USRE14451E - Protective device fob automobiles - Google Patents

Description

H. NEU 61 L. BLAHA.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED 0:127. 1911.

Bissued Mar. .26, 1918. I 14,45 1

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H. NEU & L. BLAHA. PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES,

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 27. IQIL Reissue/d Mar. 26, 191s.

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' anvewtoza g/ (2/, 5 1914 113 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HUGO NEU, OF NEW storm, 1:. in, m nunwre BLAHA, or 'nmnmms'r, NEW was, ASSIGNORS r0 n'neo nnvrcn CORPORATION, 41 oonronarron OF NEW YORK.

PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES Specificatiouot Beissued Letters Patent. Reissued Mar. 26, 1918. Original NO. 1,881,950, dated June 26, 1917, Serial No. 153,656, filed March 9, 1917.. Application for reissue filed October 27, 1917. Serial No. 198,897.

To all whom it may concern: 1

Be it known that we, HUGO NnU,'a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York and Lou- WIG BLAI-IA, a subject of the Emperor of Austria, residingat Lyndhurst, county of Hudson, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Protective Devices for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for disconnecting automobile steering wheels; from the steering apparatus and thereby preventing the theft or tampering with the vehicle by unauthorized persons in the absence of the driver.

The primary object of theme nt invention is to provide a protective evice to be attached to the steering apparatus of motor vehicles, whereby, under certain pro-determined conditions, the said steering apparatus may be rendered ineflective for steering purposes,- but it will be possible to move the car and guide its movement by the manual manipulation of the front wheels in cases of emergency.

Another object of the-invention is the provision of a simple and efiicient device for connecting the steering wheel to the steering apparatus which may be permanently attached to the steering mechanism of anautomobile and so arranged that by proper manipulation "the steering wheel may be made to rotate independently 'of the rest of the steering apparatus.

Another object is the. provision of a means for rendering the steering wheel effective or ineffective relative to the steering l apparatus, which may be cheaply produced, due to the fact that it is comprised of few and simple parts.

A still further object is the provision of protective means for an automobile which is easily made operative, neat in appearance and which has its working parts com- 'pletely inclosed so that they can be manipulated only by a person provided with a key.

Other objects of our invention will manifest themselves upon a reading of the following specification.

Whale this invention has been set forth in a certain preferred embodiment, it will be understood, that modifications may be Fig. 3; and t a made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

wheel.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the lock. Fig. 3 is a view partly in section showin the position of parts when the steering whetfi is free to rotate on the steering column.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 5 is a view partly insection taken on line 5'5 of Fig. 4, showingthe position of to the steering. column.

In the drawings there is Shown a steering column 1 wherein' is mounted a steering post 2, the latter of which carries at its upper end a steering wheel 3 provided with spokes or arms 4 centering in a hub 5, having a polygonally-shaped recessed portion. Formed integrally with or secured the parts when the 'steeringwheeliislocked to the hub 5--such as by riveting, welding, or the likeis a housing 6, which latter tioned just above the end ofthe steerin column which does not' extend the ful length of the steering post, but'only sufiiciently far so as to be in close proximity to,

'or abut against, the lower surface of the nut 8 and have its end inclosed by compartment 7 A bushing 1' preferably having a di-, ameter corresponding to that of the steering column 1 may be inserted between the upper surface of the nut 8 and the adjacent surface of the hub 5. edge of the sleeve 7 is a pin 9 which pro ects Secured to the upperthrough an elongated slot 6. into the hous-- ing 6 and is adapted to cooperate with certain elements contained therein.

An L-shaped member 10 mounted to reciprocate in the bearings 6 formed in the wall of the housing 6 (Fig. 3) is adapted to cooperate with said pin and locks the sleeve 7 in a raised or lowered position depending whichever way the sleeve has been moved. The general features of the locking mechanism may comprise a lock of the ordinary type in which the tumblers thereof are adapted to be raised upon the insertion of 3 the key in the keyhole and includes a barrel.

pin 9 clears the latter, thus permitting the sleeve 7 to be moved in a vertical. direction. Assumin that it is desired tofree the steering whee or disable the steering apparatus, by inserting a key in the key-hole and turn.- ing the same, the cam 12 will move the L- shaped memberv 10 in a horizontal direction (toward the left in Fig. 5) so that the lower end cli 'LIS the pin. 9 and by pushing upwardly .i' the sleeve 7 it may be moved upwardly ntil the polygonal portion of the sleeve 7 disengages the nut on the steering post. When the sleeve 7 has been raised as just explained the cam'12 is actuated by means of the key so that the member 10 moves toward the right in Fig. 5 under the impulse of the spring1'3, the pin 9 being engaged by the upper surface of said memthe rest of the steering apparatus so that it is impossible to steer or guide the car from the drivers seat. However, it will be noted that no other part of the steering apparatus is disabled, and by manipulating the front wheels by hand, the car may be pushed aside in case of emergency, or when it is desired to move it a short distance.

