US1223235A - Accelerator device for automobiles. - Google Patents

Description

'M'IS. BALDWIN. ACCELERATOR-DEUCE FOR AUTOM -JBILES.

* APPLICATION FILED DEC.I3.19 5| I provid c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORTON S. BALDWIN, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

ACCELERATOR DEVICE FOR AUTUMOB [LES Specification of LettcrsPatcnt.

.1 atented Apr. 1'7, 1917.

Application filed December 13, 1916. Serial No. 136,685.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Mon'roN S. BALDWIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have inventedv certain new and useful Inn'n'ovements in Accelerator Devices for Automobiles, of which the following'is a specification.

This invention relates to the general subject of automobiles, and has particular reference to a. novel im 'n'ovement in foot actuated accelerator devices for controlling the throttle valve of the caburetcr.

To this end the invention contemplates a. device of the character the actuation of the throttle valve by the foot is entirely independent of the operation thereof by the hand throttle lever on the steering post, thereby giving the driver a selection of means for the control of the machine and also greater freedom of operation.

A further object of the'invention is to provide a simple and practical device which is reliable and positive in its action and which is inexpensive to make, install and repair. In this connection it is proposed to a novel and reliable connection between the foot actuated element and the connection for the hand-throttle-operating means.

With the above and other objects in view which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better in'ulerstood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

A preferred. and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in whlch Figure 1 is a plan view of an automobile showing the application of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail plan view more clearly illustrat ng my invention and showing the normal position of the foot actuated element in fnlllines and the relation of the same to the hand throttle coupling rod when moved by the foot in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the novel one-way slip connection between the foot actuated accelerator element and the hand throttle coupling rod.

Similar references designate correspond ing" parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

set forth, whereby- In' carrying who present invention into effect it is not tl e purpose of the invention to alter or recoistruct the present devices provided for optrating the throttle valve of the carburetor by hand, but to provide additional means whereby the throttle valve ma y be actuated ly the foot of the driver of the machine cnz rely independent of the usual control by be hand device. 13y reference to Fig, 1 of: the drawings; which shows in a more or les. diagran'nnatic fashion the front portion of an automobile. it will be observed that tln carburetor (I is located at one side of the n otor M. while the steering collnnn is loca ed at the opposite side of the router from the carlnn'etcr and projects up through the iloor 1* m the machine, .as shown. As usual, the steering column S has associated therewith the hand throttle stem A, which is connected to the throttle lever L of the car )nreter by means of a coupling rod It. This coupling rod is pivotally connected to ihc hand throttle stem, and as will hcreinaftc more fully appear i not connected at itsopoositu end in the conventional manner with the throttle lever L, but has a special love] slip joint connection which forms an il'iportant part of the present invention and pcrn'lits the movement of the throttle lever l nder the action of the foot accelerator device. without moving the hand throttle stem.

Referring now more particularly to the novel features of the accelerator device, it will he observed ihat the same essentially comprises an actiator platel. which as shown. is prefera ly of trlai'lgular shape,

and rigidly attacl ed as at 2 to the-end of the short adjnstn'cnt arm of' the angular throttle valve lcve L. \ccordingly. it Will be apparent that t'n said actuator plate 1 is rigidly fitted at one corner to a portion of the throttle opcratlng member other corner then-ml is secured to the end of the long arm 3 d said member by means oi the novel slip-joint unit Th. whereby any movmncnt ol' the ar tuaior plate will shift the said throttle contrrl member to rcbv govern the opening and closing of the butterfly valve of the ca rbnr rter.

As will be obsclvcd l'rom l ig. 3 of the drawings, this HOW-l slip joint unit I preferably consists of a bolt 4 having thereon the nut 5, which clamps the end of the throttle arm 3 between itself and the underside of the plate, while the head of the bolt pivl) while an ,with this type of connection between the rod R and the plate a wide range of adjustment may be accurately accomplished, and

. as well known the feature of adjustment is that the movem extremely valuable in obtaining the proper mixtures of air and gas in carbureters.

