said releasing position,
• a worm wheel having a spiral worm thread thereon for mesh with said worm gear sector, means mounting said worm wheel on said latch plate for pivotal movement as a unit therewith and for rotation relative thereto,
• said worm wheel spiral thread meshing with said worm gear sector in said latching position of said latch plate to capture an angular gross adjusted position of said steering wheel relative to said mast jacket and being remote from said worm gear sector in said releasing position of said latch plate to permit said angular gross adjustment of said steering wheel, and
• manual actuation means connected to said worm wheel for rotating said worm wheel in said latching position of said latch plate to effect angular fine adjustment of said steering wheel relative to said mast jacket in said latching position of said latch plate.