One wheeled front drive unit

Claim 1

A one wheeled front drive unit adapted to pull a vehicle component removably attached thereto, said front drive unit comprising: a frame assembly including a pair of parallel spaced frames held in position by a rear cross plate connected between corresponding rearward sides of said frames and a forward cross brace connected between corresponding frame sides on the forward end of said frames, a mounting frame assembly mounted between the aforesaid pair of spaced parallel frames for pivoting movement relative to the forward portion of said frames, a motor carried by the mounting frame assembly, a pair of spaced upstanding brackets mounted on the mounting frame assembly, a drive shaft rotatably carried by the pair of spaced upstanding brackets, a single wheel rotatably carried between the rearward portions of the frames, a sprocket mounted for rotation with said wheel, a pinion affixed to the drive shaft in alignment with the sprocket, a flexible chain drivably connecting the pinion and sprocket, cooperating means on the rearward end of the mounting frame assembly and the rearward end of the parallel spaced frames to retain the pinion in proper relation to the sprocket so that proper engagement is achieved between the flexible chain, sprocket and pinion, bearing means secured to the rear cross plate, three curved supports connected to said bearing means for rotation about a generally vertically axis, said three curved supports extending downwardly in spaced relation to a position below the bearing means, a coupling means secured to the lower extremities of the three curved supports, said coupling means being adapted to be secured to a vehicle component to be pulled by the front drive unit.