Retaining clamp for an adjustable steering column

• Main Authors: ROLFO, GIAN P, DENALDI, ERMANNO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.12.1980
• Subjects: LAND VEHICLES FOR TRAVELLING OTHERWISE THAN ON RAILS; MOTOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRAILERS; TRANSPORTING

A retaining clamp for an adjustable steering column of a motor vehicle comprises a bracket for mounting beneath the vehicle instrument panel, and a resilient seat member defining a seat for the column having two spaced apart arms extending towards the bracket and engaged between two bracket plates, the arms being tubular and formed with coaxial frusto-conical surfaces about an axis perpendicular to the steering column axis, each surface being engaged with a cooperating frusto-conical surface associated with a respective bracket plate. A screw-threaded clamping shaft extends axially of the frusto-conical surfaces, and is engaged at one end by a manually rotatable knob such that rotation of the knob to tighten the clamp wedges the cooperating frusto-conical surfaces together to clamp the seat member to the bracket and presses the arms together to clamp the steering column in the seat, unclamping of the clamp allowing the steering column to be moved axially in the seat or pivoted with the seat member about the clamp shaft, the frusto-conical surfaces acting as bearing surfaces.