Rectilinear propulsion apparatus

A rectilinear propulsion apparatus in combination with a bicycle for propelling the bicycle, wherein the bicycle includes a drive wheel and a frame having a middle frame portion, the rectilinear propulsion apparatus comprising:

• a rectilinear drive portion, said rectilinear drive portion including a plurality of rack gear assemblies, each of said rack gear assemblies having a pedal member, each of said pedal members being adapted for being depressed by a rider to propel the bicycle;
• each of said rack gear assemblies of said rectilinear drive portion having a rack housing member, each of said rack housing members having a channel portion, said channel portion being adapted for receiving a rack drive member such that each of said rack drive members is movable in said channel portion of an associated one of said rack housing members;
• a plurality of pulley members being pivotally coupled to the upper frame portion of the bicycle, a cord member being fixedly coupled to top portions of said rack drive members such that each of said pulley members are for guiding said cord member in such a manner that when one of said rack drive members is manually biased downwardly, an opposing rack drive member is biased by said cord member through said pulley members upward;
• a quadrant drive portion, said quadrant drive portion including a plurality of quadrant sprocket members, each of said quadrant sprocket members being adapted for engaging an associated one of said rack gear assemblies;
• wherein both said rectilinear drive portion and said quadrant drive portion are fixedly coupled to the middle frame portion of the bicycle such that said portions being adapted for propelling a bicycle;
• said plurality of rack gear assemblies of said rectilinear drive portion being fixedly coupled to sides of the middle frame portion of the bicycle, a longitudinal axis of said rack gear assemblies being oriented in the same vertical plane as the bicycle;
• said rack housing members having a slot, said slot being located in a slot side of said rack housing member, said slot side being adapted for receiving a bearing member of said pedal members for the purpose of allowing said pedal members to reciprocate in said slot side of said rack housing members;
• said rack drive member having a tooth side, said tooth side comprising a plurality of gear teeth for the purpose of engaging said quadrant sprocket members of said quadrant drive portion;
• said bearing member of said pedal members being pivotally coupled to a side surface of said rack drive member through said slot of said slot side of said rack housing member thereby allowing said pedal members to rotate freely as required when engaged by the rider;
• said rectilinear drive portion including a plurality of pedal members, each of said pedal members being rotatably coupled to said rack drive members;
• said quadrant sprocket members of said quadrant drive portion comprising a quarter circle plate having gear teeth along a quarter circle edge, said quarter circle edge being -adapted for engaging said rack gear assemblies of said rectilinear drive portion;
• said quadrant sprocket members of said quadrant drive portion having a drive hole, said drive hole being adapted for receiving an end portion of a drive shaft of a main drive gear member;
• said quadrant sprocket members having a plurality of bores, said bores being adapted for reducing the weight of said quadrant sprocket members;
• said main drive gear member comprising said drive shaft and a circular gear plate member, said drive shaft being fixedly coupled to said circular gear plate member such that said drive shaft extends transversely from outer surfaces of said circular gear plate member such that said main drive gear member being adapted for directly translating energy produced by said quadrant sprocket members to a drive wheel of the bicycle;
• a clutch member being fixedly coupled to said drive shaft, said clutch member being adapted for allowing ratcheting of one of said rack gear assemblies during a drive portion of an opposing rack gear assembly thereby permitting a rider to depress one of said pedal members while an opposing of said pedal members moves upwardly into a readily depressible position.