Abstract:
A scooterboard, including a board supported on a front and rear skate wheel trucks, and wherein the front skate wheel truck is alternatively unlocked or locked by means of a selectively lockable swivelling assembly so as to be free swivelling or stationary, and further including a removable steering post and a removable steering column carried by the scooterboard to allow an operator to select different steering embodiments thereof.

Description:
This application is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 343,432 filed Jan. 8, 1982 and now abandoned. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates generally to scootering vehicles, and more particularly, to those upon which a rider stands and steers it directionally while the vehicle scoots along the ground. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     It is well-known that numerous scooters have been developed in the past, and which include a front and rear skate truck under opposite ends of a board upon which a rider stands, the front skate truck being controllable for steering into any direction. Generally, scooters made with skate-like trucks are steered by the rider&#39;s shifting his weight sidewardly, so as to cause the fixed front wheel truck to turn slightly, as is well-known in roller skate art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a scooterboard which is selectively steered either in the above-identified manner, or else by the front wheel truck being steered by a directionally fully swivelled steering post. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a scooterboard in which the weight-steered vehicle is controlled either with or without a stationary steering column, which is removably affixed on the vehicle. 
     Other objects are to provide a scooterboard which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use, and efficient in operation. 
     These and other objects are obtained by a scooterboard including a selectively lockable swivelling mechanism which selectively locks and unlocks the front skate wheel truck for stationary, or free swivelling operation, respectively. A detachable steering post assembly may be used to guidingly swivel the front skate wheel truck when the selectively lockable swivelling mechanism is set so that the front skate wheel truck freely swivels or the rider may steer the scooterboard by displacing his weight thereon when the front skate wheel truck is stationary due to the locking action of the selectively lockable swivelling mechanism, in conjunction with a detachable steering column assembly, the detachable steering post assembly, or with both the steering post assembly and the steering post assembly detached from the scooterboard. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Various other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a design incorporated in the present scooterboard invention, wherein it is controlled by a non-swivelling steering column; 
     FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the fully assembled scooterboard, to be steered by a swivelling steering post; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the design of the present invention, wherein it is controlled by the swivelling post, and 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view, partly in cross section, of the steering post that is illustrated in FIG. 2. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawing in greater detail, reference numeral 10 represents a scooterboard according to the present invention having an elongated board 11 upon which a rider stands. The board is supported at its front and rear ends upon a pair of skate wheel trucks 12 and 13, respectively, the front skate wheel truck 12 being selectively controllable by the rider for directional steering. 
     In the present invention, the scooterboard 10 is adaptable for being selectively converted into either one of three different models 14, 15 or 16, as is evident by the different steering mechanisms for controlling the scooterboard as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. 
     Each wheel truck 12, 13 includes two wheels 17, each wheel being fitted on ball bearings 18 and mounted on opposite ends of a shaft 19 supported at its center in a bracket 20. In the present invention, the rear wheel bracket is stationarily affixed to an underside of the board 11. The front wheel bracket 20 is welded to a rectangular plate 21, having a hole near each corner for receiving mounting bolts 22, passed through corresponding holes in an upper plate 23 so that plate 21 and upper plate 23 are secured together. The upper plate 23 is welded to the bottom of a vertical shaft 24 inserted through a thrust bearing 25. Bearing 25 is disposed between plate 23 and a lower flange 26 of a sleeve 27 inserted upwardly through a hole 28 of the board 11, so that the lower flange 26 bears against the underside of the board 11, while an upper flange 29, welded to the sleeve 27, bears against an upper side of the board 11. 
     The shaft 24 protrudes through an upper end of the sleeve 27 and is screw-threaded to a tubular steering post 30, as shown at 31. A transverse cross pin 32, extending through the post 30 and through the shaft 24, rigidly affixed the shaft 24 and post 30 together. 
     The shaft 24 is freely swivellable within the sleeve 27, swivelling of the shaft 24 producing a corresponding swivelling movement of the front skate wheel truck 12. The selectively lockable swivelling mechanism includes a shaft bore 24a and a sleeve bore 27a formed in the shaft 24 and the sleeve 27, respectively, in such a manner that the shaft bore 24a and the sleeve bore 27a are aligned only when the wheels 13 of the front skate wheel truck 12 are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the board 11, i.e., the shaft 19 of the front skate wheel truck 12 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the board 11. With the shaft bore 24a aligned with the sleeve bore 27a, a removable locking means 50 is securedly inserted through the shaft bore 24a and sleeve bore 27a so that shaft 24 is restrained from swivelling within the sleeve 27. As shown in FIG. 3, the removable locking means 50 comprises an end-threaded bolt 50a  which is inserted at one side of sleeve bore 27a and secured at the other side of sleeve bore 27a by means of locking nut 50b. It is to be understood that the removable locking means 50 as shown in FIG. 3 is by way of illustration only, and it is to be understood that any conventional removable locking means, such as a cotter pin, is within the scope of the teachings of the present invention. 
     A slip ring 33 is mounted in an annular groove 34 formed in the periphery of the shaft 24 between the adjacent ends of the sleeve 27 and post 30 to lock the front skate wheel truck 12 to the board 11 to prevent the wheel truck 12 from accidentally being disengaged from the scooterboard. 
     A fitting 35 is inserted in an upper end of the steering post 30 and is adjustably secured therein by a set screw 36 so as to accommodate different heights of riders grasping a handle bar 37 secured to the fitting 35. 
     A steering column 38, fitted with side brackets 39, is removably affixed to the board 11 by means of screws 40, the steering column having a handle bar 41. The steering column 38 is fixed, and does not swivel. A bracket 42 on the upper end of the steering column 38 supports the steering post 30 when affixed to the scooterboard to prevent it from wobbling. 
     Holes 44, 45, 46 are formed in the board 11, lower flange 26, and upper flange 29, respectively, and pin 43 is fixedly inserted through holes 44, 45, 46 to rigidly secure the shaft 27 to the board 11. 
     In operative use, it is now evident that steering of the scooterboard can be selectively controlled by a rider through use of the different steering mechanisms described hereinabove. 
     Model 14 of the invention (shown in FIG. 2) includes all of the above-described structure, except that removable locking means 50 is not inserted through shaft bore 24a and sleeve bore 27a, and the rider can steer the vehicle by turning the handle bar 37, so that the shaft 24 freely swivels in the sleeve 27 to control the directional movement of the front skate wheel truck 12. 
     Model 15 is formed by removing the cross pin 32, unscrewing the steering post 30, sliding it upward out of the bracket 42, so as to detach the steering post 30 from the vehicle. In this model, the rider holds the handle bar 41 of the steering column 38, and shifts his weight sidewardly, so as to produce a turning effect. In this model, the front skate wheel truck 12 is locked to prevent swivelling thereof by means of removable locking means 50 inserted through shaft bore 24a and sleeve bore 27a such that shaft 24 is restrained from swivelling with respect to sleeve 27. 
     In model 16, the steering column 38 and its braces 39 are additionally removed from the vehicle configuration of model 15 so that the rider has nothing extending upwardly for holding himself upon the vehicle, and he controls his steering by shifting his weight, the same as in the model 15, the selectively lockable swivelling mechanism keeping the front skate wheel truck 12 from swivelling. 
     Obviously, numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein.