Human powered machine and conveyance with reciprocating pedals
First Claim
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1. A user powered machine, comprising:
- a body including a seat for a machine user, anda user powered drive system on said body including user actuated means movable by the action of the machine user through alternate power and return strokes, driven means, and mechanical power transmission means connecting said user actuated means and driven means for driving said driven means in one direction of rotation upon movement of said user actuated means through said power and return strokes, and whereinsaid mechanical transmission means comprises translator means drivably coupled to said driven means for movement in a forward direction to drive said driven means in said one direction of rotation and in an opposite return direction relative to said driven means, and force transmission means connecting said user actuated means and said translator means in a manner such that movement of said user actuated means through said power and return strokes moves said translator means in said forward and return directions alternately to drive said driven means in said one direction of rotation,said driven means comprises a rotary driven shaft,said translator means comprise translator wheel means rotatable on said shaft, and means connecting said wheel means and shaft in a manner such that rotation of said wheel means in said forward direction drives said shaft in its one direction of rotation and said wheel means are rotatable on said shaft in said return direction,said force transmission means comprise cable means trained about and in driving engagement with said translator wheel means between the ends of said cable means, spring means securing one end of said cable means to said body, and means securing the opposite end of said cable means to said suer actuated means, whereby movement of said user actuated means through a power stroke moves said cable means in one endwise direction against the force of said spring means to drive said wheel means in said forward direction and thereby drive said shaft in its one direction of rotation and movement of said suer actuated means through a return stroke releases said cable means for movement in the opposite endwise direction by said spring means to effect rotation of said wheel means in said return direction on said shaft.
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Abstract
A machine powered by forces exerted by the machine user on machine driving members, such as pedals, which drive a rotary driven member through a unique variable ratio drive system. The machine may be constructed and arranged for use as either a vehicular conveyance for the machine, user or a stationary exercise machine both of which operate in a manner that provides an effective therapeutic exercise for certain orthopedic problems, particularly spine and leg problems. A drive system for the machine and other uses.
288 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A user powered machine, comprising:
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a body including a seat for a machine user, and a user powered drive system on said body including user actuated means movable by the action of the machine user through alternate power and return strokes, driven means, and mechanical power transmission means connecting said user actuated means and driven means for driving said driven means in one direction of rotation upon movement of said user actuated means through said power and return strokes, and wherein said mechanical transmission means comprises translator means drivably coupled to said driven means for movement in a forward direction to drive said driven means in said one direction of rotation and in an opposite return direction relative to said driven means, and force transmission means connecting said user actuated means and said translator means in a manner such that movement of said user actuated means through said power and return strokes moves said translator means in said forward and return directions alternately to drive said driven means in said one direction of rotation, said driven means comprises a rotary driven shaft, said translator means comprise translator wheel means rotatable on said shaft, and means connecting said wheel means and shaft in a manner such that rotation of said wheel means in said forward direction drives said shaft in its one direction of rotation and said wheel means are rotatable on said shaft in said return direction, said force transmission means comprise cable means trained about and in driving engagement with said translator wheel means between the ends of said cable means, spring means securing one end of said cable means to said body, and means securing the opposite end of said cable means to said suer actuated means, whereby movement of said user actuated means through a power stroke moves said cable means in one endwise direction against the force of said spring means to drive said wheel means in said forward direction and thereby drive said shaft in its one direction of rotation and movement of said suer actuated means through a return stroke releases said cable means for movement in the opposite endwise direction by said spring means to effect rotation of said wheel means in said return direction on said shaft. - View Dependent Claims (3, 5)
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2. A user powered machine, comprising:
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a body including a seat for a machine user, and a user powered drive system on said body including user actuated means movable by the action of the machine suer through alternate power and return strokes, driven means, and mechanical power transmission means connecting said user actuated means and driven means for driving said driven means in one direction of rotation upon movement of said user actuated means through said power and return strokes, and wherein said mechanical transmission means comprises translator means drivably coupled to said driven means for movement in a forward direction to drive said driven means in said one direction of rotation and in an opposite return direction relative to said driven means, and force transmission means connecting said user actuated means and said translator means in a manner such that movement of said user actuated means through said power and return strokes moves said translator means in said forward and return directions alternately to drive said driven means in said one direction of rotation, said user actuated means comprise two user actuated members independently movable in a reciprocatory motion and power and return strokes by action of the vehicle operator, said driven means comprises a rotary driven shaft, said translator means comprises a pair of translator wheels rotatable on said shaft and associated with said user actuated members, respectively, and means connecting each wheel and said shaft in a manner such that rotation of each wheel in said forward direction rotates said shaft in its one direction of rotation and each wheel is rotatable in said return direction on said shaft, said force transmission means comprise a cable trained between its ends about and in driving engagement with each translator wheel, a spring securing one end of each cable to said body, and means securing the opposite end of each cable to the associated user actuated member, whereby movement of each user actuated member through a power moves the respective cable in one endwise direction against the force of its spring to drive the respective wheel in said forward direction and thereby said shaft in its one direction of rotation and movement of each user actuated member through a return stroke releases the respective cable for movement in the opposite endwise direction by its spring to rotate the respective wheel in said return direction on said shaft. - View Dependent Claims (4, 6)
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7. A user powered machine, comprising:
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a body including a seat for a machine user, a user powered drive system on said body including user actuated means movable through alternate power and return strokes by action of the vehicle user, rotary driven means, and mechanical power transmission means connecting said user actuated means and said driven means for driving said driven means in one direction of rotation during each power stroke of said user actuated means, and wherein said mechanical transmission means has a drive ratio equal to the ratio of any given power stroke length of said user actuated means and the angle through which said driven means is rotated in said one direction by movement of said user actuated means through said given power stroke length, and said mechanical transmission means includes shift means for varying said drive ratio, said user actuated means comprises two user actuated members each movable through alternate power and return strokes, said mechanical transmission means comprises a separate mechanical transmission connecting each user actuated member and said driven means, and said shift means comprises means for varying the drive ratio of each said separate transmission. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A user powered machine, comprising:
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a body including a seat for a machine user, a user powered drive system on said body including user actuated means movable through alternate power and return strokes by action of the vehicle user, rotary driven means, and mechanical power transmission means connecting said user actuated means and said driven means for driving said driven means in one direction of rotation during each power stroke of said user actuated means, and wherein said mechanical transmission means comprises a plurality of separate, generally parallel mechanical drive trains, shift means for selectively drivably connecting said user actuated means and said driven means through any of said drive trains, and said drive trains have different drive ratios such that movement of said user actuated means through a power stroke of a certain stroke length when connected to said driven means through one of said drive trains drives said driven means through a first angle in said one direction of rotation, and movement of said user actuated means through a power stroke of said certain stroke length when connected to said driven means through another of said drive trains drives said driven means through a second angle in said one direction of rotation. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A user powered machine, comprising:
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a body including a seat for a machine user, a user powered drive system on said body including two user actuated members movable by action of the vehicle user through alternate power stroke and return strokes, rotary driven means, and mechanical power transmission means connecting said user actuated means and said driven means for driving said driven means in one direction of rotation during each power stroke of said user actuated means, and wherein said mechanical transmission means comprises rotary driven shaft means drivably coupled to said first mentioned driven means and rotatable in one direction to drive said latter means in its one direction of rotation, at least two oscillatory translator wheel pairs each including two similar translator wheels rotatable on said shaft means and associated with said user actuated members, respectively, means connecting each wheel and said shaft means in a manner such that each wheel is rotatable in a forward direction to drive said shaft means in its one direction of rotation and each wheel is rotatable in an opposite return direction on said shaft means, a drive cable trained about and disposed in driving engagement with each translator wheel, whereby said transmission means includes a first group of cables drivably engaging the translator wheels associated with one user actuated member and a second group of cables drivably engaging the translator wheels associated with the other user actuated member, shift means for selectively connecting any cable of each cable group to the corresponding user actuated member in a manner such that movement of the respective user actuated member through a power stroke moves the connected cable in one endwise direction to drive its engaged translator wheel in its forward direction and thereby said shaft means in its one direction of rotation through wheel and shaft rotation angles related to the effective diameter of the engaged wheel, cable return means for effecting movement of the connected cable in the opposite endwise direction to drive its engaged translator wheel in its return direction of rotation relative to said shaft means upon movement of the corresponding user actuated member through a return stroke, and the translator wheels of each wheel pair have substantially the same effective diameter and the translator wheels of different wheel pairs have different effective diameters, whereby movement of each user actuated member through a power stroke of certain stroke length when connected to one cable of its respective cable group rotates said shaft means through a certain angle in said one direction of rotation, and movement of each user actuated member through a power stroke of said certain stroke length when connected to another cable of its respective cable group rotates said shaft means through a different angle in said one direction of rotation. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A drive system, comprising:
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a frame, driving means mounted on said frame for movement through alternate power and return strokes, rotary driven means on said frame, mechanical power transmission means connecting said driving means and said driven means for driving said driving means in one direction of rotation upon movement of said driving means through said power and return strokes, and wherein said mechanical transmission comprises translator means drivably coupled to said driven means for movement in a forward direction to drive said driven means in said one direction of rotation and in an opposite return direction relative to said driven means, and force transmission means connecting said driven means, and force transmission means manner such that movement of said driving means through said power and return strokes moves said translator means in said forward and return directions alternately to drive said driven means in said one direction of rotation, said driven means comprises a rotary driven shaft, said translator means comprises an oscillatory translator wheel means rotatable on said shaft, and means coupling said wheel means to said shaft in such manner that rotation of the wheel means in said forward direction drives said shaft in its one direction of rotation and said wheel means are rotatable on said shaft in said return direction, and said force transmission means comprise cable means trained between its ends about and disposed in driving engagement with said wheel means, spring means securing one end of said cable means to said frame, and means securing the other end of said cable means to said driving means in a manner such that movement of said driving means through a power stroke moves said cable means in one endwise direction to rotate said wheel means in said forward direction, whereby movement of said driving means through a return stroke effects movement of said cable means in the opposite endwise direction to rotate said translator wheel means in said return direction.
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22. A drive system, comprising:
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a frame, driving means mounted on said frame for movement through alternate power and return strokes, rotary driven means on said frame, mechanical power transmission means connecting said driving means and said driven means for driving said driven means in one direction of rotation upon movement of said driving means through said power and return strokes, and wherein said mechanical transmission means comprises translator means drivably coupled to said driven means for movement in a forward direction to drive said driven means in said one direction of rotation and in an opposite return direction relative to said driven means, and force transmission means connecting said driving means and said translator means in a manner such that movement of said driving means through said power and return stokes moves said translator means in said forward and return directions alternately to drive said driven means in said one direction of rotation, said driving means comprise two driving members independently movable in a reciprocatory motion through said power and return strokes, said driven means comprises a rotary driven shaft, said translator means comprises a pair of translator wheels rotatable on said shaft and associated with said driving members, respectively, and means connecting each wheel and said shaft in a manner such that rotation of each wheel in said forward direction rotates said shaft in its one direction of rotation and each wheel is rotatable in said return direction on said shaft, and said force transmission means comprise a cable trained between its ends about and in driving engagement with each translator wheel, a spring securing one end of each cable to said frame, and means securing the opposite end of each cable to the associated driving member, whereby movement of each member through a power moves the respective cable in one endwise direction against the force of its spring to drive the respective wheel in said forward direction and thereby said shaft in its one direction of rotation and movement of each member through a return stroke releases the respective cable for movement in the opposite endwise direction by its spring to rotate the respective wheel in said return direction on said shaft.
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23. A drive system, comprising:
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a frame, driving means mounted on said frame for movement through alternate power and return strokes, rotary driven means on said frame, mechanical power transmission means connecting said driving means and said driven means for driving said driven means in one direction of rotation during each power stroke of said driving means, and wherein said mechanical transmission means has a drive ratio equal to the ratio of any given power stroke length of said driving means and the angle through which said driven means is rotated in said one direction by movement of said driving means through said given power stroke length, and said mechanical transmission means includes shift means for varying said drive ratio, said driving means comprises two driving members independently movable through alternate power and return strokes, said mechanical transmission means comprises a separate mechanical transmission connecting each driving member and said driven means, and said shift means comprises means for varying the drive ratio of each said separate transmission.
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24. A drive system, comprising:
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a frame, driving means mounted on said frame for movement through alternate power and return strokes, rotary driven means an said frame, mechanical power transmission means connecting said driving means and said driven means for driving said driven means in one direction of rotation during each power stroke of said driving means, and wherein said mechanical transmission means comprises a plurality of separate, generally parallel mechanical drive trains, shift means for selectively drivably connecting said driving means and said driven means through any of said drive trains, and said drive trains have different drive ratios such that movement of said driving means through a power stroke of a certain stroke length when connected to said driven means through one of said drive trains drives said driven means through a first angle in said one direction of rotation, and movement of said driving means through a power stroke of said certain stroke length when connected to said driven means through another of said drive trains drives said driven means through a second angle in said one direction of rotation. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification