Importance

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Abstract

A motor vehicle steering column including a stationary mast jacket, an adjustable mast jacket supported on the stationary mast jacket for linear translation, and a tilt housing supported on the adjustable mast jacket for up and down pivotal movement. A lock shoe is supported on the tilt housing for pivotal movement between locking and releasing positions to secure and release the tilt housing for vertical adjustment of the steering column. A connecting rod attached to the adjustable mast jacket includes a shank slidably disposed in the middle of a coil torsion spring on the stationary mast jacket. The coil torsion spring grips the shank of the connecting rod to secure the position of the adjustable mast jacket. An actuating lever is pivotable between locking and releasing positions and twists the coil torsion spring to release the connecting rod. A manual release lever pivotally supported on the tilt housing bears directly against the lock shoe and is connected to the actuating lever through a tension member. The lock shoe releases the tilt housing before the coil torsion spring releases the shank of the connecting rod thereby affording the option of vertical adjustment of the steering column independent of horizontal adjustment.

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First Claim