Patent ID: 6189907
Filing Date: 2001-02-20
Classification: B62K,B62M

Abstract:
A treadle cart powered by the rocking motion of a rider, such treadle cart comprising:a frame;a pair of axles mounted on the frame;four base wheels, two base wheels being mounted to rotate on each one of the pair of axles;a treadle board, having a top surface and an under surface and having two ends and two sides, the sides being substantially longer than the ends and being generally at right angles to the ends, the treadle board being mounted midway between the two ends to pivot on the frame;a pair of drive means, each drive means being a flexible elongated member and having two ends, each drive means being connected at each of its two ends to the under surface of the treadle board adjacent opposite ends of the treadle board and each being adjacent opposite sides of the treadle board;two pairs of idler wheels, each pair of idler wheels being located beneath opposite sides of the treadle board, each drive means engaging a separate pair of idler wheels;two power wheels, each power wheel being mounted to rotate on the frame and being located in line with and between a separate pair of idler wheels one power wheel being located closer to one end of the treadle board and the other power wheel being located closer to the other end of the treadle board, each power wheel engaging one drive means;a pair of clutch housings including a cylindrical member having an inner circumference surface;tines mounted along the inner circumference surface of the cylindrical member, each tine having a main section and an extension section, the main section extending from the inner circumference surface;a clutch rotor having a series of large non symmetrical teeth, each one of the teeth having a blunt end and a short side and a long side, the short side extending generally at right angles to the blunt end and the long side being generally tangential to the clutch rotor, the clutch rotor being mounted in the clutch housing, the clutch rotor being held in the clutch housing by the extension section being pressed against the short side when the clutch housing rotates in one direction and the clutch rotor slipping in the clutch housing when the main section presses against the long side when the clutch housing rotates in the opposite direction;a pair of drive trains, each drive train including a series of wheels for transmitting power from each power wheel to one of the, clutch housings, each drive train including a housing shaft on which the clutch housing is mounted, the housing shaft being hollow;a rotor shaft on which the pair of clutch rotors is mounted, the rotor shaft being mounted in both pairs of clutch housing shafts;a pair of main wheels, each main wheel being mounted on one of the pair of rotor shafts;two pairs of secondary wheels, one wheel of each pair of secondary wheels being mounted on one of the pair of axles;a pair of continuous members, each continuous member being a flexible loop mounted on one of the pair of main wheels and one pair of the two pairs of secondary wheels; anda pair of brake mechanisms mounted on the frame, each pair of brake mechanisms including a pair of brake pads that engage the pair of axles.