Clutch depressing tool

A clutch depressing tool for depressing the clutch of a vehicle during repairs to a transmission of the vehicle, the vehicle having a steering wheel located generally above the clutch pedal, the tool comprising:

• a bar for extending between the steering wheel and the clutch pedal, said bar being elongate, said bar having a first end and a second end, said bar having a generally rectangular cross-section taken transverse to a longitudinal axis of said bar, said bar having a top face and two side faces;
• a clutch pedal engaging bracket for removably mounting said first end of said bar on the clutch pedal, said clutch pedal engaging bracket being fixedly mounted to said first end of said bar, said clutch pedal engaging bracket having a generally J-shaped configuration, wherein said clutch pedal engaging bracket has a long portion and a hook portion, said long portion having a lonigitudinal axis oriented perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said bar, said hook portion opening away from said bar, wherein said hook portion is adapted to rest over an upper edge of the pedal of the clutch to resist slippage of said hook portion off of said pedal, wherein said hook portion is directed downward when in use;
• a steering wheel engaging bracket for resting said second end of said bar on the steering wheel, said steering wheel engaging bracket having a generally J-shaped configuration, wherein said steering wheel engaging bracket has a long portion and a hook portion, said long portion having a first bore therein, said first bore having a shape adapted to slidably receive a portion of said bar, said first bore being located in said long portion such that said hook portion of said steering wheel engaging bracket is directed in an opposite direction of said hook portion of said clutch pedal engaging bracket, wherein a portion of the steering wheel rests between said hook portion of said steering wheel engagement bracket and said bar, wherein said hook portion of said steering wheel engaging bracket is directed upward when in use;
• a plurality of notches for holding said steering wheel bracket, said notches being in said top face of said bar, said notches being generally located between a longitudinal midpoint of said bar and said second end of said bar;
• a locking means for locking said steering wheel engagement bracket in selective position on said bar, said locking means comprising:
• a first plate and a second plate, each of said plates being slidably mounted to an opposite side of said steering wheel engagement bracket, each of said plates having a plane oriented generally parallel to a plane of one of said side faces of said bar, each of said plates extending away from said steering wheel engagement bracket toward said first end of said bar to define two spaced ends;
• a second bore in said steering wheel engaging bracket for mounting said first and second plates, said second bore being located in said steering wheel engaging bracket generally between said first and said second plates;
• a first pin and a second pin, each of said pins extending through said second bore, each of said pins being fixedly coupled to said first and second plates, wherein said second pin is between said first pin and said bar;
• a spring for urging said plates toward said bar, said spring being mounted in said second bore, said spring being biased against said first pin, wherein said first pin is urged toward said bar;
• a pawl for selectively engaging said notches, said pawl having a first arm, said first arm having a first end and a second end, said first arm being fixedly mounted to and between said spaced ends of said first and second plate, said first arm being oriented generally perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said bar, said pawl having a second arm, said second arm being fixedly coupled to said first end of said first arm, said second arm being oriented generally perpendicular to said first arm;
• wherein said second end of said first arm of said pawl selectively engages said notches, wherein pulling said second arm compresses said spring such that said second end of said first arm is released from said notches;
• and
• a stop for preventing said steering wheel engagement bracket from sliding off of said bar, said stop being generally adjacent to said second end of said bar, said stop being a pin, said pin extending through and away from both sides of said bar.

A clutch depressing tool for depressing the clutch of a vehicle during repairs to a transmission of the vehicle, the vehicle having a steering wheel located generally above the clutch pedal, the tool comprising:

• a bar for extending between the steering wheel and the clutch pedal, said bar having a first end and a second end;
• a clutch pedal engaging bracket, said clutch pedal engaging bracket being fixedly mounted to said first end of said bar, said clutch pedal engaging bracket having a hook portion thereon, said hook portion opening away from said bar, wherein said hook portion is adapted to rest over an upper edge of the clutch pedal;
• a steering wheel engaging bracket for resting said second end of said bar on the steering wheel, said steering wheel engaging bracket having a generally J-shaped configuration, wherein said steering wheel engaging bracket has a long portion and a hook portion, said long portion having a first bore therein, said first bore having a shape adapted to slidably receive a portion of said bar;
• a plurality of notches for holding said steering wheel bracket, said notches being in said bar;
• and
• a locking means for locking said steering wheel engagement bracket in selective position on said bar, said locking means being mounted on said steering wheel engaging bracket, said locking means being adapted to selectively engage said notches;
• a stop for preventing said steering wheel engagement bracket from sliding off of said bar, said stop being generally adjacent to said bar, said stop being a pin extending through both sides of said bar;
• said clutch pedal engaging bracket having a generally J-shaped configuration, wherein said clutch pedal engaging bracket has a long portion and said hook portion, said long portion having a longitudinal axis oriented perpendicular to said longitudinal axis of said bar;
• said notches being in said top face of said bar, said notches being generally located between a longitudinal midpoint of said bar and said second end of said bar;
• a first plate and a second plate, each of said plates being slidably mounted to an opposite side of said steering wheel engagement bracket, each of said plates having a plane oriented generally parallel to a plane of one of said side faces of said bar, each of said plates extending away from said steering wheel engagement bracket toward said first end of said bar to define two spaced ends;
• a second bore in said steering wheel engaging bracket for mounting said first and second plates;
• at least one pin, said pin extending through said second bore, said pin being fixedly coupled to said first and second plates;
• a spring for urging said plates toward said bar, said spring being mounted in said second bore, said spring being biased against said pin, wherein said pin is urged toward said bar;
• a pawl for selectively engaging said notches, said pawl being fixedly mounted to and between said spaced ends of said first and second plate.