CA1095563A - Power driven snow cycle - Google Patents
Power driven snow cycleInfo
- Publication number
- CA1095563A CA1095563A CA300,689A CA300689A CA1095563A CA 1095563 A CA1095563 A CA 1095563A CA 300689 A CA300689 A CA 300689A CA 1095563 A CA1095563 A CA 1095563A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- ski
- power driven
- snow cycle
- frame
- posterior
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
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- Motorcycle And Bicycle Frame (AREA)
Abstract
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A power driven snow cycle having a frame supported by a front steerable ski and a rear power driven ski sub-assembly, having an anterior ski portion anda posterior tread carrying portion, in which the posterior portion is forceably biased downwards, while the anterior portion becomes upwards biased, to improve traction and steerability.
A power driven snow cycle having a frame supported by a front steerable ski and a rear power driven ski sub-assembly, having an anterior ski portion anda posterior tread carrying portion, in which the posterior portion is forceably biased downwards, while the anterior portion becomes upwards biased, to improve traction and steerability.
Description
; BACKGROVND OF THE INVENTION
A power driven snow cycle which is propelled by a power driven ski is a newcomer to the field of winter recreation.
Presently there is a polarization between outdoor winter sports enthusiasts. The purist adhere to skis propelled by gravity or skier's muscles, while the modernists enjoy mounting a snowmobile which employs brute force to propel itself and its riders. Power driven skis (shown in V.S. Patents Nos .
3,853,192 and 3,966,010) and the present invention bridge this gap between the purists and the modernists. They do so by combining the excitement of using one's sense of balance to control and steer with the excitement of controlling one's propelling power, and they remove or reduce the objectionable aspect of snowmobiling. For example, the total weight of a current power driven snow cycleis around 30 pounds and it is propelled by a 3~ HP engine, versus several hundred pounds that the average snowmobile weighs, which are pushed by approximately a ten times larger engine. In contrast to sno~nobiles, snow cycles have a minimal ; effect on the trail they pass, they do not develop large kinetic energy that may endanger their rider and others and they are not likely to get stuck in the snow, since the average rider can lift the unit with one hand. The small eng:inegenerates less acoustical energy which can be readily muffled to non-obtrusive levels. Further, power driven snow cyclesare characterizedby tileir long and narrow footprints, and have no stability of their own. Thus, the rider has, as on a bicycle, to continuously generate centrifugal balancing forces, which makes riding a power driven snow cycle an involving and exciting experience. As will be explained later Oll, this characteristic of power driven snow cycle is closely related to the present invention.
As here described, a power driven snow cycle is produced by forming a frame the front end of which is connected to a steerable ski and its rear end toa power driven ski. The rear end of the power driven ski is biased downwards ' -1- , :1095563 by resilient means to improve traction and steerability. In view of the previous discussion it can be understood that responsive steering inpower driven snow cycle type of device, is essential, because the rider's ability to maintain his pre-carious balance relies on an accurate and predictable steering response. Thus, as will be explained later on, the resilient means simultaneously improve traction and improve steerability while at the sarne time assist the rider in overcoming the adverse effects of hitting a bump or taking a sharp turn.
More particularly in accordance with the invention there is provided a power driven snow cycle having a frame supported by a front steerable ski and a rear power driven ski sub-assembly, said sub-assembly having an anterior ski portion and a posterior tread carrying portion and being pivoted to the frame, the improvement wherein spring means, supported between said frame and said sub-assembly are located and arranged so as to forcibly bias said posterior portion downwards and said anterior portion upwards in order to improve traction and bias load to the front steerable ski, thereby also improving steerability of said snow cycle.
Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described having reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show a side, bottom and front view of a power driven snow cycle, respectively.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show a power driven snow cycle 10 having a frame 11 supported by a front steerable ski 12 and a rear power driven ski sub-assembly 13, whose rear end 14 is forcibly biased downwards by resilien-t means in the forrn of a bent leaf spring 15. This bias achieves three of the objects of the present invention: it improves traction, since it energizes the -tread 16 and the poster-ior portion 17 of the power driven ski against the snowr and it improves steer-ability and controllability by shifting some of the skier's weight to the front ski 12. The nature and effect of this weight shift will be further discussed in the next paragraph, and at this point therest of the power driven snow cycle :1~95S63 hardware will be briefly reviewed: the front ski 12 is pivotly connected through a pin 18 to steering shaft 19 which carries a handlebar 20 and which is connected tc the frame 11 through two hinges 21. The power driven ski 13 is slightly modified to be pivotly connected to the frame through a pin and it is also equipped with a rounded stud 23 protruding from an engine bracket 24 which forms part of a body 25 of the power driven ski 13. The leaf spring 15 is bent and squeezed between the stud 23 and a rounded screw 26 which is threaded through frame 11 and serves to adjust the force biasing the rear end 14 downwards. A
sea~ 27, and a feet-bar 28 are affixed to the frame 11. The detailed structure of the power driven ski 13 can be found in U.S. Patents Nos. 3,853,192 and 3,g66, 010, therefore only its major components are illustrated, and they are an engine 29 coupled to the tread 16 through pullies 31 and 32 and belt 33. A jacketed cable 34 which is connected to a handle 35 regulates the engine's power output.
