Rowing Locomotion Device

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to locomotion devices, and more particularly, to a device which permits a user to propel the device with both the forward and backward strokes of the steering/propulsion mechanism and also to steer without requiring the user to employ his or her lower extremities.

2. Description of the Related Art

Applicant believes that the closest reference corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 2,541,872 issued to Hendricks. However, it differs from the present invention because it does not utilize a similar shifting mechanism.

Other patents describing the closest subject matter provide for a number of more or less complicated features that fail to solve the problem in an efficient and economical way. None of these patents suggest the novel features of the present invention.

It is one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a gearing system to permit a user to efficiently operate a device on both inclined and flat surfaces.

It is still another objective of the present invention to provide a device that can operate in different gears in both forward and reverse.

It is one of the objects of this present invention to provide a device that permits a user to coast by disengaging the drive wheels from the sliding gear assembly.

It is one of the objects of this present invention to provide a device which can operate in both forward and reverse.

It is one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide a device that does not require the driver to use his lower extremities to steer or propel the wagon.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a steering assembly which allows a user to propel a device by moving the handle bars in a reciprocating fashion while at the same time allowing the user to steer the device by rotating the same handle bars.

It is yet another object of this present invention to provide such a device that is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain while retaining its effectiveness.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the disclosure document, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing the invention without placing limitations thereon.

With the above and other related objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and combination of parts as will be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 depicts a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 represents a top view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a bottom view of the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts a front view of the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates a rear view of the present invention.

FIG. 6 represents the sliding gear assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a partial cross-sectional view of the sliding gear assembly shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 illustrates another partial cross-sectional view of the sliding gear assembly.

FIG. 9 depicts a partial front view of the steering assembly of the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows an enlarged partial view of the sliding gear assembly of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, where the present invention is generally referred to with numeral 10, it can be observed that it basically includes drive assembly 20, connecting assembly 40, steering assembly 50 and sliding gear assembly 80.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7, 8 and 10 it can be seen that drive assembly 20 comprises hollow tube 22, small spur sprocket 26, large spur sprocket 28, chains 30, short spring 32, long spring 34, proximal cylinder 35, central cylinder 36, distal cylinder 37, wedge 38 and bearings 39.

Referring now to FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7, it can be seen that a user wishing to change to the gearing between the rear axle 66 and the drive assembly 20 will change the position of gear shifter 58. Gear shifter 58 changes the position of cable 59, which in turn, changes the position of sliding gear assembly 80. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 7, when a user desires a higher gear ratio a user adjusts gear shifter 58 such that sliding gear assembly 80 engages large spur sprocket 28. Conversely, when a user desires a smaller gear ratio, sliding gear assembly 80 is adjusted so that it engages small spur sprocket 26. When a user wishes to coast, sliding gear assembly 80 is positioned so that it does not engage either large spur sprocket 28 or small spur sprocket 26, as best seen in FIG. 6 and 7.

Referring again to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7, it can be seen that a user drives rear axle 66 by moving steering assembly 50 in a reciprocating rowing motion. Steering assembly 50 in turn drives main bar 42, which is part of connecting assembly 40. Main bar 42 is pivotally connected to connecting bar 44 and rotates hollow tube 22. The position of sliding gear 82 can be altered by changing the position of cable 59. Cable 59 has a first end which is attached to gear shifter 58, as best seen in FIG. 2. The second end of cable 59 passes through the length of hollow tube 22.

Referring now to FIG. 10, it can be seen that the second end of cable 59 is fastened in place by cable holder 83. Distal cylinder 37 journals cable 59 and its first end abuts cable holder 83. The second end of distal cylinder 37 contacts short spring 32, which, in turn contacts the distal end of central cylinder 36. The proximal end of central cylinder 36 contacts the first end of long spring 34. The second end of long spring 34 abuts proximal cylinder 35 at its first end. Cable 59 is journaled by distal cylinder 37, central cylinder 36 and proximal cylinder 35. As best seen in FIGS. 7 and 10, that cable 59 is held in a fixed relative position to distal cylinder 37 by cable holder 83, and cannot be pulled therethrough. Because short spring 32 is stronger than long spring 34 gear shifter 58 must be employed to change the position of cable 59 and, in turn, move sliding gear 82. Large spur sprocket 28 and small spur sprocket 26 are mounted to the exterior of hollow tube 22 so that they freely rotate. Sprockets 26 and 28 communicate with rear axle 66 by means of chains 30.

As best seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, when a user makes a reciprocating motion with steering mechanism 50 this moves main bar 42, which in turn rotates connecting bar 44. The rotation of connecting bar 44 turns hollow tube 22. Large spur sprocket 28 and small spur sprocket 26 freely rotate and are not directly driven by the rotation of hollow tube 22.

As best seen in FIG. 8, hollow tube 22 has slots 31 therethrough and outer groove 24 thereon. Hollow tube 22 is journaled by sliding gear 82. Outer groove 24, of hollow tube 22, and inner groove 84 of sliding gear 82, cooperatively hold wedge 38 and communicate the rotation of hollow tube 22 to sliding gear 82. Sliding gear 82 is also coupled to hollow tube 22 by pins 86. Pins 86 extend through sliding gear 82 and pass through slots 31. Slots 31 extend along the longitudinal axis of hollow tube 22. Slots 31 and pins 86 cooperatively allow sliding gear 82 to translate the length of slots 31. Slots 31 are of sufficient length such that the opposing faces of sliding gear 82 can, depending on the gear ratio selected by the user, interlock with either large spur sprocket 28 or small spur sprocket 26.

