GB1450682A - Cycles - Google Patents

Abstract

1450682 Cycles with front wheel drive C E SHAW 13 Dec 1973 [14 Dec 1972] 57744/72 Heading B7E A motor or pedal cycle comprises a frame, a front wheel assembly steerably connected to the frame, drive means mounted on the frame, and means for transmitting drive from the drive means to the front wheel assembly to propel the cycle, the drive transmitting means including a member mounted to transmit driving torque by rotation about the pivot axis of the steering connection between the frame and front wheel assembly. In the illustrated embodiment a double face bevel gearwheel 38, rotatably mounted on the steering head tube 18 of the frame of a bicycle, has one face engaging a pinion 36 mounted on the frame and fixed to a sprocket 32 connected by a chain 34 to a pedal-driven sprocket 16, and has its other face engaging a pinion 42 mounted on the front fork 24 and fixed to a sprocket 46 connected by a chain 48 to a free-wheel sprocket 50 on the front wheel. The pinions 36, 42 may each have a larger pitch diameter than the toothing of the gearwheel 38 with which they mesh. A further sprocket (10) [Fig. 2 not shown] is driven by the bicycle pedals 6, which sprocket is connected by a chain 14 to a free-wheel sprocket 12 on the rear wheel of the bicycle. The bicycle may be provided with a change-speed mechanism associated with the pedal crank to act on the drive to both the front and rear wheels, or with separate changespeed mechanisms for the front and rear wheel drives operable in synchronism, or with a change-speed mechanism for the front or rear wheel drive only arranged such that both wheels are driven at the same speed when one gear ratio, e.g. the lowest step-up ratio, is selected.