US2382918A

US2382918A - Accelerator pedal device

Info

Publication number: US2382918A
Application number: US501099A
Authority: US
Inventors: George A Rubissow
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1940-08-30
Filing date: 1943-09-03
Publication date: 1945-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 1962-08-14

Description

Aug. 1945- G. A. raualssdw 2,382,918

ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEVICE 0::iginal Filed Aug. 30, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR.

1945- G. A. RUBISSDW 2,382,918

ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEVICE Original Filed Aug. 30, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :ssims p wwfi Ill/l/lI/l IIIII'IIAYII/lII/IIIIIIIIIII Ill/IIIII/ll'II/l/IIIIl/M VII/I/Il/II/I) INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 14, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE George A. Rubissow, New York, N.

Original application August 30, 194i), Serial No.

354,891. Divided and this application September 3. 1943. Serial No. 501.099

8 Claims. (01. 74-513) This is a divisional application of U. S. Patent application Serial #354,891, filed under date of August 30, 1940, relating to an improvement on accelerator pedal device.

This invention provides a new embodiment of this invention which will more fully appear from the following description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings and the appended claims. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for purposes of schematical illustration only and are not intended as a definition as to the design or the limits of the several aspects of this invention.

All figures represent different aspects of this invention in simplified and diagrammatlcal form of illustration. In the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts through out the-several views:

Figure lis a longitudinal side-view of an embodiment of the device and the accelerator pedal.-

Figure 2 is a plan-view of Figure 1. Figures 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views with parts broken out of a guiding-means.

Figure 5 is another longitudinal side-view of an embodiment of the device and the accelerator pedal.

Figure 6 is a plan-view of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 5.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the guiding-means of Figure 5.

Figure'9 is another longitudinal side-view of an embodiment of the device and the accelerator pedal.

Figure 10 is another longitudinal side-view of an embodiment of the device and the accelerator pedaL' Figure 11 is a plan-view of Figure 10.

' Figure 12 is a plan-view of another embodiment I of the device.

Figure 19 is another longitudinal side-view of an embodiment of the device and the accelerator pedal.

Figure 20 is a plan-view of Figure 19. One embodiment of this invention is illustrated on Figure l. A support 64, having a curved surface orv'a flat surface on which the sole of the shoe (or, if desired, both sole and heel) rests, or

which may be contacted by the tip of the sole or by the heel, between the heel and the sole, as

shown on the figure, preferably in such a'manner that heel H rests freely on floor 66 so that the weight of the foot creates a friction between the heel and the floor, which friction, in a majority of cases, is more than suflicient to maintain, free of any muscular exertion, support 64 in any operative position in which it is placed.

Support 64 may be rigidly affixed or may be pivoted at 61A as shown on Figures 1, 2, 10 and 19 or may form one piece with the operative rod 55 which is interconnected by means of two or more guiding elements, preferably rollers, to guide-means GI and G2. The guide-means GI may be affixed to the pedal P by mechanical means such as screws, balls, clips, or by glue or cement, or GI may be one piece with the pedal or the pedal itself may have a suitablesurface which may be considered as-serving-foror substitutingforthe said guide-means GI. Guidemeans G2 is mounted rigidly in respect to the floor and has substantially the same horizontal contour as GI. Such an arrangement'i one of the most convenient. The two guide-means GI. and

at least one roller 10 or a plurality of rollers mounted close to the free end of support 64 Or as near as possible thereto, whereby when heel H pushes support to and fro, rod operates the throttle by pressing down the pedal P which I returns automatically to its original position when the foot is released by the spring urging the pedal upward. The pedal P is generally mounted at an upward angle of about 45 degrees.

