Vehicle propulsion
AssigneeMeg McCall
InventorJames Van Gompel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle propulsion system having a mount; a rotation shaft oriented substantially normal to a plane of travel of a vehicle; a fixture coupled to the rotation shaft, the fixture being rotatable about a rotation shaft axis of the rotation shaft; and an oar assembly coupled to the fixture; wherein the coupling is coupled to the fixture, wherein the rotation shaft axis is substantially normal to the rotational axis; wherein the coupling is coupled to the fixture to permit rotation of the oar assembly about the rotation axis when the lock is locked.
Claims17
A vehicle propulsion system comprising:
- a clevis including a base portion configured to couple to a substantially vertical vehicle support post such that the base portion rotates about a vehicle support post longitudinal axis, and a top portion configured to support a pivot pin along a generally horizontal rotation axis;
- a generally cylindrical pivot pin coupled to the clevis and rotatable about the generally horizontal rotation axis;
- a left tube including a central hole in a left tube end proximate to the clevis, wherein the pivot pin passes through the central hole, whereby the left tube is coupled to the pivot pin and the rotates about the pivot pin, a longitudinal axis of the left tube located in a plane generally perpendicular to the generally horizontal rotation axis, a left tube end distal to the clevis configured for coupling to a blade;
- and
- a right tube including a front outer plate and a rear outer plate extending from an end of the right tube proximate to the clevis, the front outer plate and the rear outer plate each including a hole, wherein the end of the left tube proximate to the clevis is interposed between the front outer plate and the rear outer plate, aligning the front outer plate hole, the rear outer plate hole, and the central hole, wherein the pivot pin passes through the front outer plate hole and the rear outer plate hole, wherein a longitudinal axis of the right tube is located in the plane generally perpendicular to the generally horizontal rotation axis, a right tube end distal to the clevis further configured for coupling to a blade, the end of the right tube proximate to the clevis further comprising a lock configured to removably engage with the left tube, whereby a position of the right tube relative to the left tube is locked when the lock is engaged with the left tube.
A method for coupling a vehicle propulsion system to a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
- coupling a clevis to a substantially vertical vehicle support post, the clevis including a base portion configured to couple to the vehicle support post such that the base portion rotates about a vehicle support post longitudinal axis;
- aligning a central hole in a first end of a left tube with a front outer plate hole of a front outer plate of a right tube, and with a back outer plate hole of a front outer plate of the right tube the front outer plate and the back outer plate are coupled to a first end of the right tube, wherein the first end of the left tube is interposed between the front outer plate and the rear outer plate;
- rotationally coupling the right tube and left tube by passing a cylindrical pivot pin through the central hole, the back outer plate hole, and the front outer plate hole;
- and
- coupling the pivot pin to a top portion of the clevis, wherein the pivot pin is rotatable and supported in a generally horizontal rotation axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.