Electrically powered vehicles

Claim 1

An electric golf trolley including a chassis, an electric drive motor powered by a source of electrical energy carried by the chassis, first and second road wheels rotatably attached to the chassis, a drive arrangement connecting the motor to the first and second road wheels, said drive arrangement including first and second free wheel mechanisms, the motor being connected to the first road wheel via the first free wheel mechanism, and to the second road wheel via the second free wheel mechanism a third road wheel comprising the front wheel of the trolley rotatably attached to the chassis and arranged for angular displacement relative thereto about a generally vertical axis to steer the trolley, and control means comprises a handle, intended to be grasped by a pedestrian, mounted for displacement about said generally vertical axis to steer the front wheel, and also mounted for inclination about a generally horizontal axis, the trolley including a motor control unit connected to the handle and adapted to control the operation of the motor in dependence upon the inclination of the handle, the handle being normally spring-biassed towards the first position in which the motor is deengergized by the control unit, the control unit being actuated by the handle to energize the motor upon inclination of the handle from said first position in a direction downwardly and forwardly of the trolley, the chassis of the trolley including a main frame which comprises a generally flat rectangular framework including front and rear crossmembers interconnected by side members, and a tubular intermediate crossmember within which is journaled a rotatable axle carrying the rear wheels, the chassis further including a subframe which comprises a generally flat triangular framework including side members and a base crossmember, the subframe being journaled, intermediate its base crossmember and its apex, to the front crossmember, and carrying, adjacent the apex thereof, a front wheel carrier, journaled about a generally vertical axis, to which the front wheel is rotatable connected, at least one golf bag support being carried by the chassis, the subframe and said at least one golf bag support being hingedly connected to the main frame for movement between unfolded, operative positions in which said subframe and support are extended with respect to the main frame, and folded, inoperative positions in which they are retracted with respect to the main frame to reduce the overall dimensions of the trolley.