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US 3,945,453 AGranted
Spring power cell for vehicular spring motor
OwnerJerimiah B. Blackinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spring motor for providing motive power for vehicles, in particular automobiles, golf carts and the like, includes a plurality of interconnected spirally-wound spring power cells arranged in parallel relation in a supporting frame. Individual power cells are adapted to be wound in situ independently by manual means or collectively by motorized means.
Claims11
A spring power cell for providing motive power to a vehicular spring motor comprising:
- an elongated tubular housing having a drive end and a wind end;
- a spirally-wound spring element concentrically disposed interiorly of said housing;
- a journaled drive shaft axially disposed at the drive end of said housing and extending partially thereinto:
- a first axial slot disposed at the inwardly extending end of said drive shaft for releasably engaging one end of said spring element;
- a journaled wind shaft axially disposed at the wind end of said housing and extending partially thereinto;
- and
- a second axial slot disposed at the inwardly extending end of said wind shaft for releasably engaging the other end of said spring element.
4 more elements
A spring power cell assembly comprising:
- a frame;
- a plurality of spring power cells fixedly mounted in side-by-side relation to said frame in parallel rows, said spring power cells each comprising an elongated housing having a drive end and a wind end, a spirally-wound spring element concentrically arranged relative to said housing, a journaled drive shaft axially mounted at the drive end of said housing, a first spring engaging means coupled to said drive shaft for releasably engaging one end of said spring element, a journaled wind shaft axially mounted at the wind end of said housing, a second spring engaging means coupled to said wind shaft for releasably engaging the other end of said spring element;
- a power transmission shaft rotatably mounted in said frame adjacently of said cells and parallel thereto, one end of said power transmission shaft including means for releasably engaging a spring rewind device;
- and
- interconnecting means at the other end of said power transmission shaft for operatively interconnecting said power transmission shaft to at least two of said parallel rows of spring power cells.
2 more elements
A spring motor powered vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle having wheels;
- a frame mounted to said vehicle;
- and
- a spring power cell assembly comprising a plurality of spring power cells fixedly mounted in side-by-side relation to said frame in parallel rows, said spring power cells each comprising an elongated housing having a drive end and a wind end, a spirally-wound spring element concentrically arranged relative to said housing, a journaled drive shaft axially mounted at the drive end of said housing, a first spring engaging means coupled to said drive shaft for releasably engaging one end of said spring element, a journaled wind shaft axially mounted at the wind end of said housing, a second spring engaging means coupled to said wind shaft for releasably engaging the other end of said spring element, a power transmission shaft rotatably mounted in said frame adjacently of said cells and parallel thereto, one end of said power transmission shaft including means for releasably engaging a spring rewind device, interconnecting means at the other end of said power transmission shaft for operatively interconnecting said power transmission shaft to at least two of said parallel rows of spring power cells, said power transmission shaft being operatively connected to at least one of said vehicle wheels.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.