DRIVING DEVICE

Abstract: The invention relates to a gear device for an arm driven vehicle, having a driving system of the type shown in Figure 2, that is that the chain (7) is pushed forwards and back. When shifting the chain (7) on a gear rim (4) having several gears, the chain (7) moves over the various gears (4) sidewise since the driving means (1) on an arm driven vehicle is not movable sidewise. The invention solves this problem by means of a piece of metal (6) which is provided in a fork-shaped element (8) and a front gear which, together with a chain (7), slides sidewise when it moves over the shifting gears in the gear rim (4) when shifting gear during the use of the vehicle.

Description: DRIVING DEVICE Technical Field The present invention relates to the technical field comprising of arm driven vehicles, especially bicycle vehicles. For obvious reasons such vehicles are most ' desireable for handicapped people lacking the ability of driving the vehicle by 5 means of the legs. The invention is, however, not in any way limited to this category of users. Object of the Invention The invention aims at providing a driving device, especially a gear device, for vehicles of the above indicated type. A special purpose of the invention is to 10 provide a hand driven vehicle, which can be ised both in connection with chain drives which are movable sidewise, and for chain drives which are not. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention, but the invention is not intended to be limited to these embodi¬ ments. 15 Summary of the Invention The invention relates to a gear device for arm driven vehicles. It comprises a movable chain attachment (8) provided on the driving means (1) of the vehicle, and a gear (5) which is provided on a movable gear (5) at the front of one fork leg (13) provided at the front of the vehicle. The invention is in a first embodiment 20 characterized in that the chain attachment (8) has and in that is characterized essentially in that Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the enclosed drawings, first with reference to Figures 1 and 2. 25 A driving means 1 is attached to a ball bearing hub 2 which in turn is attached ♦ to a frame 3 of the vehicle. In one embodiment the driving means 1 therefore cannot be moved sidewise, as would be necessary when shifting the chain 7 over the various pinions in the gear 4 (in the embodiments with such chain gears). Instead thereof only a front gear 5 and a chain attachment, e.g. a piece of metal, is moved sidewise. The front gear 5 is provided at the front end on a pin 10 provided on a movable arm 13 where it guides the chain 7 at the front end and has a round disc on either side of it. The round discs are firmly anchored on the gear 5 such that they all the time follow the movement of the gear and prevent the chain 7 from jumping off. When, in the embodiment with a sidewards movable gear, the chain 7 is shifted sidewise over the various drive gears in the gear rim 4, the front gear 5 moves either inwards towards the driving wheel 19 or out¬ wards towards the movable arm 13, depending on if one gear up or down. The movable arm 13 is in turn pivotedly attached to one of the front fork legs 14 of the arm driven vehicle and is freely suspended at the front edge. At the bottom of the driving means 1 a fork-shaped element 8 is provided, which has a narrow round rod 9 between its fork legs 11, 12. On the narrow round rod 9 there is a piece of metal 6 which preferable is provided with three holes. The hole in the middle is preferably located in the round rod 9 where it can move freely sidewards and rock like a rocking bar. The outer holes in the part 6 are attached to the chain 7 which runs around a front gear 5, which controls the chain at the front edge of the movable arm 13. A gear rim 4 having several gears is (in the embodiment with the sidewards movable gear) provided on the driving wheel 19. When changing the gear the chain 7 moves sidewards when pulling the handle, i.e. the fork-shaped element 8 is pushed forwards towards the front gear 5. When in use only the chain 7, the metal piece 6 and the front gear 5 move sidewards. In order to change or supplement to a gear, on an arm driven vehicle such as the one shown in Figure 2, with the gear rim positioned outside of the hub instead of in the hub, it is preferable to replace the front gear with attached axes and the chain attachment at the bottom of the driving means by the herein indicated parts, the fork-shaped element 8, the front gear 5 with the attached round discs 15, 16 and the shaft pin 10. The invention is, of course, not intended to be restricted to the above specifically described embodiments, but it also comprises other embodiments within the scope of the enclosed claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A gear device for an arm driven vehicle having a movable chain attach¬ ment (8) provided on the driving means (1) of the vehicle, and a movable gear (5) on a pin (10) provided at the front on a movable arm (13) provided on a fork leg (14) of the arm driven vehicle, characterized in that the chain attachment (8) comprises a fork-shaped element (8) having a metal piece (6) provided on the narrow frame (9) which extends between the two fork legs (11, 12), the piece of metal (6) being coupled into a chain (7) which runs around two gears (4, 5), of which the front gear (5) is provided at the end of a movable arm (13) on an axel shaft (10), and a round disc (15, 16) is provided on each side of the gear (5). 2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that both the piece of metal (6) and the front gear (5) move equally much sidewise when changing gear during the use of the vehicle. 3. A device according to any one of the preceeding claims, characterized in that the distance between the two fork legs (11, 12) of the fork- shaped element (8) is approximately equal the width of the gear rim (4). 4. A device according to any one of the preceeding claims, characterized in that only the chain (7), the piece of metal (6) and the front gear (5) are moved sidewise when changing gear during the use of the vehicle. 5. A device according to any one of the preceeding claims, characterized in that the two circular discs (15, 16) are attached to the front gear (5) so as to all the time follow the movement of the gear (5) sidewise and around. 6. A device according to any one of the preceeding claims, characterized in that the piece of metal (6) is elongate and has three holes, the one in the middle being provided on the narrow frame (9) and the two outer ones being connected into the chain (7). 7. A device according to any one of the preceeding claims, characterized in that the piece of metal (6) can rock like a rocking bar and move sidewise at the same time. 8. A device according to any one of the preceeding claims, characterized in that the frame (9) consists of a thin round rod. 9. A device according to any one of the preceeding claims, characterized in that, when changing gears, the chain (7), the piece of metal (6) and the front gear (5) move sidewise when pulling the steering, i.e. the fork- shaped element (8) is pushed towards the front gear (5).

Inventors: BORG JONNY, BORG, JONNY
Applicants: BORG JONNY, BORG, JONNY
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B62M11
IPC codes: B62K3, B62M1