Patent Abstract:
A gyroscopically stabilized vehicle includes a funnel-shaped member rotatable in a frame having a neck that supports two closely spaced generally parallel wheels and a relatively wide upper portion within or on which are located a motor for causing the stabilizer to rotate and for propelling the wheels, a support for a rider, and subsystems for controlling the rate of rotation of the stabilizer, steering the vehicle, braking the vehicle, and providing auxiliary stabilization when the rate of rotation of the stabilizer is decreased to permit rapid acceleration and high speed maneuverability. Power from the motor is transmitted directly to the funnel-shaped stabilizer member and to the wheels via a differential that distributes power between the stabilizer member and the wheels so that at low speeds, the stabilizer member is driven at a relatively high speed for maximum stability, and during acceleration, the rotation speed of the stabilizer is decreased in order to transmit maximum power to the wheels, with front-to-back stability being maintained during acceleration by independently controlled forward and rear auxiliary spoilers or stabilizers. Steering is facilitated by selective braking of the two wheels and, during high speed maneuvering, by selective braking of the stabilizer member and independent control of the auxiliary stabilizers and the position of the wheels relative to the frame.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a motor-powered wheeled vehicle in which an upright orientation is maintained by a gyroscopic stabilizer member. The invention also relates to various braking, steering, aerodynamic control, and power transmission systems for use in a motor-powered wheeled vehicle of the type in which an upright orientation is maintained by a gyroscopic stabilizer member.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    The use of wheeled vehicles for recreational purposes dates back at least to the days of ancient Roman chariot races. By harnessing a chariot to a team of horses, the chariot racer was able to experience a combination of speed and power that offered thrills unlike any other activity of the time. With the advent of gasoline powered engines, the amount of power available to recreational users increased significantly relative to cost, allowing a far greater number of persons to experience the adrenaline rush resulting from traveling overland at high speeds.  
           [0005]    For many persons, a major part of the thrill of operating high speed motor powered wheeled vehicles results from the sense of danger involved in having the ground pass by at speeds which would cause serious injury if one were to fall from the vehicle. For such persons, motorcycles are superior to other types of recreational vehicles, such as sports or racing cars. Motorcycles offer an intimacy between rider and vehicle that is lacking in three or four wheeled vehicles such as sports cars. In a four wheeled vehicle, control of the vehicle requires sitting back while pushing pedals and turning a steering wheel. In contrast, the motorcycle rider embraces his or her vehicle, letting the vehicle respond to the most subtle movements, with the whole body being involved in its control.  
           [0006]    The present invention seeks to provide a vehicle that offers pleasures similar to those provided by motorcycles, with an even greater degree of involvement by the rider in controlling the vehicle, and an even greater sense of danger provided by an apparent additional degree of freedom to crash, without making the vehicle unreasonably difficult to control or unduly increasing the actual risk of injury. To do this, the invention makes use of a gyroscopic stabilizer member, and in particular a rotating funnel-shaped member extending upwardly from a pair of closely spaced substantially parallel wheels.  
           [0007]    According to the gyroscopic principle, when a symmetrical object is free to rotate about the axis of symmetry, any torques applied to a point on the object in a direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation will be added to the angular momentum of the point at which the torque is applied, diminishing the apparent effect of the torque and causing the axis of rotation to precess only slightly in response to the torque. This effect is readily seen in a child&#39;s top, and is also used as the basis for control systems in ships and aircraft, as well as in compasses and other orientation sensitive devices.  
           [0008]    The type of gyroscopic stabilizer member utilized by the present invention is to be distinguished from flywheel-based arrangements, in which the stabilizer has a relatively high mass. The purpose of a flywheel is to store energy, and while the gyroscopic effect of a flywheel can be used to maintain stability, the mass of the flywheel increases the mass of the vehicle and makes acceleration, steering, and braking difficult. In contrast, the rate of rotation of the gyroscopic stabilizer member utilized by the vehicle of the present invention may be controlled in order to improve vehicle performance and handling.  
