| 摘要 |
<p>1,249,861. Manually-propelled vehicles. G.M. BYRD, and G. J. BYRD. 9 Jan., 1969 [19 Jan., 1968], No. 2984/68. Heading B7E. A manually-propelled vehicle comprises at least one castor wheel and two non-steerable driving wheels 20, 21 which may be driven by hand levers at different speeds to steer the vehicle. In one embodiment, Fig. 1, the wheels 20, 21 are connected to independent axles 22, 23 which are independently suspended by springs 27 and are received in a common bearing 24, the axles 22, 23 having cranked portions 31, 32 to which are connected rods 33, 34 pivoted to hand levers 35, 36 which may be oscillated at different speeds. Castor wheels 28, 29 are provided. In another embodiment, the inner ends of the axles 22, 23 are connected to sprockets engaged by chains each connected at one end to one hand lever and at the other end to a spring anchored to the front of the vehicle frame, the sprockets incorporating free-wheel devices so that the driving wheels do not drive the hand levers. Independent foot-operated brakes act on the driving wheels to assist steering, and each comprises a projection engaging the wheel tyre below the horizontal plane through the wheel axle, so that as the driver dismounts the brakes automatically engage because of the suspension springs. In a further embodiment, the seat is wholly forward of the wheel axis and the suspension springs are replaced by fixed bearings. The castor wheels may be at the rear and the driving wheels at the front; there may be castor wheels at fore and aft of the driving wheels.</p> |
