Marine propulsion – Operator powered drive for propelling means – Having reciprocating pull cable
Patent
1987-03-24
1988-11-01
Basinger, Sherman D.
Marine propulsion
Operator powered drive for propelling means
Having reciprocating pull cable
440 25, 440 32, 280258, B63H 1616
Patent
active
047816309
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a vehicle which is actuated by muscular force as described in the introductory clause of claim 1.
Such vehicles have been in existence for decades, even centuries in the form of rowing boats, for example. However, because of the disadvantageous lever arms of the oars, a comparatively great effort is necessary to propel the rowing boat, and even the greatest effort results only in a very modest speed.
Attempts have been made for many years to overcome these and other disadvantages of the conventional rowing boat, as is evidenced by the following specifications:
In CH-A-No. 376 016 there is described a float in which a person in prone position can operate two levers, which, by person in prone position can operate two levers, which, by means of free wheeling axles and pinoins, and toothed gears, can rotate the propellers. This type of propulsion is very disadvantageous, not only from the ergonomical point of view, but also because the propellers are operated discontinuously. CH-A-No. 237 547 on the other hand, describes a paddle wheel propulsion method as used in contemporary pedalos, essentially consisting of an offset shaft on which paddle wheels are mounted, the shaft being rotated like a cam by means of a rod by the to-and fro-movement of a lever. This method is disadvantageous because the force is sinusoidally transmitted, and each to-and fro-movement of the lever has to overcome two dead centres.
The boat proposed in GB-A-No. 22,660 is equipped with a plurality of lever pairs acting on a common rod, which, by means of a knee lever and an additional rod and cam, or by means of a ratchet and pawl mechanism, rotate a toothed gear. The latter is in engagement with a pinion located at one end of a propeller shaft, and drives a propeller. However, as stated above, this design is disadvantageous and does not provide an optimum conversion of the bodily strength acting on the lever into forward thrust.
A similar watercraft is proposed by U.S. Pat. No. 1,793,528, according to which a cam gear is driven by means of a lever bar, which, in turn, either rotates a propeller by means of a drive unit, or a paddle wheel by means of belt. But this design does not produce optimum results either, because of the aforementioned reasons.
The torpedolike device according to DE-C-No. 917 712 also employs a cam gear, which, in this instance, is rotated by use of the body weight. This method is, however, again ergonomically disadvantageous, since it is impossible to achieve longterm performance by repeatedly rising from an sitting down on a seat designed to act as a lever.
BE-A-No. 766 327 likewise proposes a boat in which a cam gear is rotated by means of a lever bar, in order to drive in turn either a propeller or a paddle wheel. Therefore, this solution is also disadvantageous and requires further improvement.
In other vehicles of known construction that are actuated by muscular force, similar disadvantages occur. Here reference is merely made to the bicycle which has also been available for decades. As is well known, it is propelled by means of pedals and a sprocket wheel, by means of which a chain acts on the rear wheel. The disadvantage of this propulsion system is due to the fact that it only utilizes the leg muscles. Furthermore, the length of the pedals is fixed and the effect of the muscular effort is therefore limited.
It is the object of the present invention to overcome the above disadvantages and to design a vehicle in which optimum use is made of the general laws of physics on the one hand, and in which, on the other hand, optimum ergonomical use is made of the whole body, to achieve the greatest possible propulsion speed by moving the whole body and using its most varied muscle sections.
In accordance with the invention this task is solved by means of a vehicle as defined in claim 1. This vehicle may be a watercraft, a wheeled vehicle for use on land or a tracked vehicle for use in snow-covered areas, or even a light plane with propeller.
The advantages of the vehicle according to t
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Basinger Sherman D.
Brahan Thomas J.
Gertsch Product Innovation AG
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