Control apparatus for a motor, clutch and gear drive arrangement
AssigneeWABCO Westinghouse Steuerungstechnik GmbH & Co.
InventorsAxel Kemner, Andreas Oberlander
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A control apparatus is provided which controls a motor, clutch and drive gear arrangement. The device consists of a movable control lever assembly which moves from a neutral position into at least one other operating position. The control apparatus includes a switching device that is operated as a two-part activating member. The activating member is mounted in a guide arrangement which remains in a fixed position in relationship to such control lever assembly. The activating member can be moved from a neutral position of such control lever assembly into a second position in which the activating member will act upon the switching assembly.
Claims44
A control apparatus for controlling an arrangement which includes each of a motor, a clutch and a gear drive positioned on a preselected piece of equipment, said control apparatus comprising:
- (a) a housing member for mounting said control apparatus in an operating position on such preselected piece of equipment to control said each of said motor, said clutch and said gear drive, said housing member includes an aperture formed through a wall portion thereof;
- (b) a control lever assembly movably connected to said housing member adjacent a first side of said housing member to enable movement of said control lever from a neutral position of said control apparatus into at least one different position which represents at least one operating position of said control apparatus, said control lever assembly includes;
- (i) a body portion,
- (ii) a handle portion connected to said body portion,
- (iii) a first shaft member connected to said body portion and extending through said aperture formed through said wall portion of said housing member to enable a movable connection of said control lever assembly to said housing member, and
- (iv) a cavity formed in and adjacent one end of said body portion intermediate said handle portion and said first shaft member;
- (c) a second shaft member connected to said first shaft member;
- (d) a plate-like member connected to said second shaft member;
- (e) a switching assembly connected to said plate-like member, said switching assembly enables said control apparatus to accommodate both a switching function and a control function in response to movement of said control lever assembly, said switching assembly is rigidly mounted in relationship to said control lever assembly;
- (f) a guide arrangement positioned adjacent one end of said housing member in axial alignment with said cavity formed in said body portion of said control lever assembly;
- (g) an activating means having a first portion rigidly mounted in said guide arrangement in relationship to said control lever assembly and a second portion disposed in said cavity in said body portion of said control lever assembly for activating said switching assembly, said activating means, in a neutral position of said control lever assembly, is capable of being moved from a first position into a second position in which said activating means will act upon said switching means, said cavity formed in said body portion of said control lever assembly and said second portion of said activating means disposed in said cavity formed in said body portion of said control lever assembly are each sized in a manner such that with said second portion of said activating means disposed in said cavity said second portion of said activating means can by-pass said first portion of said activating means;
- (h) a locking mechanism engageable with said activating means to lock said activating means when said activating means is in said second position and when said control lever assembly is in a position other than a neutral position;
- and
- (i) a force means for providing a return force which, in said neutral position of said control lever assembly, is capable of activating said second portion of said activating means in a direction of said cavity formed in said body portion of said control lever assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.