Foot-powered wheeled vehicle

Abstract

Abstract A foot-powered wheeled vehicle provides a frame having a platform normally occupied by a user. A pair of spaced apart front and rear trucks each supports a pinion geared shaft and a pair of wheels affixed to opposite ends of the shaft and rotatably with respect to the platform. A pair of independently actuable front and rear foot pedals hingedly are connected to the frame, each of the pedals being movable as desired by the operator between upper relaxed and lower depressed positions with each of the pedals being capable of imparting rotational energy to the wheels associated with its truck. Return springs are associated with each of the pedals for independently biasing each of the pedals toward the upper position which is overcome only by depression by the foot of the operator. Each pedal provides a curved toothed gear rack which is connected at its uppermost end portion to the pedal and which drivingly engages the pinion gear portion of the shaft responsive to depression of the pedal. The front pedal hingedly connects to the frame at the central portion thereof with its associated rack being forward thereof and engaging the forwardmost side of the pinion gear. The rearmost pedal hingedly connects to the frame at the central portion of the frame and aft of the first pedal with its associated rack being rearward of the pinned connection and with the rack engaging the front side of its associated pinion gear. The pedals can be independently actuated as desired by the user to apply moving force to either the front or rear truck as desired or simultaneously thereto.

Inventors

• 👤 Nolan J. Rills

Bibliographic Details