Did You Know...
...that Charles Goodyear performed some of his experiments on rubber while in debtor's prison? He was there so often he referred to it as his "hotel". Chronically in debt because of poor business sense and ill health, Goodyear depended on the generosity of friends and family. Even after he unlocked the secret to vulcanizing rubber, he was unable to improve his financial situation. When he died, his estate was $200,000 in debt.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 5666860 | Gas pedal arrangement for a motor vehicle A gas pedal arrangement for a motor vehicle has a pedal plate which is swivellably held on a pedal holding device in the form of a housing. This pedal plate is connected with an adjusting device. The pedal holding device consists of an oblong housing whic... | 09/16/1997 |
| 5598742 | Auxiliary steering device for vehicle An auxiliary steering device having a steering pedal allows a main steering system to be controlled by either the hand-operated steering wheel or the foot-operated steering pedal. The device has a lift lever for enlarging the reciprocation angular motion ... | 02/04/1997 |
| 5588338 | Snap-in pedal with end caps A mounting for a control pedal in a motor vehicle includes a mounting bracket fixed relative to the vehicle having apertures defining an axis of rotation. The pedal has a hub defining a pivot axis. Spring loaded bearings in the hub are adapted to automati... | 12/31/1996 |
| 5570613 | Accelerator pedal mechanical governor A governor of a vehicle for limiting travel of a vehicle accelerator pedal. The inventive device includes a mounting assembly for clamping to a vehicle accelerator pedal. A limiting assembly extends from the mounting assembly for engaging the floor board ... | 11/05/1996 |
| 5568749 | Automotive accelerator return spring damper An automotive accelerator return spring assembly has a tension coil spring with a variable diameter internal damper therein. The damper clips to the spring on one end and has tangentially spaced, flexible fingers on the other end for absorbing vibrational... | 10/29/1996 |
| 5542313 | Dual radius geometry accelerator control system A Dual Radius Geometry Accelerator Control System is provided in which the throttle valve is made to open slowly during the off-idle range of operation then progressively faster during the mid-range operation until a maximum system actuation rate is reach... | 08/06/1996 |
| 5533420 | Parking brake system including an internal clutch spring A parking brake mechanism for operating a parking brake cable includes an operating lever pivotally connected with a mounting bracket for movement between brake-applied and brake-released positions, a locking device for releasably locking the lever in the... | 07/09/1996 |
| 5529296 | Pedal return device having improved hysteresis characteristics A pedal return device is provided for controlling operation of a pedal member. In particular, the pedal return device imparts a resistive force which resists movement of the pedal member. In the case of an automobile accelerator pedal, this feature allows... | 06/25/1996 |
| 5507201 | Accelerator assembly for automotive vehicle An accelerator pedal assembly for an automotive vehicle includes a pedal member pivotably attached to the floor area of the vehicle and a combination pedal travel limiter and position indicating unit mounted above the pedal member. The combination unit in... | 04/16/1996 |
| 5497677 | Accelerator pedal device for a motor vehicle An accelerator pedal device for a motor vehicle is provided with a pedal plate which is swivellably disposed on a pedal holding device in the form of a housing, and an adjusting device is connected with the pedal plate. The pedal holding device consists o... | 03/12/1996 |
| 5460061 | Adjustable control pedal apparatus An adjustable control pedal apparatus for a motor vehicle including an accelerator control pedal assembly and a brake control pedal assembly. A motor is positioned between the control pedal assemblies and includes a motor drive shaft driving first and sec... | 10/24/1995 |
| 5447134 | Throttle valve control system for engine In a throttle valve control system, an accelerator pedal position sensor (APS) comprises a first APS for detecting a large amount of movement of an accelerator pedal which is relatively low in resolution and a second APS for detecting middle and small amo... | 09/05/1995 |
