 |
Description  |
|
|
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to propelled vehicular apparatus, and more
particularly to powered roller skates.
Various forms of powered roller skates or similar devices have been
suggested previously. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,857,008 and
3,876,032. U.S. Pat. No. 2,857,008 shows a roller skate powered by a motor
carried on the back of the user, with a flexible drive leading from the
motor to the rear wheel truck of one skate. The driven wheel of the patent
was driven via a ratchet arrangement so that the wheels could freewheel
over the speed of the motor. A special bearing-mounted axle was provided
for the driven wheel, with a bevel drive gearing internal to the wheel
truck, and a drive shaft extending upward and outward from the center rear
of the skate.
None of the prior art powered roller skate apparatus included features
enabling universality of application of a powered wheel truck to standard
roller skates, nor did the prior art contemplate an efficient drive system
in combination with the safer front wheel drive. Further, the prior art
lacks any teaching of an efficient back-pack type carrying system that
includes convenient throttle controle operation and starting and stopping
of the motor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The powered roller skate device of the present invention improves on prior
devices in several important ways. One very important feature of the
invention is its universality. A motor and flexible drive are connected to
a front wheel truck for a standard urethane-wheel roller skate. A single
bolt on these standard skates retains the front wheel truck in place,
designed with rubber cushioning to permit tipping or rocking of the skate
on the wheel truck axis. The single bolt is extracted to remove the
conventional wheel truck, and the powered wheel truck of the invention is
put in its place and retained by the same single bolt, still providing for
cushioned tipping as with the standard wheel truck.
The powering of a front wheel rather than a rear wheel is important for
stability and safety. Unlike rear wheel drive, if the user abruptly
applies power to the front wheel and the skate front tips up, the front
wheel lifts off the pavement so that balance is quickly regained.
Another important feature is the wheel drive system of the invention. One
wheel of the front wheel truck is driven by the flexible drive, preferably
through a right angle drive-direction changing gear box, so that the
flexible drive can extend generally upwardly, rather than outwardly from
the skate. Rigid struts extend outwardly, around the driven wheel, from a
rigid bar between the two front wheels. These struts support the
right-angle gear box and absorb reactive torque from the gear box when
power is applied. Connected to the drive output of the gear box is a hub
adjacent to the driven wheel, and a plurality of prongs from the hub
extend directly into the side of the urethane wheel to drive it. Thus, no
special wheel shaft and bearing arrangement is necessary, and the wheel
can be bearing-mounted in the same way as a standard roller skate wheel.
Preferably, a ratchet or other one-way drive device is included in the
drive hub or elsewhere between the flexible drive and the driven wheel to
permit freewheeling in the forward direction when the user desires to
coast and power is throttled. Also, gear reduction from the motor is
desirable, and this may be accomplished in the right angle gear box, of
which there may be two--one at either end of the flexible drive.
The motor may be supported on the user's back with a frame and shoulder
straps. One preferred feature of the invention is that the frame include
handle bars extending forwardly along the hips, with a throttle control
lever on one handle bar for easy reach and operation. A rope-start handle
preferably is also positioned along a handle bar within the user's reach,
leading back to an internal combustion engine via pulleys. A centrifugal
clutch may be used to control power application to the flexible drive.
Accordingly, a powered roller skate device according to the invention may
comprise a motor and means for supporting the motor on a user's body, a
front wheel truck for fitting a standard roller skate, including a central
rigid bar, a pair of wheels rotatably supported by the rigid bar at its
ends, and means attached to the rigid bar for removably mounting the front
wheel truck on a standard roller skate. The mounting means are
interchangeable with a standard front wheel truck and have removable
fastening means typical of a standard front wheel truck. Flexible drive
means extend between the motor and the front wheel truck. Wheel drive
means are connected to and powered by the flexible drive means for driving
one wheel of the front truck, and there is provided a motor control means
for regulating the speed of the motor.
