Three speed chainless planetary transmission for pedal-powered vehicles

Claim 1

In a pedal-powered vehicle including a rotatable pedal drive shaft, a frame, and a driving wheel having a hub concentric with the axis of rotation of said drive shaft, an improved three speed, chainless transmission mounted within said hub and in concentric relation with the axis of rotation of said hub and comprising: planetary gear carrier means fixedly mounted to said drive shaft for rotation therewith; a plurality of externally toothed planetary gears rotatably carried by said carrier means and constrained against axial movement; internally toothed ring gear means mounted in a fixed axial position on said drive shaft for concentric rotation about said drive shaft, and meshed with said planetary gears; externally toothed sun gear means meshed with said planetary gears and supported in a fixed axial position on said drive shaft for concentric rotation about said drive shaft; first free-wheel ratchet means coupled between said hub and said ring gear means for driving said hub, second free wheel ratchet means coupled between said hub and said sun gear means for driving said hub, said hub being driven by one of said ring gear means or said sun gear means or by both, or free wheeling independently of said ring gear means and said sun gear means, depending upon the direction and speed of rotation of said ring gear means and said sun gear means relative to said hub; a pair of external locking means each being selectively and alternatively operable to lock one of said ring gear means or said sun gear means against rotation or to leave both free to rotate, said hub being driven by the unlocked one of said ring gear means or said sun gear means or by both; said hub being driven at a selected rate of rotation depending upon whether the ring gear means or the sun gear means is free to rotate or both are free to rotate; and an external shift means for selectively operating one of said ring gear locking means or said sun gear locking means.