1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to bicycles possessing a propulsion system composed of lever machines.
2. Prior Art
In the bicycle industry there are a multitude of pedal propulsion systems that offer a wide variety of commuting benefits for the bicyclist. Notably, these are pedaling systems that provide multi speed human powered propulsion that allows the rider to pedal with little effort up an incline and increase in speed efficiently.
Currently, the prevalent configuration of bicycles in the market place have a rotary pedaling system that utilizes two pedals, pivotally connected to a rigid assembly of two crank arms and a crank sprocket. Furthermore, these two crank arms mounted to a crank sprocket engage a transmission chain for engaging the rear sprocket of the rear wheel. These pedaling systems vary from multi speed to single speed, but their mechanical nature restricts their frame design to century old principle structures; which is the need for a bicycle frame to suspends the crank shaft between the front and rear wheels. Furthermore, although these rotary systems utilize crank sprockets in the form of the wheel and axel machine, they cannot have more mechanical advantage than the lever machine, because the fulcrum or shaft of the crank arms is usually positioned close to the level of axels belonging to the bicycles transport providing wheels. This level restricts the length of the crank arms which acts as levers on the wheel and axel because of its proximity to the ground. However, a lever machine usually amplifies the spreading of propulsion effort along a longer distance and has movements concentrated to pivotal swings instead of a one direction rotational path. Thus, being significantly free from the vertical restrictions of the ground and the riders range of motion. Because, this effort to move a transport load is spread over a much longer distance using a lever arm than the crank arm, a rider pedaling with levers will have lesser effort pedaling a bicycle.
There have been a myriad of bicycle inventions exploiting the mechanical advantage of the lever machine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,173 to Graham (1987) discloses a bicycle having a lever configured pedaling system, with fulcrums positioned behind the rear wheel axel and lever arms extending between the bicycle's transport providing wheels. However, the illustrated lever arms cannot possibly provide sound pedaling efficiency as discovered by my observation of similar lever arms built and applied to a two wheeled vehicle frame. My experimentation with such levers having a pivotal pedal that extended out horizontally from the frontal outer wall of each lever yielded evidence of the right lever twisting clockwise when applying downward force on its pedal and the left lever twisting counter clockwise when applying downward force on its pedal. Looking at the shape of the levers as illustrated in the patent application (U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,173) (FIG. 3), the levers 48 and 50 have the potential for twisting in a like manner, like the similar levers conducted in my experiment. The invention also utilizes an indirect transmission means from the lever to the sprocket of the rear wheel, however, the lever enhanced pedaling system (L.E.P.S.) uses a direct transmission means from it levers to the sprockets of the rear wheel. As illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,173 the first transmission chain from the lever is a shaft arm and ratchet for moving the pedal sprocket above the rear wheel in one direction. The second transmission means is a chain connected to the pedal sprocket to the rear wheel sprocket. The lever enhanced pedaling system (L.E.P.S.) skips over the extra weight of an indirect transmission means allowing designers using this system to produce a more aero dynamic, less bulky and more efficient bicycle.
Two inventions utilizing the advantages of the lever machine is U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,174 to Efros (1987) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,927 to Islas (1994). These inventions are composed of a bicycle having a lever configured pedaling system, with fulcrums positioned in front of the rear wheel axel providing lever ends with the ability to pivot below the bicycles mid-frame portion. These lever pedaling systems have lesser mechanical advantage than the lever enhanced pedaling system (L.E.P.S.), because their levers are shorter in length and thus the effort needed to propel the rider is spread out in a shorter distance from the applied force of the riders foot to the fulcrum. The lever enhanced pedaling system has a principle configuration which allows the fulcrums to be behind the axel of the rear wheel while its levers are extended from that pivotal area to the area between the vehicle's two wheels. Thus, its lever machines are longer in length than the lever machines in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,666,174 and 5,335,927 which gives the lever enhance pedaling system a greater mechanical advantage.
As mention before, the current standard mechanical configuration of bicycles, which has been around since the 19th century, restricts their frame design to having a bicycle frame that suspends the crank shaft between the front and rear wheels. This frame design is usually triangular and tubular, like the U.S. Pat. No. 5,405,157 to Bezerra (1995). The fulcrum of the lever machines in this patent application is suspended by the frame of the bicycle between the front and rear wheels. U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,035 to Anderson (1989) also has a triangular tubular structure and besides it having a lesser mechanical advantage than the L.E.P.S., because its' lever is shorter in length, much of its complex mechanical configuration is exposed, allowing its mechanical components to diminish the beauty of the frames form. The mechanical configuration of the L.E.P.S. allows for a frame structure that conceals much of its' mechanical interactions between its' levers, transmission chains and rear wheel sprockets, thus adding more stream line appeal to the bicycle as well as marketability.
Notably, besides the objects and advantages of the lever enhanced pedaling system described in my above patent, several objects and advantages of the present invention are:
Further objects and advantages are to provide an enhanced lever pedaling bicycle free from the suspension of a crank set between its two wheels, thus allowing bicycle designers more room for creativity in frame design. Still further, advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
In accordance with the present invention the lever enhanced pedaling system for bicycles comprises a pedaling system enabling little effort needed to propel the vehicle and a vehicle with a principle configuration allowing the absence of a vertically open through structure or tubular triangular frame, or any portion of the bicycles' frame in the area between the vehicles two wheels or horizontally adjacent to that area.
Below is a description or definition of components, assemblies, materials and the mechanical configurations according to drawings illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 5 & 8. The lever enhanced propulsion bicycle is composed of a frame 4 with each outer layer, apart from the stirring cylinder, being cold bent from one piece of ¼″ thick Aluminum sheet metal. Between the inner portions of these sides are two layers of ¼″ thick Aluminum sheet metal, cold bent and welded together in the “Y” shape 4 for holding the seat post cylinder between their inner divided walls. The seat post cylinder is welded on opposite sides to the inner surfaces of the “Y” shaped assembly 4, close to where they make two tangent contacts within the “Y” structure. This “Y” shaped assembly is between the outer layers of the frame 4, extending from the stirring cylinder and ending above the rear brake components 5. The rear walls of the frame 4 are reinforced, horizontally (
The front wheel 2 is fastened to the front forks and the rear wheel 26 is fastened between the rear layers of the frame 4. The rear wheel 26 is composed of a freestyle hub, with spokes extending to the rim and a tire around the rim. Each side of the hub has a sprocket 34 connected to it with one direction rotation ability. These sprockets 34 are rigidly joined to their member modified sprocket 57 (
A chain member 33 of each modified sprocket 57 is to engage its teeth (
According to the illustrations in
The spring and chain connector 49 is composed of a metallic cylinder being occupied from its rear opening by the transmission chain 33. A bolt descends through the top rear surface of the cylinder, then through an opening in the chain 33 and then through the lower surface of the cylinder 49. The bolt is fastened in place by a nut. The frontal portion of the cylinder 49 is to be occupied by the transmission chain retractor spring 50 fastened in place within the cylinder by a JB Weld resin. The frontal end of the transmission chain retractor spring is fastened in place with a bolt 55 (
The description or definition of the components, assemblies, materials and mechanical configuration in drawing
Between the inner surfaces of the rear portion of the frame between the angles dividing the frame and the rear wheel are two parallel beams 64 with bent end flat against the inner surface of frame fastened in place (
The reverse system allows the rear wheel 26 to be moved backwards, free from the transmission chains 33, which have limited movement. The description or definition of the components, assemblies, materials and mechanical configuration in drawing
The system is composed of a manual lever 30, a cable 32 for each rear wheel sprocket, a pulley system 31 for each cable, and disk shaped machine 35 for each system mounted to opposite inner surfaces of the frame with pivotal ability.
The manual lever 30 is composed of an assembly of two parallel linear members fixed to perpendicularly to a plate (
The description or definition of the components, assemblies, materials and mechanical configuration in drawing
The foundation for suspending the levers is composed of steel threaded shaft 54 (
Operation—FIGS. 1 to 7
The operational manner of using the L.E.P.S. and its' mechanical reactions are unique when compared to the prior art stated in this application. The description or definition of the components, assemblies, materials and mechanical reactions in
Each transmission chain member 33 that is associated with the pedal 36 being depressed, would directly rotate its rear wheel sprocket member 57 forward, thus rotating the rear wheel 26 connected to it forward. Torque would be transferred from the modified sprocket 57 to the rear wheel sprocket 34 to the rear wheel 26. The three stated components are rigidly coupled to one another making them one assembly. Thus, the rear wheel 26 would rotate forward moving the bike forward. If the right propulsion lever 15 was depressed, then the reciprocal chain end 6 fastened with pivotal ability to the lever assembly 15 would be pulled down while engaging the teeth of its right side sprocket member 56 mounted within the frame of the bike (
Besides the improved conditions of the bicycle with L.E.P.S., the bicycle would come standard with front breaks, back breaks and reflectors for night cycling.
This application is a Continuation-In-Part application of Ser. No. 10/825,369, currently pending filed on Apr. 16, 2004.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 10825369 | Apr 2004 | US |
Child | 11260003 | Oct 2005 | US |