Did You Know...
...that the inventor of the electric motor was a blacksmith named Thomas Davenport? Described as "a brilliantly unsuccessful inventor", Davenport invented the first rotary electric motor. In 1836 he headed out -- on foot -- from his Vermont home to file a patent application at the Patent Office in Washington, D.C. By the time he got there, he had squandered away his money and couldn't afford the $30 filing fee so he turned around and went home. When he later mailed in his application with money he'd raised, the Patent office was destroyed in a fire. He did finally get credit for his invention on Feb. 5, 1837.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7578215 | Adjustable bearing ball having multiple parts The position of a lever is adjustable relative to its bearing via a locking clip that is arranged opposite to a catch. The lever is arranged in a bearing shell with a ball therein in which the lever is arranged so as to be displaceable with the catch attached. The l... | 08/25/2009 |
| 7523683 | Shift lever mechanism A shift lever mechanism (10) comprises a housing (12), having a longitudinal axis (14), and a lever (16), having a first end (18), a second end (20) and a longitudinal axis (22). The mechanism (10) further comp... | 04/28/2009 |
| 7363836 | Shift lever apparatus A shift lever apparatus includes a base member, a shift lever, and one or more planar four-bar linkage mechanisms supporting the shift lever so as to be movable relative to the base member. The four-bar linkage mechanism includes four link elements including a base-... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7270027 | Detent lever assembly for an internal electronic transmission range selection (ETRS) system A detent lever assembly for implementation with an electronic transmission range selection (ETRS) system that shifts a transmission range between a park position and an out-of-park position. The detent lever assembly includes a shaft rotatably supported by a housing... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7261488 | Ball socket ring seal A ball socket ring seal for use with a ball joint assembly eliminates the need for a boot or bellows to protect the ball joint against the environment. The ball socket ring seal of the invention is positioned between the ball and the socket at the point of contact b... | 08/28/2007 |
| 7159486 | Joint arrangement for a gear shift mechanism A joint arrangement in a shift mechanism for a motor vehicle includes a coupling element cooperating with a gear shift lever, a mounting element joinable to a gear lever carrier, and a damping element arranged between the coupling element and the mounting element. T... | 01/09/2007 |
| 7032473 | Shift lever vibration isolator A two-stage, bi-directional shift lever vibration isolator. A shift lever has a sleeve whereinside is a lever vibration isolator which includes a damping body having an axial bore and an outer surface characterized by an hour-glass cross-section composed of convex a... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7032474 | Mechanical attachment for a shift lever vibration isolator A mechanical attachment for a two-stage, bi-directional shift lever vibration isolator. A shift lever has a sleeve which receives thereinside a lever vibration isolator which includes a damping body having an outer surface characterized by an hour-glass cross-sectio... | 04/25/2006 |
| 6951151 | Manual transmission shifting device A manual transmission shifting device in which a shifting force is transmitted only by a first rod from a shift lever to a transmission and the shifting force transmitted to the first rod is supplied to the transmission via a simple mechanical link system, such that... | 10/04/2005 |
| 6925906 | Vehicular shift lever The vehicular shift lever has rubber bushes tightly fastened to the external surface of a lever axle and a cover pressed over the external side of the rubber bush. The shift lever includes: first and second rubber bushes fastened to the top and bottom of the lever a... | 08/09/2005 |
| 6820515 | Gear shift lever operating mechanism A handling mechanism of a gearshift which enables the gearshift to shift into reverse, neutral, first-speed, second-speed, third-speed, and fourth-speed, and fifth-speed in sequential order includes a gearshift coupled to a shift fork of a transmission-handling mech... | 11/23/2004 |
| 6694838 | Gearshift selector for a vehicle transmission A shifting device for the electronic selection and/or control of the gears of a vehicle transmission is provided with a shift knob and at least one shifting mechanism. The shifting mechanism has a gear selection device. The shifting mechanism is mounted p... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6553859 | Power shift device of transmission for vehicle The present invention relates to a power shift device of a transmission for a vehicle which includes a connection link installed between a transmission lever and a power shift for transferring a select and shift operations of the transmission lever to the... | 04/29/2003 |
| 6435054 | Shifting device for a manual gear transmission A selector device for a change-speed gearbox. The selector device includes a remote selector rod for selecting the gears, a flexible-actuating linkage for changing over between the gears, and a coupling linkage for accepting reaction forces which are prov... | 08/20/2002 |
| 6321616 | Gear catching for a shift transmission A gear catching for a shift transmission in a motor vehicle including a rotatably mounted shift lever and bearing. The catching includes a substantially spherical body having at least one cam at the shift lever or a bearing shell enclosing it. The cam cat... | 11/27/2001 |
| 6289760 | Mounting structure of change lever in vehicle A mounting structure of a change lever in a vehicle constructed and arranged to absorb an allowance between a housing and a ball rotatively pivoting a lower end of the change lever to rule out generation of noise and to prevent leakage of lubricant coated... | 09/18/2001 |
| 6237435 | Control device Apparatus for controlling the operational states of motor vehicle gears including a console, a lever mounted in the console whereby the lever can be articulated between a plurality of maneuverable positions corresponding to the operational states of the m... | 05/29/2001 |
| 6230579 | Multi-mode shifter assembly joint A shifter assembly (10) for automatic transmissions is disclosed having a base (12) and a detent member (14) supported by the base (12). The detent member (14) defines an automatic (18) and manual (20) shift path and a plurality of gear positions (22, 24,... | 05/15/2001 |
| 6216551 | Transfer level for 4-wheel drive vehicle An improved transfer lever for a 4WD vehicle is arranged such that the position of a knob attachment piece remains the same even when used with transmissions of two different lengths. The difference between the two lengths is a distance D. This retains th... | 04/17/2001 |
| 6205880 | Gearshift device for change-speed gearboxes of motor vehicles In a gearshift device for change-speed gearboxes of motor vehicles, having a shifter shaft (1) movable both axially and radially in the gearbox housing and engaging at one end with an actuating lever arrangement (3) with which in turn corresponding ends o... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6202503 | Device for adjusting a two-part gear lever Arrangement for manual resetting of the mutual positional setting of an upper lever element (6) and a lower lever element (8) connected articulatedly to the latter, which lever elements together form a two-part gear lever (2) supported articulatedly in a ... | 03/20/2001 |
| 6192771 | Operating system for a vehicle transmission An operating system for a vehicle transmission has a shifting lever which, for the shifting between gear ratios, can be swivelled in one shifting channel respectively about a shifting axle essentially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and, for ... | 02/27/2001 |
| 6122987 | Lever device for double-action remote-control Lever device for double-action remote-control, i.e. of rigid tie rods and/or flexible cables, consisting of a lever (12) rotatable in respect of a base element (13), connectable (in 14) to a carrying structure external to an operating machine in which the... | 09/26/2000 |
| 6062098 | Mounting arrangement for an external gearshift mechanism of an automobile transmission A gearshift lever (3) is mounted on a ball-and-socket joint which is partially surrounded by a bearing shell (8) made of plastic whereby an economic mounting arrangement (2) which permits maintenance work and can prevent a transmission of vibrations to th... | 05/16/2000 |
| 6058797 | Clip-on shifter knob A shifter for a vehicle transmission wherein a connector cap (14) consisting of an organic polymeric material is molded about the top end of a shifter lever (12) having a top end and a bottom end to define a first snap-on bead (16) for receiving and mecha... | 05/09/2000 |
| 6055881 | Column shift device for automatic transmission A column shift device for an automatic transmission includes a bracket, and a shift piece turnably connected to the bracket through a first pivot. A shift lever is turnably connected to the shift piece through a second pivot located on a plane substantial... | 05/02/2000 |