A still more simplified embodiment is shown on Figures 5, 6, and 7 wherein rod II is rigid with support MA on which rollers RI and R2 are mounted, To facilitate the displacement of the A rollers, a strip of friction-diminishing means such as metal, Bakelite, glass, etc., may be mounted on the passageway of the rollers during their displacement. Such friction-diminishing means may also be made of a bent metal or stamped out from any plastic 12, Figs. 5, 6 and 7, and be also provided with small guide-means in the form of an extending edge 13 to guide rollers 10 so that the device D, Figure .7, may not displace itself either to the right or to the left with respect to its longitudinal axis. Means 12 may also be provided for an arrangement of some other kind. It is, however, advisable but not obligatory, that the area in which the heel contacts the floor be provided with friction-augmenting means such as,

leather, rubber, suitable textile, or even metal if not very smooth. This area may be in the same plane as the aforementioned friction-diminishing means, or slightly above or below, as shown on Figures 2, l4 and 15.

Rods 65 or H may be mounted not only on one side, as illustrated on Figure 2, but on both sides of the support 64, or the support itself may form the two rods, as shown on Figures 5, 6 and 7.

Instead of rods 65 or II, each rod, or a pair of rods, may consist of a two-part rod, 13 and 14, pivotally connected by means of 15. Rod 14 may also be pivotally connected by means 16 to the frame 61 of the rollers. Support 64 may be mounted on one or more rollers 10A and 10B, or on a pair thereof.

A caterpillar connection 11 may be mounted in one row as shown on Figure 11 or in a double row as shown on Figure 12.

Friction-diminishing mean 19 may consist of two small smooth-surfaced strips 19A and 193 as shown on Figure 12 with friction-augmenting means 8| mounted between them to increase the friction between the heel (or the sole) and the floor. Figures 12 and 13 particularly show one guide means I having a long extending guide edge I0| rigidly affixed to the pedal P and another guide means I02 having an extending guide edge I03 rigidly affixed to the floor I04. An angle I is formed between the edges l0! and I02 (on Fig. 13), third guide means are 8I--19A-19B, the pusher member is I 06, the first guide edge having an upper side edge I09 and the second guide edge having an under side edge H0. A

flexible member III is mounted through a pivot 61A to the support member on which the rollers I01, I01A and I08 are mounted.

Still another embodiment is illustrated on Figures 1''! to 20 wherein a flexible support in one unit- 82, Figure 18, replaces the support 64 and the rod or rods 65 of Figures 1 and 6. This flexible support 82 may be manufactured from a flexible sheet metal or flexible plastic, such as Celluloid, rubber-containing textiles, leather, impregnated with Celluloid materials, etc.

To assist the operation of support 82, Figure 8, a roller 84 or suitable guide-means aflixed to guide-member 84 may be provided, as shown on Figure 15, rigidin respect to the floor. The floor maybe provided with a device composed of 19A, 19B and 8|, as shown on Figure 12.

For this purpose, these friction-diminishing and friction-augmenting means must be so mounted that part B! is slightly below or somewhat above 19A, 19B and BI as shown on Figure 17, in order to permit the sides of support 84 to slide with greater friction between the heel and part 8I. This is shown on Figure wherein the friction-diminishing means have a downward bent part 84 on the upper side of which part i afiixed friction-augmenting means 8|. If desired, part 84 may itself have a rough surface to provide the friction-augmenting means.

The upper surface 80 of the pusher member I06 (as shown in Fig. 13) may be provided with a sponge rubber layer or a layer of any type of compressible substance.

The embodiment as shown on Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, shows the connection previously described as rod or support 64 or rods 13 and 14, replaced by a plurality of small links 11, aforementioned, pivotally interconnected between themselves, the pivotal displacement of which. if desired,-may be limited as illustrated on Figure 16, wherein the link 11 can only move limitedly with respect to 11A and 11B, and so on. Instead of a link, caterpillar chains or bicycle chain may be employed. One part of the "caterpillar chain is pivotally or rigidly affixed to support 61 provided with rollers. The other part of the caterpillar chain may be provided with a support 18 on which the shoe rests and so arranged, preferably, that the heel rests on the floor, as shown on Figures 10 and 11, and the sole of the shoe lightly touches support 18. Practically the whole weight of the foot is thus transmitted through the heel of the shoe to the floor whereby a friction engagement i created sufficient to maintain the device ,D in its required operative position, without pressure. The driver is accordingly caused no exertion and consequently experiences little or no hardship in maintaining the throttle in the required position. To permit a more ready displacement of the caterpillar chain 11 shown in exaggerated dimension, on Figure 11, a friction-diminishing band of metal or plastic 19 may .be provided below the caterpillar chain 11, or

if deemed more expedient, above it, as depicted in on Figures 12, 13 and 14.

