Vehicle multispeed drive system utilizing arm and leg power
OwnerJohn C. Thomasinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive system for a vehicle permitting the use of an operator's arms and legs to power the vehicle. A multispeed hub assembly is offset from a powered wheel assembly and drives same with a roller chain. Arm and leg power is imparted respectively to a hand crankshaft and a live axle which power is transmitted to the multispeed hub via additional roller chains. A speed control for shifting the multispeed hub is actuated by handgrip rotation during normal hand crank operation to permit speed changes without release of either handgrip. A brake mechanism on the hand crankshaft actuates brake cables actuating caliper brakes upon reverse rotation of the hand crankshaft. The multispeed hub may include an internal coaster brake mechanism in one form of the invention.
Claims11
A drive system for a vehicle enabling use of the operator's arms and legs to provide a source of motive power to a vehicle wheel, said system comprising,
- a live axle and sprocket combination adapted for rotation by the operator's legs,
- a powered wheel assembly rotatably journalled on said live axle, said wheel assembly including a sprocket and hub,
- a hand crankshaft and sprocket combination having handgrips and adapted for rotation by the operator's arms,
- a multispeed hub assembly adjacent said powered wheel assembly including hub driving sprockets and a hub driven sprocket,
- power transmission means coupling the live axle sprocket and the hand crankshaft sprocket to said hub driving sprockets, and
- drive transmission means coupling the hub driven sprocket to the powered wheel assembly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.