Scooter vehicle

A scooter vehicle has a chassis, and a front wheel mounted on the center line of the chassis, a rear wheel mounted on the chassis, and a steering column attached to the front wheel. A pair of ratchet gears are connected one to each of the rear wheels. A platform is rotatively mounted on the chassis. The platform has front and rear foot portions mounted with an angle of less than 180.degree. between them. First chain means connects the front of the platform for driving one of the ratchet drive wheel gears and second chain means connects the rear of the platform for driving the other of the ratchet drive wheel gears.

This invention relates to scooter vehicles. 
More particularly, the invention relates to a self propelled scooter device 
having a rotatably mounted dual platform with front and rear sections for 
the feet of the user. The scooter is propelled by the user rocking back 
and forth on the dual platform. The drive is provided by a pair of chains 
each connecting one of the dual rotative platforms to a series of sprocket 
gears with the ongoing chains each connected separately to a ratchet gear 
mounted on either side of the rear wheel. 
A principal object of the invention is to provide a scooter vehicle having 
a chassis, a front wheel mounted on the center line of the chassis, a rear 
wheel mounted on the chassis, a steering column attached to the front 
wheel, a pair of ratchet gears, one connected to each side of the rear 
wheel, a platform rotatively mounted on the chassis, the platform having 
front and rear foot sections mounted with an angle of less than 
180.degree. between them, first chain means connecting the front of the 
platform for driving one of the ratchet gears, and second chain means 
connecting the rear of the platform for driving the other of the ratchet 
gears. 
Another object of the invention is the provision of a scooter structured 
low to the ground, having two wheels centered under the chassis, guided by 
a steering column attached to the front wheel, with the elongated foot 
standing platform divided at the center for separate front and rear foot 
standing, with each platform attached to moveable structural support, and 
with each platform section having underlying gear energizing mechanism and 
with each foot platform section angled to each other and structurally 
joined at their underpinning support, mounted on a common axle for see-saw 
movement from alternately leveled to inclined positions by distributed 
foot weight motion on the foot platforms, for propelling the scooter 
forward and with means for employing auxiliary battery motor drive power 
and braking action, both actuated from handlebar controls. 
Another object of the invention in a vehicle of this kind is to provide a 
set of auxiliary, undersized wheels, structurally joined for coordinated 
movement on a common axle and locked to the scooter frame by its free 
turning axle structure, permitting the set of auxiliary wheels to be 
manually moved in varying positions of elevation in relation to the 
scooter frame, with means of locking the wheels above ground to avoid 
conflict with two wheel scooter operation, and means for lowering same to 
locked ground contact for four wheel standing or riding, and means for 
positioning the auxiliary wheels to elevate the scooter drive wheel above 
ground for free standing operation, including free standing pedal movement 
as an exerciser. 
Another object of the invention in a vehicle of this kind having a gear 
energizing system, is to provide in the restricted space under each foot 
platform, a compounding energy thrust means by positioning under each 
actuating foot platform, a system of upper and lower chain sprocket gears 
so interconnected in position by chain belt relationship between its 
actuating foot platform and one of the ratchet sprocket driving gears 
mounted on either side of the scooter's rear drive wheel to provide an 
extended chain driving engagement with the rear drive wheel for forward 
scooter movement. 
Another object of the invention in a vehicle of the kind specified is to 
effect a coordinating mechanical liasion between the front and rear foot 
platform driving systems, providing means when any one of the platforms is 
in upward movement, expanding its chain length gear spread in driving 
engagement with its ratchet sprocket gear on the rear drive wheel, the 
other foot platform in its see-saw response of opposite downward movement, 
is simultaneously releasing an equivalent amount of chain to the other 
foot platform system as its gear spread is narrowed and ad infinitum, and 
with continuous see-saw foot platform motion resulting in intermittent 
forward chain drive on one and then on the other ratchet drive sprockets 
resulting in uninterrupted forward scooter movement. 
Another object of the invention in a vehicle of this kind is in having both 
foot platforms attached to their structural support at their outward ends, 
with the major portion of the foot platforms in suspension from their 
point of attachment, resulting in foot/body weight pressure on the 
suspended portion of the platform obtaining leverage advantage. 
Another object of the invention in a scooter of this kind is providing a 
double hinged two sided structured mechanism above the rear drive wheel 
tire, providing braking action against the tire of the rear wheel from one 
side of the hinge structure, and on the other side, supporting an electric 
battery operated motor with rotary drive action against the tire of the 
rear drive wheel, and means for permitting choice of either foot power or 
electric motor power or simultaneous driving energy from both, and with 
the forward ratchet sprocket action on the rear drive wheel permitting 
holding the foot platforms inactive when electric motor power alone is 
used. 
