US3782210A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Changeable speed gear attachment for bicycles
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-10-04
•
Granted: 1974-01-01
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Expires: 1992-10-04
Abstract
Abstract A changeable speed gear attachment for mounting on a standard bicycle without the need for modification of the bicycle is disclosed. The attachment includes a housing which mounts on the frame of the bicycle and includes a driving pinwheel gear having several adjacent concentric rows of teeth, a driven pinwheel gear having at least one row of teeth, a driving pinion gear operating off the driving pinwheel gear and slidably mounted so as to selectively engage one of the several rows of teeth, and a driven pinion gear which is driven by the driving pinion gear and which, in turn, drives the driven pinwheel gear. The pinwheel gears are each connected to a sprocket externally of the housing and the sprockets are connected to the sprockets of the bicycle by means of conventional bicycle chains.
Inventors
- 👤 Q Holleman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 22:44
CPC Classifications
B; B62; B62M; B62M9/00; B62M9/04; F; F16; F16H; F16H3/00; F16H3/02; F16H3/20; F16H3/36; F16H3/366; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T74/00; Y10T74/19; Y10T74/19642; Y10T74/19647; Y10T74/19651; Y10T74/19656
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
233 words
A changeable speed gear attachment, for mounting on a standard bicycle without the need for modification of said bicycle, comprising a housing having mounting means thereon for mounting said housing on the frame of said bicycle operatively between the main drive sprocket and the rear wheel sprocket of said bicycle; a driving pinwheel gear; a first sprocket operatively connected to said driving pinwheel gear and adapted to be operatively connected to said main drive sprocket by means of a chain; a driven pinwheel gear; a second sprocket operatively connected to said driven pinwheel gear and adapted to be operatively connected to said rear wheel sprocket by means of a chain; first pinion gear means adapted to engage said teeth on said driving pinwheel gear; second pinion gear means driven by said first pinion gear means and adapted to engage said teeth on said driven pinwheel gear; one of said pinwheel gears having a pluRality of adjacent rows of teeth, the other of said pinwheel gears having at least one row of teeth; the pinion gear means which engages the teeth of said pinwheel gear having a plurality of rows of teeth being adapted to selectively engage each of said rows of teeth; and means for shifting said pinion gear means which selectively engages said rows of teeth to selectively engage each of said rows of teeth, whereby different gear ratios may be selected.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
233 words
A changeable speed gear attachment, for mounting on a standard bicycle without the need for modification of said bicycle, comprising a housing having mounting means thereon for mounting said housing on the frame of said bicycle operatively between the main drive sprocket and the rear wheel sprocket of said bicycle; a driving pinwheel gear; a first sprocket operatively connected to said driving pinwheel gear and adapted to be operatively connected to said main drive sprocket by means of a chain; a driven pinwheel gear; a second sprocket operatively connected to said driven pinwheel gear and adapted to be operatively connected to said rear wheel sprocket by means of a chain; first pinion gear means adapted to engage said teeth on said driving pinwheel gear; second pinion gear means driven by said first pinion gear means and adapted to engage said teeth on said driven pinwheel gear; one of said pinwheel gears having a pluRality of adjacent rows of teeth, the other of said pinwheel gears having at least one row of teeth; the pinion gear means which engages the teeth of said pinwheel gear having a plurality of rows of teeth being adapted to selectively engage each of said rows of teeth; and means for shifting said pinion gear means which selectively engages said rows of teeth to selectively engage each of said rows of teeth, whereby different gear ratios may be selected.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A changeable speed gear attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing is closed.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
25 words
A changeable speed gear attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing is adapted to be mounted on the rear fork of said bicycle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
A changeable speed gear attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said driving pinwheel gear has at least three adjacent concentric rows of teeth.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
79 words
A changeable speed gear attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said driven pinwheel gear has at least two adjacent concentric rows of teeth and said second pinion gear means is adapted to selectively engage each of said at least two rows of teeth, said attachment further comprising means for shifting said second pinion gear means to selectively engage each of said at least two rows of teeth, whereby a plurality of ranges of gear ratios may be obtained.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A changeable speed gear attachment as defined in claim 5, wherein the linear distance between adjacent teeth in each of said adjacent rows of one of said pinwheel gears is equal.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
A changeable speed gear attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said teeth of said pinwheel gears are circular in cross-section.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A changeable speed gear attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said teeth of said pinwheel gears are rhombic in cross-section.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
A changeable speed gear attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said first sprocket has a pitch diameter no greater than the diameter of the innermost row of teeth on said driving pinwheel gear.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
A changeable speed gear as defined in claim 1, in combination with a bicycle.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A combination as defined in claim 10, wherein said first sprocket is operatively connected to said main drive sprocket by means of a standard bicycle chain.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
A combination as defined in claim 10, wherein said bicycle includes a coaster brake.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
A combination as defined in claim 10, wherein said main drive sprocket, first sprocket, second sprocket, and rear wheel sprocket are coplanar.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
22 words
A changeable speed gear attachment as defined in claim 1, further comprising strain-reducing bearing means between said pinwheel gears and said housing.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
39 words
A changeable speed gear attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said driving pinwheel gear has said plurality of rows of teeth and said first pinion gear means is adapted to selectively engage each of said rows of teeth.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
A changeable speed gear attachment as defined in claim 1, wherein said driven pinwheel gear has said plurality of rows of teeth and said second pinion gear means is adapted to selectively engage each of said rows of teeth.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US616381A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-12-31 | 1977-07-02 | 1978-01-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-12-31 | 1981-07-02 | 1982-01-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-12-31 | 1985-07-02 | 1986-01-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |