Steering wheel construction

A connection arrangement comprising:

• a first member which has a conical bore and which is adapted to seat on a tapered portion of a shaft, the first member being rigidly connected to a rim of a steering wheel by way of spoke means;
• a second member which has a shaped bore and which is adapted to be received on a shaped portion of the shaft in a manner which prevents relative rotation therebetween, the second member being arranged to be engaged with the first member, said second member being arranged to be forced into contact with the first member and to subsequently force the first member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the shaft, by tightening a nut which is threadedly received on a threaded portion of the shaft, said spoke means being arranged to be gripped between said first and second members when the nut is tightened;
• and
• means for limiting the amount of relative rotation between said first and second members to a predetermined angle greater than 0.degree. while sufficient force to force the first member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the steering shaft and to prevent relative rotation therebetween, is absent.

In a steering system,

• a steering shaft having a tapered frusto conical portion, a serrated portion and a threaded portion;
• a steering wheel including a rim, a central boss portion and at least one spoke interconnecting the rim and the central boss portion, the central boss portion comprising:
• a lower boss member which has a conical bore and which is adapted to seat on the tapered portion of the steering shaft, the lower boss member being rigidly connected to the rim of the steering wheel by way of spoke means;
• an upper boss member which has a serrated bore and which is adapted to be received on the serrated portion of the steering shaft and to seat on the top of the lower boss member, said upper boss member being arranged to be forced into contact with the lower boss member and to subsequently force the lower boss member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the steering shaft, by tightening a nut which is threadedly received on the threaded portion of the steering shaft, said spoke means being tightly clamped between said upper and lower bosses when the nut is tightened;
• and
• means for limiting the amount of relative rotation between said upper and lower boss member to a predetermined angle greater than 0.degree. while sufficient force to force the lower boss member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the steering shaft and to prevent relative rotation therebetween, is absent.

In a steering system,

• a steering shaft having a tapered frusto conical portion, a serrated portion and a threaded portion;
• a steering wheel including a rim, a central boss portion and at least one spoke interconnecting the rim and the central boss portion, the central boss portion comprising:
• a lower boss member which has a conical bore and a first annular flange extending essentially perpendicular to an axis of said steering shaft and which is adapted to seat on the tapered portion of the steering shaft, the lower boss member being rigidly connected to the rim of the steering wheel by way of spoke means;
• an upper boss member which has a serrated bore and a second annular flange which extends essentially perpendicular to an axis of said steering shaft and which opposes said first annular flange, said upper boss member being adapted to be received on the serrated portion of the steering shaft and to seat on the top of the lower boss member, said upper boss member being arranged to be forced into contact with the lower boss member and to subsequently force the lower boss member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the steering shaft, by tightening a nut which is threadedly received on the threaded portion of the steering shaft, said spoke means being tightly clamped between said upper and lower bosses when the nut is tightened, a surface of said second annular flange of said upper boss member being curved and arranged to engage with a surface of said spoke means while said second annular flange is maintained in abutment with said spoke means;
• and
• means for limiting the amount of relative rotation between said upper and lower boss members to a predetermined angle while sufficient force to force the lower boss member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the steering shaft and to prevent relative rotation therebetween, is absent.

In a steering system comprising:

• a steering shaft having a tapered frusto conical portion, a serrated portion and a threaded portion;
• a steering wheel including a rim, a central boss portion and at least one spoke interconnecting the rim and the central boss portion, the central boss portion comprising:
• a lower boss member which has a conical bore and which is adapted to seat on the tapered portion of the steering shaft, the lower boss member being rigidly connected to the rim of the steering wheel by way of spoke means;
• an upper boss member which has a serrated bore and which is adapted to be received on the serrated portion of the steering shaft and to seat on the top of the lower boss member, said upper boss member being arranged to be forced into contact with the lower boss member and to subsequently force the lower boss member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the steering shaft, by tightening a nut which is threadedly received on the threaded portion of the steering shaft;
• and
• means for limiting the amount of relative rotation between said upper and lower boss members to a predetermined angle greater than 0.degree. while sufficient force to force the lower boss member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the steering shaft and to prevent relative rotation therebetween, is absent, said limiting means comprising:
• gearing means, said gearing means including:
• a manually rotatable member on which a first gearing is formed, and
• a second gearing which is defined on a flange formed on said lower boss member and which meshes with said first gearing.

In a steering system comprising:

• a steering shaft having a tapered frusto conical portion, a serrated portion and a threaded portion;
• a steering wheel including a rim, a central boss portion and at least one spoke interconnecting the rim and the central boss portion, the central boss portion comprising:
• a lower boss member which has a conical bore and which is adapted to seat on the tapered portion of the steering shaft, the lower boss member being rigidly connected to the rim of the steering wheel by way of spoke means;
• an upper boss member which has a serrated bore and which is adapted to be received on the serrated portion of the steering shaft and to seat on the top of the lower boss member, said upper boss member being arranged to be forced into contact with the lower boss member and to subsequently force the lower boss member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the steering shaft, by tightening a nut which is threadedly received on the threaded portion of the steering shaft;
• and
• means for limiting the amount of relative rotation between said upper and lower boss members to a predetermined angle greater than 0.degree. while sufficient force to force the lower boss member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the steering shaft and to prevent relative rotation therebetween, is absent, said limiting means comprising:
• gearing means, said gearing means including:
• a manually rotatable threaded member on which a first gearing is formed,
• a support bracket which is fixedly connected with the upper boss member and which supports the manually rotatable threaded member;
• and
• a nut which is welded to a flange formed on said lower boss member and in which the manually rotatable threaded member is threadedly received.

In a steering system

• a steering shaft having a tapered frusto conical portion, a serrated portion and a threaded portion;
• a steering wheel including a rim, a central boss portion and at least one spoke interconnecting the rim and the central boss portion, the central boss portion comprising:
• a lower boss member which has a conical bore and which is adapted to seat on the tapered portion of the steering shaft, the lower boss member being rigidly connected to the rim of the steering wheel by way of spoke means;
• an upper boss member which has a serrated bore and which is adapted to be received on the serrated portion of the steering shaft and to seat on the top of the lower boss member, said upper boss member being arranged to be forced into contact with the lower boss member and to subsequently force the lower boss member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the steering shaft, by tightening a nut which is threadedly received on the threaded portion of the steering shaft;
• and
• means for limiting the amount of relative rotation between said upper and lower boss member to a predetermined angle greater than 0.degree. while sufficient force to force the lower boss member into frictional engagement with the tapered portion of the steering shaft and to prevent relative rotation therebetween, is absent, said limiting means comprising:
• a recess formed in said upper boss member;
• means defining shaped projections on the walls of the recess and which extend into the recess;
• and
• a cylindrical portion on said lower boss member and which fits into the recess, the cylindrical portion having flat surfaces defined thereon, the shaped projections and the flat surfaces being dimensioned such that the predetermined amount of relative rotation before engagement occurs between the shaped projections and the flat surfaces.