When it is desired to connect the steering wheel to the steering apparatus, the member lllmay be reciprocated by the actuation of the cam 13 as previously described, and

the yfillieeve 7 drawn down to the position shq in Fig. 5, the. movement of the member10 under the action of the spring 13 causingthe underside thereof to engage the 'p'in 9 and prevent the upward movement of the sleeve 7. In this position the polygonal portion of the sleeve 7 registers with the corresponding sides of the nut 8, thus securely fastening these two member 1 together and locking the steering wheel to the steering post.

It will be noted that the lower edge of the sleeve 7 is spun over inwardly so as to bring .it into engagement with the outer surface of the steering column 1, thereby preventing the entrance or insertion of forei objects, such asdust or instruments inten ed to render ineffective the locklng means. To at the rotective means herein described all lease of illustrated,-as changes may be readiiy made ford an easy grip for the manipulation of that is required on the part of the driver is to insert a key into the lock. and move the sleeve 7 upwardly. This will effect the rethe steering, wheel and render the steering. apparatus ineflective. When de sired to use the steering wheel for driving the car, all that is again required is to in sort the key and move the sleeve downwardly into engagement with the hub on. the steering wheel.

While we have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodimei'lt of our invention we do not want to be limited to the precise details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention. 1

lflaving thus described our invention, what we claim as new herein and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a locking means for steering wheels, an extension secured to the hub of a steering wheel and having a polygonally-shaped recess, a fixed member carried by the steer- 5 ing post" and having anexterior comple mental surface, and sleeve slidably mounted and adapted to engage the. fixed means on the steering post and fit into said recess, whereby said steering wheel is locked against independent rotation.

52. In a locking means for steering wheels, an extension secured-to the hub of the steering Wheel and having a polygonallysl1aped recess, a nut secured to the steering post and having an exterior complemental surface, and a sleeve slidably mounted and adapted to have its exterior surface fit into said'recess and its interior surface engaging the periphery of the nut secured to the steering 10 post whereby said steering wheel is locked against independent rotation.

3. The combination with a steering post and a steering wheel, of a locking device in eluding an extension havinga compartmentr 5 'to register with a complemental recess formed in'said compartment, and locking '125 means effective when said sleeve is moved, away from the steering wheehwhereby said steering wheel is locked to the steering post. a. In a locking means for steering wheels, an extension secured to the hub and having a polygonally-shaped recess, a polygonallysha ed nut carried by the steering post and a slida-ble member adapted to cooperate with said extension and said nut, said slidable member having a portion of its exterior surface complementally Y shaped and adapted to enter said recess and the interior surface of said portion being adapted to fit over said nut, the engaging surface of said portion depending upon the position of said the combination with a steering post and a steering wheel, of means for renderingsaid steering Wheel 'elfective and ineffective to operate said post, said means comprising a polygonally shaped member non-rotata ly secured to said post, a complementary engaging member non-rotatably connected to said steering wheel movable longitudinally of the axis of the steering post and adapted to engage substantially the entire periphery of said polygonally shaped member to render the wheel effective for steering purposes and to be disengaged therefrom to render the said Wheel inefi'ective.

7. In a protective device for automobiles,

the combination with a steering post and a steering wheel, means for rendering said steering wheel effective and ifieflective to operate said post, said means comprising a hexagonally shaped member non-rotatably secured to said post, complementary engaging surfaces rotatable with said wheel and movable longitudinally of the axis of the steering post and adapted to engage the perlphery of said hexagonally shaped member to render the wheel effective for steering purposes and to be disengaged therefrom to render said wheel inefl'ective.

8. In a protective device for automobiles, the combinatlon with a steering 'post, a

steering Wheel, of means for rendering said steering wheel effective and ineffective to operate said post, said means including a member-non-rotatably secured to said post,

the radii from the axis of said post to the I periphery of said member varying at different "points, a complementary engaging member non-rotatably connected to the said steering wheel and adapted to be moved longitudinally into and out of engagement with the member on said steering post, and means adapted to lock said engaging members in and out of engagement.

9. In a protective device for automobiles, the combination with a steering post and a steering wheel, of means for rendering said steering wheel effective and ineffective to operate said post, said means comprising a polygonally shaped member rigidly secured to said post, a complementary engaging member non-rotatably connected to said steering wheel, movable longitudinally of the axis of the steering post and adapted to engage substantially the entire periphery of said polygonally shaped member to render the wheel effective for steering purposes, and to be disengaged therefrom to render said wheel ineffective, and means for locking the engaging members into and out of engagement.

10. In a protective device for, automobiles, the combination with a steering post and a steering wheel, of means for rendering said steering wheel effective and ineffective to operate said post, said means comprising a hexagonally shaped member rigidly secured to said post, a complementary engaging member rotatable with said wheel and movable longitudinally of the axis of the steering post adapted to engage and be, disengaged from the periphery of said hexagonally shaped member, and means for locking said engaging members into and out of engagement.

HUGO NEU. LUDWVIG BLAHA.

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