GB1598691A - Vehicles - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO VEHICLES (71) I, MICHAEL BIBBY LOWERY, a British subject of 228 Preston New Road, Blackpool, Lancashire, do hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- This invention relates to vehicles which roll over the terrain to be traversed on rotatable ball shaped members rather than wheels.

The invention provides a vehicle comprising an elongate support structure, first and second ball shaped members mounted on said support structure at opposite ends thereof, said ball shaped members being mounted for axial rotation in engagement with the ground such as to permit forward movement of the vehicle generally longitudinally of the support structure and such that the vehicle can te rocked to and fro on the ground engaging ball surfaces transversely of said forward direction, a seat on said support structure, steering means arranged to allow the passenger when seated to turn the rotational axis of one of said ball shaped members relative to the support structure whereby the passenger when seated can steer the vehicle when in motion by a combination of the use of the steering means and by tilting the vehicle in said transverse direction, braking means arranged for operation by the passenger when seated to brake the vehicle, wherein at least a portion of said support structure lies below a line joining the rotational axes of said ball shaped members.

A preferred embodiment of the vehicle of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the single Figure of the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the Figure, there is shown a vehicle comprising an elongate support structure in the form of a tubular ladder-type frame or chassis 2 on which is mounted a seat 3. Opposite ends of the chassis 2 are splayed out at the front and rear of the vehicle to provide pairs of arms 11 and 12 for rotatably mounting therebetween ground engaging ball shaped members 1 having a diameter of say 14". The frame can be made from any suitably strong material such as steel, alloy or reinforced plastics. Alternatively, a one piece integral chassis/seat could be used for instance as is illustrated in the Figure 2 embodiment, the chassis/seat being injection moulded plastic, glass reinforced plastic or glass fibre.

In the illustrated vehicle, the front ball is steerable by means of an arrangement to be described in more detail hereinafter. However, the rear instead of the front ball could be steerable if desired. Seat 3 is fixed to the frame 2 between the balls 1, the seat being so designed that a rider of the vehicle lies generally prone rather than sitting upright in the seat. Thus, the vehicle can move forwardly in a direction generally longitudinally of the chassis 2 and can also be rocked to and from on the ground engaging surfaces of the ball shaped members 1 transversely of the forward direction so as to allow the passenger to bank the vehicle over into a turn produced operation of the ball steering arrangement.

An important feature of the vehicle is that its centre of gravity lies below a line joining the axes of rotation of the balls. This means that the chassis or support structure 2 should be so designed that the lowest pdint of support of the seat mounted thereon is located just above the ground, for instance two or three inches, i.e. such that a portion of the support structure lies below the line joining the balls' rotational axes. The seat or couch 3 is shaped in the form of a bucket seat with raised side portions 13 to provide good lateral location for the rider. It will be seen that the seat 3 has a portion below the line joining the balls' rotational axes. Grab handles 14 are provided on these raised portions to give the rider increased stability during use of the vehicle. The seat 3 is preferably lined with a suitable form of cushioning 15 but this is not essential as the seat may be moulded to the contours of the rider's body.

As already mentioned, the front ball 1 of the vehicle is steerable. In the illustrated embodiment this is achieved by mounting axle stubs 5 projecting from each side of the ball 1 in a generally horizontally extending slot 6 provided in the end region of the front arms 11 of the chassis 2. Each slot 6 also houses a spring 7 which reacts against the axle stub S to normally bias it into the illustrated position. A rudder bar 8 is suitably attached to each axle stub 5 but instead the stub axle ends 5 may extend outwardly well beyond the arms 11 to provide rudder bars.

With this arrangement, it will be seen that when a rider is lying in the hammock seat 3, his legs can rest on the rudder bars 8. When the rider pushes against one or other of the rudder bars, this causes the front ball to pivot about its opposite axle stub 5 as a result of which the ball turns. Thus the vehicle is provided with a very simple and effective steering arrangement.

Any suitable form of steering arrangement can be provided for one or other of the balls although it is important that the pivot axis for such a steering arrangement be generally coplanar with the axes of rotation of the balls. For instance. the front arms 11 rotatably mounting the front ball 1 could comprise a separate U-shaped yoke which is pivotally mounted to the remainder of the chassis 2 or the seat 3 about a pivot point generally coplanar with the axes of rotation of the balls.

In practice is has been found that the axle stub 5 need only be moved a short distance (for instance 3"4") along the slot 6 to give an acceptable turning circle for the vehicle because it steers in much the same way as a bicycle in that the rider leans into the turn and thereby transfers his weight to one side of the vehicle which increases the turning effect. Instead of steering the vehicle using the feet, it is also possible to steer it by hand by connecting the steerable ball axle ends to suitable hand operated steering means such as a pair of levers, or a tiller bar or steering wheel.

The balls 1 are preferably inflatable and made from a resilient synthetic plastics material although other resilient materials could be used such as for instance natural or synthetic rubber. The ball shaped members are preferably of a shape such that their outer surface defines the major part of a sphere. If inflatable balls are used, one of the advantages of doing this is that the vehicle is provided with its own inbuilt air suspension so that no other supplemental suspension system is necessary. However, if desired a separate suspension can be provided, for instance by making the rear arms 12 of the chassis as separate trailing arms pivotally mounted to a central main portion of the chassis and mounting shock absorbing means such as a pair of coil springs between the movable trailing arms 12 and the rear side of the seat body. If desired some form of suspension means can be provided at the front of the vehicle using a similar arrangement. For instance, the front ball could be supported in a U-shaped frame or yoke which is mounted on the chassis for pivotal movement from side to side for steering purposes, shock absorbing means such as coil springs being mounted between the steering arms 11 and a fixedly forwardly extending portion 10 of the chassis 2 or seat 3. For most applications, it would only be desirable to provide additional suspension means at the rear of the vehicle as this is where most of the weight is concentrated.

Any suitable form of ball can be used provided it is of a resilient material such as synthetic plastics material or natural or synthetic rubber. However, it is preferred to use balls which have been manufactured by rotational casting. This is done by placing a flexible tube across the diameter of a circular mould together with the powder from which the ball is to be cast. The mould is then rotated at high speed and heated. The powder then melts and is thrown against the inner surface of the mould to form the ball.

While this is happening, the cast surface of the ball also welds itself to the end portions of the flexible tube located in the mould, the result being that a hollow ball is formed having a very resilient outer surface and a central hole extending therethrough whose walls comprise a flexible tube of a similar or harder material and suitable for receiving and retaining a metal axle therein for rotation therewith or end located bearings for the axle. Preferably the flexible tube providing the central hole is of a diameter such that it makes press fit with the metal axle to be inserted therein, the axle being tightly gripped by the flexible tube when the ball is inflated and therefore properly located therein. An advantage of this arrangement is that it makes it more difficult for the ball to slide along the axle during use and therefore the stub axles extending from each side of the balls tend to remain of constant length.

Instead of rotationally casting the ball with a tubular hole therethrough, it is possible to make the ball solid and provide diametrically opposed recesses in the surface thereof to receive spigot ends of a U-shaped hub supporting arrangement. It is also possible to cast the ball with a metal axle extending therethrough or with two separate stub axles in it, the ball being either inflatable or solid.

Alternatively, a low density foam plastics material can be used to form the ball, whereby it has an outer shell of a harder material.

The diameter of the balls would preferably be in the range 12 to 18 inches but other sized balls could be used. If the vehicle is to be ridden by children only, the ball diameters could be only 10". It will be appreciated that the dimensions given in the foregoing de scription are by way of example only and that any ball diameter size may be used depending on the intended use of the vehicle.

The vehicle is also be provided with some form of braking means. In the Figure, the brake comprises a brake pad (not shown) which is mounted behind the seat 3 to act against the rear ball 1, the brake being actuated by the rider pressing against a movable panel 16 in the seat or couch 3. The panel 16 is mounted on a part of the seat which is slidable for movement relative to the remainder of the seat body in a direction towards and away from the rear ball 1. A braking surface (not shown) having a high coefficient of friction such as a rubber pad is mounted on the reverse face of the movable panel 16 to co-operate with the ball and retard rotation thereof when brought into contact with it when the rider presses back against the movable panel 16. It will be appreciated that other forms of braking for the vehicle are possible. For instance, a drum brake mechanism mounted on the axle could be used on either or both of the front or rear balls, such a mechanism being operated from control means mounted on the seat 3, for instance by a cable or hydraulic linkage system. Alternatively, a disc brake mechanism could be attached to either or both of the front or rear axles, such a braking mechanism again being cable or hydraulically operated.

The main advantage of the vehicle is that it can slalom at speed on a gradient and traverse that gradient or even climb up it thereby enabling the rider to prolong his ride time down a given gradient. The vehicle is also simple to balance and control as the seating position ensures a very low centre of gravity, below axle height in the embodiments herein.

Desirably, the front and rear balls are of the same size but different sizes can be used.

With different sized balls, the larger ball does not necessarily have to be at the rear of the vehicle. It could be at the front. Also the balls may be provided with a tread pattern to increase the cornering and stopping of the vehicle.

The vehicle can also be provided with a motor mounted low down on the chassis, preferably behind or alongside the seat 3, the motor driving the front or rear ball in any suitable way. For instance, the motor could drive a sprocket keyed to the ball axle via a chain or alternatively it could drive an intermediate drive wheel spring biassed into engagement with the ball to make a friction drive therewith. The motor would be extremely light in relation to the overall weight of the vehicle and of small cubic capacity, for instance between 50 and 100 cc.

WHAT I CLAIM IS: 1. A vehicle comprising an elongate support structure, first and second ball shaped members mounted on said support structure at opposite ends thereof, said ball shaped members being mounted for axial rotation in engagement with the ground such as to permit forward movement of the vehicle generally longitudinally of the support structure and such that the vehicle can be rocked to and fro on the ground engaging ball surfaces transversely of said forward direction, a seat on said support structure, steering means arranged to allow the passenger when seated to turn the rotational axis of one of said ball shaped members relative to the support structure whereby the passenger when seated can steer the vehicle when in motion by a combination of the use of the steering means and by tilting the vehicle in said transverse direction, braking means arranged for operation by the passenger when seated to brake the vehicle, wherein at least a portion of said support structure lies below a line joining the rotational axes of said ball shaped members.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the seat includes a portion thereof below the line joining the rotational axes of the ball shaped members.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the centre of gravity of the vehicle lies below the line joining the rotational axes of the ball shaped members.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said support structure comprises a tubular chassis to which said seat is attached.

5. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the braking means includes a brake pad arranged to engage the surface of one of said ball shaped members.

6. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said ball shaped members are rotationally mounted on axles, said support structure includes a pair of spaced arms each of which receives one end of one of the axles such that the axle ends are movable along the arms for rotating the axle and thereby steering the ball.

7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 6 wherein each axle end is mounted in a slot extending along each arm, each axle end being movable in its slot in a direction away from the seat against a biasing force.

8. A vehicle as claimed in claim 7 wherein a rudder bar is attached to each axle end for foot actuation by the passenger of the vehicle.

9. A vehicle as claimed in claim 8 wherein each arm has a series of notches therealong, each of which is operable to receive and locate an axle end therein, said axle ends being movable along each arm to different ones of said notches for steering purposes.

10. A vehicle substantially as hereinbe

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (10)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. scription are by way of example only and that any ball diameter size may be used depending on the intended use of the vehicle. The vehicle is also be provided with some form of braking means. In the Figure, the brake comprises a brake pad (not shown) which is mounted behind the seat 3 to act against the rear ball 1, the brake being actuated by the rider pressing against a movable panel 16 in the seat or couch 3. The panel 16 is mounted on a part of the seat which is slidable for movement relative to the remainder of the seat body in a direction towards and away from the rear ball 1. A braking surface (not shown) having a high coefficient of friction such as a rubber pad is mounted on the reverse face of the movable panel 16 to co-operate with the ball and retard rotation thereof when brought into contact with it when the rider presses back against the movable panel 16. It will be appreciated that other forms of braking for the vehicle are possible. For instance, a drum brake mechanism mounted on the axle could be used on either or both of the front or rear balls, such a mechanism being operated from control means mounted on the seat 3, for instance by a cable or hydraulic linkage system. Alternatively, a disc brake mechanism could be attached to either or both of the front or rear axles, such a braking mechanism again being cable or hydraulically operated. The main advantage of the vehicle is that it can slalom at speed on a gradient and traverse that gradient or even climb up it thereby enabling the rider to prolong his ride time down a given gradient. The vehicle is also simple to balance and control as the seating position ensures a very low centre of gravity, below axle height in the embodiments herein. Desirably, the front and rear balls are of the same size but different sizes can be used. With different sized balls, the larger ball does not necessarily have to be at the rear of the vehicle. It could be at the front. Also the balls may be provided with a tread pattern to increase the cornering and stopping of the vehicle. The vehicle can also be provided with a motor mounted low down on the chassis, preferably behind or alongside the seat 3, the motor driving the front or rear ball in any suitable way. For instance, the motor could drive a sprocket keyed to the ball axle via a chain or alternatively it could drive an intermediate drive wheel spring biassed into engagement with the ball to make a friction drive therewith. The motor would be extremely light in relation to the overall weight of the vehicle and of small cubic capacity, for instance between 50 and 100 cc. WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. A vehicle comprising an elongate support structure, first and second ball shaped members mounted on said support structure at opposite ends thereof, said ball shaped members being mounted for axial rotation in engagement with the ground such as to permit forward movement of the vehicle generally longitudinally of the support structure and such that the vehicle can be rocked to and fro on the ground engaging ball surfaces transversely of said forward direction, a seat on said support structure, steering means arranged to allow the passenger when seated to turn the rotational axis of one of said ball shaped members relative to the support structure whereby the passenger when seated can steer the vehicle when in motion by a combination of the use of the steering means and by tilting the vehicle in said transverse direction, braking means arranged for operation by the passenger when seated to brake the vehicle, wherein at least a portion of said support structure lies below a line joining the rotational axes of said ball shaped members.

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the seat includes a portion thereof below the line joining the rotational axes of the ball shaped members.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein the centre of gravity of the vehicle lies below the line joining the rotational axes of the ball shaped members.

4. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 wherein said support structure comprises a tubular chassis to which said seat is attached.

5. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the braking means includes a brake pad arranged to engage the surface of one of said ball shaped members.

6. A vehicle as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said ball shaped members are rotationally mounted on axles, said support structure includes a pair of spaced arms each of which receives one end of one of the axles such that the axle ends are movable along the arms for rotating the axle and thereby steering the ball.

7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 6 wherein each axle end is mounted in a slot extending along each arm, each axle end being movable in its slot in a direction away from the seat against a biasing force.

8. A vehicle as claimed in claim 7 wherein a rudder bar is attached to each axle end for foot actuation by the passenger of the vehicle.

9. A vehicle as claimed in claim 8 wherein each arm has a series of notches therealong, each of which is operable to receive and locate an axle end therein, said axle ends being movable along each arm to different ones of said notches for steering purposes.

10. A vehicle substantially as hereinbe

fore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.