When a user desires a higher gear ratio, the gear shift 58 is positioned such that sliding gear 82, of sliding gear assembly 80, contacts large spur sprocket 28. Pins 86 hold sliding gear 82 in a fixed position relative to hollow tube 22 and transmit the rotation of hollow tube 22 to sliding gear 82 in cooperation with outer groove 24, inner groove 84 and wedge 38. When sliding gear 82 contacts large spur sprocket 28 this gear turns and drives chain 30 and rear axle 66. Similarly, when a user desires a lesser gear ratio, sliding gear 82 can be positioned so that it contacts small spur sprocket 26 and thereby driving rear axle 66.

A user wishing to reposition sliding gear 82 does so by changing the position of cable 59. When sliding gear 82 is contacting large spur sprocket 28, cable 59 is in a position such that pins 86 abut the distal end of slots 31. As can best be seen in FIGS. 6, 7 and 10, it is apparent that cable 59, long spring 34 and short spring 32 can cooperatively translate central cylinder 36 substantially along the length of hollow cylinder 22. However, the motion of sliding gear 82 is cooperatively constrained to the length of slots 31 by pins 86. When a user adjusts cable 59 such that its second end is pulled towards small spur sprocket, short spring 32 and long spring 34 are compressed. Because these springs now exert an unequal force on central cylinder 36, central cylinder 36 is urged towards small spur sprocket 26 as seen in FIGS. 6, 7 and 10. When a user desires a higher gear ratio, cable 59 is positioned such that the force exerted by long spring 34, on central cylinder 36, is greater than that exerted by short spring 32. This imbalance in forces causes central cylinder 36, and therefore sliding gear 82, to translate such that one face of sliding gear 82 contacts large spur sprocket 28. When a user desires to coast he or she can adjust cable 59 so that the forces exerted on central cylinder 36 are equal. This translates central cylinder 36 into a position so that it does not contact either small spur sprocket 26 or large spur sprocket 28. Rear axle 66 continues to turn freely, but a user does not have to move steering assembly 50 in a reciprocating rowing motion. A user would typically coast when going down hill and allow the pull of gravity to accelerate device 10.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3,4, and 9 it can be observed that steering assembly 50 includes basically, tube 51, handle bars 52, shaft collars 53 and 53', fork 54, vertical rod 55, horizontal rod 56 and rod 57. As best seen in FIG. 9, tube 51 journals vertical rod 55 and is mounted to fork 54. Vertical rod 55 has rotating handle bar 52 mounted on its upper end. Tube 51 is connected to fork 54 which is, in turn, mounted to frame 90 and drives connecting assembly 40. Rod 57 has a first and second end. The first end being removably attached to horizontal rod 56, through a universal joint, and the second end is removably attached to front axle 62 through a second universal joint. Front wheels 95 are mounted freewheeling on front axle 62. Front axle 62 is attached to frame 90 by a pivot bolt 64 permitting front axle 62 to rotate. A user changes the direction the device 10 is moving in by rotating handle bar 52. Handle bar 52 rotates vertical rod 55 and, in turn, horizontal rod 56. The rotation of horizontal rod 56 moves rod 57 and causes front axle 62 to rotate on pivot bolt 64. When front axle 62 rotates front wheels 95 change direction, thereby changing the direction of motion of device 10. Drive assembly 20 is driven by the reciprocating motion of handle bars 52 and forces the rear wheels 97, of device 10, to rotate; thereby moving device 10. As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 9, it is apparent that shaft collars 53 and 53' cooperatively maintain the vertical position of vertical rod 55 with tube 51 while a user is moving steering assembly 50 in a reciprocating rowing fashion in order to propel device 10. Because vertical rod 55 is kept in a fixed vertical position, horizontal rod 56 is also maintained in a fixed vertical alignment with shaft collars 53" of fork 54. It can also be seen that shaft collars 53" cooperatively maintain the longitudinal alignment of horizontal rod 56 in a parallel fixed spaced apart relationship with fork 54, and also a fixed parallel spaced apart relationship with front axle 62, while a user is moving steering assembly 50 in a reciprocating rowing fashion in order to propel device 10. A user may also alter the course of device 10 by turning handle bars 52 in the desired direction of travel. However because shaft collars 53 and 53' cooperatively maintain the longitudinal alignment of horizontal rod 56 the reciprocating rowing motion, of steering assembly 50, does not turn device 10 to the left or right while the user is moving steering assembly 50 in a reciprocation rowing manner unless the user turns handle bars 52.

As best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, vertical spring 96 restores front axle 62, and handle bars 52, to a position such that device 10 is traveling in a straight line if a user does not exert force to turn handle bars 52. It can also be seen, in FIG. 1, that a user sits in seat 93 when utilizing device 10. In order to facilitate the use of device 10 by users having little or no control of their lower extremities, push handle 91, ring handles 92 and leg support 98 may be employed. Push handle 91 permits another person to more readily push device 10 if it becomes stuck or if the user is unable to continue the reciprocating rowing motion required to propel device 10. Ring handles 92 allow a user to directly turn rear wheels 97. Also, leg support 98 supports the lower extremities of a user and prevents him, or her, from sliding out of seat 93. It has been found that persons having limited use of their lower extremities tend to slide forward in seat 93 when performing the reciprocal rowing motion required to propel device 10. Leg support 98 prevents this sliding motion.

The foregoing description conveys the best understanding of the objectives and advantages of the present invention. Different embodiments may be made of the inventive concept of this invention. It is to be understood that all matter disclosed herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.