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US 4,782,722 AGranted
Bicycle drive system
OwnerGeorge Powellinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drive system for use upon a bicycle including a two speed rear axle 18 including an interior coaster brake 62, 64 driven by a multispeed transmission 12 including a plurality of selective planetary reductions. The drive system incorporates a multiple gear mechanism at the pedal hub combined with a two-speed mechanism at the driving wheel hub.
Claims7
A bicycle transmission comprising:
- a splined driving shaft,
- first sprocket means selectively engaged through a first drive train with the shaft to provide a direct drive link,
- a planetary gear set surrounding said driving shaft including a sun gear means selectively engaged with the splined shaft, at least one planet gear for rotating around said sun gear means, and a rigid annulus means in which the planet gear rotates within,
- second sprocket means driven by the planetary gear set forming a second drive train,
- a shiftable spur means to selectively engage the splined shaft with either the first or second drive train:
- wherein, the second drive train becomes active only when the planet gear rotates within the rigid annulus means
- wherein said at least one planet gear is mounted on a cage and the cage is connected to a first sprocket wheel, the first sprocket wheel forming said first sprocket means through said first drive train by a direct drive link with the driving shaft and the spur means, the first sprocket wheel forming said second sprocket means through said second drive train by the planetary gear set and said cage
- wherein the cage is further connected to a second sprocket wheel, the second sprocket wheel providing a third sprocket means through a third drive train with the driving shaft to provide a direct drive link, the second sprocket wheel further providing a fourth sprocket means forming a fourth drive train through the planetary gear set.
5 more elements
A bicycle transmission comprising:
- a splined driving shaft,
- first sprocket means selectively engaged through a first drive train with the shaft to provide a direct drive link,
- a planetary gear set surrounding said driving shaft including a sun gear means selectively engaged with the splined shaft, at least one planet gear for rotating around said sun gear means, and a rigid annulus means in which the planet gear rotates within,
- second sprocket means driven by the planetary gear set forming a second drive train,
- a shiftable spur means to selectively engage the splined shaft with either the first or second drive train:
- wherein, the second drive train becomes active only when the planet gear rotates within the rigid annulus means,
- wherein said rigid annulus means comprises:
- a first ring gear held rigid by a lock means and within which a first step of the planet gear rotates to form the second drive train,
- a second ring gear held rigid by said lock means and within which a second step of the planet gear rotates to form a third drive train,
- said lock means including a shiftable member for selectively engaging and holding rigid the first or second ring gear.
7 more elements
A bicycle drive system comprising:
- a first transmission means including a first sprocket wheel secured adjacent a first pedal crank, a second sprocket wheel secured adjacent a second pedal crank, and a pedal shaft rigidly connecting the first and second pedal cranks,
- a drive wheel hub rotatable about a stationary shaft,
- third and fourth sprocket wheels rotatably mounted on the stationary shaft on opposite ends of the hub,
- linking means interconnecting the first sprocket wheel with the third sprocket wheel and the second sprocket wheel with the fourth sprocket wheel, respectively,
- clutch means for enabling the third sprocket wheel to drive the hub or alternatively enabling the fourth sprocket wheel to drive the hub thereby forming two different gear ratios.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.