Abstract: A motor vehicle steering column including a stationary mast jacket, an adjustable mast jacket supported on the stationary mast jacket for linear translation, and a tilt housing supported on the adjustable mast jacket for up and down pivotal movement. A lock shoe is supported on the tilt housing for pivotal movement between locking and releasing positions to secure and release the tilt housing for vertical adjustment of the steering column. A connecting rod attached to the adjustable mast jacket includes a shank slidably disposed in the middle of a coil torsion spring on the stationary mast jacket. The coil torsion spring grips the shank of the connecting rod to secure the position of the adjustable mast jacket. An actuating lever is pivotable between locking and releasing positions and twists the coil torsion spring to release the connecting rod. A manual release lever pivotally supported on the tilt housing bears directly against the lock shoe and is connected to the actuating lever through a tension member.

Abstract: A coupling between a motor vehicle steering shaft and a motor vehicle steering wheel including a first coupling element on the steering wheel having a cavity therein, a second coupling element on the steering shaft plugged into the cavity in the first coupling element, and a latch responsive to relative rotation between the first and the second coupling elements to couple together for unitary rotation the first and the second coupling elements with substantially zero lash therebetween. The latch includes a plurality of lugs on the second coupling element seated in extensions of the cavity in the first coupling element, a plurality of ramps in the cavity extensions operative to eject the lugs from the cavity extensions concurrent with relative rotation between the first and the second coupling elements, a plurality of sockets in the first coupling element, and a plurality of springs operative to thrust the lugs into corresponding ones of the sockets.