Velocipede

Claim 2

A wheeled vehicle adapted to be propelled by a rider comprising: a frame; a front wheel rotatably mounted on said frame; a rear wheel rotatably mounted on said frame; a first lever mounted on said frame for oscillatory movement about a first pivotal axis; a second lever mounted on said frame for oscillatory movement about a second pivotal axis; each of said levers having means adapted to cooperate with a foot of the rider to pivot such lever about its pivotal axis; transmission means for drivingly coupling said levers to one of said wheels whereby the oscillatory motion of the levers drives said one wheel; said transmission means including first means for varying the drive ratio between the levers and said one wheel and control means operable by the rider for controlling said first means whereby the rider can selectively adjust the drive ratio, said control means including elongated flexible means manually operable by the rider for enabling the rider to selectively adjust the drive ratio; said transmission means including second means for varying the drive ratio between the first lever and said one wheel as a function of the angular position of said first lever about said first pivotal axis; and means for positively drivingly coupling the first and second levers whereby downward pivotal movement of either of said levers results in upward pivotal movement of the other of said levers.

Claim 3

A vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said second means includes a cam rotatably mounted on said frame, said transmission means includes flexible means coupled to said first lever intermediate the first pivotal axis and the means on the first lever cooperating with the rider''s foot.

Claim 4

A vehicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said transmission means includes a flexible element and said first means includes first and second coupling sections coupled to the first lever and the flexible element, respectively, said coupling sections having cooperable means thereon for selectively allowing and preventing relative movement therebetween, relative movement of said coupling sections changing the drive ratio.

Claim 5

A veHicle as defined in claim 1 wherein said frame is generally triangular in side elevation, said one wheel being attached to said frame substantially at one corner of the frame and the pivotal axes of said levers being adjacent said one corner, and a fork attached to the frame substantially at another corner of said frame for mounting the other of said wheels on said frame.

Claim 6

A vehicle as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for coupling includes a rocker arm mounted on said frame for movement about a third pivotal axis, first and second rigid links joining portions of said first and second levers, respectively, to said rocker arm on opposite sides of the pivotal axis of the rocker arm whereby downward pivotal movement of either of said levers results in upward pivotal movement of the other of said levers, said first and second links being on opposite sides of the bicycle.

Claim 7

A bicycle adapted to be propelled by a rider comprising: a frame, said frame being generally triangular in side elevation and having first and second corners; a fork rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent said first corner; a front wheel rotatably mounted on said fork; a rear wheel rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent said second corner; a first lever mounted on said frame adjacent said second corner for oscillatory movement about a first pivotal axis; a second lever mounted on said frame adjacent said second corner for oscillatory movement about a second pivotal axis; each of said levers having means adapted to cooperate with a foot of the rider to pivot such lever about its pivotal axis; transmission means for drivingly coupling said levers to said rear wheel whereby the oscillatory motion of the levers drives said rear wheel; said transmission means including first means for varying the drive ratio between the first lever and said rear wheel as a function of the angular position of said first lever about said first pivotal axis, second means for varying the drive ratio between the second lever and said rear wheel as a function of the angular position of said second lever about said second pivotal axis, and third means manually operable by the rider for selectively changing the drive ratio; and a linkage for positively drivingly coupling the first and second levers whereby downward pivotal movement of either of said levers results in upward pivotal movement of the other of said levers.

Claim 8

A bicycle adapted to be propelled by a rider comprising: a frame, said frame being generally triangular in side elevation and having first and second corners; a fork rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent said first corner; a front wheel rotatably mounted on said fork; a rear wheel rotatably mounted on said frame adjacent said second corner; a first lever mounted on said frame adjacent said second corner for oscillatory movement about a first pivotal axis; a second lever mounted on said frame adjacent said second corner for oscillatory movement about a second pivotal axis; each of said levers having means adapted to cooperate with a foot of the rider to pivot such lever about its pivotal axis; transmission means for drivingly coupling said levers to said rear wheel whereby the oscillatory motion of the levers drives said rear wheel; said transmission means including first means for varying the drive ratio between the first lever and said rear wheel as a function of the angular position of said first lever about said first pivotal axis, second means for varying the drive ratio between the second lever and said rear wheel as a function of the angular position of said second lever about said second pivotal axis, and third means manually operable by the rider for selectively changing the drive ratio; and a linkage for positively drivingly coupling the first and second levers whereby downward pivotal movement of either of said levers results in upward pivotal movement of the other of said levers.

