Abstract: A wheelchair that may be used by disabled persons as a normal self-propelled vehicle and is easily convertible to a narrow attendant-propelled wheelchair for negotiating narrow passages such as airplane aisles and bathroom doors in places not equipped for the accommodation of the disabled. Wheels secondary to the main drive wheels are mounted within the limits of the frame perimeter and are not in ground contact when the main drive wheels are in use. Upon tilting the wheelchair, the secondary wheels contact the ground raising the primary wheels and enabling their rapid removal, the resulting chair being narrowed substantially to the width of the occupant. Steerable castor wheels are mounted inboard of the frame members allowing turns in tight places, and shortened or removable arms are provided for ease of lateral movement from or to the chair. Secondary footrests and drive linkage for secondary wheels are also provided.

Abstract: A self-propelled shopping cart, having a trailer accommodation for transporting a passenger behind the cart, and further comprising a brake feature wherein a tilting trailer is used for automatic drive and brake control. An operator can tilt the trailer to the rear to apply a brake means or forward to engage a drive means. A basket of the cart can be removed and replaced by a seat and back rest through the use of a quick release cam locking device and the trailer can be placed in an upright, stowed position so that the cart may be used in the conventional manual push mode.

Abstract: A vehicle supported by an air cushion extending beneath at least the greater part of the lower surface of the rigid structure of the vehicle. An arrangement of skirts defining the air cushions is described. According to this arrangement, the cushion is bounded on each side of the axis of the vehicle by two parallel skirts, a peripheral skirt and an inner skirt, inclined towards the inside of the vehicle defining between them a series of auxiliary air cushions separated by transverse partitions which form skirts inclined towards the rear. The bottoms of the auxiliary cushions are formed by articulated perforated plates. The edges of the plates are connected to the rigid structure by flexible walls forming a flexible volume connected to the supply of air under pressure for the inner cushion.

Abstract: An improved safety air cushion bag which is constructed with a main body of the air cushion bag, an air outlet port formed in one part of the air cushion bag main body, and a gas-permeable cloth covering the air outlet port, the gas-permeable cover cloth being provided with at least one dart, or being so designed as to provide thereon with a bugle-out portion to prevent the cover cloth from becoming torn out, or separated from the air cushion bag main body at the joined portion between them due to excessive load to be imparted thereto at the time of collision accident of the automotive vehicles, thereby protecting vehicle riders or passengers from unexpected danger of the traffic accident.

Abstract: A connecting bracket for connecting a lawn mower to a powered vehicle such as a motorcycle or the like including a first elongated rigid bracket for affixment to a lawn mower, an engaging element fixedly secured to the first bracket and providing an open-ended chamber therein, a second elongated rigid bracket for affixment to a powered vehicle, a ball element fixedly secured to the second bracket and adapted to be captured by the open-ended chamber, and means for removably retaining a portion of the ball element within the open-ended chamber.

Abstract: A two wheeled, electrically powered vehicle having an outer contour resembling a piece of luggage and including a handlebar controlled steering column which is retractable into the luggage shaped vehicle to facilitate the carrying of the vehicle. The steering column is connected to one of the wheels and is movable to facilitate the steering of the vehicle while, at the same time, an electrically powered motor mounted to the steering column provides the motive force for driving the steered wheel to propel the vehicle.

Abstract: A camper cover for mounting over the cargo area of a vehicle, for example a truck such as a pick-up truck. The camper cover includes a plurality of frame members adapted for mounting the frame members on a vehicle to form a camper frame over the cargo area of the vehicle. An inflatable cover member is attached to the camper frame to form the camper cover. The inflatable cover member is preferably formed of opposed flexible, air tight sheets, such as polyvinylchloride, seamed together to form an inflatable enclosure between the sheets, with the sheets being further attached together by a plurality of longitudinal seams to form adjacent inflatable sections within the enclosure. The inflatable sections are in gas communication, adapted for introducing a gas, e.g., air, into and withdrawing the gas from the inflatable cover member. When inflated, the cover member conforms to the camper frame. The inflatable cover member is secured to the sidewalls of the cargo area of a vehicle.

Abstract: A velocipede is provided in the form of a carriage supported by swivel wheels and having a drive or propelling wheel for engaging a support surface and propelling the velocipede along the surface. The propelling wheel has an axle secured to the lower end of a generally vertical shaft having a steering wheel at the upper end thereof so that the direction of the propelling wheel, and thus the direction in which the carriage travels, is controlled by turning the steering wheel. The steering wheel shaft and propelling wheel can be turned 360.degree. so that the velocipede can be turned to travel in any direction at any time. The velocipede is propelled by a pair of pedals on a Z shaft secured to a drive gear forming a part of the drive train for driving the propelling wheel. Gears are also provided transmitting rotational force to one end of a spool gear surrounding the steering shaft.

Abstract: A wheel drive system for a surface vehicle has a dirigible wheel with its steering axis on the vertical center line of the wheel, a disc brake with annular braking surfaces in vertical planes adjacent to the center line, caliper type brake shoes to engage the surfaces, and power driven gears for driving the wheel.

Abstract: An articulated frame type cambering vehicle employing a cable stabilizer and equalizer which interconnects the trailing arms for controlled pivotal movement and includes means for locking the trailing arms together for vehicle parking in an upright position and for allowing the vehicle to be folded and maintained in a compact configuration so as to facilitate stowage thereof.

