This probably wouldn’t really be considered as cruise control because it doesn’t regulate speed, but it does regulate throttle amount. The point of this isn't really the "cruise control" part anyway.
It’s pretty simple really; a mechanical system that is connected to the foot pedals of a car, which would allow you to take your foot off of a pedal, but it will keep the pedal in the same position until another pedal starts to be pressed. This would allow you to drive with a constant amount of gas which should be more efficient. Also you could take your foot off the brake when you are sitting in traffic or at a stop light. I think it would also work with a clutch pedal, if only the gas would release it and not the brake; the clutch pedal might be able to be released gradually so that you can accelerate properly without killing the engine, or it might be released according to how quickly the gas pedal is pressed, otherwise you would have to manually release the clutch pedal, in first gear.
I believe this would make driving easier overall.
I don’t know exactly how the mechanism would work, but I’m sure that it's workable. And that's partially why I’m posting it here.
The system should be able to be cheaper than most electronic cruise control systems (I think), since it isn’t really "cruise control".-- BJS, Jun 19 2006 Baked http://cgi.ebay.com...QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem [jhomrighaus, Jun 19 2006] My Mitsubishi pick-up used to have some knob that could be pulled out and twisted to lock. It was linked to the throttle somehow, and it only released if you twisted it again. When I forgot to release it, braking was difficult, to say the least. But at least I could brag that I had cruise control in a cheapo pick-up.
I think it was for some kind of power take off system that was never fitted.-- Ling, Jun 19 2006 No, that knob was the constant throttle setting. It's used for deep water crossings, where constant throttle (transfer in low range of course) is required, even if the ride's a bit bumpy. basically if you're in deep water (over the bonnet), and using your snorkle, and you hit a bump, rut, rock, etc, you don't want to be up and down on the throttle or you'll break stuff, or at least push a bow wave over the windscreen. Good for simple amateur-type rock crawling (in/out of creek beds, etc), lets you keep a constant throttle setting. Basically if you didn't know that, don't use it ... :-)
as to the idea, I think you'll find that with cheap cruise controll kits becoming available (~100-200 dollars ish) you'd have a hard time beating that with a constant throttle type device that doesn't do as good a job.
And I have no idea how you'd get it to slowly release the clutch in a manner that A) doesn't stall the engine, whilst B) not burning out the clutch. Perhaps you don't appreciate how delicate that maneuvre (sp? sorry...) really is...-- Custardguts, Jun 19 2006 oh yeah, I had a bad day, so bone.-- Custardguts, Jun 19 2006 *sigh*-- jhomrighaus, Jun 19 2006 Preheated in song:
I drive a broke-down rig on may-pop tires 40 foot of overload Lotta people say that I'm crazy because I don't know how to take it slow I got a broomstick on the throttle, I gotta rope it up and head right down Non-stop back to Dallas poppin' them west coast turnarounds
And they call me Speedball, Speedball Tucker, terror of the highway and all them other truckers will tell you that the boy is mad to be drivin' in a rig like that
(Jim Croce)-- normzone, Jun 19 2006 //Basically if you didn't know that, don't use it ... :-)// The Pick-up had standard 5 speed manual transmission and 2 wheel drive. The only snorkel was the one that I used for swimming around the coral...anyway, thanks for the info.-- Ling, Jun 19 2006 The link that says Baked is only for the trottle.-- BJS, Jun 19 2006 This is useful for driving your murder victims off a cliff.-- ldischler, Jun 19 2006 (+)-- BJS, Jun 19 2006 I once drove a '50 Chevrolet pickup that had a knob on the dash that acted like a throttle. I owned a manual-transmission '64 pickup that had a home-made attachment from the gas pedal to a hand-lever at the front edge of the seat--I liked that a lot.
I understand that the most economical way to drive is with a constant throttle setting. The cruise control on my present vehicle tries desparately to maintain a constant speed, and is irritating as hell. I'd bun this, if it wasn't so vague.-- baconbrain, Jun 19 2006 Vague on the mechanics?-- BJS, Jun 19 2006 This would totally suck in the mountainous areas where I live. My dad told me that he had an early cruise control that consisted of a wire attached to the back of the gas pedal. The wire looped back to the dashboard where it was attached to a metal rod. The metal rod went through a copper coil. the copper coil was attached to a toggle switch and the car's battery. See where this is going? To activate the device. Pull the rod out, thus pulling down on the accelerator pedal and when the desired speed was reached, flip the power to the coil. The magnet would hold the rod in position and you were now free to fall asleep at the wheel.
My brother had a similar device on an old beater VW Bug. It was a string mechanism attached to the pedal but he would sit on the string to hold it in place. He could vary the speed a bit by leaning in his seat.-- MoreCowbell, Jun 19 2006 random, halfbakery