At this point I would like to go back and review the effec-ts of the spring 15, and to start the discussion it will be assumed that: the weight of the skier (who is shown in phantom lines on FIG 1) and the power driven snow cycle 10 is represented by a sign 36 and an arrow 46, an arrow 37 represents a portion of the weight which is supported through the front ski 12, while an arrow 38 represents a weight portion which is supported through the anterior portion 39 of the power driven ski and an arrow 40 represents the weight portion supported by its posterior portion 17. I-t can be seen that as screw 26 is screwed inwards it forces both the rear end 14 and the front steering ski 12 downwards energizing -, them against the snow. It does so by shifting part (or all) of the weight portion 38 which was supported by the anterior ski portion 39, since it is obvious that statically the sum of weight portions 37, 38 and 40 has to equal the total weight represented by the arrow 46. The increased weight on the front steering ski 12 improves the steerability of the power driven snow cycle while the additional weight on the posterior power driven ski portion 17 improves the traction generated 1~95563 by the tread 16. Now it is possible to increase the weight portion 37 on the front ski by movi.ng the seat forward on the frame 11. This, however, will decrease the weight portion 40, reducing the traction obtained by the tread 16, and in addition it wil.l have adverse effects when the power driven snow cycle encounters a bump or when the rider takes a sharp turn. The reason for this adverse effect is that when the skier's weight increases suddenly due to an upwards or centrifugal acceleration, such increased weight should ideally be absorbed through the power driven ski 13 which cannot rotate due to such jolts under the skier, whereas the front steering ski 12 can, and this tends to cause the rider a loss of balance. In contrast, when the bulk of the weight 46 is over the power driven ski 13, divided into portions 38 and 40, and then part of the weight portion 3B is shifted to rear end ].4 and to the front ski 12, any jolt due to vertical and cen-trifugal accelerations is absorbed by the long non-rotating power driven ski 13 with minimal adverse effect on the rider's balance while at the same time steerability and traction are maximiz.ed simultaneously.
: The amount of weight shifted from the anterior portion 39 to the posterior portion 17 and to the front ski 12 is regulated by the screw 26 according to the rider's (or riders') weight and according to the type and depth of snow.
;, ' ' " ' : :
''. , ~ ` ~ '
A power driven snow cycle which is propelled by a power driven ski is a newcomer to the field of winter recreation.
Presently there is a polarization between outdoor winter sports enthusiasts. The purist adhere to skis propelled by gravity or skier's muscles, while the modernists enjoy mounting a snowmobile which employs brute force to propel itself and its riders. Power driven skis (shown in V.S. Patents Nos .
3,853,192 and 3,966,010) and the present invention bridge this gap between the purists and the modernists. They do so by combining the excitement of using one's sense of balance to control and steer with the excitement of controlling one's propelling power, and they remove or reduce the objectionable aspect of snowmobiling. For example, the total weight of a current power driven snow cycleis around 30 pounds and it is propelled by a 3~ HP engine, versus several hundred pounds that the average snowmobile weighs, which are pushed by approximately a ten times larger engine. In contrast to sno~nobiles, snow cycles have a minimal ; effect on the trail they pass, they do not develop large kinetic energy that may endanger their rider and others and they are not likely to get stuck in the snow, since the average rider can lift the unit with one hand. The small eng:inegenerates less acoustical energy which can be readily muffled to non-obtrusive levels. Further, power driven snow cyclesare characterizedby tileir long and narrow footprints, and have no stability of their own. Thus, the rider has, as on a bicycle, to continuously generate centrifugal balancing forces, which makes riding a power driven snow cycle an involving and exciting experience. As will be explained later Oll, this characteristic of power driven snow cycle is closely related to the present invention.
As here described, a power driven snow cycle is produced by forming a frame the front end of which is connected to a steerable ski and its rear end toa power driven ski. The rear end of the power driven ski is biased downwards ' -1- , :1095563 by resilient means to improve traction and steerability. In view of the previous discussion it can be understood that responsive steering inpower driven snow cycle type of device, is essential, because the rider's ability to maintain his pre-carious balance relies on an accurate and predictable steering response. Thus, as will be explained later on, the resilient means simultaneously improve traction and improve steerability while at the sarne time assist the rider in overcoming the adverse effects of hitting a bump or taking a sharp turn.
More particularly in accordance with the invention there is provided a power driven snow cycle having a frame supported by a front steerable ski and a rear power driven ski sub-assembly, said sub-assembly having an anterior ski portion and a posterior tread carrying portion and being pivoted to the frame, the improvement wherein spring means, supported between said frame and said sub-assembly are located and arranged so as to forcibly bias said posterior portion downwards and said anterior portion upwards in order to improve traction and bias load to the front steerable ski, thereby also improving steerability of said snow cycle.
Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described having reference to the accompanying drawings in which; Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show a side, bottom and front view of a power driven snow cycle, respectively.
Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show a power driven snow cycle 10 having a frame 11 supported by a front steerable ski 12 and a rear power driven ski sub-assembly 13, whose rear end 14 is forcibly biased downwards by resilien-t means in the forrn of a bent leaf spring 15. This bias achieves three of the objects of the present invention: it improves traction, since it energizes the -tread 16 and the poster-ior portion 17 of the power driven ski against the snowr and it improves steer-ability and controllability by shifting some of the skier's weight to the front ski 12. The nature and effect of this weight shift will be further discussed in the next paragraph, and at this point therest of the power driven snow cycle :1~95S63 hardware will be briefly reviewed: the front ski 12 is pivotly connected through a pin 18 to steering shaft 19 which carries a handlebar 20 and which is connected tc the frame 11 through two hinges 21. The power driven ski 13 is slightly modified to be pivotly connected to the frame through a pin and it is also equipped with a rounded stud 23 protruding from an engine bracket 24 which forms part of a body 25 of the power driven ski 13. The leaf spring 15 is bent and squeezed between the stud 23 and a rounded screw 26 which is threaded through frame 11 and serves to adjust the force biasing the rear end 14 downwards. A
sea~ 27, and a feet-bar 28 are affixed to the frame 11. The detailed structure of the power driven ski 13 can be found in U.S. Patents Nos. 3,853,192 and 3,g66, 010, therefore only its major components are illustrated, and they are an engine 29 coupled to the tread 16 through pullies 31 and 32 and belt 33. A jacketed cable 34 which is connected to a handle 35 regulates the engine's power output.
At this point I would like to go back and review the effec-ts of the spring 15, and to start the discussion it will be assumed that: the weight of the skier (who is shown in phantom lines on FIG 1) and the power driven snow cycle 10 is represented by a sign 36 and an arrow 46, an arrow 37 represents a portion of the weight which is supported through the front ski 12, while an arrow 38 represents a weight portion which is supported through the anterior portion 39 of the power driven ski and an arrow 40 represents the weight portion supported by its posterior portion 17. I-t can be seen that as screw 26 is screwed inwards it forces both the rear end 14 and the front steering ski 12 downwards energizing -, them against the snow. It does so by shifting part (or all) of the weight portion 38 which was supported by the anterior ski portion 39, since it is obvious that statically the sum of weight portions 37, 38 and 40 has to equal the total weight represented by the arrow 46. The increased weight on the front steering ski 12 improves the steerability of the power driven snow cycle while the additional weight on the posterior power driven ski portion 17 improves the traction generated 1~95563 by the tread 16. Now it is possible to increase the weight portion 37 on the front ski by movi.ng the seat forward on the frame 11. This, however, will decrease the weight portion 40, reducing the traction obtained by the tread 16, and in addition it wil.l have adverse effects when the power driven snow cycle encounters a bump or when the rider takes a sharp turn. The reason for this adverse effect is that when the skier's weight increases suddenly due to an upwards or centrifugal acceleration, such increased weight should ideally be absorbed through the power driven ski 13 which cannot rotate due to such jolts under the skier, whereas the front steering ski 12 can, and this tends to cause the rider a loss of balance. In contrast, when the bulk of the weight 46 is over the power driven ski 13, divided into portions 38 and 40, and then part of the weight portion 3B is shifted to rear end ].4 and to the front ski 12, any jolt due to vertical and cen-trifugal accelerations is absorbed by the long non-rotating power driven ski 13 with minimal adverse effect on the rider's balance while at the same time steerability and traction are maximiz.ed simultaneously.
: The amount of weight shifted from the anterior portion 39 to the posterior portion 17 and to the front ski 12 is regulated by the screw 26 according to the rider's (or riders') weight and according to the type and depth of snow.
;, ' ' " ' : :
''. , ~ ` ~ '
Claims
1. A power driven snow cycle having a frame supported by a front steerable ski and a rear power driven ski sub-assembly, said sub-assembly having an anterior ski portion and a posterior tread carrying portion and being pivoted to the frame, the improvement wherein spring means, supported between said frame and said sub-assembly are located and arranged so as to forcibly bias said posterior portion downwards and said anterior portion upwards in order to improve traction and bias load to the front steerable ski, thereby also improving steer-ability of said snow cycle.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA300,689A CA1095563A (en) | 1978-04-07 | 1978-04-07 | Power driven snow cycle |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA300,689A CA1095563A (en) | 1978-04-07 | 1978-04-07 | Power driven snow cycle |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1095563A true CA1095563A (en) | 1981-02-10 |
Family
ID=4111183
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA300,689A Expired CA1095563A (en) | 1978-04-07 | 1978-04-07 | Power driven snow cycle |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1095563A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7475751B2 (en) | 2005-04-01 | 2009-01-13 | Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. | Snow vehicle |
-
1978
- 1978-04-07 CA CA300,689A patent/CA1095563A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US7475751B2 (en) | 2005-04-01 | 2009-01-13 | Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. | Snow vehicle |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |