Steering wheel kit

Claim 2

A kit for converting a motor vehicle having a non-tiltable steering wheel to a tiltable steering wheel, the vehicle having a steering column arranged with a coaxial steering shaft including a first housing member adapted to be secured to the steering wheel shaft column and carrying means adapted to be rotatably secured to the steering shaft, said means carrying one of the elements of a constant velocity universal coupling. a second housing member adapted to be pivotally coupled to the first housing member, pivot means coupling the first and second housing members together, the second housing member rotatably mounting a second element of the universal coupling and adapted to be coupled to said one element of the coupling to allow the steering shaft to be controlled thereby, and means for selectively and releasably securing the second housing member in axial alignment with the steering shaft and said first housing member and in a plurality of preselected tilted relationships therewith.

Claim 3

A kit as defined in claim 1 wherein said one of the elements of the coupling comprises a pair of diametrically spaced bearing blocks and the second element of the universal coupling comprises a slotted drive joint half whereby at any tilted position of the drive joint half, the drive joint slides back and forth over the bearing blocks.

Claim 4

A tilt wheel assembly kit for converting a motor vehicle having a non-tiltable steering wheel to a tiltable steering wheel, the vehicle having a steering column arranged with a coaxial steering shaft including a first housing member adapted to be mounted to the steering column in a non-rotatable relationship therewith, a steering shaft adapter carried by the first housing member so as to be coupled to the steering shaft to be rotatable therewith, means for securing the adapter to the steering shaft for relationship in unison with the steering shaft, U-joint bushing means mounted with said adapter, a second housing member adapted to be pivotally mounted to the first housing member, said second housing member rotatably carrying drive means adapted to be coupled to said bushing means for rotating the steering shaft upon rotation thereof including when the second housing member is tilted with respect to the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft, means coupled to said drive means for rotating same, means coupled between the first and second housing members for controlling the tilting and non-tilting relationship of the housing members and adapted to position the second housing member at a preselected plurality of tilted positions, and means coupled to the second housing member for controllably operating said latter mentioned means for controllably positioning the second housing member relative to the first housing member.

Claim 5

A tilt wheel assembly kit for converting a motor vehicle having a non-tiltable steering wheel to a tiltable steering wheel, the vehicle having a steering column arranged with a coaxial steering shaft including a first housing member adapted to be mounted to the steering column in a non-rotatable relationship therewith, a steering shaft adapter carried by the first housing member so as to be coupled to the steering shaft to be rotatable therewith, means for securing the adapter to the steering shaft for relationship in unison with the steering shaft, U-joint bushing means mounted with said adapter, a second housing member adapted to be pivotally mounted to the first housing member, said second housing member rotatably carrying drive means adapted to be coupled to said bushing means for rotating the steering shaft upon rotation thereof including when the second housing member is tilted with respect to the longitudinal axis of the steering shaft, means coupled to said drive means for rotating same, means coupled between the first and second housing members for controlling the tilting and non-tilting relationship of the housing members and adapted to position the second housing member at a preselected plurality of tilted positions, and means coupled to the second housing member for controllably operating said latter mentioned means for controllably positioning the second housing member relative to the first housing member.

Claim 6

A tilt wheel assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein the first housing member carries a latch pin and the second housing member pivotally mounts a pawl engageable with the latch pin for releasably securing the housing members at said plurality of positions.

Claim 7

A tilt wheel assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein said means coupled to the drive means comprises a steering wheel mount secured to said drive means for rotation therewith, and a steering wheel secured to said wheel mount for rotating the steering shaft through said drive means at each of the selected positIons of the second housing member.

Claim 8

A tilt wheel assembly as defined in claim 5 including a cover member mounted over said housing members.

Claim 9

A tilt wheel assembly as defined in claim 4 wherein the operating means comprises an operating handle extending outwardly of said second housing member and adapted to release the pawl from the latch pin for positioning the second housing member in another position and to secure the pawl and latch pin in said other position.

Claim 10

A tilt wheel conversion kit for converting a motor vehicle having a non-tilting steering wheel to a tiltable steering wheel comprising a base assembly member adapted to be non-rotatably mounted to the steering column of a motor vehicle and carrying a steering wheel adapter hub rotatably mounted thereto to receive the exposed end of a steering wheel shaft mounted in the steering column, the adapter hub mounting a pair of spaced apart bearing blocks, said base assembly member mounting a latching element, means for securing the adapter hub to the steering wheel shaft, a housing member adapted to be pivotally secured to said base assembly member, said housing member carrying a slotted drive member slidably coupled with the bearing blocks to rotatably drive the steering wheel shaft including when said housing member is tilted at preselected angles relative to the axis of the steering wheel shaft, said housing member pivotally mounting a housing member latching element adapted for coaction with the base assembly latching element for latching the housing member and the base assembly member together including when the housing member is positioned in one of said tilted positions, means extending outwardly of the housing member and coupled to the housing member to allow said latching elements to be selectively latched and unlatched to allow the housing member to be moved from an untilted position to various angles of tilt and from a tilted position to an untilted position to permit the steering wheel shaft to be rotated at any one of the latched positions, and a steering wheel adapted to be operatively secured to said housing member for rotatably driving said drive member.

Claim 11

A tilt wheel conversion kit for converting a motor vehicle having a non-tilting steering wheel to a tiltable steering wheel comprising a base assembly member adapted to be non-rotatably mounted to the steering column of a motor vehicle and carrying a steering wheel adapter hub rotatably mounted thereto to receive the exposed end of a steering wheel shaft mounted in the steering column, the adapter hub mounting a pair of spaced apart bearing blocks, said base assembly member mounting a latching element, means for securing the adapter hub to the steering wheel shaft, a housing member adapted to be pivotally secured to said base assembly member, said housing member carrying a slotted drive member slidably coupled with the bearing blocks to rotatably drive the steering wheel shaft including when said housing member is tilted at preselected angles relative to the axis of the steering wheel shaft, said housing member pivotally mounting a housing member latching element adapted for coaction with the base assembly latching element for latching the housing member and the base assembly member together including when the housing member is positioned in one of said tilted positions, means extending outwardly of the housing member and coupled to the housing member to allow said latching elements to be selectively latched and unlatched to allow the housing member to be moved from an untilted position to various angles of tilt and from a tilted position to an untilted position to permit the steering wheel shaft to be rotated at any one of the latched positions, and a steering wheel adapted to be operatively secured to said housing member for rotatably driving said drive member.