Cable transmission shift converter

• US 20030041684A1
• Filed: 05/24/2001
• Published: 03/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert L. Jones Jr
• Original Assignee: Robert L. Jones Jr
• Inventors: Jones, Robert L. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US09/865,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20030041684A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 74/473.15
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 1/12 Arrangements for transmitting movement to or from the flexible member
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 1/20 Construction of flexible members moved to and fro in the sheathing
• CPC Class Codes: F16C 2361/65 Gear shifting, change speed gear, gear box
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 59/08 Range selector apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F16H 61/36 with at least one movement being transmitted by a cable
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20049 Transmission controlled by flexible cable

Abstract

A cable transmission shift converter for use when replacing the transmission in a right hand drive vehicle with a transmission designed for a left hand drive vehicle. The cable shift converter includes two brackets and a control cable and transmits movement of the original shift rod to the transmission shift lever on the left side of the transmission. A mounting bracket is mounted directly to the right side of the frame of the vehicle, while a second angled bracket is mounted to the left side of the replacement transmission. When the driver shifts the vehicle into gear, the shift rod actuates a bell crank causing a connector rod to transmit movement through the control cable to a second connector rod, which activates a crank arm that translates the movement to the transmission shift lever.

Claims

1. A transmission shift converter for coupling a vehicle shift control positioned on one side of a transmission to a transmission shift control protruding from the other side of the transmission, the converter comprising:

(a) a cable, wherein a first end of the cable is coupled to a first linkage and a second end of the cable is coupled to a second linkage;

(b) a first bracket and a second bracket, wherein the first bracket is mounted to a frame of the vehicle and the second bracket is mounted to the transmission and the cable is attached to the first bracket and the second bracket; and

(c) a first rotational component and a second rotational component, wherein the first rotational component is coupled to the first linkage and the second rotational component is coupled to the second linkage, and further where the first rotational component is coupled to the vehicle shift control and the second rotational component is coupled to the transmission shift control.

2. The transmission shift converter of claim 1, wherein the first rotational component further comprises a bell crank.

3. The transmission shift converter of claim 2, wherein the bell crank is mounted on a rotatable sleeve mounted on an axle extending from the first bracket.

4. The transmission shift converter of claim 1, wherein each linkage comprises a rod threaded on one end where a clevis is threaded onto said end of the rod.

5. The transmission shift converter of claim 1, wherein the cable is flexible.

6. The transmission shift converter of claim 1, wherein the cable is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

7. A transmission shift converter for coupling a vehicle shift control positioned on one side of a transmission to a transmission shift control protruding from the other side of the transmission, the converter comprising:

(a) a first bracket;

(b) a second bracket mounted to the transmission;

(c) a first crank arm attached to the first bracket, wherein, at a first end of the first crank arm, the first crank arm is coupled to the vehicle shift control and, at a second end of the first crank arm, the first crank arm is coupled to a first rod;

(d) a cable connected to the first bracket and the second bracket, wherein at a first end of the cable, the cable is coupled to the first rod and, at a second end of the cable, the cable is coupled to a second rod; and

(e) a second crank arm, wherein, at a first end of the second crank arm, the second crank arm is coupled to the transmission shift control and, at a second end of the second crank arm, the second crank arm is coupled to the second rod.

8. The transmission shift converter of claim 7, further comprising a rotatable sleeve mounted an axle extending from the first bracket.

9. The transmission shift converter of claim 8, wherein the first crank arm is mounted to the rotatable sleeve.

10. The transmission shift converter of claim 7, wherein the first bracket is mounted to the transmission.

11. The transmission shift converter of claim 7, wherein the first bracket is mounted to a frame of the vehicle.

12. The transmission shift converter of claim 7, wherein each rod is threaded on one end where a clevis is threaded onto said end of the rod.

13. The transmission shift converter of claim 7, wherein the cable is flexible.

14. The transmission shift converter of claim 7, wherein the cable is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

15. A method for controlling an automatic transmission having a vehicle shift control on one side of the transmission and a transmission shift control protruding from the other side of the transmission comprising:

(a) using the vehicle shift control to impart rotational motion to a first rotational component on the vehicle shift control side of the transmission;

(b) using the first rotational component to impart substantially linear motion to a first linkage;

(c) using the first linkage to impart substantially linear motion to a second linkage via the use of a cable;

(d) using the second linkage to transmit substantially linear motion to a second rotational component; and

(e) using the second rotational component to impart rotational motion to the transmission shift control.

16. The combination of a transmission and a transmission shift control converter for coupling a vehicle shift control positioned on a first side of the transmission to a transmission shift control protruding from a second side of the transmission, the combination comprising:

(a) the transmission;

(b) a first bracket;

(c) a second bracket mounted to the transmission;

(d) a first crank arm attached to the first bracket, wherein, at a first end of the first crank arm, the first crank arm is coupled to the vehicle shift control and, at a second end of the first crank arm, the first crank arm is coupled to a first rod;

(e) a cable connected to the first bracket and the second bracket, wherein at a first end of the cable, the cable is coupled to the first rod and, at a second end of the cable, the cable is coupled to a second rod; and

(f) a second crank arm, wherein, at a first end of the second crank arm, the second crank arm is coupled to the transmission shift control and, at a second end of the second crank arm, the second crank arm is coupled to the second rod.

17. The combination of claim 16, wherein the first bracket is mounted to the transmission.

18. The combination of claim 16, wherein the first bracket is mounted to a frame of the vehicle.

19. A transmission shift converter for coupling a vehicle shift control positioned on one side of a transmission to a transmission shift control protruding from the other side of the transmission, the converter comprising:

(a) a first bracket mounted to a frame of the vehicle, the first bracket being shaped such that the first bracket contains at least three bends as the first bracket extends from the frame of the vehicle, wherein a first angle of a first bend is approximately 145 degrees, a second angle of a second bend is approximately 145 degrees, and a third angle of a third bend is approximately 135 degrees;

(b) a second bracket mounted to the transmission comprising a bent plate and a flat metal plate attached to the bent plate, forming a fourth angle of approximately 90 degrees, wherein the bent plate extends vertically from the flat metal plate and has a generally L-shaped bend, forming a fifth angle of approximately 90 degrees, at which the bent plate is connected to a cable, and wherein a plane in which the generally L-shaped bend lies forms a sixth angle of approximately 75 degrees in relation to a plane in which the flat metal plate lies;

(c) a first crank arm attached to the first bracket, wherein, at a first end of the first crank arm, the first crank arm is coupled to the vehicle shift control and, at a second end of the first crank arm, the first crank arm is coupled to a first rod;

(d) the cable connected to the first bracket and the second bracket, wherein at a first end of the cable, the cable is coupled to the first rod and, at a second end of the cable, the cable is coupled to a second rod; and

(e) a second crank arm, wherein, at a first end of the second crank arm, the second crank arm is coupled to the transmission shift control and, at a second end of the second crank arm, the second crank arm is coupled to the second rod.