US 4,731,046 AGranted

Control device for the preselection and indexation of back gear changes in bicycles and similar vehicles

AssigneeEtablissements le Simplex

InventorHenri Juy

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A control device for controlling, preselecting and indexing rear derailleur gear changes on bicycles and similar vehicles. An operating lever is shaped and designed to work together with the control device for adjusting and indexing. The lever may be started from a neutral position to effect a tensioning or slackening of the cable on each reversal of the direction of a pivoting of the lever. The cable can be acted on to move the chair guide transversely for changing or selecting one or more gears, depending on whether or not there is a pedalling action.

Claims15

Dependent claims

Device for control, preselection and indexing of gear changes for cycles designed to move a chain guide transversely in relation to stepped sprocket wheels forming a single piece with a hub of a rear wheel, with the gear change V being linked via a control cable (C) made of a series of twisted strands to a control mechansim of the level type (31), specially shaped and designed to work with control, adjusting and indexing devices (30b), capable of (1) ensuring the tensioning or slackening of the cable with each reversal of the direction of the lever and, (2) acting on the said cable for the transverse movement of the chain guide for changing or selecting one or more gears, with the control mechanism (31) consisting of a basic quadrant (6) indexed at an angle on a supporting device (5) shaped for mounting the whole assembly on an appropriate part of the cycle, a pivot pin (7) being indexed in conjunction with the quadrant (6) designed for the passage of the cable and to serve as a support for the protective mechanism of the said cable, wherein on one cylindrical contact face of the pivot pin (7), a shaped quadrant (30) rotates freely, having devices to make contact with corresponding parts of the fixed basic quadrant (6) in accordance with two extreme angular positions of the said moving quadrant (30) also has devices working together with other devices on the lever (31) so that;

(A) it is driven simultaneously with the lever as far as one of the stop positions corresponding to the tensioning or slackening of the control cable according to the direction of pivoting of the lever and, (B) permits the movement of the lever alone in accordance with preset positions corresponding to a number of gears selected, with the said moving quadrant (30) remaining in the fixed stop position;
said gear change is of the deformable parallelogram type, comprising a top supporting clevis (1) and a bottom supporting clevis (2) articulated by means of two links (3) and (4) for the transverse movement of a chain guide on the bottom clevis (2), characterized in that part of the top supporting clevis (1) takes a torsion spring (20) whose two ends (20a) and (20b) are interlaced starting from a crank pin (21) and running parallel either side of a stud (25), on part of the bottom supporting clevis (2), with the said crank pin (21) being in a single piece with a part shaped to be moved at an angle under the pull of cable (C) and returned to position by an elastic mechanism for driving simultaneously, in one direction or the other, the bottom support in conjunction with spring (20);
and wherein the lever (31) rotates freely on one cylindrical contact face of a spacer pin (32) which, together with the devices for clamping and fixing lever (31) to pivot pin (7), permits by means of friction, under the effect of the angular movement of the lever and with each reversal of the direction of pivoting of the latter, the simultaneous movement of the moving quadrant as far as one of the two stop positions.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

(A) it is driven simultaneously with the lever as far as one of the stop positions corresponding to the tensioning or slackening of the control cable according to the direction of pivoting of the lever and, (B) permits the movement of the lever alone in accordance with preset positions corresponding to a number of gears selected, with the said moving quadrant (30) remaining in the fixed stop position;
said gear change is of the deformable parallelogram type, comprising a top supporting clevis (1) and a bottom supporting clevis (2) articulated by means of two links (3) and (4) for the transverse movement of a chain guide on the bottom clevis (2), characterized in that part of the top supporting clevis (1) takes a torsion spring (20) whose two ends (20a) and (20b) are interlaced starting from a crank pin (21) and running parallel either side of a stud (25), on part of the bottom supporting clevis (2), with the said crank pin (21) being in a single piece with a part shaped to be moved at an angle under the pull of cable (C) and returned to position by an elastic mechanism for driving simultaneously, in one direction or the other, the bottom support in conjunction with spring (20);
and wherein the lever (31) rotates freely on one cylindrical contact face of a spacer pin (32) which, together with the devices for clamping and fixing lever (31) to pivot pin (7), permits by means of friction, under the effect of the angular movement of the lever and with each reversal of the direction of pivoting of the latter, the simultaneous movement of the moving quadrant as far as one of the two stop positions.