           [0009]    A number of gyroscopically stabilized vehicles have previously been proposed, but each involves use of inertial flywheels having a large mass, the rate of rotation of which cannot be readily controlled, or unduly complex control and stability mechanisms. Examples of previously proposed vehicles of this type include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,314,034 (Chittal), 5,181,740 (Horn), 3,876,025 (Green), 3,399,742 (Malick), 3,724,577 (Ferino), and 2,415,056 (Wheeler).  
           [0010]    Unlike previous gyroscopically stabilized vehicles, the present invention does not rely solely on inertia, but rather drives the stabilizer only as necessary to maintain stability, with maximum power from the engine being available on demand to drive the wheels. The effect of the rotating cone is essentially transparent to the rider, with the stabilizer having little effect on performance and steering.  
           [0011]    Even with the gyroscopic stabilization feature, a motor-powered vehicle with a wheel-base of zero would present stability problems due to the tendency of gyroscopic elements to precess when a force is applied. Pressing on the top of a spinning top will eventually cause the axis of the top to approach horizontal, and the same would be true of acceleration, deceleration, and steering forces. To counter these tendencies, the present invention adds aerodynamic stabilizers and scaled steering and braking controls which enable control of the vehicle to be maintained during high speed maneuvers. Despite these additional complications, however, the controls for the vehicle are simple hydraulic or mechanically actuated controls which should prevent the cost of the vehicle from exceeding the resources of the average thrill-seeking recreational user.  
           [0012]    While the invention is particularly suited to manned operation, it will of course be appreciated that, as with other types of relatively stabile motor vehicles, such as automobiles and three wheeled recreational vehicles, remote control operation as a toy will also offer opportunities for fun and excitement. This aspect of the invention has no analogue in motorcycles, since balancing of a motorcycle can only be achieved by a rider.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0013]    It is a first objective of the invention to provide a gyroscopically stabilized motor-powered vehicle which provides optimal performance and handling using relatively simple controls that can be manipulated by the average person.  
           [0014]    It is a second objective of the invention to provide a gyroscopically stabilized motor-powered vehicle in which the wheels and stabilizer are driven by a common motor capable of delivering maximal on-demand power to the wheels for high acceleration, and in which the angular velocity of the stabilizer can be controlled in order to permit rapid acceleration and high speed maneuverability, with compensation for the reduced gyroscopic effect being provided by aerodynamic auxiliary stabilizers.  
           [0015]    These objectives are achieved, in accordance with the broad principles of the invention, by providing a gyroscopically stabilized vehicle in which the gyroscopic stabilization member is a funnel-shaped member rotatable in a frame having a neck that supports at least one wheel and a relatively wide upper portion within or on which are located a motor for causing the stabilizer to rotate and for propelling the at least one wheel, a support for a rider, and subsystems for controlling the rate of rotation of the stabilizer, steering the vehicle, braking the vehicle, and providing auxiliary stabilization when the rate of rotation of the stabilizer is decreased to permit rapid acceleration and high speed maneuverability.  
           [0016]    In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the vehicle includes a motor and two closely spaced generally parallel wheels, with power from the motor being transmitted directly to the funnel-shaped stabilizer member and to the wheels via a differential that distributes power between the stabilizer member and the wheels so that at low speeds, the stabilizer member is driven at a relatively high speed for maximum stability, and during acceleration, the rotation speed of the stabilizer is decreased in order to transmit maximum power to the wheels, with front-to-back stability being maintained during acceleration by independently controlled forward and rear auxiliary spoilers or stabilizers.  
           [0017]    In an especially preferred embodiment of the invention, steering is facilitated by selective braking of the stabilizer member and the two wheels and, during high speed maneuvering, by the auxiliary stabilizers and by control of wheel position.  
           [0018]    Preferably, the braking system including two types of brakes, one of which provides a fine braking control primarily for steering purposes and the other of which provides a higher degree of positive braking in order to decelerate the vehicle. The fine braking control is provided by a regenerative electromagnetic brake and the higher degree of positive braking is provided by a mechanical cam driven brake with anti-lock capabilities. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]    [0019]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gyroscopically stabilized vehicle constructed in accordance with the principles of a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gyroscopic stabilizing member used in the gyroscopically stabilized vehicle of FIG. 1.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing details of a frame for the gyroscopically stabilized vehicle of FIG. 1.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a drive train used in the gyroscopically stabilized vehicle of FIG. 1.  
         [0023]    FIGS.  5 A- 5 C are perspective views showing the construction of a differential mechanism used in the gyroscopically stabilized vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0024]    FIGS.  5 D- 5 H are perspective views showing the construction of a second differential mechanism used in the gyroscopically stabilized vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the overall steering and braking systems used by the gyroscopically stabilized vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the principal braking mechanisms of the gyroscopically stabilized vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the two main braking subsystems used by the gyroscopic vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an electromagnetic braking subsystem used in the gyroscopic vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0029]    FIGS.  10 A- 10 D are perspective views of a mechanical braking subsystem for use in connection with gyroscopic vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a controller that identifies the type of vehicle movement and direction of rotation for use in controlling the differential mechanism illustrated in FIGS.  5 D- 5 H.  
         [0031]    [0031]FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a steering control subsystem for use in connection with the vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 13A is a perspective view of the operator steering controls used in the vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 13B is a perspective view showing a portion of the power steering mechanism used in the vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a braking mechanism for the gyroscopic stabilizer for the vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an auxiliary stabilizer control system for use in connection with the vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0036]    [0036]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a gyroscopically stabilized motor-powered vehicle constructed in accordance with the principles of a preferred embodiment of the invention. The vehicle includes a generally funnel or inverted cone-shaped frame  1  in which is rotatably mounted a generally funnel or inverted cone-shaped gyroscopic stabilizer member  2 , shown in detail in FIG. 2, and a motor  3 . At the apex of the frame are mounted a pair of wheels  4  and tires  5 . Extending laterally from the front and rear of frame  1  are auxiliary stabilizers  6 - 9 , each of which is independently movable relative to one of respective supports  10  and  11 , while a control pod  12  extends forwardly of the cone-shaped frame  1 . Also shown in FIG. 1 are braking control lines  13  for controlling a magnetic and mechanical braking system used for both deceleration and steering purposes, and additional steering control lines  14  used to control wheel positions during high speed maneuvering.  
         [0037]    As is apparent from FIG. 2, the stabilizer member is generally in the form of a funnel  16 ′ having a relatively long cylindrical base portion  15  and a wide upper portion  15 ′ which can be fitted into a correspondingly-shaped base and upper portions of the frame on appropriate bearings. If the facing surfaces of stabilizer and frame are sufficiently smooth, for example, a Bernoulli effect can be utilized to permit the stabilizer to “float” relative to the frame, i.e., to be pneumatically supported, eliminating the need for mechanical bearings, although mechanical bearings may also be used. The width of the upper portion of the frame must be sufficient to permit a seat  17  to be mounted in the frame, and to leave room for the rider&#39;s legs to extend downwardly. In addition to the seat, the frame contains the motor  3 , and a foot-actuator for the main braking mechanism. There is also a gear  16 ″ (not shown in FIG. 2, but shown in FIG. 4) mounted in the inner surface of the portion  15 . This gear touches the four gears  44  which are connected to the propulsion system that provides power for rotation of the cone. The remaining controls can be placed on the outside of the frame or in control pod  12 .  
         [0038]    Control pod  12  can be designed to have an aerodynamic shape, or simply to serve as a windbreak for the rider, and includes as best shown in FIG. 3 a handlebar support  19  and torso support  20  against which the rider can lean while controlling the vehicle. Preferably, the frame includes interior surfaces  21  that cover at least portions of the rotating gyroscopic stabilizer member  2  to protect the rider from contact with the stabilizer. In addition, as also shown in FIG. 3, frame  1  supports a set of struts  22  and cylinders  23  connected to control lines  14  for changing the position of the wheels, i.e., banking the vehicle, in response to a steering command, and support rings  24  and  25  which support drive gears  26  and  26 ′ for the wheels. The wheels are supported on axles (see FIG. 4) by hubs  77 ′ and spokes  77 .  
