That could be a problem for drivers who use the steering wheel as a grab handle when getting in and out of the car, as it would just turn freely. As described in the patent filing, Ford's solution ...

Once they got past the tiller and settled on the steering wheel, car designers came up with a lot of variations on the theme.

That way any valve would fit any engine, any steering wheel would fit any chassis ... ever used for large-scale manufacturing. Ford produced cars at a record-breaking rate. That meant he could ...