With the pin 10 located at one side of the walls of the bracket it will be apparent that any movement of the. coupling rod R in the direction of the arrpw, Fig. 3, will cause the movement of the throttle control element I2 and-actuator plate 1. However, when the actuatorplai'e 1 is moved in the same direction by the operators foot, the movement thereof will not affect the coupling rod R, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, because of the location of the pins with relation to the bracket and the, operative directional movement of the rod R. Thus, it will be clear t of the actuator plate 1 under foot press re in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 2 and also Fig. 3, will not cause any movement of the coupling rod, while on the other hand the movement of the coupling rod in the direction of the arrow will cause the combined movement of the actua r plate and throttle lever.

With f rther reference to the actuator plate 1, it will be observed that the same is connected as at 11 with the foot actuatedpush rod 12, which extends through a guide so that the member L will cause ,the throttle valve to be closed'or substantially so, there is provided aspring 15, one end of which is connected as at 16 to the hooked end of the push rod which engages with the opening; 11 of the actuator late, while the other end 17 thereof is attac ed to a suitable part of the machine, as clearly shown in Flg. 1 of the draw From the I oregoing, it is believed to be apparent that upon imparting movement'to the push rod 12, the actuator plate 1' will move against the tension of the spring 15 to thus move the throttle lever, and because of the novel adjustable swivel slip joint 'the movement of the usual hand throttle- ,and it will, of course, be understood, that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spiritof the invention or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A foot actuated accelerator device. for automobiles including in combination with a carbureter having a throttle lever and a lhand-controlled throttle stem, an actuator platecarried by said throttle lever, a foot actuated push rod'connec'ted with said plate, a spring for holding said plate in a normal 10 position, a swivel bracket element carried by said plate, and acoup'ling rod pivotally connected at one end to saidv hand-controlled stem and having its free end engaging said swivelbracket element on the actuatorpla-te. 1o 2. A foot actuated accelerator device for automobiles including in combination with a carburetor having a throttle lever and a hand-controlled throttle stem, an actuator plate, carried. by said throttle lever, a, foot 11 actuated push rod connected with said plate, a spring .for holding said platein a. normal position, "a swivel bracket element carried by said plate at itspoint of connection with the long arm of the throttle lever, and a cou- 11 pling rod pivotall connected at one end to said hand-control ed stem and having its free end engaging said swivel bracket ele ment on the actuator plate;

3. A foot accelerator device for automo- 12 'biles including in combination with .acarbureter having a throttle lever and ahand controlled throttle stem, at substantially triangular actuator plate carried ,by the throttle lever, a foot'actuated push rod connected 12 with said plate, a spring for holding said plate in normal position, a swivel bracket element carried by said plate and connectin I the same with the throttle lever, said swive bracket including a' bolt for pivotally clamp- 1-8 ing the long arm of the tnrottle lever to the guide openings of'the swivel bracket, and a in carried by said coupling rod for engagmg the bracket when moving in one direcition.

4. A foot accelerator device for automobiles incliujling in combination with a carbureter having a throttle lever and a handcontrolled throttle stem therefor, a, springcontrolled actuator plate carried by said throttle lever, a foot actuated push rod connected With said actuator plate, a swivel. bracket element carried, by said plate and includin r a bolt for loosely clamping the lonq arm 0 the throttle lever to the u mlcrside 0? said plate and also loosely clam iing the substantially U-shaped bracket portion to the upper side of said plate, said bracket pirtion having openings the .in; a coupling rod connected with said hand-controlled stem at one end and having its opposite end workil'ig in the guide openings of said bracket, said rod having a portion thereof projecting beyond the bracket in its normal condition and provided with a 1' lurality of adjustment openings, and a pin for enterin in one of said adjustment op :nings, w lereby the movement of the rod moves the actuator plate, but the ITIOVGITH nt of the the bracket to slide on the rod.

plate causes 5. A foot actuated accelerator device for i automobiles including in combination with a carbureter having a throttle lever and a hand-controlled stern therefor, an actuator plate carried by said throttle lever, a foot actuated connection f( r said plate, a spring for holding said plate in clamped'posltion, a swivel bracket element carried by said plate, a coupling rod pivotally connected at one end to said hand controlled stem, and having its free end engaging said swivel ln'ackct elen'ient, and means for providing for relative adjustmeni between the free end of the coupling rod 21H] the swivel bracket element.

In testin'iony whereof I hereunto allix my sigmiture in the presen :e of two witnesses.

MORTON S. BALDWIN. \Vitnesses A. L. VAN AUK aN, I'IENRY Hownnn

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