Machine element or mechanism – Mechanical movements – Oscillation or reciprocation to intermittent unidirectional...
Patent
1991-08-23
1993-12-28
Herrmann, Allan D.
Machine element or mechanism
Mechanical movements
Oscillation or reciprocation to intermittent unidirectional...
280234, 280246, 2802881, 482 62, B62M 112, F16H 2900, A63B 2212
Patent
active
052729281
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention concerns the production of power by human endeavour. More particularly it concerns the production of power at a rotating or rotatable shaft by a human being. The invention was designed for the more efficient propulsion of a wheeled vehicle by its occupants, in which form it may be used to propel a bicycle. However, it is applicable also to the propulsion of tricycles and four-wheeled cycles, to wheeled chairs, to exercise bicycles and other exercise machines, and to electrical power generation. For convenience, the invention will be described in this specification with particular emphasis being given to its bicycle application.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
The basic design of the bicycle has progressed little during the last thirty years. Most bicycles are driven by a chain which connects a crank wheel (also called a chain wheel or a sprocket wheel) to the hub of a wheel of the bicycle (usually the rear wheel). The crank wheel or chain wheel is rotated by a rotary pedalling action by the rider of the bicycle, who sits astride the bicycle in an essentially upright position.
Among recent developments in bicycles are lever propelled cycles and cycles propelled by a rowing action (sometimes in conjunction with another propulsion mechanism). For example, lever propelled bicycles are featured in the specifications of
Among the bicycles propelled by rowing are the "ROWCYCLE" produced by Rowcycle Corporation of Fresno, Calif., and the cycle featured in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,370 (to Ben Lindsey Jr).
An exercise bicycle utilizing both a rowing and a circular pedalling action is described in UK patent publication No. GB-A-2151562 (of UK patent application No. 8415700 to Antonio G. Zarco). The specification of Australian patent No. 574,588 (to Y Wu) describes a dual system bicycle propelled by conventional rotary pedalling assisted by an up and down movement of a handle device which is also used to steer the bicycle.
A "rowing" exercise cycle is described by Robert L. Sink in the specification of his U.S. Pat. No. 3,895,825. With that equipment, rotation of the rear wheel of the exercise cycle is achieved by the oscillatory movement of a driving column by the user's hands and feet.
With the exception of the "ROWCYCLE" (which is a tricycle), these prior art cycles all require the operator to sit astride the cycle in a conventional manner. The "ROWCYCLE" operator can adopt a reclined position-as can the operator of the combined hand-pedalled and foot-pedalled, front wheel driven bicycle described in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 3,910,599 (to John C. Thomas).
DISCLOSURE OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
As some of the designers of the lever driven cycles referred to above may have appreciated, a rotary pedalling action is not the most efficient way of utilising the strength characteristics of the human leg. The nearer the leg is to being straight, the more power it can deliver. For example, it has been reported that the human leg, when pushing the foot away from the body in a straight line (as in raising the body from a squatting position to a standing position) can exert 80 percent more force when the leg is almost straight than it can when the leg is fully bent. Thus, ideally, the power that is transmitted to the driving hub of a bicycle should be transmitted while the leg is straightening, and most power should be delivered at the end of the straightening action of the leg. However, in the conventional pedalling action of a bicycle, most power is provided to the bicycle before the leg of the rider reaches its most straightened position.
It will be apparent from a review of the above-mentioned prior art that in the development of mechanisms for propelling a cycle, only limited attention has been given to the possibility of using the rider's arms to assist or perform the propulsion of the cycle. However, not every person has full normal use of his or her legs, and persons unable to use their legs are deprived from cycling. Manual self-propulsion of such persons is ess
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