Claims
- 1. A pedal powered drive mechanism having an axis, the mechanism comprising:a housing having a shaft bearing support comprising two axially spaced apart shaft bearing cradles; a crank shaft, disposed on the axis and in the cradles, with opposing crank arms and pedal mounts extending perpendicular to the crank shaft axis and outward of the cradles; a pulley disposed on the shaft between the cradles; mounting means on the shaft and pulley for mounting the pulley to be driven by the shaft, the mounting means including central opening means on the pulley for sliding a pulley central opening along the shaft over at least one said pedal mount; and collar means disposed on the shaft between the pulley and each cradle.
- 2. A drive mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the mounting means comprise:a plurality of elongate axially extending splines along the shaft; and matching elongate grooves about the pulley central opening.
- 3. A drive mechanism according to claim 2 having splines and grooves of substantially rectangular cross-section.
- 4. A drive mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the shaft includes four splines in a cruciform array.
- 5. A drive mechanism according to claim 2 wherein the splines and grooves have resilient locking means for locating and securing the shaft and pulley in axial relation.
- 6. A drive mechanism according to claim 5 wherein the resilient locking means comprise tapered mating surfaces symmetric about a transverse central plane of the pulley.
- 7. A drive mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the shaft includes transverse shoulders axially outward of the cradles.
- 8. A drive mechanism according to claim 1 wherein each cradle encircles the shaft and includes a removable semi-cylindrical bracket.
- 9. A drive mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the pulley is a toothed pulley and the mechanism includes a drive belt engaging a periphery of the toothed pulley and the periphery of a final drive disc mounted co-axially on a longitudinal propeller axle.
- 10. A drive mechanism according to claim 9, the toothed pulley journaled for rotation about said transverse axis and wherein the drive belt is twisted by a 90° angle between the toothed pulley and final drive disc.
- 11. A drive mechanism according to claim 9 including idler rollers engaging the drive belt between the toothed pulley and disc.
- 12. A drive mechanism according to claim 11 wherein the housing comprises two mating shells about the idler rollers, final drive disc and a portion of the belt.
- 13. An aquatic vehicle comprising:a buoyant hull with a central longitudinal axis and saddle seat; steering means mounted to the hull for manual steering by the passenger; and pedal powered drive means having an axis mounted to the hull for driving a stem mounted propeller wherein the mechanism comprises: a housing having a shaft bearing support comprising two axially spaced apart shaft bearing cradles; a crank shaft, disposed on the axis and in the cradles, with opposing crank arms and pedal mounts extending perpendicular to the crank shaft axis and outward of the cradles; a pulley disposed on the shaft between the cradles; mounting means on the shaft and pulley for mounting the pulley to be driven by the shaft, the mounting means including central opening means on the pulley for sliding a pulley central opening along the shaft over at least one said pedal mount; and collar means disposed on the shaft between the pulley and each cradle.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/375,036 filed on Aug. 16, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,835.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/375036 |
Aug 1999 |
US |
Child |
09/671396 |
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US |