If desired, roller 83 may be affixed at the end of B4 and another roller 85 provided below support 82 as shown on Figure 18. Also, layer 82 may be provided with friction-augmenting means 86 on its upper side, and

rollers

81 and 88 may both be affixed by their own respective supports to the floor, or to the friction-diminishing and friction-augmenting devices 10A, 19B, 8| as shown on Figures 19 and 20.

All the parts composing the various embodiments of this device, described herein, may be manufactured from metal, wood, or any variety of plastic, specifically such plastics as Bakelite, Monsantd plastics, etc.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

l. A device for actuating an accelerator pedal of a vehicle, comprising a first guide-means rigidly afiflxed with respect to the floor and hav-' ing at least one runway provided aside of the longitudinal symmetry axis of said pedal, a second guide means being rigidly affixed with respect to the said pedal and having at least one track aside of the said axis of said pedal, said runway-and said track being operatively interconnected with each other through the inter mediary of a third means, said third means operatively interconnecting the said track and said runway during its displacement along said accelerator pedal, and a pusher-member attached to the said third means through the intermediary of a flexible interconnection, one end of which is attached to the said pusher-member and the other end of which is attached pivotally to the said third means, whereby when the said pushermember is pushed to and fro, said accelerator pedal is actuated.

2. A device for actuating an accelerator pedal 01' a vehicle, comprising a flrst guide-means rigidly aflixedgwith respect to the floor and having at least one runway provided aside the longitudinal symmetry axis of said pedal, 9. second guide means being rigidly aflixed with respect to the said pedal and having at least one track aside of the said axis of said pedal, said runway and said track being operatively interconnected with each other through the intermediary of a third means, said third means operatively interconnecting the said track and said runway during its displacement along said accelerator pedal, and a pusher-member attached to the said third meansthrough the intermediary or a flexible interconnection, one end of which is attached to said pusher-member and the other end of which is attached pivotally to said third means, said flexible interconnection being a caterpillar chain.

3. A device for actuating an accelerator pedal of a. vehicle, comprising a first guide-means rigidly aflixed with respect to the floor and having at least one runway provided aside or the longitudinal symm"etry axis of said pedal, a second guide means being rigidly affixed with respect to the said pedal and having at least one track aside 01' the said axis of said pedal, said rimway and said track being operatively interconnected with each other through the'intermediary of a third means, said third means being able to operatively interconnect the said track and said runway during its displacement along said accelerator pedal, and a pusher-member attached to the said third means through the intermediary of a flexible interconnection, one end of which is attached to the said pusher-member and the other end of which is attached Divotally to the said third means, said flexible interconnection being a thin plate made of elastic material.-

4. A device for actuating an accelerator pedal of a. vehicle comprising a first guide-means rigidly aiiixed with respect to the floor and having at least one runway provided aside of the longitudinal symmetry axis of said pedal, a second guide means being rigidly aflixed with respect to said pedal and having at least one track aside of said axis of said pedal, said runway and said track being operatively interconnected with each other through the intermediary of a third means, said third means operatively interconnecting the said track and said runwayduring its displacement along said accelerator pedal, and a pushermember attached to said third means through the intermediary of a flexible interconnection, one end ofwhich is attached to the said pushermember and the other end of which is attached pivotallyto said third means, said pusher-member being provided on its free end with a roller contacting the said floor, whereby when the said pusher-member is pushed to and fro, the said roller rolls to and fro and the said accelerator pedal is actuated.

5. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the said pusher-member is provided on its top with a layer of rubber-sponge.

, 6. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the said pusher-member is provided on its top with a layer of compressible substance.

7. A device as set .forth in claim 1 wherein friction-augmenting means are provided on the displacement area of the heel of the shoe resting on the said pusher-member.

a. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein