# US 5,704,859 A · Type of the compact freewheel body for bicycles

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- Number: US 5,704,859 A
- Document ID: US5704859A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/733,106
- Filed: 1996-10-16
- Granted: 1998-01-06
- Earliest claimed: 1996-10-16
- Assignees: National Science Council of Republic of China
- Inventors: Chen-Hua Feng; Ching Huan Tseng; Shyh-Haur Su
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5704859A

## CPC

- B62M 9/10: involving different-sized wheels, {e.g. rear sprocket chain wheels} selectively engaged by the chain, belt, or the like {(bicycle hubs rotatably arranged on axle B60B27/023)}
- F16D 41/30: with hinged pawl co-operating with teeth, cogs, or the like
- Y10S 474/903: Particular connection between hub and shaft
- B62M: RIDER PROPULSION OF WHEELED VEHICLES OR SLEDGES; POWERED PROPULSION OF SLEDGES OR {SINGLE-TRACK} CYCLES; TRANSMISSIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR SUCH VEHICLES (arrangements or mounting of transmissions in vehicles in general B60K; transmission elements per se F16)
- F16D: COUPLINGS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION; CLUTCHES; BRAKES
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

A new type of the compact freewheel body for bicycle includes a freewheel casing, a ball seat, a hub, two rows of steel balls, an adjusting ring and a clutch located in the hub. The ball ring at the top of a convention freewheel casing is moved to the bottom to become a ball seat. The distance between two rows of steel balls is increased. The freewheel body can be made more compact. Smaller gear seat may be used and thus increasing the speed ratio and improving mechanical strength of the gear set. The wobbling of the freewheel can be effectively reduced to make the freewheel running and gear shifting smoother and more reliable.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A compact freewheel body for bicycles, comprising:
a hollow tubular freewheel casing with three stepped sections of different diameters and with indented slots formed axially on an outside circumference of each section, including a top section having a first ball track formed therein; a middle section and a bottom section with an internal screw thread formed around a bottom opening thereof;
a ball seat having an external screw thread engageable with the internal screw thread of the freewheel casing and a second ball track formed thereon;
a hollow tubular hub with stepped sections of different diameters and housed within the freewheel casing, the hub including a third ball track for holding a second row of steel balls with the second ball track, and a fourth ball track for holding a first row of steel balls with the first ball track;
a one-way clutch including a C-shaped spring and a pair of spaced clutch shoes located between the freewheel casing and the hub; and
an adjusting ring located between the freewheel casing and the ball seat; whereby the hub is freely rotating within the freewheel casing without wobbling axially.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The compact freewheel body for bicycles of claim 1, wherein the hub further comprises an annular groove engaging the C-shaped spring of the clutch and a pair of spaced concave slots formed in the outside circumference for holding the clutch shoes of the clutch.