Alarm apparatus for vehicle operator

Claim 1

IN AN APPARATUS FOR MAINTAINING ALERTNESS OF AN OPERATOR OF STEERING MECHANISM OF A MOTOR VEHICLE, WHEREIN DETECTOR MEANS DETECTS OPERATION OF THE STEERING MECHANISM WITHIN A GIVEN INTERVAL OT TIME AND ALARM MEANS CONNECTED TO THE DETECTOR MEANS CAUSES AN ALARM IF THE STEERING MECHANISM IS NOT OPERATED WITHIN THE GIVEN INTERVAL OF TIME, THE IMPROVEMENT WHEREIN A SWITCH SUPPORT PLATE HAVING AN APERTURE THEREIN IS PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO A BRACKET ADJACENT SAID STEERING MECHANISM, WHEREIN THE OPERATION OF SAID ALARM MEANS IS DELAYED BY A TIMING CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO AN ELECTRICAL ENERGY SOURCE, SAID TIMING CIRCUIT INCLUDING A TIMING SWITCH MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT PLATE, ADJACENT SAID STEERING MECHANISM, SAID DETECTOR MEANS INCLUDING A CONTROL PLATE HAVING AN ARCUATE SURFACE, MECHANISM, SAID CONTROL PLATE HAVING AN ARCUATE SURFACE, A ROTATABLE SHAFT JOURNALLED FOR ROTATION IN SAID APERTURE, A ROLLER AFFIXED TO SAID SHAFT ENGAGED WITH THE ARCUATE SURFACE OF SAID CONTROL PLATE THROUGHOUT A LIMITED RANGE OF MOVEMENT OF SAID STEERING MECHANISM, AND SWITCH ACTUATING MEANS AFFIXED TO SAID SHAFT INCLUDING AN ELEMENT HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACCED RADIAL PROJECTIONS ENGAGING AND ACTUATING SAID TIMING SWITCH AS SAID SHAFT ROTATES, WHEREIN SWITCH MEANS RESPONSIVE TO PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID SUPPORT PLATE IS PLACED BETWEEN SAID TIMING CIIRCUIT AND SAID ENERGY SOURCE, SAID SWITCH MEANS INCLUDING A PAIR OF SPACED SPRING CONTACT MEMBERS SECURED TO SAID SUPPORT PLATE, AND WHEREIN ABUTMENT MEANS IS CONNECTED TO SAID BRACKET, SAID ABUTMENT MEANS PROJECTING THROUGH AN APERTURE IN SAID SUPPORT PLATE ADJACENT ONE OF SAID SPRING CONTACT MEMBERS, SAID ABUTMENT MEANS ENGAGING SAID ONE OF SAID SPRING CONTACT MEMBERS CAUSING IT TO MOVE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE OTHER OF SAID SPRING CONTACT MEMBERS WHEN SAID SUPPORT PLATE IS PIVOTED BY ENGAGEMENT OF SAID ROLLER WITH SAID CONTROL PLATE.