Integrated rotary drive motion transmission and directional control system

An integrated rotary drive motion transmission and directional control system, comprising:

• (a) a support structure;
• (b) a pair of driven rotary motion output mechanisms mounted to said support structure for receiving rotary drive motion;
• (c) a rotor mounted to said support structure to rotate in either one of first and second opposite directions and disposed between and spaced from said driven output mechanisms, said rotor having a pair of opposite sides and a pair of annular channels, each of said annular channels being defined on one of said opposite sides of said rotor and having opposing inner and outer concentric surfaces radially spaced from one another such that said outer surface has a diameter larger than a diameter of said inner surface;
• (d) a drive input mechanism mounted to said support structure for transmitting rotary drive motion to said rotor so as to cause said rotor to rotate in either one of said first and second opposite directions;
• (e) a pair of rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies mounted to said support structure to rotate in either one of said first and second opposite directions and disposed in a transverse relationship to and extending between said rotor and said driven output mechanisms, each of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies having an output element disposed at and drivingly coupled with one of said driven output mechanisms and an input element disposed at one of said opposite sides of said rotor and adapted to be moved to one of a pair of displaced drive positions wherein said input element is engaged with one of said concentric surfaces and disengaged from the other of said concentric surfaces of one of said annular channels so as to enable transmitting of said rotary drive motion from said drive input mechanism to said driven output mechanisms via said rotor and said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies and also determine speed and direction of said transmitted rotary drive motion, said input element also adapted to be moved to an intermediate neutral position located between said displaced drive positions in which said input element is disposed between and spaced from said inner and outer concentric surfaces of said one of said annular channels of said rotor so as to disable the transmitting of said rotary drive motion from said drive input mechanism to said driven output mechanisms via said rotor and said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies;
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• (f) means mounted to said support structure for controlling movement of said input elements of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies independently of one another between said displaced drive positions and said intermediate neutral position.

A bi-lateral track drive vehicle, comprising:

• (a) a chassis having a seat for a driver and opposite lateral sides;
• (b) a pair of bi-lateral drive traction mechanisms respectively movably supported along said opposite lateral sides of said chassis, each of said drive traction mechanisms having a set of front, rear and center wheels all rotatably mounted to said chassis such that said sets of wheels along said opposite lateral sides are aligned with one another, said drive traction mechanisms also having a pair of endless tracks respectively entrained about said sets of wheels and a pair of annular driven elements aligned with one another mounted at inner sides of a corresponding pair of said wheels of said sets thereof at said opposite lateral sides of said chassis;
• (c) a rotor mounted to said chassis to rotate in either one of first and second opposite directions and disposed between and spaced from said bi-lateral drive traction mechanisms, said rotor having a pair of opposite sides and a pair of annular channels each defined on one of said opposite sides of said rotor, each of said channels having opposing inner and outer concentric surfaces radially spaced from one another such that said outer surface has a diameter larger than a diameter of said inner surface;
• (d) a drive input mechanism operable for transmitting rotary drive motion to said rotor so as to cause said rotor to rotate in either one of said first and second opposite directions, said drive input mechanism including,
• (i) a set of rotary pedals rotatably mounted on said chassis rearwardly of said rotor and forwardly of said seat and adapted to be manually rotated by the driver so as to generate said rotary drive motion in either one of said opposite first and second directions, and
• (ii) means drivingly coupling said set of rotary pedals to said rotor for transmitting said rotary drive motion of said set of rotary pedals to said rotor;
• (e) a pair of rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies each mounted to said chassis to rotate in either one of said first and second opposite directions and disposed in a transverse relationship to and extending between said rotor and said bi-lateral drive traction mechanisms, each of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies having output and input ends, said output end of each of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies being coupled to said annular driven element of one of said bi-lateral drive traction mechanisms, said input end of each of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies being disposed at one of said opposite sides of said rotor and adapted to be moved to one of a pair of displaced drive positions wherein said input end engages one of said concentric surfaces and is disengaged from the other of said concentric surfaces of one of said annular channels so as to enable transmission of said rotary drive motion from said input drive mechanism to said bi-lateral drive traction mechanism via said rotor and said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies and also determine speed and direction of said rotary drive motion, said input end of each of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies also adapted to be moved to an intermediate neutral position located between said displaced drive positions in which said input end is disposed between and spaced from said inner and outer concentric surfaces of said one of said annular channels of said rotor so as to disable said transmission of said rotary drive motion from said input drive mechanism to said bi-lateral drive traction mechanism via said rotor and said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies;
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• (f) a pair of hand-operated levers pivotally mounted to said chassis adjacent to said seat and said set of pedals, each of levers being independently movable between forward and rearward positions and an intermediate neutral position therebetween and linked to a respective one of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies between said output and input ends thereof so as to shift said input end of said respective one of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies correspondingly between said opposite drive positions and said intermediate neutral position of said one of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies such that
• (i) at said intermediate neutral positions of said levers said input ends of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies are at said intermediate neutral positions of said input ends so as to not contact either of said inner and outer concentric surfaces of said respective grooves on said rotor so that rotation of said set of pedals in either direction does not cause transmission of said rotary drive motion to said bi-lateral drive traction mechanisms,
• (ii) at one of said forward and rearward positions of said levers said input ends of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies are at one of said displaced drive positions of said input ends so as to engage said inner concentric surfaces of said respective grooves on said rotor so that pedaling rotation of said set of pedals in either direction causes transmission of said rotary drive motion at a higher gear ratio in the direction of said pedaling rotation, and
• (iii) at the other of said forward and rearward positions of said levers said input ends of said rotary drive motion transmitting assemblies are at the other of said displaced drive positions of said input ends so as to engage said outer concentric surfaces of said respective grooves on said rotor so that pedaling rotation of said set of pedals in either direction causes transmission of said rotary drive motion at a lower gear ratio in the direction of said pedaling rotation.