| 5426995 | Position transducer A position transducer in which an external full-load stop of a pedal and a stop inside a housing for a transducer shaft is adapted to one another in such a way as to assure that a maximum allowable adjusting torque acting upon the transducer shaft will no... | 06/27/1995 |
| 5408899 | Foot pedal devices for controlling engines An accelerator pedal for electronic, "by wire" control which provides the customary feel of mechanical control systems heretofore predominantly in use including a hysteresis effect. Readily available simple mechanical components coupled to a sensing and t... | 04/25/1995 |
| 5398569 | Snap-in pedal A mounting for a control pedal in a motor vehicle includes a mounting bracket fixed relative to the vehicle having apertures defining an axis of rotation. The pedal has a hub defining a pivot axis. Spring loaded bearings in the hub are adapted to automati... | 03/21/1995 |
| 5396870 | Foot pedal assembly for control of a vehicle engine A coupling for coupling a foot pedal to a sensor used to control the throttle of a vehicle's engine. A shaft assembly is provided including a shaft having ends configured to interconnect the rotative movement of a pedal with the shaft of a potentiometer. ... | 03/14/1995 |
| 5385068 | Electronic accelerator pedal assembly with pedal force sensor A pedal bracket assembly translates pedal motion into a first switching motion without change of position being sensed by a position sensor. Additional pedal motion does not further change the switch position, but is translated into motion sensed by the p... | 01/31/1995 |
| 5351573 | Adjustable automobile pedal system An adjustment device for an automobile control pedal which is capable of pivotably adjusting the control pedal relative to a datum point, such as the eyelet of a cylinder pushrod. The adjustment device allows the control pedal to be optimally positioned t... | 10/04/1994 |
| 5339783 | Throttle breakover apparatus The throttle breakover apparatus has a cable with one end coupled to an accelerator pedal and a second end terminating in a cable stop. The cable second end is slidably coupled to an engine throttle lever at a position inward from the cable stop. A sleeve... | 08/23/1994 |
| 5318000 | Device for adjusting the throttle valve of an internal combustion engine and method for testing the device A throttle valve of an internal combustion engine can be adjusted by an electrical system. A device and a method for adjusting the throttle valve include a set value signal generator which has a no-load switch and a full-load switch. By evaluating the pos... | 06/07/1994 |
| 5309786 | Self-adjusting parking brake actuator A parking brake actuator for a cable-operated vehicle parking brake, comprises a mounting bracket on the vehicle, a sector gear mounted on the mounting bracket for rotation about an axis to variably tension the cable. A pedal lever is coaxially pivoted on... | 05/10/1994 |
| 5309361 | Pedal assembly for an automotive vehicles The present invention relates to a pedal assembly (1), useful in automotive vehicles includes an accelerator pedal (6), a brake pedal (7) and a clutch pedal (8), each of the three pedals (6, 7 and 8) actuating an associated, electronically controlled devi... | 05/03/1994 |
| 5293976 | Brake-and accelerator pedal assembly Disclosed is an improved brake-and-accelerator pedal assembly for an automobile driving use. In order to attain natural, smooth foot control, an accelerator pedal is fixed swingably in lateral direction to a selected stationary part of the automobile body... | 03/15/1994 |
| 5241936 | Foot pedal arrangement for electronic throttle control of truck engines An accelerator foot pedal suspended from a support structure affixed to the front wall of a vehicle cab, a drum at the proximal end of the foot pedal defining, with the support structure, an enclosure which houses an internal rack-and-pinion gearing. A se... | 09/07/1993 |
| 5239891 | Cam follower variable ratio throttle linkage A cam and follower mechanism for connecting a vehicle accelerator pedal to an engine throttle body throttle valve for varying rates of movement of the throttle valve, including a washer-like cam operatively connected to the vehicle accelerator pedal by a ... | 08/31/1993 |
| 5216935 | Bidirectional control arrangement for vehicle A bidirectional control arrangement for a vehicle comprising a seesaw type pedal including a forward drive depress pad and a backward drive depress pad for controlling a hydrostatic stepless transmission. A down-toe motion of an operator's foot applied to... | 06/08/1993 |
