Free coaster bicycle hub

A bicycle wheel clutch comprising:

• a. a wheel hub having an outer shell mounted about a central cylindrical wheel mounting shaft having outboard ends that are releaseably securable to bicycle frame dropouts and a cylindrical annular hub cavity is defined within said hub shell and said hub cavity has a cylindrical inner wall surface that is spaced in radial separation from and coaxial relative to said wheel mounting shaft, and said hub shell is journaled to rotate freely relative to said wheel mounting shaft,
• b. an integrally formed power transmission sleeve disposed within said hub cavity and having a cylindrical power transmission sleeve outer wall surface and a cylindrical power transmission sleeve inner wall surface of smaller diameter than, and defined eccentrically relative to, said power transmission sleeve outer wall surface, whereby said power transmission sleeve defines a power transmission sleeve cam lobe,
• c. a sprocket defining a drive axis and having a drive sleeve rigidly coupled thereto, and said drive sleeve is disposed within said power transmission sleeve and has a central, cylindrical drive shaft opening defined therethrough that is disposed coaxially about said wheel mounting shaft and said drive sleeve has a cylindrical outer drive surface that is eccentric relative to said central cylindrical drive shaft opening, whereby said drive sleeve defines a drive sleeve cam lobe, and
• d. a drag mechanism for retarding rotation of said annular power transmission sleeve relative to said drive sleeve, whereby when said outer drive sleeve cam lobe is rotated away from diametric opposition relative to said power transmission sleeve cam lobe, said power transmission sleeve cam lobe is forced by said drive sleeve into frictional engagement with said inner wall surface of said hub cavity, and when said power transmission sleeve cam lobe is moved toward diametric opposition relative to said drive sleeve cam lobe, a clearance exists between said power transmission sleeve outer wall surface and said inner wall surface of said hub cavity.

A free coaster bicycle wheel driving apparatus comprising:

• a. a driving member including a sprocket for engagement with a bicycle chain and defining a central drive axis,
• b. an annular drive sleeve rigidly joined to said sprocket and projecting axially inwardly from said sprocket, wherein said annular drive sleeve has a cylindrical inner wall surface coaxial with said drive axis and a larger diameter cylindrical outer wall drive surface that is eccentric relative to said cylindrical inner wall surface thereof, thereby defining a drive sleeve cam lobe,
• c. an integrally formed power transmission sleeve mounted about said drive sleeve and having an inner wall surface and a larger diameter outer wall surface that is eccentric relative to said inner wall surface thereof, thereby defining a power transmission sleeve cam lobe, whereby said inner wall surface of said power transmission sleeve surrounds and resides in contact with said outer wall surface of said drive sleeve,
• d. a bicycle wheel hub having a central, cylindrical wheel mounting shaft that projects outwardly through said sprocket and resides in coaxial alignment with said central drive axis and is radially encircled by said inner wall surface of said drive sleeve, and said hub has a cylindrical, annular outer shell freely rotatable about said, wheel mounting shaft, and said shell defines a cylindrical, annular cavity therewithin with a cylindrical inner hub wall surface that is coaxial relative to said central drive axis, and said power transmission sleeve is disposed within said cavity in said hub shell and said drive sleeve is disposed within said power transmission sleeve, whereby said power transmission sleeve is shiftable radially relative to said central drive axis so that said outer wall surface of said power transmission sleeve engages said inner hub wall surface and said outer wall surface of said drive sleeve engages said inner wall surface of said power transmission sleeve to engage said hub with said sprocket when said cam lobes depart from positions directly opposite each other relative to said central drive axis, and said power transmission sleeve rotates freely within said cavity in said hub shell when said eccentric surfaces approach diametrical opposition relative to each other, and
• e. a drag mechanism for restraining rotation of said power transmission sleeve relative to said wheel mounting shaft.