Tricycle recumbent

Claim 2

A pedal-powered wheeled vehicle, comprising: a single front wheel and two rear wheels in triangular relationship, the rear wheels mounted on a common axle; a passenger cradle having a torso-holding frame; means for support of the frame on the front wheel in an angled attitude extending upwardly and to the rear of the front wheel; a first pivot and frame means for pivotally supporting the cradle on the rear wheels at a position rearward and upward from said front wheel; the first pivot, the front wheel, and the torso-holding frame aligned to enable the cradle to swing about an axis intersecting the ground area projection of the front wheel diameter; rear wheel stabilizing means including a second pivot carried by the torso-holding frame and tie rod means for rigidly securing the rear wheel axle to the second pivot, the second pivot being aligned to turn about the axis of the first pivot; whereby the vehicle is caused to steer by rolling of the cradle to tilt the front wheel, but the rear wheels experience essentially no guiding turning.

Claim 3

In a pedal-powered wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 1, the first pivot, the front wheel and the torso holding frame aligned to enable the cradle to swing about an axis passing through a point substantially at the intersection of a plane tangent to all three wheels and a radial line of the front wheel normal to the plane.

Claim 4

In a pedal-powered wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 1, the tie rod means being a first and second rod, the first rod secured to the rear wheel axle near a first wheel and the second rod secured to said axle near a second wheel, the rods extending toward the front wheel and merging at said second pivot.

Claim 5

A pedal-powered wheeled vehicle comprising: three wheels aligned to a common plane in triangular relationship tangent with a forward wheel and two rear wheels; a main frame formed into a passenger cradle having forward extensions spanning the forward wheel with means for supporting the extensions on the axle of the forward wheel, the frame extending rearwardly in a substantially horizontal plane to the area between the remaining two wheels, and then upwardly at an obtuse angle above the axle of the two wheels; a secondary frame having an axle joining the two rear wheels, a brace from the axle to the top of the main frame, and a first pivot joining the main frame to the brace; tie rod means extending from the axle to a point forward of the axle and adjacent the forward wheel, a second pivot joining the tie rod means to the main frame substantially along the longitudinal axis of the frame; said first and second pivots aligned to allow swing support of the main frame relative to the secondary frame about a common axis of the pivots, the axis passing through said common plane at a point in a range substantially equal to the diameter of the forward wheel projected equally about a normal line from the axis of the forward wheel to said plane.

Claim 6

A pedal-powered wheeled vehicle comprising: three wheels aligned to a common plane in triangular relationship tangent with a forward wheel and two rear wheels; a main frame formed into a passenger cradle having forward extensions spanning the forward wheel with means for supporting the extensions on the axle of the forward wheel, the frame extending rearwardly in a substantially horizontal plane to the area between the remaining two wheels, and then upwardly at an obtuse angle above the axle of the two wheels; a secondary frame having an axle joining the two rear wheels, a brace from the axle to the top of the main frame, and a first pivot joining the main frame to the brace; tie rod means extending from the axle to a point forward of the axle and adjacent the forward wheel, a second pivot joining the tie rod means to the main frame substantially along the longitudinal axis of the frame; said first and second pivots aligned to allow swing support of the main frame relative to the secondary frame about a common axis of the pivots, the axis passing through said common plane at a point in a range substantially equal to the diameter of the forward wheel projected equally about a normal line from the axis of the forward wheel to said plane.

Claim 7

In a pedal-powered wheeled vehicle as defined in claim 4, said brace being a first and second rod, the first rod secured to the rear wheel axle near a first wheel and the second rod secured to the said axle near a second wheel, the rods extending upward and merging at said first pivot.

Claim 8

In a pedal-powered wheeled vehicle as defined in claims 1 or 4, the said first pivot having a cam interface such that swing of the passenger cradle away from its lowest gravitational swing position will cause the cradle to climb the pivot cam face and produce a component of force urging the cradle to return to its lowest swing position.

Claim 9

A pedal-powered three wheeled vehicle, having a passenger cradle and a support frame, with pivotal interconnection of the cradle and frame, characterized by: two wheels for the support frame positioned on a first and second side of the cradle respectively; a single wheel positioned forward of the cradle at the apex of a triangular relationship with the two wheels of the support frame; said cradle supported on the single wheel; the three wheels aligned to establish a common support plane tangent to the wheels; a first pivot joint supporting the rear of the cradle on the frame at a point above and between the two wheels; a second pivot joint joining the forward portion of the cradle and support frame at a point forward of the rear wheels; said first and second pivot joints are rotatable about a common axis which lies on the hypotenus of a triangle, which triangle is defined by a first line segment from the first pivot joint extending normally to the common support plane and a second line segment from the intersection of that normal first line segment extending forward in the common support plane and terminating within the projection of the diameter of the forward wheel onto the common support plane, whereby said hypotenus intersects the support plane of the wheels at a point within the range of the diameter of the forward single wheel projected onto the support plane.

Claim 10

A pedal-powered three wheeled vehicle, having a passenger cradle and a support frame, with pivotal interconnection of the cradle and frame, characterized by: two wheels for the support frame positioned on a first and second side of the cradle respectively; a single wheel positioned forward of the cradle at the apex of a triangular relationship with the two wheels of the support frame; said cradle supported on the single wheel; the three wheels aligned to establish a common support plane tangent to the wheels; a first pivot joint supporting the rear of the cradle on the frame at a point above and between the two wheels; a second pivot joint joining the forward portion of the cradle and support frame at a point forward of the rear wheels; said first and second pivot joints are rotatable about a common axis which lies on the hypotenus of a triangle, which triangle is defined by a first line segment from the first pivot joint extending normally to the common support plane and a second line segment from the intersection of that normal first line segment extending forward in the common support plane and terminating within the projection of the diameter of the forward wheel onto the common support plane, whereby said hypotenus intersects the support plane of the wheels at a point within the range of the diameter of the forward single wheel projected onto the support plane.