         [0039]    It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while the vehicle of the preferred embodiment includes wheels  4  having tires  5 , the principles of the invention are not limited to two-wheeled vehicles, but rather may be extended to cover vehicles having multiple wheels and tracks designed to travel in snow or mud, as well as, in its broadest form, to vehicles with only one wheel, and to vehicles having auxiliary wheels in varying numbers, skis, or other stabilizing or traction elements. In addition, while FIG. 1 shows a person  30  having a body  31 , head  32 , and arms  33  seated in the vehicle on seat  17 , the vehicle could also be designed to be operated by remote control in an unmanned condition, for example for use as a toy or novelty item, with the rider replaced by an infrared or radio frequency receiver and electromagnetic actuators for the various subsystems.  
         [0040]    Because of the high center of balance of the vehicle relative to its wheelbase, it may be necessary to provide some sort of supporting mechanism (not shown) in order to hold the vehicle in an upright position before starting the motor. However, once stabilizer  2  has reached a sufficient rotational speed, the vehicle will maintain an upright position without added support even while the rider is climbing into the vehicle. Access to the vehicle can be facilitated by including doors in the portion of the frame which extends above the top of the rotating stabilizer, although the height of the vehicle may be low enough so that the rider could simply step over the top of the frame in order to enter the vehicle.  
         [0041]    As shown in FIG. 4, motor  3 , illustrated as an internal combustion powered engine with exhaust pipes  40 , but which could also be an electrically-powered or hybrid internal combustion/electric motor, outputs power to a gear  41  which transmits power to a gear  42  coupled by a shaft (not shown) to a differential mechanism  43  through a transmission system. Differential mechanism  43  transfers power to output gears  44 , which are connected to cone gear  16 ″ and shaft  45 , respectively, in order to drive gyroscopic stabilizing member  2  and wheels  4 . Shaft  45  serves as an input to a second differential mechanism  46 , which transfers power to two output gears  47  arranged to drive gears  26  shown in FIG. 4.  
         [0042]    A lever  48  mounted on right stationary handlebar  51  is connected by wires to the clutch mechanism, with the wires being carried in conduit  49 , while a second conduit  50  extending around the periphery of frame  1  from handlebar control  51  carries engine speed signals in a manner similar to corresponding motorcycle speed controls.  
         [0043]    The operation of differential  43  is illustrated in FIGS.  5 A- 5 C. Input power to the differential is provided by shaft  54  and bevel gear  55 , which engages bevel gears  56 . Each of bevel gears  56  is connected to a shaft  57  situated inside a cylindrical member  58 . There is a gear  59 ′ fixed in the member  58 , which drives a number of other gears  59 . Gears  59  are connected to shafts  60  which extend outwardly through openings in the differential housing  61  and which are attached to gyroscopic stabilizer  2  through the gears  44 , gears  44  being connected to gears  59  through output shaft  60 . In addition, bevel gears  56  also engage a second bevel gear  62  connected to output shaft  45  through the gears  44 .  
         [0044]    In operation, rotation of shaft  54  and bevel gear  55  causes rotation of bevel gears  56 . If second bevel gear  62  is prevented from rotating because the wheels are braked, then gears  56  will orbit around the input axis, causing the member  58  to rotate and eventually the gear  59 ′ to rotate, thereby transmitting power to gears  59  and shafts  60  connected to gears  44 , causing the gyroscopic stabilizer member to rotate. On the other hand, if the gyroscopic stabilizer member is braked or prevented from rotating, then rotation of gears  56  causes gear  62  and shaft  45  to rotate, transmitting power to the wheels, with the amount of power distributed between the stabilizing member and the wheels proportionally to the relative braking forces applied to the stabilizing member and wheels. As a result, differential mechanism  43  automatically distributes power between the stabilizing member  2  and the wheels  4 .  
         [0045]    The second differential mechanism  46  is a regular differential that has some modifications, as illustrated in detail in FIGS. 5D to  5 G. FIG. 5H shows the relationships between the various elements illustrated in FIGS.  5 D- 5 G. A driver for the second differential is illustrated in FIG. 11, described below.  
