Motorized terrestrial surf-board

• US 4,151,892 A
• Filed: 04/04/1977
• Issued: 05/01/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frank Francken
• Original Assignee: Frank Francken
• Inventors: Francken, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Silverstrim, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/784,433
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 180/77 R, 180/77 H, 180/1 G, 180/1 R, 280/87.04 R, 280/87.04 A, 280/87.04 B, 280/87.1, 280/265, 280/266, 280/220, 280/221, 280/11.11 E, 74/471 XY, 74/478
• US Class Current: 180/333
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/01 Skateboards A63C17/02 - A63C17/28 take precedence; rolling devices on skis A63C5/035
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/013 with parallelograms, follow up wheels or direct steering action
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/015 with wheels arranged in two pairs
• CPC Class Codes: A63C 17/12 with driving mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 21/183 specially adapted for sports vehicles, e.g. race, dune buggies, go-karts tubular skeleton B62D23/005
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 5/02 mechanical, e.g. using a power-take-off mechanism for taking power from a rotating shaft of the vehicle and applying it to the steering gear
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 51/00 Motor vehicles characterised by the driver not being seated wheeled carriers for golf bags A63B55/60
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20189 Foot operated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 74/20201 Control moves in two planes

Abstract

The disclosure is of a sporting vehicle which is the combination of a frame mounted on at least three ground wheels two of which are steerable, a driving engine on the frame, a foot board tiltable about a transverse axis for controlling the speed of the engine and also tiltable about a longitudinal axis for steering the steerable wheels.

Claims

1. A sporting vehicle comprising:

a frame having at least three wheels thereon, two of which are mounted for steering motion on said frame and a steering mechanism;

a driving engine on said frame and having a speed control means;

a transverse shaft fixed on said frame;

a first bushing rotatable on said transverse shaft;

a longitudinally extending shaft fixed to said first bushing;

a board;

at least two second bushings mounted on said board intermediate its ends, said second bushings rotatably mounted on said longitudinally extending shaft;

one of said second bushings having a downwardly extending protrusion extending to said steering control mechanism whereby lateral tilting of said board around said longitudinally extending shaft effects steering movement of said two wheels; and

said longitudinally extending shaft being coupled to said speed control means for controlling the speed of said engine in response to tilting of said board and longitudinally extending shaft about said transverse shaft.

2. A sporting vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said two wheels are each journalled on means carried by upstanding axles each of which has a transverse lever and a connecting rod pivoted to each of said levers and having protrusions and comprising said steering control mechanism;

said downwardly extending protrusion engaging between said protrusions of said connecting rod;

said board being of shallow upwardly concave shape in transverse section and of shallow V-shape in the fore and aft direction, the rear arm of the V being shorter than the front arm thereof.