Abstract: A steering column including a mast jacket pivotable up and down for vertical adjustment and variable lengthwise for horizontal adjustment and a clamp for releasably capturing the position of the steering column. The clamp includes a stationary bracket, a first rack lever and a second rack lever each pivotally supported on the stationary bracket and linked to the mast jacket by a drive lug, and a pair of lock shoes supported on the stationary bracket for linear translation and pivotal movement. An intermediate link between the lock shoes and a manual control lever thrusts the lock shoes linearly toward a cam on the stationary bracket concurrent with pivotal movement of the control lever toward a locked position. The cam pivots the lock shoes concurrent with linear translation to wedge the lock shoes against respective ones of the rack levers with toothed racks on the rack shoes meshing with toothed racks on the rack levers to capture the position of the mast jacket by immobilizing the rack levers.

Abstract: A steering column position control apparatus including a stationary bracket having vertical legs on opposite sides of the steering column, a spacer on the steering column between the legs of the bracket, a non-rotatable thrust plate outside of the stationary bracket bearing on one side thereof, a long bolt mounted on the spacer and projecting through the thrust plate, the spacer and a substantially vertical slot in each leg of the bracket, a non-ratable nut outboard of the opposite side of the bracket threaded on the bolt, and a lever outboard of the thrust plate rotatable as a unit with the bolt. A flex plate is attached to the thrust plate between the latter and the lever and includes a flex arm having a detent feature at a distal end thereof. In a closed position of the lever, the detent feature overlaps an edge of the lever for retention thereof in the closed position.