| 5203214 | Engine throttle linkage with motion-reversing feature The invention is primarily for use with earth-moving machinery, e.g., crawler tractors and the like. Machines are used in ways such that their operators like to be able have the engine "idle" at lower speed and manually accelerate it or at higher speed an... | 04/20/1993 |
| 5193640 | Vehicle safety system for driver pedal misapplication A vehicle safety system for preventing unintended acceleration of motor vehicles due to the driver's pedal misapplication of depressing an accelerator instead of brakes against the driver's intention of stopping the vehicle. The system exploits the excess... | 03/16/1993 |
| 5191866 | Throttle control system for automotive vehicle A throttle control system for an automotive vehicle includes a motion transmitting member having a length sufficient to extend between an accelerator pedal and a throttle crank so that depression of the accelerator will cause rotation of a throttle shaft ... | 03/09/1993 |
| 5188001 | Accelerator pedal device An accelerator pedal device comprises a pedal lever having a pivot shaft which is pivotally supported by a fixed support bracket. The pedal lever is biased in such a direction that an upper part of the pedal lever approaches a fixed stopper member. A firs... | 02/23/1993 |
| 5172606 | Module cockpit/support structure with adjustable pedals A locationally adjustable pedal is provided for providing a force input to an automotive vehicle control. The adjustable pedal includes a crossbar having a rotational axis fixed with respect to the vehicle, an idler link having first and second ends, the ... | 12/22/1992 |
| 5168771 | Left side accelerator apparatus for physically handicapped persons A left side accelerator apparatus for physically handicapped persons provided with a formation wherein a cover member is removably provided on a base fixed on an automobile floor side, a main shaft is rotatably supported by the cover member, a left side p... | 12/08/1992 |
| 5136899 | Accelerator pedal and brake mechanism A vehicle which has a foot actuated speed control and linkage, a hand actuated control for selecting the forward or reverse mode, a brake pedal and linkage, and a mechanism connecting the speed control linkage and the mode control. The connecting mechanis... | 08/11/1992 |
| 5115186 | Travel sensor for determining the position of a member such as a brake pedal A travel sensor for measuring mechanical quantities of motion, in particular for determining the brake pedal position, comprising a transmission unit axially slidable in a housing and comprising a measuring apparatus for generating an electric signal repr... | 05/19/1992 |
| 5086663 | Adjustable pedal An adjustable pedal for a vehicle includes a bracket for mounting the pedal on a vehicle body, a holder pivotably supported by the bracket, and a pedal member, an end of which is adjustably attached to the holder to set a position thereof of interest to a... | 02/11/1992 |
| 5078024 | Control pedal apparatus for a motor vehicle A control pedal apparatus for adjusting a control pedal of a motor vehicle such for example as a brake pedal, an accelerator pedal, or a clutch pedal. The mechanism includes a pedal arm, an adjustor member, and a bracket secured to the fire wall of the ve... | 01/07/1992 |
| 5067365 | Adjusting mechanism for a control member An adjusting mechanism for a control member for influencing automotive vehicle engine torques. A spring-supported actuating member is articulated via pulleys at a mechanical linkage. The mechanical linkage transmits the movement of the actuating member on... | 11/26/1991 |
| 5063811 | Accelerator pedal assembly An electronic accelerator pedal assembly for vehicles including a base bracket adapted to be secured to the floor pan and having an upper housing fixedly supporting the associated electronic componentry indicating accelerator pedal position, including the... | 11/12/1991 |
| 5052507 | Load-adjusting device A load-adjustment device for the internal combustion engine of an automotive vehicle has a control lever (1) which, for instance, displaces a throttle valve and is held by a coupling spring (9) against an intermediate lever (5) which can be swung directly... | 10/01/1991 |
| 5020623 | Traction control system A traction control system includes a control rod connected to a throttle lever and being slidable with respect to a housing to which an accelerator pedal is connected. The control rod is movable in response to a driving wheel acceleration slip signal so a... | 06/04/1991 |
