Hydraulically operated shift mechanism for bicycles and the like

Claim 2

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism for bicycles and the like, comprising, hydraulic master cylinder means supported on the bicycle, hand manipulatable means operatively connected with said master cylinder means and positioned to be readily grasped by the hand of a rider of said bicycle to actuate said master cylinder means, hydraulic slave cylinder means supported on said bicycle adjacent a sprocket means on said bicycle, conduit means connected with said master cylinder means and said slave cylinder means for conveying pressure fluid from said master cylinder means to said slave cylinder means, and a shifting means carried by an operating member of said slave cylinder means for movement therewith responsive to actuation of said master cylinder means, said shifting means being in engagement with a chain on said sprocket means so that movement of said shifting means causes movement of said chain from one size sprocket to another size sprocket in said sprocket means.

Claim 3

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 1, wherein said shifting means comprises a derailleur mechanism supported on the frame of said bicycle adjacent the rear sprocket means thereof, said derailleur mechanism including a fixed portion supported on said frame and a movable portion spaced substantially vertically downwardly from said fixed portion, idler means carried by said movable portion and in engagement with said chain on said sprocket means, said movable portion being movable in response to actuation of said master cylinder means and said slave cylinder means for reciprocating said idler means in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said sprocket means for causing the chain to move from one size sprocket to another size sprocket in said sprocket means.

Claim 4

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 2, wherein said derailleur mechanism comprises a conventional parallelogram type derailleur, a flexible cable means connected at one end to the movable portion of said parallelogram type derailleur and at the other end to an adapter block carried by a piston rod reciprocally mounted in said slave cylinder means for reciprocation responsive to pressurization of fluid in said slave cylinder means to cause actuation of said derailleur, said slave cylinder means being supported on the frame of said bicycle adjacent said parallelogram type derailleur mechanism.

Claim 5

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 2, wherein said derailleur mechanism comprises a substantially conventional parallelogram type derailleur mechanism, depending bracket means secured to said fixed portion of said derailleur mechanism, said slave cylinder means being supported in said bracket means adjacent said movable portion of said derailleur mechanism, a piston rod extending from one end of said slave cylinder means and connected to a bracket connected with said movable portion of said derailleur mechanism for causing reciprocation of said movable portion upon actuation of said piston rod in response to pressurization of fluid in said slave cylinder means.

Claim 6

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 2, wherein said derailleur mechanism comprises an elongate support frame connected at one end to the frame of the bicycle adjacent said sprocket means and extending substantially vertically downwardly therefrom, the other end of said support frame having an enlarged bore therethrough, said hydraulic slave cylinder means supported in said bore in a direction parallel to the axis of said sprocket means, said idler means being carried by a piston rod extending into said hydraulic slave cylinder means for reciprocation responsive to pressurization of fluid in said hydraulic slave cylinder means, said chain being in engagement with said idler means and movable thereby from one size sprocket to another size sprocket upon reciprocation of said piston rod and said idler means.

Claim 7

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 5, wherein said bore in said other end of said support frame is polygonal in cross section and said hydraulic slave cylinder means is similarly polygonally shaped for complementary engagement with the bore in said support frame, said idler means being carried by a cap means connected to said piston rod for reciprocation therewith, and spring means interconnecting said cap means with said piston rod for relative resilient rotational movement therebetween.

Claim 8

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 2, wherein said master cylinder means is confined in a housing means connected with the handlebar of said bicycle, and said hand manipulatable means comprises a lever means pivotally mounted on said housing means and having an actuating rod extending therefrom into said master cylinder means for pressurizing the fluid in said master cylinder means upon actuation of said lever means.

Claim 9

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 7, wherein a click-type indicating means is operatively associated with said actuating rod connected with said lever for indicating the position of said lever, said click-type indicating means including ball and detent means for indicating each of several different positions of said lever.

Claim 10

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 8, wherein said shifting means further includes a front shifter adjacent a front sprocket means of said bicycle, said front sprocket means including two different sized sprockets, said front shifter means including a hydraulic slave cylinder means, a crescent shaped elongate chain guide and support means carried on a piston rod reciprocally mounted in said hydraulic slave cylinder means for reciprocation to move the chain from one sprocket to the other sprocket in said front sprocket means.

Claim 11

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 9, wherein said hand manipulatable means includes a second lever pivotally mounted to said housing means on said handlebar and operatively connected through an actuating rod with a second master cylinder confined in said housing, said second master cylinder being connected with said slave cylinder means on said front shifter for operating said front shifter incident to actuation of said second lever.

Claim 12

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 10, wherein said derailleur mechanism comprises a conventional parallelogram type derailleur, a flexible cable means connected at one end to the movable portion of said parallelogram type derailleur and at the other end to an adapter block carried by a piston rod reciprocally mounted in said slave cylinder means for reciprocation responsive to pressurization of fluid in said slave cylinder means, said slave cylinder means being supported on the frame of said bicycle adjacent said parallelogram type derailleur mechanism.

