Dual wheel driven tricycle with a fully enclosed multiple speed drive

In a dual rear wheel driven tricycle with a flat sided hollow frame, an improved fully enclosed multiple speed drive comprising:

• a pedal drive shaft rotatably mounted in the flat sides of a forward portion of said hollow frame;
• a first chain sprocket fixed on said pedal drive shaft for rotation therewith and located outside one sidewall of said hollow frame;
• a spindle passing through holes located in the flat sides of a central portion of said hollow frame;
• a drive fitting rotatably mounted on said spindle;
• a second chain sprocket fixed on said drive fitting for rotation therewith;
• a first bicycle chain coupling said first chain sprocket with said second chain sprocket for driving said drive fitting from said pedal drive shaft;
• a first chain case rigidly fastened to one flat sidewall of said hollow frame and enclosing said first and second chain sprockets and said first bicycle chain, and fixing one end of said spindle;
• a gear case located inside said hollow frame and mounted for concentric rotation about said spindle;
• an internally toothed ring gear located inside said gear case and mounted for concentric rotation about said spindle;
• ring gear locking means operative for selectively locking said ring gear to said hollow frame;
• a planet gear carrier mounted for concentric rotation about said spindle;
• multiple sets of different size planet gears rotatably mounted on said planet gear carrier, including multiple planet gears of the same size in each set, with all of said planet gears in constant mesh with said ring gear;
• a sun gear carrier mounted for concentric rotation about said spindle;
• multiple externally toothed sun gears rotatably mounted on said sun gear carrier with each of said multiple sun gears in constant mesh with one of said multiple sets of different size planet gears;
• sun gear locking means operative for locking any selected one of said multiple sun gears to said sun gear carrier;
• sun gear carrier locking means operative for selectively locking said sun gear carrier to said spindle;
• a drive selector keyed to said drive fitting;
• said drive selector includes an external spline;
• said sun gear carrier, said planet gear carrier, and said ring gear, all include internal splines;
• said drive selector is axially operative for selectively and alternately engaging the external spline on said drive selector with said internal splines on said ring gear or said planet gear carrier or said sun gear carrier, for driving said ring gear or said planet gear carrier or said sun gear carrier, respectively, from said drive fitting;
• drive selector positioning means;
• a first one way clutch coupling said ring gear and said gear case for driving said gear case from said ring gear;
• a means for decoupling said first one way clutch when said ring gear is engaged with said drive selector;
• a second one way clutch coupling said planet gear carrier and said gear case for driving said gear case from said planet gear carrier;
• a third one way clutch coupling said sun gear carrier and said gear case for driving said gear case from said sun gear carrier;
• a means for decoupling said third one way clutch when said sun gear carrier is driven by said drive selector;
• a third chain sprocket rigidly fixed on said gear case outside said hollow frame;
• a torque tube passing through holes in the flat sides of an aft portion of said hollow frame;
• a fourth chain sprocket fixed on one end of said torque tube;
• a ratchet fitting fixed on the other end of said torque tube;
• a second bicycle chain coupling said third chain sprocket with said fourth chain sprocket for driving said torque tube;
• a second chain case rigidly fastened to the other flat sidewall of said hollow frame and enclosing said third and fourth chain sprockets and said second bicycle chain, and supporting the other end of said spindle;
• an internal cylinder located concentric with said torque tube and between the flat sidewalls of said hollow frame;
• a first axle housing rigidly bolted to said second chain case and to a flange on one end of said internal cylinder, with said axle housing extending outward perpendicular to the long axis of said hollow frame;
• a second axle housing rigidly bolted to a flange on the other end of said internal cylinder and extending perpendicularly outward on the other side of said frame;
• a ball bearing located inside the inboard end of each of said axle housings for rotatably supporting said fourth chain sprocket and said ratchet fitting, respectively;
• a ball bearing located inside each end of said torque tube with each of said ball bearings supporting the inboard end of an axle;
• a one way clutch coupling the fourth chain sprocket with said axle on one side, and a second one way clutch coupling said ratchet fitting with said axle on the other side;
• a ball bearing located in the outboard end of each of said axle housings for supporting the outboard end of each of said axles;
• a spline on the outboard end of each of said axles for torsionally fixing a brake drum and a wheel on its respective axle;
• and
• internal threads in the outboard end of each axle with a wheel mounting bolt for clamping said wheel and said brake drum on its respective axle.