Patent GB-1462083-A (GB)
Title: Occupant-propelled vehicle and drive system therefor
IPC: B62M1/24
Filed: 1974-03-05
Abstract: 1462083 Change speed gear MITSUI MINING & SMELTING CO Ltd 5 March 1974 [6 March 1973] 9912/74 Heading F2D [Also in Division B7] An occupant-propelled vehicle comprises a frame, at least one driven wheel, two foot pedals mounted in front of a seat for fore and aft movement relative to the frame, a change speed tranmission having an input shaft and output shaft, the latter shaft driving said driven wheel, a motion transfer device interconnecting the pedals and this input shaft and comprising an overrunning clutch arranged to drive the input shaft in one direction and a constant force spring, which stores energy when the input shaft is driven in the one direction, for driving the input shaft in the opposite direction and return the respective pedals to their initial positions. According to one embodiment, Fig. 2, two front wheels 10 are steerable and the single rear wheel 12 is drivable. The steering mechanism 24, comprises a handle 26 rotation of which is transmitted through universal joints 38, 42 to tie rods 46 each connected at its other end to axle support member 48 carrying a wheel supporting axle 50. Steering shaft 28 is telescopically adjustable with respect to a support tube 34. Forward movement of a pedal 64 causes lever arm 60 to pivot about point 64 on a frame member 5 unwinding cable 148 from a cable reel 144 mounted on the input shaft 128 by a one way clutch 142, Fig. 3. Transmission 74 transmits rotary motion from the input shaft 128 to the output shaft 160 at a different selected speed which causes drive sprocket 183 to rotate and impart drive to axle drive sprocket 86 via chain 84. Axle drive sprocket 86 is secured about rear axle 88 through a one way clutch. The drive mechanism will cause wheel 12 to rotate whenever one of the pedals 64 is thrust in a forward direction. Constant force springs 150, Fig. 3, cause cable reel 144 to rotate in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 2, causing the cable 148 to be wound again on to cable reel 144 and lever arm 60 is caused to return to its initial position. A pivoted brake lever 102 actuates a brake operating lever 108 via cable 106 for activating a disc brake mechanism 110 on rear axle 88, a suitable restoring spring 114 being provided. The transmission 74, Fig. 3, includes gears 134-139 keyed to input shaft 128 and meshing with gears 164-169 which are freely rotatable about output drive shaft 160, gear 164 meshing with gear 134 via an additional gear (not shown) for providing a reverse gearing. Gear shift lever 195, Fig. 4, is pivoted to the vehicle frame at its lower end and passes through a plate 197 with cut-outs therein for assisting the operator in shifting the gears. Pivotal lever 195 is connected to a cylindrical shaft 174 via a series of linkages for sliding the shaft 174 within output shaft 80 for moving a spring biased key 172 selectively into engagement with one of the keyways provided on the different gears 164-169. A spring biased detent 180 engages one of a plurality of detent holes 178 spaced along shaft 174 to ensure proper alignment of key 172 with the keyway of the respective gear 164-169. Since rear axle drive sprocket 86 overrides rear axle 88 when driven in reverse due to the one way clutch, provision is made to ensure that sprocket 86 is in driving engagement with axle 88 when the gear-shift is placed in reverse. Fig. 6, shows another drive system in which pedal driven shaft 250 is supported on the vehicle frame with a sprocket 253 rigidly secured to shaft 250 and connected by a chain 255 to sprocket 254 on input shaft 251. A pair of pedal crank levers 256 are each provided with a one way clutch 258 embracing shaft 250, the clutch 258 being operative to interconnect lever 256 and shaft 250 when lever 256 is swung forwardly and a constant force spring rotates the lever 256 in a counterclockwise direction back to its initial position. The propulsion system of Fig. 7 includes a pinion gear 265 connected to a one way clutch on the input drive shaft 251 and meshes with a rack 266 actuated from a swing- ing pedal lever 256 via a cable 267. Another embodiment of the drive system is shown in Fig. 8 in which each pedal 257 is slidably mounted on a pedal guide bar 270 by a sleeve 271 which embraces the guide bar 270. In another embodiment, Fig. 10, the invention is applied to a vehicle having two driven rear wheels 277 and two steerable wheels 276. Rotation of the combination of steering shafts 290, (296) Fig. 11 (not shown), by handle 289 is translated into simultaneous swinging movement of axle support members 291 to steer the vehicle. Pedal levers 285, 286 are pivoted by a common shaft 289 extending through support member 282. Cables 306, 307 connect levers 285, 286 to a reel 309, 311 respectively via idler pulleys 308 of transmission 283, Fig. 10. As shown in Fig. 16, gears 389, 393 are carried by output shaft 320 and mesh with gears 391, 394 respectively keyed to rear axles 392, 395. A mechanism is provided to shift gear 393 with one way clutch 396 out of mesh with gear 394 when the transmission is in reverse. The seat 284 is mounted to be adjustable longitudinally of the vehicle. The body shell 433, Fig. 10, comprises upper and lower polymeric thermoformed portions 433a, 433b, each portion having mating peripheral flanges secured together by bolts.