Operator powered vehicle

An operator-powered vehicle comprising:

• a. a vehicle frame;
• b. a drive-wheel assembly including a drive wheel rotatably mounted on said frame, drive hub means, and coupling means including unidirectional clutch means coupling said clutch means to said drive hub means to prevent forward rotation of said drive hub means with respect to said drive wheel but permit relative forward rotation of said drive wheel with respect to said drive hub means;
• c. first and second force-reception elements, each force-reception element being mounted on said frame for reciprocation from a rest position thereof to other positions thereof;
• and
• d. cable drive means connected to said force-reception elements for travel along a path on said frame upon reciprocation of said force-reception elements, said cable drive means being wrapped in unsecured relationship about said drive hub means to permit rotation of said drive hub means without travel of said cable means when both of said force-reception elements are in their rest positions but to cause rotation of said drive hub means upon travel of said cable drive means when said force-reception elements are in at least a range of other positions, whereby propulsion of said vehicle forward is possible by reciprocation of said force-reception elements, but rearward movement of said vehicle without movement of said force-reception elements is possible when said force-reception elements are both in their rest positions.

An operator powered vehicle comprising:

• front wheel means;
• rear wheel means including first and second hubs;
• a vehicle frame disposed between said front wheel means and said rear wheel means;
• a pair of pedal arms, each pedal arm having a first end pivotally mounted on said vehicle frame between said front wheel means and said rear wheel means and a second end adapted to accept a driving force applied by an operator, said second end of each of said arms being pivotable in response to said driving force in a predetermined arc about said first end, said second end of each of said arms being disposed at all times between said first end thereof and a selected one of said front wheel means and said rear wheel means;
• force transmission means coupling each of said pedal arms to said rear wheel means to provide a driving force thereto, said force transmission means including a flexible cable means wrapped in unsecured relation about said first and second hubs, one end of said cable means terminating at one of said pedal arms and a second end of said cable means terminating at the other of said pedal arms;
• means for steering said front wheel means, said steering means including a pair of handle bars extending rearwardly from said front wheel means toward said rear wheel means, each of said handlebars having hand grips disposed thereon adapted to be grasped by an operator'hands, each said hand grips being generally vertically spaced from said pedal arms so that an operator is disposed in a forced weight position while grasping said hand grips, the operator being generally vertically erect and the center or gravity of the operator being generally vertically aligned with said second end of at least one of said pedal arms when the operator is in a forced weight position;
• first tensioning means associated with said one pedal arm for tensioning said first end of said cable means;
• and
• second tensioning means disposed in said other pedal arm for tensioning said second end of said cable means.

An operator powered vehicle comprising

• front wheel means;
• rear wheel means including first and second hubs;
• a vehicle frame disposed between said front wheel means and said rear wheel means;
• a pair of pedal arms, each pedal arm having a first end pivotally mounted on said vehicle frame between said front wheel means and said rear wheel means and a second end adapted to accept a driving force applied by an operator, said second end of each of said arms being pivotable in response to said driving force in a predetermined arc about said first end, said second end of each of said arms being disposed at all times between said first end thereof and a selected one of said front wheel means and said rear wheel means;
• force transmission means coupling each of said pedal arms to said rear wheel means to provide a driving force thereto and including a flexible cable means wrapped in unsecured relation about said first and second hubs of said rear wheel means;
• means for steering said front wheel means, said steering means including a pair of handle bars extending rearwardly from said front wheel means toward said rear wheel means, each of said handlebars having hand grips disposed thereon adapted to be grasped by an operator's hands, each said hand grips being generally vertically spaced from said pedal arms so that an operator is disposed in a forced weight position while grasping said hand grips, the operator being generally vertically erect and the center of gravity of the operator being generally vertically aligned with said second end of at least one of said pedal arms when the operator is in a forced weight position;
• and
• means associated with each of said first hub and said second hub for urging said cable means wrapped thereabout radially outwardly away from said first hub and said second hub to absorb slack in said cable means and to prevent said cable means from becoming unwrapped from said first hub and said second hub.

An operator powered vehicle comprising:

• rear wheel means including hub means and a rotatably mounted wheel;
• front wheel means;
• a frame disposed between said front wheel means and said rear wheel means;
• a pair of pedal arms, each of said pedal arms being pivotally mounted to said frame at a first end thereof, a second end of each of said pedal arms being pivotable in a predetermined arc about said first end in response to a driving force applied to said second end by an operator;
• cable drive means coupling said pair of pedal arms to said rear wheel means, said cable drive means being wrapped in unsecured relation about said hub means of said rear wheel means, said cable drive means including a unitary cable having a first end terminating at one of said pedal arms and extending from said second end of said one pedal arm, said cable having a second end terminating at the other pedal arm and extending from said second end of said other pedal arm;
• first spring means associated with said one pedal arm for tensioning said first end of said cable to prevent said cable from becoming unwrapped from said hub means;
• and
• second spring means associated with said other pedal arm for tensioning said second end of said cable to prevent said cable from becoming unwrapped from said hub means.

An operator powered vehicle comprising:

• rear wheel means including hub means and a rotatably mounted wheel;
• front wheel means;
• a frame disposed between said front wheel means and said rear wheel means;
• a pair of pedal arms, each of said pedal arms being pivotally mounted to said frame at a first end thereof, a second end of each of said pedal arms being pivotable in a predetermined arc about said first end in response to a driving force applied to said second end by an operator;
• cable drive means coupling said pair of pedal arms to said rear wheel means, said cable drive means being wrapped in unsecured relation about said hub means of said rear wheel means, said cable drive means including a unitary cable having a first end terminating at one of said pedal arms and extending from said second end of said one pedal arm, said cable having a second end terminating at the other pedal arm and extending from said second end of said other pedal arm;
• means connected to said front wheel means for steering said vehicle;
• and
• means associated with said hub means for urging said cable wrapped thereabout radially outwardly away from said hub means to absorb any existing slack in said cable and to prevent said cable from becoming unwrapped from said hub means.

An operator powered vehicle comprising:

• front wheel means;
• rear wheel means;
• a frame connected to said rear wheel means and disposed between said rear wheel means and said front wheel means;
• operator powered propelling means disposed on said frame;
• force transmission means coupling said propelling means to a said rear wheel means for transferring a driving force from said propelling means to said rear wheel means;
• means connected to said front wheel means for steering said vehicle;
• and
• means for interconnecting said steering means and said frame, said interconnecting means comprising:
• a pair of generally parallel cross supports disposed on said steering means and having a predetermined spacing therebetween;
• a tubular housing secured to said frame and having an axial length generally equal to said predetermined spacing, said tubular housing being insertable between said pair of cross supports so as to be generally normal thereto;
• a plunger disposed on one of said cross supports and having a pin with a distal end extending therefrom toward the other of said cross supports, said plunger and said plunger pin being spring biased in a direction along the length of said plunger pin toward the other of said cross supports;
• a first channel disposed in the other of said cross supports;
• a pin disposed within said tubular housing and extending in a direction generally parallel to said axial length of said tubular housing, said tubular housing pin being spring biased along its length toward said plunger pin when said tubular housing is inserted between said pair of cross supports;
• and
• a second channel formed within said tubular housing on an end thereof facing said plunger when said tubular housing is inserted between said pair of cross supports, said second channel having one end of said tubular housing pin slidably disposed therein and being adapted to accept said distal end of said plunger pin when said tubular housing is inserted between said pair of cross supports, said distal end end of said plunger pin being driven by the spring bias thereof against said one end of said tubular housing pin within said second channel to urge the other end of said tubular housing pin into said first channel when said tubular housing is inserted between said pair of cross supports.

An operator powered vehicle comprising:

• front wheel means;
• rear wheel means;
• a frame disposed between said front wheel means and said rear wheel means;
• operator powered propelling means disposed on said frame;
• force transmission means coupling said propelling means to said rear wheel means for transferring force from said propelling means to said rear wheel means;
• means connected to said front wheel means for steering said vehicle, said steering means comprising:
• a pair of spaced, generally parallel steering supports;
• a pair of handlebars, each of said handlebars extending from an upper end of an associated steering support and being coaxial therewith, each of said handlebars being axially slidable and rotatable about its axis with respect to its associated steering support;
• a handlebar cross support extending between said pair of handlebars;
• housing means associated with each of said handlebars, each of said housing means being secured to an adjacent end of said handlebar cross support, each of said handlebars being rotatably disposed with respect to its associated housing means;
• a pair of coaxial, axially spaced arcuate outer bosses on one of the interior surface of each of said housing means and the exterior surface of each of said handlebars;
• an intermediate arcuate boss associated with each pair of outer bosses and disposed on the other of the interior surface of each of said housing means and the exterior surface of each of said handlebars, each intermediate boss being disposed coaxially of its associated outer bosses and axially between them to prevent axial movement of said handlebars with respect to said housing means, one of each intermediate boss and an associated outer boss forming a shoulder and the other forming a detent associated and axially aligned therewith to abut its associated shoulder when the handlebar on which it is disposed is rotated a specified amount in one direction to prevent further rotation of that handlebar in said one direction.

An operator-powered vehicle comprising:

• a. a frame;
• b. a drive-wheel assembly including a drive wheel rotatably mounted on said frame;
• and
• c. propulsion means including a force-reception element mounted on said frame and coupled to said drive wheel for rotating said drive wheel upon movement of said force-reception means to propel said vehicle, said force-reception element including:
• (i) a pedal arm having first and second ends;
• (ii) an elongated member extending from said frame through said first end of said pedal arm, said elongated member being coincident with a first axis of rotation of said second end of said pedal arm about said first end thereof;
• and
• (iii) means coupling said first end of said pedal arm to said elongated member, said coupling means having a pair of opposed, elongated openings permitting rotation of said pedal arm about a second axis normal to said first axis and extending longitudinally of said pedal arm.