US1103226A - Vehicle. - Google Patents

Description

J. 0. SMITH.

VEHICLE.

APPLICATION I'ILBD SEPT.14, 1912 1,103,226. Patented July 14, 1914.

WITNESSES INVENTOR James 6. SMITH. 0114; MW j:

, fin M Mm 1 r'run WASHINGTON. n. C-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES 0'. SMITH, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE MACHINE PARTS COMPANY; OF ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 14, 1912. Serial No. 720,308.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES C. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elyria, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certaih new and useful Improvements in Vehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. I

My invention relates to improvements in vehicles, and more particularly to the class of vehicles which are commonly known as invalid chairs or cripple machines, by reason of their adaptability to the transportation of cripples or invalids who are incapacitated in one way or another, but at the same time are enabled to propel a specially constructed vehicle of the nature described, by use of the member or members which are intact.

In the form of my invention illustrated, I show a vehicle which is adapted to be operated by the lower limbs of an individual, for example, by one whose body or limbs are such as to render him incapable of walking,

but at the sametime are of such a nature as to enable him'to propel the vehicle through the use of pedals.

Hitherto, as far as I am aware, it has been customary to use rigid connecting means between the pedals and the running gear.

This has been necessary because no suitable means have been combined with the other elements of the machine which would stand the pressure placedupon them, and at the same time perform the function of admitting of some changes in this connecting rod. Moreover, it has been difficult to find means which could be operated by individuals of the character who deal with machines of persons, so that in addition to the fact that the limbs of one person may be longer than those of another, one ofthe limbs of one person may be longer than another, his welght may be so distributed that he can most effectively operate the pedals in a particular position, or his malady may be of such a nature as to either interfere or prohibit altogether the operation of the pedals in a particular position. This will be-better appreciated when it is understood that the pedals are driven by the person seated in the chair and the chair is gripped by the body in one way or another in driving the machine.

I have aimed to produce a chair in which the pedals could be dropped lower and moved forward, so as to change the path of the pedal in its operation, and at the same time produce connecting means be tween the pedal and the crank shaft which may be easily and readily changed by those unskilled in mechanics, and which may transmit motion and power from the pedals to the crank shaft without loss of either, and without tearing the connection asunder. By this arrangement I am enabled to produce a simplified and cheaper chair'for the trade, as well as to greatly add to the comfort and happiness of those who employ vehicles of this nature.

Other objects of my invention and the invention itself will be clear from the particular description of the embodiment illustrated in the drawing.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle showing an embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the connecting means. Fig. 8 is a side elevation, showing a portion of the connecting means. Fig. 4: is a section through Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings and to the particular embodiment of my invention illustrated therein, at 6 is shown the frame 14:, which is fastened by any suitable means i I is perforated at a number of places, asv

to the frame 6. The wheel 7 is mounted upon an axis 15 to which is connected a crank rod 16. At 17 I show pedals which are adapted to drive the running gear of the vehicle, and which are mounted in any suitable way in the frame. In the form shown, the pedals 17 are connected to the frame head 9 by rods 18, which may be pivoted to the said frame head as shown at 20 atone end, and at the other end to the pedal as shown at 19. The pedal is likewise connected to the crank shaft by any suitable extensible means, which will properly and effectively transmit motion and power from the pedal to the crank shaft. I prefer to use such means as are shown in the embodiment illustrated. A' connecting rod is shown at 21 pivoted at 22 to the pedal, so that the pedal remains substantially horizontal, no matter what its position. By connecting the two rods to different ends of the lower part of these pedals, such as the web 23, I am enabledto keep the surfaces of the pedals substantially horizontal when the connecting means is expanded or contracted.

and 27. A connecting member is shown at 28 having a hook 29 upon one end, which hooks over the crank shaft 16. A finger 30 is formed adjacent the hook as shown, and

the crank 16 is clamped between the hook' and is held in position by a set screw 31- threaded in the finger 30. The flange 33 shown at 36, which perforations are adapted to receive the hooks upon the ends of the rods 24 and 25, as shown in Fig. 2. Upon. one end of the link 28 a support 29 is formed being cut away at 30 to receive therods 24C and 25'. A clamp .31also formed to receive the rods is mounted over them.

and clamped down by some suitable means, such as a bolt 60, holding the rods firmly in place with their ends in the holes in the link 28.

It will be seen that the rods are so proportioned that the distances between the hooks are the distances between the perforations 36, so that the hooks fit into adjacentperforations. When in this position, a, clamp e0 which is slidably mounted upon the rods 24 and 25 is slipped to asuitable position upon these rods, and clamped down, v holding the hooks firmly in the perforations,

so that power may be readily transmitted suitable position, and slides the clamp up,

reclamping the rods together and thehooks firmly in the. perforations... I may. use any suitable form of clamp; I have illustrated this form, as it is most convenient for-my purpose, since it is eas1ly manipulated and difiicult to destroy. It will also be apparent that numerous and extensive departures from the form and details of the embodiment here used, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, this form being shown for the purpose of clearly illustrating an embodiment of such invention.

I claim:

1. In a device of the class described, the

member, and means to clamp said-rods together. The connecting rod 21 consists in the 2. In a vehicle, the combination with a front wheel, rearv wheels,a frame on said wheels, a crank shaft for rotating said rear wheels, a seat in said frame, a pedal operable from said seat, a frame head on said front wheel, a rod connecting said pedal to said frame head, a pair of rodsconnected at one end to said pedal andprovided with books on the other end one of said rods being longer than the other, a connecting link provided with a hook upon one end which hooks over said crank shaft, means to fasten said crank shaft in said hook upon said link, permitting the crank shaft to turn in the hook, a bearing member upon the other end of the link and substantially perpendicular thereto provided with bearing surfaces for said rods and means to clamp said rods to said bearing surfaces, said connecting link being provided with perforations into which the hooks upon the rods enter rods are clamped thereto;

3., In a vehicle, the combination ofa front wheel and a pair of rear wheels, a frame on 'said wheels, a crankshaft for rotating said ;rear wheels, a seat in said frame, a pair of pedals operable from said seat, a frame head on said front wheel, a rod connecting eachpedal to sa d frame head and pivoted thereto, a pair of rods connected at one end to each of said pedals and provided with hooks on the other end, one ofsaid rods being longer than the other,va pair of connecting links, one associated with each of said pairs of rods and provided with a hook member upon the othe end of each of the when the links and substantially perpendicular thereeach other to adjust the pedals upwardly to, provided with bearing surfaces for said and rearwardly simultaneously. 10 rods and means to clamp said rods to said In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature bearing surfaces, said connecting links bein the presence of two witnesses.

ing provided with perforations into which JAMES 0. SMITH. the hooks upon the rods enter when the rods Witnesses:

are clamped thereto, said rods and connect- M. E. WILLIAMS,

ing links being adjustable with respect to M, E. GoeHLAN.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

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