Bicycle shift mechanism
OwnerAllen E. Armstronginventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A control mechanism adapted for incrementally and positively controlling the displacement of a biassed member or the like associated with a bicycle gear-change transmission between a plurality of predetermined positions for effectuating changes in gear ratios of such transmission in response to unidirectional movement of an operator control lever of the control mechanism. In addition, the control mechanism is also, preferably, provided with an "overshift" arrangement which effectively and effortlessly enables an operator to shift the bicycle sprocket chain from one sprocket to another sprocket of larger diameter. In an alternate embodiment, the control mechanism is directly mounted on and connected to a derailleur type bicycle change-gear mechanism.
Claims33
In a control mechanism for a bicycle transmission adapted for positively and incrementally controlling the displacement of a biased transmission member or the like between a plurality of set positions comprising support means, rotatable means rotatably supported by said support means for movement in either of two opposite directions of rotation, said biased member being connected to said rotatable means to urge said rotatable means in one direction of rotation and being movable therewith, operator control means supported for unilateral movement from a rest position to at least a first position, a second position, and an overshift position, stop means pivotally connected to said support means for selectively engaging said rotatable means to prevent rotation of said rotatable means in the one direction of rotation, release means operably connected with said operator control means for selectively disengaging said stop means from said rotatable means in response to movement of said operator control means from said rest position to said first position, whereby said rotatable means is free to rotate in said one direction, advance means carried by said operator control means which drivingly engages said rotatable means in response to movement of said operator control means past said first position to said second position for driving said rotatable means in the other direction of rotation, means operatively connected to said support means for disengaging said advance means as said operator control means returns to said rest position, said stop means reengaging said rotatable means to positively retain said rotatable means in a particular position in response to said return of said operator control means to said rest position, and overshift means defining said overshift position, said operator control means when moved past said first and second positions to said overshift position moving said biased transmission member beyond one of said set positions, and when released and returned to said rest position effecting movement of said biased transmission member back to said one of said set positions.
In a control mechanism for a bicycle transmission adapted for positively and incrementally controlling the displacement of a biassed transmission member or the like associated with the bicycle transmission between a plurality of set positions for effecting changes in the gear ratios of the bicycle transmission comprising support means, rotatable means rotatably supported by said support means for movement in either of two opposite directions of rotation, said biassed transmission member being connected to said rotatable means for urging said rotatable means in one direction of rotation and being movable in unison therewith, operator control means operable in a unilateral movement from a rest position to at least a first position and a second position and being yieldingly biased in the opposite direction to said rest position, stop means pivotally connected to said support means for selectively engaging said rotatable means for preventing rotation of said rotatable means in the one direction of rotation, release means operably connected with said operator control means for selectively disengaging said stop means from said rotatable means in response to movement of said operator control means to said first position, whereby said rotatable means in free to rotate in the one direction, advance means carried by said operator control means which drivingly engages said rotatable means in response to movement of said operator control means past said first position to said second position for driving said rotatable means in the other direction of rotation whereby said biased transmission member is at one of said set positions, and means operatively connected to said support means for disengaging said advance means as said operator control means returns to said rest position, said stop means reengaging said rotatable means to positively retain said rotatable means in a particular position in response to said return of said operator control means to said rest position.
In a control mechanism for a bicycle transmission for positively and incrementally controlling the displacement of a biased transmission member or the like between a plurality of set positions comprising support means, rotatable means rotatably supported by said support means for movement in either of two opposite directions of rotation, said biased member being connected to said rotatable means to urge said rotatable means in one direction of rotation and being movable therewith, first means connected to said support means for selective engagement with said rotatable means and for movement from a rest position to at least a first position and an overshift position, and overshift means defining said overshift position, said first means being movable to said first position whereat said first means has drivingly rotated said rotatable means to move said biased transmission member to one of said set positions, said first means being movable past said first position to said overshift position to thereby move said rotatable means and said biased transmission member a given distance past one of said set positions, said biased transmission member being returned to said one of said set positions with return of said first means to said rest position.
In a control mechanism adapted for a bicycle transmission for positively and incrementally controlling the displacement of a biased transmission member or the like between a plurality of set positions for changing the gear ratios of the transmission comprising support means, rotatable means rotatably supported by said support means for movement in either of two opposite directions of rotation, said biased member being connected to said rotatable means to urge said rotatable means in one direction of rotation and being movable therewith, and first means connected to said support means for selective engagement with said rotatable means and for unilateral movement from a rest position to at least first and second positions, said first means being movable to said first position whereat said first means is out of driving engagement with said rotatable means and said rotatable means is free to rotate in the one direction to thereby permit said biased member to move by virtue of its being biased to a first of said set positions, said first means drivingly engaging said rotatable means in response to movement thereof past said first position to said second position whereat said rotatable means moves in the other direction of rotation to thereby move said biased transmission member to a second of said set positions.
In a control mechanism for a bicycle transmission adapted for incrementally and positively controlling displacement of a biased transmission member between a plurality of individually set positions for effecting changes in the gear ratio of the bicycle transmission comprising a support means, a rotatable means rotatably supported by said support means and being movable in either of two directions of rotation between a plurality of discrete operative positions, said biased member being connected to said rotatable means to normally urge said rotatable means in one of two directions of rotation, first means connected to said support means for selective engagement with said rotatable means and for movement from a rest position to at least a first position and a second position, said first means being movable to said first position to disengage said first means from said rotatable means, whereby said rotatable means is movable toward one of said operative positions and said biased member is moved to one of said set positions to effect a change in the gear ratio of said transmission, said first means being movable past said first position to said second position to drivingly engage and move said rotatable means to another of said operative positions, and thereby move said biased member to another of said set positions to effect a further change in the gear ratios.
A control mechanism in combination with a bicycle for effecting rotational motion of a rotatable member rotatably supported by a support means on said bicycle, the improvement comprising bias means connected to said rotatable member to normally urge said rotatable member in one direction of rotation and pawl means mounted on said support means, first means mounted on said support means for selective engagement with said rotatable means and for movement from a rest position to at least a first position and a second position, said first means being movable to said first position to disengage said pawl means from said rotatable member whereby said rotatable member is free to rotate in said one direction of rotation under the force of said bias means, said first means drivingly engaging said rotatable member in response to movement thereof past said first position to said second position to move said rotatable member in the opposite direction of rotation.
A mechanism in combination with a bicycle for effecting rotational motion of a ratchet means including a ratchet adapted to be mounted on a support means on said bicycle, the improvement comprising first pawl means for causing forward rotation of said ratchet, lever means adapted to be pivotally mounted on said support means for reciprocative pivotal movement between first and second positions through respective short and long arcuate paths, said first pawl means causing forward rotation of said ratchet as said lever means moves reciprocatively between said rest position and said first position, second pawl means carried by said lever means and being normally disengaged from said ratchet for moving with said lever means to engage drivingly said ratchet to move said ratchet in the reverse direction in response to movement of said lever between said rest position and said second position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.