Front suspension and steering system for cycles and motorcycles having two interdependent points of support on the ground

• US 4,375,293 A
• Filed: 11/04/1980
• Issued: 03/01/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Francisco Solbes
• Original Assignee: Francisco Solbes
• Inventors: Solbes, Francisco
• Primary Examiner(s): Peters, Jr., Joseph F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAR, MICHAEL Y
• Application Number:
  US06/203,957
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 280/21 R, 280/21 A, 280/209, 280/267, 280/268, 280/6.11, 280/682, 280/111, 280/690, 280/696, 280/670, 280/672, 280/112 A, 280/691
• US Class Current: 280/22.1
• CPC Class Codes: B62B 19/00 Runners for carrying wheeled vehicles to facilitate travel on ice or snow
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 2005/001 Suspension details for cycles with three or more main road wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 21/00 Steering devices steering devices specially adapted for one particular kind of cycle specified in groups B62K1/00 - B62K17/00, see the relevant group
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 25/08 for front wheel
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/027 Motorcycles with three wheels specially adapted for disabled riders B62K5/023
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 5/10 with means for inwardly inclining the vehicle body on bends

Abstract

The present invention relates to a suspension and steering system enabling the road holding, braking efficiency and safety of presently known cycles and motorcycles of all types, on wheels or on skis, to be increased, while maintaining their capacity to bank when cornering, their handling ability and small dimensions. This system is composed of the combination of two sub-systems:--the suspension sub-system intended to carry two wheels or two skis, comprises: (a) a mechanism composed of two forks, two pairs of guide shafts, and two supports. The forks move over the guide shafts which are fixed to the supports; (b) a mechanism composed of a support, a rocking arm and a handle bar. This arm rocks on the axis of the support and allows the interdependent displacements of the forks;--the steering sub-system is intended on the one hand to carry the above mentioned mechanisms of the suspension sub-system and on the other hand to be articulated on the frame at the steering column and the reinforcing arm. It is composed of the devices which form the central shaft.

Claims

1. A cycle having a relatively long and narrow frame, a pair of members at one end of said frame for contacting a supporting surface and suspension means supporting and interconnecting said members and said frame, said suspension means comprising:

an arm pivotally mounted from said frame intermediate the ends of the arm for pivotal movement about an axis substantially parallel to the length direction of said frame;

a pair of substantially parallel, rectilinear guides extending in the direction downwardly of said arm and mounted from said frame in fixed vertical relation thereto, said guides being horizontally spaced from each other;

a pair of supports, one of said supports being mounted on one of said guides for rectilinear movement toward and away from said arm and the other of said supports being mounted on the other of said guides for rectilinear movement toward and away from said arm;

first means connecting one of said members to one of said supports for movement therewith;

second means connecting the other of said members to the other of said supports for movement therewith; and

means connecting the respective ends of said arm respectively to one of said supports and to the other of said supports, whereby said members are movable in opposite directions with respect to each other and along rectilinear, parallel paths with tilting of said frame in a direction transverse to the length of the frame.

2. A cycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cycle further comprises a steering assembly pivotally mounted on said frame for steering said cycle, and wherein said arm and said guides are mounted on said steering assembly for movement therewith.

3. A cycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein each of said first means and said second means comprises spring means and damping means for permitting the distance between a support and the end of an arm to vary.

4. A cycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said members are wheels and said supports are forks with arms, each of said wheels being mounted on an axle extending between the arms of a fork and being between the arms of the fork.

5. A cycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said members are skis and wherein said first means pivotally connects one of said skis to the first-mentioned one of said supports and said second means pivotally connects the other of said skis to the second-mentioned other of said supports.

6. A cycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cycle further comprises a steering assembly having a steering shaft pivotally mounted on said frame for steering said cycle, wherein said guides are mounted on said steering assembly and wherein said members are wheels.

7. A cycle as set forth in claim 6 wherein the axes of rotation of said wheels are disposed in a plane containing the axis of said shaft.

8. A cycle as set forth in claim 6 wherein the axes of rotation of said wheels and said means connecting the respective ends of said arms to the supports are disposed in a plane substantially parallel to a plane containing the axis of said shaft and on the side of said last-mentioned plane opposite from the side thereof at which said frame is disposed.

9. A cycle as set forth in claim 8 further comprising a reinforcing arm secured at one end to said frame and at its opposite end, pivotally engaging said shaft at the lower end thereof.

10. A cycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said arm is pivotally mounted on said frame by mounting means including an elastic sleeve.

11. A cycle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cycle includes a steering assembly at one end of said frame and wherein said arm is pivotally mounted on, and said guides are secured to, the opposite end of said frame.

12. A cycle having a relatively long and narrow frame, a pair of members at one end of said frame for contacting a supporting surface, a steering assembly having a central shaft pivotally mounted on said frame and having a steering member at the upper part of said shaft, and suspension means supporting and interconnecting said members and said steering assembly, said suspension means comprising:

an arm pivotally mounted on said assembly intermediate the ends of the arm for pivotal movement about an axis substantially parallel to the length direction of said frame;

a pair of guide support members mounted on and secured to said shaft in spaced relation to each other and in spaced relation to said steering member;

a pair of substantially parallel, rectilinear rods extending between and secured to said guide support members, said rods being spaced from each other;

a pair of forks, one of said forks being slidably mounted on one of said rods for rectilinear movement toward and away from said arm and having rotatable wheels engaging said shaft and the other of said forks being slidably mounted on the other of said rods for rectilinear movement toward and away from said arm and having rotatable wheels for engaging said shaft;

first means connecting one of the first-mentioned said members to one of said forks for movement therewith;

second means connecting the other of the first-mentioned said members to the other of said forks for movement therewith; and

means connecting the respective ends of said arm respectively to one of said forks and to the other of said forks.

13. A cycle as set forth in claim 12 wherein each of said first means and said second means comprises spring means and damping means for permitting the distance between a support and the ends of an arm to vary.

14. A cycle as set forth in claim 12 or 13 further comprising elastic means mounted on said guide rods intermediate each of said forks and the guide support member nearer said steering member.

15. A cycle as set forth in claim 12 or 13 in which each guide support member has oblong holes for receiving the ends of said rods whereby the positions of the rods may be adjusted.