Inventors:
Loren G. Sprunger - Fort Wayne IN
Assignee:
International Harvester Company - Chicago IL
International Classification:
B62D 118
G05G 506
Abstract:
A tilt steering column mechanism having two brackets, one of which is connected to a cab frame member and the other of which is connected to a steering column and is slideable within the first bracket upon tilting or pivoting of the steering column about a point remote from the second bracket. The first bracket carries a slideable lock bolt, which is spring-biased on opposite ends in opposite axial directions by a plurality of springs of differing magnitude, and has a raised frusto-conical portion thereon which cooperates with any one of a number of uniformly spaced frusto-conical receptacles provided in the second bracket. A handle, fixedly mounted to one end of the lock bolt causes the sliding of the lock bolt through the intermediary of a rotary cam and pin follower, which pin follower, in the raised cam land position, against the bias of the springs, holds the frusto-conical portion in the selected frusto-conical receptacle. The steering column is pivoted to predetermined points, corresponding to the frusto-conical receptacle spacing, about a horizontal axis, upon releasing the loading on the springs by rotating the handle about the axis of the lock bolt and moving the cam follower to the lowered cam land position, thereby causing the springs of greater magnitude to move and slide the lock bolt against the bias of the springs of lesser magnitude and unseat the frusto-conical portions from their respective frusto-conical receptacles.