Claim 9

A wheeled vehicle adapted to be propelled by a rider comprising: a frame; a front wheel rotatably mounted on said frame; a rear wheel rotatably mounted on said frame; a first lever mounted on said frame for oscillatory movement about a first pivotal axis; a second lever mounted on said frame for oscillatory movement about a second pivotal axis; each of said levers having means adapted to cooperate with a foot of the rider to pivot such lever about its pivotal axis; transmission means for drivingly coupling said levers to one of said wheels whereby the oscillatory motion of the levers drives said one wheel; said transmission means including first means for varying the drive ratio between the levers and said one wheel and control means operable by the rider for controlling said first means whereby the rider can selectively adjust the drive ratio; said transmission means including second means for varying the drive ratio between the first lever and said one wheel as a function of the angular position of said first lever about said first pivotal axis; said frame being generally triangular in side elevation, said one wheel being attached to said frame substantially at one corner of the frame and the pivotal axes of said levers being adjacent said one corner; a fork attached to the frame substantially at another corner of said frame for mounting the other of said wheels on said frame; a rocker arm mounted on said frame for movement about a third pivotal axis, first and second rigid linkS joining portions of said first and second levers, respectively, to said rocker arm on opposite sides of the pivotal axis of the rocker arm whereby downward pivotal movement of either of said levers results in upward pivotal movement of the other of said levers, said first and second links being on opposite sides of the bicycle; said second means including a cam rotatably mounted on said frame; and said transmission means including flexible means coupled to said first lever intermediate the first pivotal axis and the means on the first lever for cooperating with the rider''s foot, said control means including a cable operated by the rider for varying the location along said first lever at which the flexible means is coupled to the first lever to thereby vary the drive ratio.

Claim 10

A wheeled vehicle adapted to be propelled by a rider comprising: a frame; a front wheel rotatably mounted on said frame; a rear wheel rotatably mounted on said frame; a first lever mounted on said frame for oscillatory movement about a first pivotal axis; a second lever mounted on said frame for oscillatory movement about a second pivotal axis; each of said levers having means adapted to cooperate with a foot of the rider to pivot such lever about its pivotal axis; transmission means for drivingly coupling said levers to one of said wheels whereby the oscillatory motion of the levers drives said one wheel; said transmission means including first means for varying the drive ratio between the levers and said one wheel and control means operable by the rider for controlling said first means whereby the rider can selectively adjust the drive ratio; said transmission means including second means for varying the drive ratio between the first lever and said one wheel as a function of the angular position of said first lever about said first pivotal axis; said frame being generally triangular in side elevation, said one wheel being attached to said frame substantially at one corner of the frame and the pivotal axes of said levers being adjacent said one corner; a fork attached to the frame substantially at another corner of said frame for mounting the other of said wheels on said frame; a rocker arm mounted on said frame for movement about a third pivotal axis, first and second rigid linkS joining portions of said first and second levers, respectively, to said rocker arm on opposite sides of the pivotal axis of the rocker arm whereby downward pivotal movement of either of said levers results in upward pivotal movement of the other of said levers, said first and second links being on opposite sides of the bicycle; said second means including a cam rotatably mounted on said frame; and said transmission means including flexible means coupled to said first lever intermediate the first pivotal axis and the means on the first lever for cooperating with the rider''s foot, said control means including a cable operated by the rider for varying the location along said first lever at which the flexible means is coupled to the first lever to thereby vary the drive ratio.

Claim 11

A vehicle as defined in claim 7 including a resilient stop for limiting the oscillatory motion of at least one of said levers in at least one direction.

Claim 12

A wheeled vehicle adapted to be propelled by a rider comprising: a frame; a front wheel rotatably mounted on said frame; a rear wheel rotatably mounted on said frame; a first lever mounted on said frame for oscillatory movement about a first pivotal axis; a second lever mounted on said frame for oscillatory movement about a second pivotal axis; each of said levers having means adapted to cooperate with a foot of the rider to pivot such lever about its pivotal axis; transmission means for drivingly coupling said levers to one of said wheels whereby the oscillatory motion of the levers drives said one wheel; said transmission means including first means for varying the drive ratio between the levers and said one wheel and control means operable by the rider for controlling said first means whereby the rider can selectively adjust the drive ratio; said transmission means including second means for varying the drive ratio between the first lever and said one wheel as a function of the angular position of said first lever about said first pivotal axis; said second means including a cam rotatably mounted on said frame; said transmission means including flexible means coupled to said first lever intermediate the first pivotal axis and the means on the first lever cooperating with the rider''s foot, and said control means including cable means manually operable by the rider for enabling the rider to selectively adjust the drive ratio; and a linkage for positively drivingly coupling the first and second levers whereby downward pivotal movement of either of said levers results in upward pivotal movement of the other of said levers.

Claim 13

A wheeled vehicle adapted to be propelled by a rider comprising: a frame; a front wheel rotatably mounted on said frame; a rear wheel rotatably mounted on said frame; a first lever mounted on said frame for oscillatory movement about a first pivotal axis; a second lever mounted on said frame for oscillatory movement about a second pivotal axis; each of said levers having means adapted to cooperate with a foot of the rider to pivot such lever about its pivotal axis; transmission means for drivingly coupling said levers to one of said wheels whereby the oscillatory motion of the levers drives said one wheel; said transmission means including first means for varying the drive ratio between the levers and said one wheel and control means operable by the rider for controlling said first means whereby the rider can selectively adjust the drive ratio; said transmission means including second means for varying the drive ratio between the first lever and said one wheel as a function of the angular position of said first lever about said first pivotal axis; said second means including a cam rotatably mounted on said frame; said transmission means including flexible means coupled to said first lever intermediate the first pivotal axis and the means on the first lever cooperating with the rider''s foot, and said control means including cable means manually operable by the rider for enabling the rider to selectively adjust the drive ratio; and a linkage for positively drivingly coupling the first and second levers whereby downward pivotal movement of either of said levers results in upward pivotal movement of the other of said levers.