Abstract: An articulated tractor in which there is a front first tractor vehicle and rear second and third tractor vehicles, each of the tractors having an engine for driving the wheels of the tractor and the first tractor having an operator's compartment, the second and third tractors being connected to the first tractor through a cross bar pivotally secured adjacent its longitudinal midpoint to the rear of the first tractor for pivotal movement both about a generally vertical axis and a generally horizontal axis. The rear second and third tractors are secured to the cross bar by pivotal connections at points equally spaced from the first pivotal means so that the longitudinal axis of the second and third tractors are normally substantially parallel to each other.

Abstract: An electrically assisted cycle wherein the electrical assistance is provided by an electric drive arrangement carried on the frame of the cycle and powered by a battery also carried by the frame. The output of the drive arrangement is coupled to the driven wheel of the cycle so that operation of the electric drive arrangement can propel the cycle. The drive arrangement is mounted on the frame for limited movement relative to the frame against the action of a resilient bias provided by rubber mounting bushes. An electrical switch is operated by movement of the drive arrangement relative to the frame and the electrical switch is arranged in the energizing circuit of the motor of the electric drive assembly. The switch is operated by movement of the drive arrangement from a rest position to a position wherein the rubber bushes are stressed. Until the switch is so operated the motor cannot be energized.

Abstract: A valve positioned in the fuel supply line of a vehicle has two positions selectable by means of a key-operated lock. In the first position, the valve permits full fuel flow allowing the vehicle to operate in its normal manner. In the second position, the valve only permits a greatly reduced fuel flow allowing the vehicle to operate at idle speed, and thereby preventing the vehicle from being operated in its normal manner by an unauthorized user.

Abstract: A drive train is provided with a planetary gear system including sun, planet, and internal ring gears, side plates abut the gears with the side plates being provided with oil passages aligned with teeth of the gears. The oil passages are spaced around the periphery of the gears out of alignment with a meshing point between gears. The gears are housed in an inner housing which is substantially completely filled with oil delivered from a reservoir by gravity flow. The gears advantageously lie in a single plane for ease of sealing and manufacture. Oil passing between the gears serves to cool the gears and is squeezed between meshing teeth to provide a hydraulic resistance and thus partially lock the gears.

Abstract: A gas bag protection apparatus for protecting occupant of a motor vehicle upon collision thereof, comprises a gas supply source of a high pressure gas, a gas bag normally deflated and operatively inflated upon an emergency, and a diffuser for supplying a high pressure gas from the gas supply source into the bag to be inflated. Improvement resides in provision of a centrifugal separator chamber provided between the gas supply source and the diffuser, for separating, from the high pressure gas flow, residues produced at an explosion of an igniter which is adapted to cause the gas supply source to feed the high pressure gas. A residue collecting cavity may be provided in combination with the separating chamber, both of which may be in a coaxially aligned configuration.

Abstract: The load supported and transferred by the rear auxiliary axle of a truck is commonly determined by the fluid pressure supportively disposed between the auxiliary axle and the rear end of the truck frame. Where the auxiliary axle is some distance to the rear of the truck for that purpose, the wheels are castered to avoid scuffing. The castering, however, must generally be damped to avoid fluttering of the wheels and shimmying of the axle. Frictional damping means which is here disclosed is both adjustable and varied automatically with the amount of such pressure and the amount of load transferred. In particular the stability of the vehicle is greatly improved.

Abstract: A passive stern seal for a plenum chamber of an air cushion marine vehicle comprising a front rectilinear planar seal member with an upward extending curvilinear rear tip, a plurality of front seal member supporting stay members adjacent to the underside of the planar seal, and pivotally attached to the vehicle at their forward surfaces, strut members pivotally attached and extending from the front planar seal member adjacent the curvilinear tip; a rear seal member extending from an attachment to the vehicle downward and to an attachment to the front planar seal member forward of the curvilinear tip, the free end of the strut members are attached to the upper surface of the rear seal member and a plurality of forming members are attached between the rear seal member and the vehicle. The forming members cooperate with pressure within the stern seal and form at least one transverse convolute in said rear seal member.

Abstract: A two speed motorcycle hub transmission in which the wheel may be driven at a one to one, or at a lower speed by a sliding clutch changing the drive from having the wheel locked to the drive shaft, to a planetary system the drive shaft driving the sun gear.

Abstract: A liftable auxiliary axle assembly for a wheeled vehicle including an auxiliary support frame assembly connected to the vehicle frame; a pair of spaced apart torque arms pivoted on the auxiliary frame assembly about a common pivot axis so that the rear end of each is pivotally movable in a generally vertical plane; a pair of axle seat assemblies mounted on the rear ends of the torque arms for pivoting movement therewith and mounting a wheel and axle assembly therebetween; and a positioning mechanism for selectively lifting the wheel and axle assembly from the road.

Abstract: A motorcycle includes a steered wheel assembly wherein the steered wheel is mounted on a hub member which is rigidly secured to one end of a telescopically sprung fork assembly the other end of which is pivoted to the frame. A radius arm assembly is also pivoted to the frame and to the hub member. The pivotal connection between the fork assembly and the frame is adjustable to alternative frame-fixed positions to vary the steering characteristics of the motorcycle.