         [0046]    The primary components of the second differential mechanism are illustrated in FIG. 5D, and include a primary gear D 2  attached to the propulsion source through a rod D 1  (D 1  here is shaft  45 ), and gear teeth D 4 . Rods D 7  are fixed to one of the sides of driving ring D 6 , and driving gears D 9  are situated inside the ring. In addition, the second differential mechanism includes a ring D 3  connected to ring D 6  and having teeth D 4  on an inner side and teeth D 5  on an outer side. Inside ring D 3  are smaller rings D 8  that touch rods D 7 .  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 5E shows the terminal gears in the differential mechanism of FIG. 5D. These include a right gear that consists of a rod D 11 , teeth D 13 , and base D 12 , and a left gear that consists of a rod D 21  having a square shape, teeth D 23  and base D 22 . The terminal gears engage the driving gears D 9  from one side and the gears  47  from the other side, in the manner of a conventional differential. Unlike the conventional differential, however, the differential of the preferred embodiment further includes a freely rotatable member D 31  attached to the ring D 3 , and H-shaped members D 105  and D 106  that engage member D 31 . These H-shaped members are also connected to actuators D 101 , D 102 , D 103 , and D 104  which are connected through a wire with the controlling pedals. A fixing member D 41  is fixed to the differential mechanism from one of its sides, and has teeth D 42  at the other side, as shown in FIG. 5F.  
         [0048]    Finally, as illustrated in FIG. 5G, the left terminal gears are driven by ring D 51  having teeth D 52  on a first side, and connections to L-shaped rods D 53  on a second side. The four L-shaped rods are fixed to a square sleeve D 54  that slidably holds a rod D 21 . Like the ring D 3 , ring D 51  is attached to a freely rotatable member D 55 , which is further attached to the H-shaped members D 105  and D 106 .  
         [0049]    Operation of the differential illustrated in FIGS.  5 D- 5 H is similar to that of an ordinary differential. Rotation of gear D 2  causes ring D 3 , which drives rods D 7  and small rings D 8 , causing rotation of ring D 6 . Rotation of ring D 6  in turn causes rotation of driving gears D 9 , which drives the wheels of the vehicle through the left and right terminal gears.  
         [0050]    The differential is engaged by pulling the pedals  110  in order to pull a wire  113 , as illustrated in FIG. 11, described below. Wire  113  activates the actuators D 101 , D 102 , D 103 , and D 104 . These actuators move the H-shaped members D 105  and D 106 , which move the freely rotatable member D 31 , ring D 3 , and teeth D 4  away from the primary gear D 2 . Movement of ring D 3  also engages teeth D 5  with teeth D 42  to lock the ring D 3  and driving gear D 6 . The movement of the H-shaped members also moves the freely rotatable member D 55  closer to the primary gear, which consequently moves the ring D 51  and teeth D 52  in order to touch the primary gear D 2 . Rotation of the primary gear D 2  that engages teeth D 52  rotates ring D 51 , which rotates rods D 53  and D 21 . Rod D 21  is connected to the left wheel and therefor will rotate the wheel. Moreover, rod D 21  is connected to the base D 22  and teeth D 23 , which are connected to the driving gears D 9 . Therefore, rotation of rod D 21  causes rotation of the driving gears D 9  because the driving ring D 6  is locked. Rotation of the driving gears then causes rotation of the teeth D 13 , the base D 12 , and consequently rod D 11  which is connected to the right wheel in a direction opposite to the direction of the left wheel.  
         [0051]    The gyroscopically stabilized vehicle of the preferred embodiment of the invention utilizes two principal braking systems. The first is a magnetic braking mechanism that provides fine control for purposes of steering the vehicle, and the second is a mechanical brake that provides a greater braking force and is used to decelerate the vehicle. In addition, a parking brake for the cone is provided to lock the wheels during initial start-up so that full power can be transmitted by differential mechanism  43  to the cone-shaped gyroscopic stabilizer  2 . The magnetic braking system is illustrated in FIGS.  7 - 9 , while the principal mechanical brake is illustrated in FIGS. 7, 8, and  10 A- 10 D. Both braking systems are connected together, i.e., pressing the brake pedal activates both of them. However, the magnetic braking mechanism is softer than the mechanical braking mechanism and therefore will be activated first, the mechanical braking system being activated upon further pressing of the braking pedal.  
