Patent GB-573647-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to a motor vehicle seat
IPC: B60N2/02
Filed: 1943-12-15
Abstract: 573,647. Power-adjusted vehicle seats. TRICO PRODUCTS CORPORATION. Dec. 15, 1943, No. 21038. Convention date, Jan. 2. [Class 52 (ii)] A motor - vehicle seat 1 resting on fixed rollers 2 is adjustable fore and aft by a fluid-pressure motor 4 fixed in a floor well 13, the motor containing means to automatically hold the seat locked in adjusted position. The piston rod 7 of the motor effects the adjustment by moving the ends of a pair of levers 8 pivoted at their outer ends at 9 on the floor, and carrying intermediate links 10 coupled to the underside of the seat. The operating suction for the motor is preferably obtained from the intake manifold of the vehicle engine, being supplied through a conduit 25, hand control valves 28, 29 on the seat, and branch conduits 26 and 27 one to each end of the cylinder 4. The control valves 28, 29 operate to open one or other of the sides of the piston 5 or 6 to atmosphere. The seat is locked against receding from the foot controls 15 of the vehicle by locking shoes 18, Fig, 3, between the piston ends 5 and 6 which are individually operative by fluid pressure. A tongue and groove 19 couples the shoes 18 with the floating piston section 6. Rollers 20 between the cam faces 21 and 22 press the shoes 18 outwardly against the cylinder when any involuntary push-back of the seat tends to push back the piston rod 7 whereby the cam faces 22 on an extension of the rod 7 increases the pressure and friction of the shoes 18 against the cylinder wall. The piston 6 being normally under fluid suction while the seat is stationary does not recede and so holds the shoes 18 and their cam faces 21 in position to receive the pressure of the rollers 20 when pressed out by the cam faces 22 on the piston rod. The piston end 5 is also normally under fluid suction and seat adjustment is obtained by interrupting the suction at one or the other end of the cylinder to open it to atmosphere through the control valves 28 and 29. Fig. 8 shows a slidable support for the seat comprising upper and lower rollers 34 and 33, the seat being prevented from slewing round by rack and pinion guides 36, 38 at each side, the rack consisting of holes in the runners, and the pinions being coupled together by a cross shaft 39. In a modification, Fig. 5, the seat is held locked by a latch 65 urged by a spring 66 to engage a toothed wheel 64 on the rack-andpinion cross shaft 39 (see Fig. 8). Operation is by a nob 71 which when pulled up pivots a lever 61 about its fulcrum 63 so that the pin 69 depresses the latch 65 and frees it from the toothed wheel 64. The lever 61 (see Fig. 6) then opens the valve 53 to admit atmospheric pressure to the forward end of the motor chamber whereby the piston and seat are moved forward. Depression of the knob 71 causes the pin 70 to depress and free the latch 65 and unseats the valve 51 to admit atmospheric pressure to the rear of the piston 42 to move the seat back. At the end of the adjustment the spring 66 is free to return the latch 65 into engagement with the toothed wheel 64 so locking the seat. The control valve 45, Fig. 6, for admitting atmospheric pressure to one or other side of the piston 42 operated by the hand lever 61 and knob 70 through a lost motion pin and slot 60, comprises a suction chamber 46<1> connected by 47<1> to the suction source. The chamber 46' opens at opposite ends through valve seats 48 into nipple connections 49, 50 connected to branch conduits going to the front and back of the piston 42. A spring 52 normally presses the valve 51 on its lower seat 48 and a spring 54 holds a second valve 53 on the upper seat 48, the valve 53 being loose on the stem 55 carried by the valve 51. Each valve 51, 53 has a shoulder 56 which slidably engages a finger 57 to lift the valve from its normal seat to an opposed seat 58 opening to atmosphere. There are top and bottom fingers 57 operated by the lever 61 engaging each valve to raise and lower it. The control valves in Fig. 6 may be operated electrically through hand switches 76 and 77 instead of by the lever 61-71, Fig. 5. Such switches operate the valves up or down by solenoids 72 or 74. The latching mechanism 64, 78 is also operated by a solenoid 79. Specification 552,417, [Group XXVIII], is referred to.