Assembly for depressing a vehicle pedal for bleeding brakes

A remotely controlled actuator for selectively depressing the pedal of a hydraulic brake system of a vehicle so as to permit said brake system to be bled by a single operator, said actuator comprising:

• a pedal actuator assembly comprising:
• a longitudinally extensible cylinder member having first and second ends, said cylinder member being configured to extend longitudinally between said brake pedal and a lower portion of a steering wheel rim;
• a first one-piece hook portion mounted to said first end of said cylinder member, said first hook portion having a receiving area for engaging said brake pedal and a laterally extending entrance opening having a width sized to permit passage of said pedal therethrough into said receiving area;
• and
• a second one-piece hook portion mounted to said second end of said cylinder member, said second hook portion having a generally circular receiving area for engaging said steering wheel rim and a laterally extending entrance opening having a width sized to permit passage of said rim therethrough into said receiving area;
• and
• a portable control assembly for selectively extending and retracting said cylinder member of said actuator assembly so that said first hook portion alternately depresses and raises said brake pedal as said second hook portion reacts against said steering wheel rim;
• said openings into said receiving areas in said first and second hook portions extending generally parallel to one another and to one side of said actuator assembly so as to permit said hook portions to be set over said brake pedal and steering wheel rim so that said hook portions are retained on said pedal and rim by the weight of said actuator assembly, and said circular receiving area in said second hook portion having a fixed diameter sized larger than a cross-sectional diameter of said steering wheel rim, and also larger than said width of said entrance opening in said second hook portion so that said circular receiving area has first and second extremities which extend longitudinally on either side of said entrance opening, so that as said cylinder member is alternately extended and retracted with said steering wheel rim in said receiving area of said second hook portion, said second hook portion shifts longitudinally on said steering wheel rim so that said rim is positioned alternately within said first and second extremities of said circular receiving area and out of register with said entrance opening, so as to prevent accidental displacement of said rim through said entrance opening of said second hook portion as said first hook portion of said actuator assembly alternately depresses and raises said pedal of said brake system.