         [0052]    The magnetic braking mechanism utilizes the drag exerted by pairs of coils  70  wrapped around a magnetizable element  70 ′″. The composite member, i.e., coils  70  and  70 ′″ are situated in a magnetic field generated by pairs of magnets  71  mounted in or on each of the wheels  4  to rotate with the wheels around the coils  70 . The transfer of energy from the moving wheels, and therefore from the rotating magnets  71 , to the coils is accomplished by the induction effect, in which the relative movement of the coils and the magnetic field surrounding the magnets causes a current to be induced in the coils. The number of turns of the coils that are within the magnetic field of the magnets determines the amount of rotational energy transferred to the coils according to well-known principles of electromagnetic energy transfer, with the transfer of rotational energy resulting in a rotation retarding force being exerted by the coils on the wheels. By moving the coils into and out of a position between the magnets for each of the wheels, the amount of energy transferred can be precisely controlled.  
         [0053]    Movement of the coils with respect to each of the wheels  4  is accomplished by four hydraulic actuators  72  having pistons  73  arranged to move the coils into and out of a space present between the inside surface of wheels  4  and a non-rotating disc  74 . Disc  74  supports the non-rotating portions of the braking mechanism and is connected to frame  1  by struts  22 , while power to the wheels is supplied by gear  75 . Gear  75  is driven by gear  26  and is pivotally connected to axle  76 , and axle  76  is connected to the magnet  71  by spokes  77 ″ and to the corresponding wheel  4  by cover  77 ″″ and spokes  77  located on the outside of the wheel assembly so as not to interfere with movement of coils parallel to the axle. Each of the actuators  72  is connected to branches  78 ′ of a common hydraulic fluid line  78 , which in turn is connected at ends  79  to steering control lines  140  and magnetic brake master cylinder  134 , shown in FIG. 12. One fluid line  78  controls the left side pair of coils and the other controls the right side pair.  
         [0054]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in order to complete the transfer of energy from the wheels to the magnetic braking system, the current induced in the coils must dissipated, which can be accomplished by supplying the current to a battery or to other electrical subsystems via wires  82 . In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that while the actuators for moving the coils in appreciate that while the actuators for moving the coils in and out are hydraulic, as will be explained below, the invention could also be implemented using mechanical or electro-mechanical actuators.  
         [0055]    The mechanical braking mechanism utilized in the preferred embodiment may be similar to the one disclosed in allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/407,079, filed May 20, 1995, and incorporated herein by reference, which discloses a braking mechanism in which a rotating cam is slidable along a rotating axis, the axial position of the cam determining the pressure applied to cam followers, and therefore to the brake shoes. In the preferred embodiment, illustrated in FIGS.  10 A- 10 D, the cam  90  is moved axially by an axially slidable plate  91 , with the cam being caused to rotate relative to the plate by axle  76 . Cam followers  92  extend through openings in a housing  93  mounted on disc  74  and are biased against cam  90  by springs  94  attached to brake shoes  95 .  
         [0056]    In order to brake the vehicle using the brakes illustrated in FIGS.  10 A- 10 D, cam  90  is moved axially relative to axle  76  in response to hydraulic actuators  96  connected to hydraulic control lines  97 . The surface of cam  90  which is engaged by cam followers  92  has a cross-section that decreases in diameter from the side of the cam on the outside of the wheel to the side of the cam on the inside of the wheel. As a result, as the cam is moved axially toward the outside of the wheel by hydraulic actuators  96 , the cam followers  92  are pushed outwardly, causing brake shoes  95  to engage an appropriate lining (i.e., drum  99 ) on the inside of wheel  4  and thereby brake the vehicle. If desired, the shaped of cam  90  can be varied according to the principles described in allowed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/407,079, so that the larger diameter portions of the cam are elliptical in cross-section, which will cause the cam followers move in and out for a given brake pressure as the cam rotates, and thereby provide an anti-lock braking effect.  
         [0057]    In the preferred embodiment, the mechanical brakes are actuated by a foot pedal arrangement using pedals  100  positioned under the heel of the rider. Movement of pedals  100  is transmitted by wires  101  or other mechanical linkages to brake cylinders  102 , the outputs of which are carried by conduit  103  to an intermediate cylinder  104 . Intermediate cylinder  104  includes a branched piston  105  arranged to supply equal amounts of pressure to respective cylinders in housing  106 , the output of which is carried by hydraulic lines  97  and  79  to actuators  96 . The connection between lines  97  and  79  is shown in FIG. 12 as the terminal for conduits  140 . Actuators  96  move the cam  90  and actuators  72 , which respectively move the ring  70 . Not shown are bias springs to cause return of the brake pedals and cams when the rider releases the brake pressure.  
         [0058]    [0058]FIG. 11 shows the driver for the second differential illustrated in FIGS. 5D to  5 H. The driver uses a simple wire control actuated by pedals  110  located in the vicinity of the main brake pedals  100 . Pedals  110  move wires  111  which are combined in mechanism  112  to move a single output wire  113 , which passes through a cable to control the second differential described above via actuators  114 .  
         [0059]    Turning to FIGS. 12, 13A and  13 B, steering is accomplished by turning the motorcycle-like handlebar  120 , shown in FIG. 13A, which causes a vertical rod  121  and horizontal rod  122  to rotate correspondingly. Rod  122  extends through cam slots  123  in cam plates  124 , as illustrated in FIG. 13B, such that rotation of rod  122  causes the rods  120 - 122  to bend or swing relative to support  126 . Frame  127  tilts in response to the relative tilting of rods  121 , and causes rotation of a pinion  128 . Pinion  128  engages a rack  129  and causes the rack to move linearly in response to tilting of frame  127 . Connected to rack  129  is piston shaft  130 , which is connected to pistons in each of hydraulic cylinders  131 , cylinders  131  in turn being connected to a master cylinder  132  in such a manner that tilting of the frame  127  in one direction causes shaft  133  to extend out of cylinder  132 , and tilting of the frame  127  in the other direction causes the shaft to withdraw into the cylinder. Shaft  133  simultaneously moves pistons (not shown) in three different master cylinders  134 - 136 . Cylinder  134  serves as a master cylinder for the electro-magnetic and mechanical braking subsystem, while cylinder  135  serves as a master cylinder for a banking or wheel positioning subsystem, and cylinder  136  serves as a master cylinder for the auxiliary stabilizer subsystem.  
         [0060]    Locking and unlocking of the control pod  12  for movement in forward and backward directions is accomplished ugh the use of a mechanism consisting of a lever  137  connected by a wire  138  which controls the pads  126 ′. Pads  126 ′ allow movement of the pod along bars  126 .  
         [0061]    At low speeds, steering may be accomplished solely by braking of the wheels using the electro-magnetic braking mechanism combined with the mechanical anti-lock braking mechanism described in connection with FIGS.  7 - 10 . The connection between the steering and braking mechanisms, and in particular connection points  79  shown in FIG. 12, is provided by lines  140 , which are connected to master brake cylinder  134  so that movement of the piston  133  causes a corresponding movement of the left or right coils  70  with respect to magnets  71  in wheels  4 , and the corresponding movement of the left or right member  90  with respect to followers  92 .  
         [0062]    At higher speeds, however, it becomes desirable to bank or tilt the vehicle during a turn, which requires braking of the rotating stabilizing member, and therefore use of the auxiliary stabilizing members to stabilize the vehicle during high speed turns. These functions are accomplished by master cylinder  135 , which is connected by lines  14 , as described above, to cylinders  23  and struts  22 , and by master cylinder  136 , which is connected to auxiliary stabilizer control system shown in FIG. 15.  
