Highway tractor gear shift

A gear shift lever selectively movable between operating and folded positions, the lever comprising:

• a) first and second telescopically connected lever portions;
• b) pin means carried by said first lever portion for guided movement in a generally L-shaped slot formed in said second lever portion;
• said pin means and said slot being arranged to allow relative rotatable movement between said first and second lever portions when said pin means is positioned within a foot of the slot, the portions being relatively movable telescopically when said pin means is positioned within a leg of the slot, and the portions being relatively pivotable when said pin means is positioned at a predetermined location within said leg;
• and
• c) biasing means disposed between said lever portions for urging said lever portions apart;
• said biasing means being operative when said pin means is within said foot to assist in providing substantially fixedly interconnection between said lever portions, and when said pin means is within said leg to push said lever portions apart a predetermined distance until said biasing means attains a substantially uncompressed state.

A gear shift lever for use in an over-the-highway tractor comprising:

• a) a pair of lever portions which are relatively moveable from an operating position to a pivot position to a storage position and return;
• b) one of the portions having a tubular end section;
• c) the other of the portions having a rod end section complementally and telescopically receivable within the tubular section;
• d) said tubular section including a L-shaped slot with an axially disposed leg and a communicating circumferentially disposed foot;
• e) the rod section including a position locating projection extending into the slot;
• f) a spring interposed between the portions and biasing the portions apart;
• g) the foot including a detent near its end for coaction with the projection under biasing force of the spring to maintain the portions in the operating position;
• h) the portions being moveable from the operating position to the pivot position through the operator application of axial and rotative forces to shift the projection away from the detent through the foot into the leg followed by relative axial movement of the portions until the portions are in the pivot position with the projection located near an end of the leg remote from the foot;
• and,
• i) the portions when in the pivoted position being pivotal from an axially aligned relationship to the storage position wherein the portions' axes are at a predetermined angle with one another greater than zero degrees.