Source: http://www.patentgenius.com/patent/4151892.html
Timestamp: 2019-01-20 05:37:49
Document Index: 547595473

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 3', 'art 4', 'art 5', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 4']

Motorized terrestrial surf-board - Patent # 4151892 - PatentGenius
4151892 Motorized terrestrial surf-board
Inventor: Francken
Application: 05/784,433
Inventors: Francken; Frank (2610 Wilrijk, BE)
Primary Examiner: Silverstrim; John P.
U.S. Class: 180/333; 280/265; 280/87.042; 74/471XY; 74/478
Field Of Search: 180/77R; 180/77H; 180/1G; 180/1R; 280/87.4R; 280/87.4A; 280/87.4B; 280/87.1; 280/265; 280/266; 280/220; 280/221; 280/11.11E; 74/471XY; 74/478
U.S Patent Documents: 1364471; 1526330; 2667939; 3226130; 3362723; 3437161; 3990319
Foreign Patent Documents: 344868
Abstract: The disclosure is of a sporting vehicle which is the combination of a frame mounted on at least three ground wheels two of which are steerable, a driving engine on the frame, a foot board tiltable about a transverse axis for controlling the speed of the engine and also tiltable about a longitudinal axis for steering the steerable wheels.
1. A sporting vehicle comprising:
a frame having at least three wheels thereon, two of which are mounted for steering motion on said frame and a steering mechanism;
a driving engine on said frame and having a speed control means;
a transverse shaft fixed on said frame;
a first bushing rotatable on said transverse shaft;
a longitudinally extending shaft fixed to said first bushing;
at least two second bushings mounted on said board intermediate its ends, said second bushings rotatably mounted on said longitudinally extending shaft;
one of said second bushings having a downwardly extending protrusion extending to said steering control mechanism whereby lateral tilting of said board around said longitudinally extending shaft effects steering movement of said two wheels; and
said longitudinally extending shaft being coupled to said speed control means for controlling the speed of said engine in response to tilting of said board and longitudinally extending shaft about said transverse shaft.
2. A sporting vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said two wheels are each journalled on means carried by upstanding axles each of which has a transverse lever and a connecting rod pivoted to each of said levers and having protrusions andcomprising said steering control mechanism; said downwardly extending protrusion engaging between said protrusions of said connecting rod;
said board being of shallow upwardly concave shape in transverse section and of shallow V-shape in the fore and aft direction, the rear arm of the V being shorter than the front arm thereof.
Description: This invention pertains to a motorized terrestrial surf-board of which the speed control as well as the steering are performed with the feet, and this in such a manner that the driver of such a vehicle must possess considerable skill and a greatsense of balance.
This sporting vehicle comprises the combination of a frame mounted on four wheels; a driving engine and means which are controlled by the feet from a position of balance in order, on the one hand, to control the speed of the vehicle and, on theother hand, to steer the vehicle.
In view of explaining more clearly the characteristics of the invention, but merely as an example and without the intent of limitation, a preferred form of embodiment will be described hereinafter with referenceto the appended drawings in which:
In this form of embodiment the vehicle 1 according to the invention comprises a bodywork 2 which in the present case is made up of three main parts, namely a front part 3, acentral part 4 and a rear part 5, whereby this bodywork 3 to 5 is fixed in an appropriate but not shown manner to a general frame 6, consisting for instance of pipes and mainly of two side members, respectively 7 and 8, which are appropriately joinedtogether by means of several cross-members 9.
The vehicle according to the invention progresses on four wheels respectively 10-11 and 12-13, whereby wheels 10 and 11 are not rotatably attached upon a shaft 14 which is fixed in some appropriate manner to frame 6, whereas the wheels 12 and 13are each fitted rotatably upon horizontal shafts, respectively 15 and 16, which are integral with a vertical shaft, respectively 17 and 18, whereby the latter is fitted so as not to be able to move axially but to be free to rotate in bushings,respectively 19 and 20, which are attached in some appropriate manner to aforementioned frame 6, more particularly to side members 7 and 8.
To the part of shafts 17 and 18 which protrude below the bushings 19 and 20, rods are then attached, respectively 21 and 22, and these rods are hingedly linked together by means of a connecting rod 23 which is provided in its center with twovertical protrusions, respectively 24 and 25.
In the front part of the vehicle according to the invention, more particularly in part 3 of bodywork 2, an engine 26 is fitted, such as for instance an internal combustion engine which is fixed in some appropriate manner to aforementioned frame 6and which is controlled, for instance, by means of a cable 27.
At the rear of aforesaid frame 6, for instance, two supports are attached, respectively 28 and 29, to which a shaft 30 is fitted. Upon this shaft 30, a freely rotating bushing 31 is for instance fitted, and this bushing is solidly attached to ashaft 32, located in the longitudinal vertical center plane of the device.
Attached to afore mentioned bushing 36 there is in this case a protrusion 38, which is extended towards the rear by a bent post 39 which extends between the two afore mentioned protrusions 24 and 25 of afore mentioned connecting or track rod 23. Furthermore there is provided between board 37 and frame 6 an appropriate spring 40 which constantly stresses board 37 upward, whereas further towards the front there are provided between frame 6 and shaft 32 certain means, in this case a hook 41 and aneyelet 42 which limit the rearword rocking movement of board 37.
Towards the rear, board 37 is connected to two cables, respectively 45 and 46 which pass over pulley wheels, respectively 47 and 48, whereby said cables are further connected to springs, respectively 49 and 50 which are attached to a cross-member9 of frame 6.
Finally, the vehicle according to the invention is provided with a braking system, which in its simplest form consists of the central part 4 of the bodywork 2 which, at the location of wheels 10 and 11, is provided with a brake lining 51. Thispart 4 is connected in an appropriate manner to a cross-shaft 52 extending from one side to the other and bearing in bushings 53 and 54 which are fixed upon frame 6. Shaft 52 is provided towards the bottom with protrusions, respectively 55 and 56 towhich are connected springs, respectively 57 and 58 which, at their other end, are attached to a cross-member 9 or suchlike of frame 6.
In order to drive this vehicle, one shall preferably take place on board 37 by putting one's feet approximately at the location of bushing 36, whereby one must attempt to keep one's balance so as to obtain that this board 37 does rock neitherforward, nor backward, nor sideways. Next, should this not yet have been done, aforesaid engine 26 must be started, after which it will suffice to rock the board 37 forward, to make the engine turn faster so that also wheels 10 and 11 will be drivenfaster, for instance by an appropriate belt drive 59 from engine 26 to aforesaid shaft 14 or to rock the board 37 more towards the rear so as to reduce the speed of the vehicle according to the invention. By alternately rocking the board 37 towards thefront and towards the rear, the speed of the vehicle can be altered at any moment.
These rocking movements of board 37 are obtained by the rotation of this board together with shaft 32 around shaft 30, whereby spring 40 more or less checks this movement, and the guiding, or respectively hooking device 41-42, ensures that board37 remains attached to the vehicle.
In order to steer the vehicle according to the invention, it is sufficient, simultaneously with the control of the fore and aft rocking of board 37, also to rock this board with aforesaid shaft 32 as axis of rotation, with the result that post 39is rocked either to the left or to the right, and consequently swerves the wheels 12 and 13 via interconnecting rod 23 and rods 21 and 22.
It is quite clear that the present invention is by no means limited to the form of embodiment described an example and illustrated in the appended drawings, but that such a vehicle may be built in many various shapes and dimensions without goingbeyond the scope of the invention.
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