         [0063]    When the handlebars are turned, frame  127  will tilt by an amount sufficient to actuate both the banking and stabilizer control cylinders  135  and  136  in addition to the electromagnetic and mechanical brakes master cylinder and therefore automatic activate the wheel position control and auxiliary stabilization subsystems as described below. It will be appreciated, however, that rotation of the gyroscopic stabilizer  2  will serve to prevent the vertical axis of the vehicle from tilting. As a result, the preferred embodiment includes a subsystem, shown in FIG. 14, for reducing the rotational speed of the stabilizer member  2  when rapid acceleration and high speed maneuvering is desired. The subsystem for braking the gyroscopic stabilizer includes a control lever  142  mounted on handlebar  120 , a wire  143 , and a brake shoe  144  arranged to press against the rotating stabilizer in order to reduce its rotation and angular momentum.  
         [0064]    The auxiliary stabilizers  6 - 9  are in the form of airfoils, with the front stabilizers  8  and  9  being inverted to pull the front of the vehicle downwards as the rear of the vehicle is lifted by the rear stabilizers  6  and  7 . The effect of the stabilizers to counter the tendency of the vehicle to tilt backwards during acceleration, and to facilitate banking during a high speed turn by increasing the lift on the right or left side. Each of the auxiliary stabilizers  6 - 9  includes, as is best illustrated in FIG. 15, a respective hydraulically operated pivot mechanism  150 - 153  actuated by pairs of cylinders  154 / 155 - 160 / 161  to pivot about a principal axis of the stabilizers and thereby control the amount of lift generated by the stabilizers. If the stabilizers are pivoted sufficiently, it will be appreciated that the stabilizers can also be used to provide an air braking effect to facilitate rapid deceleration.  
         [0065]    Actuation of the respective cylinders  154 - 161  is accomplished by cylinder assembly  162 , shown in FIG. 12,15 and cylinder assembly  163 , shown in FIG. 15. Cylinder assembly  162  is part of the steering mechanism and includes master cylinder  136 , which is connected to cylinder  164  by hydraulic lines  165 . Cylinder  164  includes a piston shaft  168  having four branches to actuating hydraulic fluid in each of four cylinders  169 - 172 , which are connected to cylinder  164  so that stabilizers  6  and  8  may rotate in opposite directions to stabilizers  7  and  9  and thereby provide different amounts of lift on each side of the vehicle in order to facilitate high speed turning of the vehicle in cooperation with the banking effect provided by actuation of struts  22 .  
         [0066]    The second cylinder assembly  163 , on the other hand, simultaneously move stabilizers  6 - 9  in a direction which increases lift at the rear of the vehicle and a downward force at the front of the vehicle so as to maintain stability during acceleration or deceleration. This is accomplished by connecting master cylinder  181  via a branched piston to cylinders  182 , 183  and  188 , 189  and hydraulic lines  173 - 180  in such a manner that cylinders  182  and  188  commonly actuate the two rear stabilizers, and cylinders  183  and  189  commonly actuates the two front stabilizers. Master cylinder  181  is actuated by a rotatable sleeve  184  on handlebar  120 , wires  185  attached to a disc attached to the sleeve, cylinders  186 , and hydraulic lines  187  which serve to actuate the piston in master cylinder  181 .  
         [0067]    Having thus described a preferred embodiment of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to make and use the invention, it will nevertheless be appreciated that numerous variations and modifications of the illustrated embodiment may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, while the illustrated embodiment utilizes a single rotating stabilizer member, a second stabilizer could be added to a counter-torque and therefore provide additional stabilization. In addition, the gyroscopic stabilizer could be driven by a motor separate from the main propulsion motor, and each of the hydraulic control lines could be replaced by electrical controls, with such features as microprocessor control in order to fine tune the response of the various subsystems to operator control. As indicated above, the vehicle may also be remotely controlled to serve as a toy. Because of the possibility of such variations and modifications of the preferred embodiment of the invention, as well as numerous others which may occur to those skilled in the art, it is intended that the invention not be limited by the above description or accompanying drawings, but that it be defined solely in accordance with the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1