Claim 13

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 10, wherein said derailleur mechanism comprises a substantially conventional parallelogram type derailleur mechanism, depending bracket means secured to said fixed portion of said derailleur mechanism, said slave cylinder means being supported in said bracket means adjacent said movable portion of said derailleur mechanism, a piston rod extending from one end of said slave cylinder means and connected to a bracket connected with said movable portion of said derailleur mechanism for causing reciprocation of said movable portion upon actuation of said piston rod in response to pressurization of fluid in said slave cylinder means.

Claim 14

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 10, wherein said derailleur mechanism comprises an elongate support frame connected at one end to the frame of the bicycle adjacent said sprocket means and extending substantially vertically downwardly therefrom, the other end of said support frame having an enlarged bore therethrough, said hydraulic slave cylinder means supported in said bore in a direction parallel to the axis of said sprocket means, said idler means being carried by a piston rod extending into said hydraulic slave cylinder means for reciprocation responsive to pressurization of fluid in said hydraulic slave cylinder means, said chain being in engagement with said idler means and movable thereby from one size sprocket to another size sprocket upon reciprocation of said piston rod and said idler means.

Claim 15

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 2, wherein said derailleur mechanism comprises a housing supported to the frame of the bicycle and having a bore therein, said slave cylinder means being positioned in said bore of said housing, a pair of parallel depending links pivotally connected to said housing and extending substantially vertically downwardly therefrom, one of said links having an arcuate camming surface rigidly connected thereto and adapted to be engaged by an actuating rod extending through said housing from said slave cylinder means, and an idler assembly carried on a support means connected at the lower ends of said links in substantially parallel relationship to said housing.

Claim 16

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 14, wherein a click-type indicating means is operatively associated with said housing and one of said links on said derailleur mechanism for indicating the position of the shift lever and the idler means, said click-type indicating means including detent means and means carried by an arm rigidly connected with said one link for engaging said detent means to indicate each of several different positions of said lever.

Claim 17

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 5, wherein said elongate frame is curved in a plane parallel to the axis of said sprocket means and said hydraulic slave cylinder means is axially adjustably supported in a split cylinder or sleeve at the lower end of said support frame, said idler means being carried by a cap means connected to said piston rod for reciprocation therewith, and spring means interconnecting said cap means with said piston rod for relative resilient rotational movement therebetween.

Claim 18

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 16, wherein a click-type indicating means is operatively associated with said cap means and said frame support for indicating the position of said lever and of said idler means, said click-type indicating means including a detent means and a cooperating pin means for indicating each of several different positions of said lever, said detent means comprising an elongate rod slidably received through a portion of said frame support in a direction parallel to the axis of said sprocket, and said pin means slidably received through a bore in said frame support in a direction perpendicular to the axis of said rod.

Claim 19

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 17, wherein limit stop means is provided on said rod for limiting the extent of travel of said piston rod and idler means.

Claim 20

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 18, wherein a return spring is interposed between a pin and said frame support for urging said pin in a first direction, said pin being operatively connected with said cap means so that said cap means and idler means are urged in said first direction along with said pin means.

Claim 21

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism for bicycles and the like, comprising, a factory sealed hydraulic system including a hydraulic master cylinder means on said bicycle and having a first pressure responsive means therein and hand manipulatable means connected thereto for actuation of said pressure responsive means, hydraulic slave cylinder means on said bicycle adjacent a sprocket of said bicycle and having a second presSure responsive means therein, conduit means sealingly connected to each of said pressure responsive means and extending therebetween to convey pressure fluid from said first pressure responsive means to said second pressure responsive means, and a shifting means carried by a reciprocating portion of said slave cylinder means for reciprocation therewith responsive to actuation of said master cylinder means, said shifting means being in engagement with a chain on said sprocket means so that reciprocation of said shifting means causes movement of said chain from one size sprocket to another size sprocket in said sprocket means, said factory sealed hydraulic system eliminating the necessity of bleeding and filling said system prior to use thereof.

Claim 22

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism for bicycles and the like, comprising, a factory sealed hydraulic system including a hydraulic master cylinder means on said bicycle and having a first pressure responsive means therein and hand manipulatable means connected thereto for actuation of said pressure responsive means, hydraulic slave cylinder means on said bicycle adjacent a sprocket of said bicycle and having a second presSure responsive means therein, conduit means sealingly connected to each of said pressure responsive means and extending therebetween to convey pressure fluid from said first pressure responsive means to said second pressure responsive means, and a shifting means carried by a reciprocating portion of said slave cylinder means for reciprocation therewith responsive to actuation of said master cylinder means, said shifting means being in engagement with a chain on said sprocket means so that reciprocation of said shifting means causes movement of said chain from one size sprocket to another size sprocket in said sprocket means, said factory sealed hydraulic system eliminating the necessity of bleeding and filling said system prior to use thereof.

Claim 23

A hydraulically actuated shift mechanism as in claim 20, wherein said pressure responsive means comprises a bellows, and said bellows and conduit means are vacuum filled and sealed at the factory.