Another object of the invention in a vehicle of the kind specified is in 
providing hinging mechanism on the steering column to fold inwardly the 
long vertical steering column to a horizontal position for compact storage 
and shipment of the scooter.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 indicates a scooter vehicle having an 
elongated frame 1 positioned close to the ground and mounted on a forward 
steering wheel 2, and a rear driving wheel 3. Across the frame 1, near 
middle, is a rotating axle 4, supporting in see-saw movement a one-piece 
angled platform supporting structure 5, 5a, having at the outward ends 
attaching members 6 and 6a, supporting front suspended foot platform 7 and 
rear suspended foot platform 7a. 
The rear drive wheel 3 has ratchet sprocket drive gears 8 mounted on its 
right side (in operating stance) and 8a on its left side as seen in FIG. 1 
and FIG. 4. On front foot platform support 5, under its right side is 
attached at point 11, bicycle type chain 11a, which interconnects with 
sprocket gears 9 and 9a, which move up and down with their moveable 
support 5. In alignment below them attached in stationary position to the 
scooter frame 1 are sprocket gears 10, 10a, all in alignment with rear 
drive wheel ratchet gear 8. Also, in alignment with drive wheel ratchet 
gear 8 is a moveable sprocket gear 10c mounted on an angular arm which is 
attached under rear platform support 5a. Under the front platform support 
5 of the attached chain from the starting point 11 engages successively 
all the aligned sprocket gears 10, 9, 10a, 9a, 10c, and extends to the 
rear to engage around ratchet drive sprocket 8, as shown in FIG. 3, and 
continues past aligning sprocket 12, and proceeds to engage around the 
suspended sprocket 13, to a final secured point 14, all shown in FIG. 3. 
This totally connected chain gear system comprises the front foot platform 
drive system. 
On the rear foot platform support 5a, under its left side is attached at 
point 15 bicycle type chain 15a which interconnects with sprocket gears 16 
and 16a which move up and down with their moveable support 5a. In 
alignment below them secured in stationary position to the scooter frame 
1, are sprocket gears 17, 17a, 17b, all in alignment with the rear drive 
wheel ratchet gear 8a. Under the rear foot platform 5a, the attached chain 
from its starting point 15 engages successively all the aligned sprocket 
gears 17b, 16, 17a, 16a, 17 and extends to the rear to engage around the 
ratchet drive gear 8a, and proceeds on to the alignment gear 12a and 
around the suspended sprocket 13a to a final secured point 14a. This 
totally connected chain gear arrangement comprises the rear foot platform 
drive system. 
Curved arm 10d is rigidly mounted on moveable structural support 5a and 
mounts sprocket 10c. When platform 7a is descending arm 10d and sprocket 
10c give additional thrust to chain 11a. 
As shown in FIG. 6, the front and rear foot platform drive systems are 
linked together for coordinated driving movement by cable 23 which 
connects on the right drive side to the hook lever 24 from the axle of 
suspended sprocket 13 and then circles a path around the half-circle track 
25 and out the other side of the half-circle track to engage the take-up 
spring 26, with the other end of the spring attached to the hook lever 24a 
from the axle of sprocket 13a, completing the linkage between the front 
and rear platform chain gear drive systems. 
Attached at the rear end of the scooter frame 1 are a pair of undersized 
auxiliary balancing wheels shown in FIGS. 1, 5, and 5A, in the varying 
positions of elevation by rotation of their axle 20, with wheel positions 
18a, position in above ground contact, and with wheel positions 19a in 
ground contact, and with wheel positions 20c in full vertical ground 
contact elevating the scooter drive wheel 3 above its ground contact for 
free wheeling, and with wheel positions 21a, in ground contact somewhat 
above the ground contact level of scooter drive wheel 3, and all foregoing 
positions, in each instance, locked into position by spring bolt 22, which 
drops into hole 22a on shiftable lever 37 through to matching holes on 
side of frame 1. 
As shown in FIG. 7, structurally mounted across the scooter frame at a 
position slightly above rear tire 3, is double hinged platform 27 and 27a 
supporting electric motor 33 on 27a side and on the side 27 supporting 
brake mechanism, 35. The platform wings 27 and 27a are held in level 
horizontal position by spring return drop hinge mechanism 28, with each 
platform 27, 27a, having a pull down cable 29, for the motor side 27a, and 
30 for the brake side 27, actuated from handle bar controls 29a and 30a, 
which simultaneously with pulling down motor support side 27a, closes 
battery circuit contacts 31, 32 to energize the motor 33. 
As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, motor battery 37 is stationed in level 
position by platform 37a attached to rear of frame 1 with hinge stop 
mechanism 37b. 
On the steering column 36 is a hinge-lock mechanism 36a located below its 
middle point for folding the upper hinged sections over the front and rear 
foot platforms 7 and 7a. 
FIGS. 3, 3A and 3B show the actuating foot platforms in different positions 
and also the additional thrust by arm 10d and sprocket 10c. 
FIG. 3 shows the forward platform drive system and FIG. 4 shows the rear 
platform drive system.