Patent ID: 7837210

Claim:
A drive mechanism for use with a wheelchair comprising: a lever connected at a pivot to enable lever motion in forward and rearward strokes; a driving wheel having a circumferential roll surface and having a central hub housing operatively coupled to and substantially radially inward of said roll surface; a transmission configured to translate said lever motion to rotational drive of said driving wheel, said transmission including at least one gear set coaxial to said driving wheel, said gear set located within said hub housing and coupled such that both of said forward and rearward strokes induce rotation of said hub housing via said gear set, said transmission further including a plurality of clutches coaxial to said driving wheel and located within said hub housing, said clutches being cooperatively coupled within said transmission such that each said forward and rearward stroke in reciprocating motion of said lever is translated to said rotational drive of said driving wheel, said gear set being coupled between said lever and said clutches; and a brake operable at a handgrip end of said lever, said brake being coupled to said driving wheel to selectively restrict rotation of said driving wheel.