It is therefore among the objects of the invention to improve on previous
powered roller skate devices by safely driving a front wheel of the skate
via a modular front wheel truck that fits nearly any conventional
soft-wheel roller skate. Some other objects are to improve on previous
wheel drive and drive train mechanisms and to provide convenience and ease
of use of the powered roller skate apparatus. Other objects, advantages,
features and characteristics of the invention will be apparent from the
following description of a preferred embodiment, considered along with the
accompanying drawings.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a powered roller skate apparatus
according to the invention, as worn on the back of a user and connected to
a roller skate.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the motor, attached to a back pack
type frame.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a roller skate with the wheel drive
apparatus of the invention attached.
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the roller skate.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view, partially exploded, showing the wheel truck
drive assembly.
FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of a skate with the drive apparatus
attached.
FIG. 7 is a view showing details of the wheel truck drive assembly.
FIG. 8 is a sectional elevation view, taken along the line 8--8 of FIG. 7,
showing the drive train in the wheel truck drive assembly.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
FIG. 1 shows a powered roller skate apparatus 10 according to the
invention, as worn on the back of a user and connected to one roller skate
11. The apparatus 10 includes a back pack type frame 12 supporting a motor
13, which is connected by a flexible drive 14 to a wheel drive unit 16
which is in turn connected to one front wheel 17 of the roller skate 11.
The wheel drive unit 16 and associated structure may be covered by a
removable shroud or sheath 20.
FIGS. 1 and 2 show the preferred construction of the back-carried frame 12.
It may include a lowered frame member 18 terminating in a pair of handle
bars 19 which extend forwardly adjacent to or somewhat below the hips of
the user. Hand grips 21 may be secured to the ends of the handle bars 19.
An upper frame member 22, generally U-shaped and somewhat similar to the
frame member 18, is affixed to the lower frame member 18 at points 23 just
behind the hand grips 21. Together with a pair of vertical relatively
rigid braces 24, the members 18 and 22 form a frame for positioning on the
back of the user. The frame members 18 and 22 are connected to the
vertical braces 24 where they cross them, at locations 26 and 27. A soft
padding 28 is connected to and positioned on the front side of the
vertical brace 24 for engaging the back of the user, and straps 29 extend
as indicated, for securement over the user's shoulders in the typical
manner of a back pack.
The motor 13 is connected to the rear of the frame assembly 12, and this
may be by appropriate braces and struts as shown at 31 and 32. The motor
may be a small gasoline-powered internal combustion engine such as the
chain saw engine indicated, and preferably there is a rope start handle 33
on one of the handle bars 19 or the frame member 22, within reach of the
operator for starting the motor. This leads to the motor via a cord 34
passing over one or more pulleys 36. A throttle control 37 is connected to
one of the handle bars 19 adjacent to a hand grip 21, and a choke control
38 preferably is also provided within reach of the operator, as indicated
in FIG. 2.
The motor 13 may be in driving connection with the roller skate wheel 17
via a chain 35 driving a sprocket 39, which in turn drives a right angle
gear box 41 the output of which is connected to a flexible drive shaft 42
which passes through the outer sheath 43 of the flexible drive unit 14. A
reduction gearing unit 40 may be included to reduce motor speed upstream
of the chain, and this unit 40 may include a clutch, preferably a
centrifugal clutch, as is typically included in a chain saw engine, so
that the clutch is engaged when the engine reaches a specified speed above
idle.
The output end 44 of the flexible drive shaft connects to a second right
angle gear box 46, 47 (FIG. 3) whose output shaft is connected to the
wheel 17.
A structural support 48 extends from the front wheel truck 49 including the
wheel 17 out to support the flexible drive 14 and the drive direction
changing gear box 46, 47, as indicated in FIG. 3. This apparatus is better
understood with reference to FIGS. 4 through 8, along with the perspective
view of FIG. 3.
As shown more clearly in FIGS. 4 through 8, the drive wheel 17 forms an
outer wheel of the front wheel truck 49. Thus, if the driving truck 49 is
on the right roller skate 11, as indicated in these drawings, the drive
wheel 17 is the right front wheel. The driving front wheel truck 49 has
another wheel 52 and a rigid bar 53 between the wheels, each of which is
bearing-mounted on a shaft 54 extending into the wheel from the rigid bar
(see FIG. 8). There is no drive shaft internally connected to the drive
wheel 17, and the wheel truck 53 is very much like an ordinary, standard
wheel truck for urethane-wheeled roller skates as depicted. The removable
wheel truck 49, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, has a bolt eye opening 54 in
structure 56 extending from the rigid bar 53, for receiving a bolt 57 for
retaining the wheel truck on the skate. As indicated in FIG. 5, the bolt
57 passes through the eye 54, then through a rubber bushing assembly 58
and a threaded nut 59, and thence into a threaded opening (not shown) in
the bottom of the skate, as is typically provided for this type of
standard mounting. Opposite the eye 54 is a pin 61, also secured to the
rigid bar 53, for extending into an opening in the bottom of the skate
(not shown), also a standard feature of this type of mount. This enables
the standard wheel truck to be readily removed with the removal of one
bolt, while also being stabilized by the pin-and-hole connection and
permitted an appreciable degree of tilting or rocking movement with
respect to the bottom of the skate. These are standard features of modern
urethane-wheel roller skates.
Because of this provision for connecting to a standard wheel truck
mounting, the powered wheel truck 51 and thus the entire powered roller
skate apparatus 10 can be easily and quickly connected to any standard
urethane-wheel roller skate.
As illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 8, the structural support 48 for the
wheel drive apparatus 46, 47 may comprise a pair of horizontal braces 62
and 63 fixed to the central rigid bar 53 of the truck and extending
outwardly. The brace 62 is connected to the bolt eye structure 56, which
in turn is fixed to the bar 53. A cross-brace 64, which may lie above the
wheel 17, preferably connects the two braces 62 and 63 as shown. From the
braces 62 and 63 a pair of struts 66 extend upwardly to support the
terminal end 67 of the flexible drive sheath 43. Also, the drive-direction
changing gear box 46 is connected to the outer ends of the horizontal
braces 62 and 63 as indicated. Thus, the gear box 46, 47 (the exterior of
which may be of soft but durable material such as urethane, like the
wheels) is relatively rigidly supported with respect to the wheel truck 51
and the end 67 of the cable sheath 43 is also supported therefrom in a
relatively rigid arrangement.
The support of the gear box 46 from the central rigid bar 53 is an
important feature of the invention, especially with the structure so
arranged that the drive wheel truck 51 can still fit universally on
standard roller skates. However, it should be understood that the
particular structure shown in the drawings for supporting the gear box and
the flexible drive sheath end 67 is merely for purposes of illustration.
Other suitable structural arrangements may be used.
As shown in FIG. 8, the bevel gear box 46 may have a smaller input gear 68
and a larger output gear 69, the two enmeshed bevel gears providing a gear
reduction at that point. The upper gear box 41 (FIG. 1), between the motor
and the flexible drive, may also include reduction bevel gearing or other
types of reduction gearing, so that the drive speed at the wheel 17 is
significantly reduced from the speed of the motor's output shaft. The
amount of reduction needed will vary with the type of engine used.
Another important feature of the powered roller skate apparatus 10 is the
manner in which the drive wheel 17 is driven. This is best seen with
reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. The driven wheel 17 is a standard urethane
roller skate wheel, similar to its counterpart 52 at the other end of the
rigid bar 53, and bearing mounted in the same manner. Two, three or more
prongs 70 extend directly into the side of the wheel 17 as best seen in
the sectional view of FIG. 8, and these are in driving engagement with the
shaft 72 at the output of the gear box 46. The driving connection is
through a hub 71 from which the prongs 70 extend and this may be secured
directly to the shaft 72, if desired. However, it is preferred that a
one-way drive be provided, as discussed above, so that the skate can
freewheel at times when it is overspeeding the engine, and the user will
not be slowed down by the engine. For this purpose, the shaft 72 from the
output of the unit 46, 47 extends through a bearing 73 in the hub 71 and
connects to a one-way drive assembly 74, within the hub. This may be a
pawl-and-ratchet assembly of typical configuration, as indicated in FIG.
8.
The powered roller skate apparatus of the invention has the advantages over
prior such devices of safety, economy, universality of application and
quick and easy interchange from one roller skate to another. Various other
embodiments and modifications of the preferred embodiment described above
may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit
and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.
* * * * *
|
|
 |
|
 |
Description |
|
