Accelerator pedal override apparatus for self-propelled motorized cart with aligned brake and accelerator pushrod type operator pedals

Abstract

A motorized cart apparatus includes a cart frame having front and rear portions and a wheel base defined by a pair of front steerable wheels and a pair of rear wheels. A seat is positioned between the front and rear wheels and a motor drive or engine positioned at the rear end portion of the frame behind the seat an adjacent the rear wheels. Brake and accelerator pedals are positioned side by side at the front of the cart inside the front wheels and on opposite sides of the steering column, and inclined steering rod that extends from the frame upwardly toward the user. A throttle cable controls the motor. The throttle cable is activated by a pushrod extending between the accelerator pedal and the engine. A brake pushrod extends between the brake pedal and rear brake so that when the brake pedal is depressed, the pushrod activates the brake. A linkage extending from the brake pushrod to the throttle returns the throttle to an idle position when the brake pedal and accelerator are simultaneously depressed as when the car driver panics. An alternate embodiment provides a contact switch that is activated by the brake and brake pushrod. The contact switch is connected to a solenoid via an electrical wire that signals the solenoid to activate when the brake pedal and brake pushrod are moved as during braking. The solenoid has a pushrod that rotates the governor to an engine idle position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.