Importance

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Abstract

A clamping device for a steering column comprising a pair of brackets, one of which is positioned inside the other, each bracket having a pair of spaced-apart, substantially parallel walls. The walls of the inner bracket lie alongside the walls of the outer bracket. The walls have aligned apertures; a bolt extending through the apertures and rotatable about its longitudinal axis; a tubular sleeve surrounding the bolt between the walls of the inner bracket and having a surface at each end engaging the walls of the inner bracket; a nut threadably attached to the bolt at one end and having a surface engaging one of the walls of the outer bracket, the nut being fixed relative to the longitudinal axis; an annular spacer positioned around the bolt and having a surface engaging the other wall of the outer bracket, the spacer being fixed relative to the longitudinal axis; and a lever secured to the bolt adjacent the spacer and pivotable about the longitudinal axis; wherein the surfaces on the nut and the spacer which engage the walls of the outer bracket are substantially convex; and wherein the surfaces on the sleeve which engage the walls of the inner bracket are substantially concave. The clamping device provides increased holding force without increase of operator force on lever.

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First Claim