| 6038937 | Shifter with integral connector A shift knob integrally includes one of a plug or socket having fixed contacts which are coupled to a control switch mounted to the shift knob. The plug or socket is mounted to a sleeve which integrally includes the other of a socket and plug with fixed c... | 03/21/2000 |
| 6006623 | Shift lever assembly A shift lever assembly of a vehicle comprises: a base member; a shift lever supported by the base member so as to be pivotable around a shifting axis and a selection axis, the shifting axis and the selection axis being at a right angle to each other; an e... | 12/28/1999 |
| 5927151 | Shift device for a change speed transmission of a motor vehicle In a shift device for a gear-change transmission of a motor vehicle, to reduce force peaks of the manual shifting forces for the kinematic connection between a manual shift lever and a shift lever fixed in terms of rotation relative to a gear-shift shaft,... | 07/27/1999 |
| 5907975 | Ball-joint shifter with offset trunnions A shifter for a manual transmission has a lever arm extending upward from the transmission housing. The lever arm has a ball pivotable in a socket for gear selection, so that the gear shift handle can revolve about the pivot. The lever arm includes trunni... | 06/01/1999 |
| 5896778 | Operating lever device for manual transmissions for motor vehicles An operating lever device for manual transmissions of motor vehicles includes a shift lever and a select lever connectable to a manual transmission through a shift cable and a select cable. Each lever is swingably supported to a support casing, and each c... | 04/27/1999 |
| 5626057 | Change lever supporting structure Main and subsidiary levers 24 and 25 forming a change lever are intersected and coupled to each other to form a T-shape. A pair of hemispherical bodies forming a fulcrum member are formed, at their coupled end surfaces, with supporting recesses extended i... | 05/06/1997 |
| 5419214 | Shift lever mounting with independent movement in shifting plane and selection plane A mounting for a shift lever (1) for the mechanical remote control of a selector shaft of a gear change box in motor vehicles, in which the shift lever (1) is mounted pivotably around a selection axis and around a shifting axis, which is at right angles t... | 05/30/1995 |
| 5357823 | Gearshift assembly for manual transmissions The present invention gearshift assembly for a motorized vehicle manual transmission comprises a gearshift lever having an upper ball which determines a crossover pivot ratio and a lower ball which determines a different linear pivot ratio. Also, a unique... | 10/25/1994 |
| 5313853 | Flat spring biased shifter A drop-in type shifter is provided for an automotive transmission, the shifter employing one or more washer-like flat springs for spring biasing a shift stick to a predetermined position on the shifter and actuatable for changing the drive ratio of the tr... | 05/24/1994 |
| 5213002 | Bearing system for a gear shift lever A bearing system for a gear shift lever, which is held in a shift ball and surrounded by an assembly flange. An intermediate layer shaped in the form of a ring, which acts as insulation for vibrations, is arranged between the shift ball and the gear shift... | 05/25/1993 |
| 5144853 | Device for adjusting the position of a vehicle gear-shift lever A device for adjusting the position of a gear-shift lever in a vehicle in which a lever operating flexible cables for gear selection and engagement is disposed on a plate which is mobile by pivoting and is provided with a slot member engaged with a pin pr... | 09/08/1992 |
| 5025677 | Gear shift mechanism for a motor vehicle transmission A manually operable gear shift lever is disposed in a narrowly limited space with radial play on a stationary guide tube. The lower end of the gear shift lever is disposed in a pivotable ball joint. A gear shift rod leads from the gear shift lever to the ... | 06/25/1991 |
| 5024117 | Apparatus for supporting shift lever for transmission An apparatus is provided for supporting a shift lever for a transmission the shift lever including a ball-like portion which is on the shift lever and has spherical surfaces of a fixed curvature at least on a part of the lower and upper sides. A receiving... | 06/18/1991 |
| 4982619 | Gear shift mechanism for tilt cab vehicles A gear shift mechanism for tilt cab trucks comprises a lever-receiving structure disposed on the engine/transmission structure. The lever-receiving structure includes a ball joint. The shift lever is removably received in a socket of the ball. When the ca... | 01/08/1991 |
