Steering attachment with tapered pin and fastener

Abstract

An apparatus (10) includes a vehicle steering shaft (12), a mounting member (14), a locking pin (16), and a nut (120). The vehicle steering shaft (12) is rotatable about a longitudinal axis (22) to effect vehicle steering. The steering shaft (12) has a first locking pin passage (92) extending through the steering shaft (12) and transverse to the longitudinal axis (22). The first locking pin passage (92) is defined in part by first (94) and second (96) tapered surface portions. Each of the first (94) and second (96) surface portions tapers from a first circumference to a second, smaller circumference in a direction toward the longitudinal axis (22). The first (94) and second (96) tapered surface portions taper in opposite directions. The mounting member (14) is receivable on the steering shaft (12) and has a second locking pin passage (72). The locking pin (16) is long enough to extend through both the first (92) and second (72) locking pin passages for securing the mounting member (14) to the steering shaft (12). The locking pin (16) has a tapered portion (104) engagable with the first tapered surface portion (94) of the first locking pin passage (92) and a threaded portion (102). The nut (120) engages the threaded portion (102) of the locking pin (16) for securing the locking pin (16) in engagement with the steering shaft 12 and the mounting member (14) to lock the mounting member (14) and the steering shaft (12) together for joint rotation. The nut (120) has a tapered portion (122) engagable with the second tapered surface portion (96) of the first locking pin passage (92).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.