Abstract: Apparatus and associated methods relate to a removable power assist for converting a manual wheelchair into an electronic wheelchair, based on configuring a friction roller to releasably engage with a wheelchair wheel, configuring the friction roller when engaged to drive the wheel through a contact surface with the wheel that may be positioned under the wheelchair seating area, or to the side of the wheelchair seating area, or to the underside of an armrest, or in front of a wheelchair wheel, configuring a motor to rotate the friction roller, and moving the wheelchair based on engaging the friction roller and activating the motor to turn the wheel through force by the friction roller against the contact surface with the wheel. Some designs include a lever configured to permit a user seated in the wheelchair to engage or disengage the friction roller.

Abstract: Wheelchair drive boost apparatuses, drive assisted wheelchairs, and wheelchair drive boost systems are disclosed. A wheelchair drive boost apparatus includes a housing, a drive wheel including a drive axis that is movable with respect to the housing, a drive lever that engages with the drive wheel to cause the drive wheel to rotate, a transmission that couples the drive lever to the drive wheel, and an engager having a first position and a second position. The engager is configured to move the drive axis with respect to the housing.

Abstract: In a power train supporting apparatus and method for an automotive vehicle, at least three mount portions support a power train constituted by an engine and a transmission on a frame of a vehicle body in such a manner that the output axle of the engine intersects a center line of a vehicular longitudinal direction as viewed from a top of the vehicle. The three mount portions comprise engine front and rear side mounts arranged on a vehicular front side and a vehicular rear side with respect to the engine and a transmission side mount arranged in the vicinity of the transmission. The mounts are arranged in such a manner that a distance from a weight center of the power train to each of the engine front and rear side mounts is shorter than a distance from the weight center of the power train to the transmission side mount.

Abstract: A material transportation system includes one or more material transportation vehicles, each having magnetic wheels coupled to a magnetically attractive surface that can include a ceiling, a wall, a floor, and/or a transition region. The material transportation vehicles are adapted to carry material from place to place. Each material transportation vehicle has sensors and motor controls that reduce swing motion of the material transportation vehicle and the material coupled thereto. A collision avoidance and traffic control system prevents collisions between the one or more material transportation vehicles.

Abstract: A drive system for propelling a lawnmower which includes a chassis, a driveshaft, a pair of ground engaging wheels and means for moving the ground engaging wheels into direct contact with the driveshaft. The driveshaft is mounted firmly in the chassis, allowing the use of a variable speed transmission that rotates the driveshaft at different speeds; the selection of these speeds to be controlled by the operator. The ground engaging wheels are moved by the operator into direct contact with the driveshaft to accomplish the propulsion of the lawnmower.

Abstract: A drive unit for electrically-operated vehicles. Two electromotors which can be electrically switched in series or in parallel, optionally, are used in the drive unit in order to obtain a high degree of efficiency and a high degree of overload protection for the batteries. The motors can also be controlled with pulse width modulation by means of an electronic control unit, which enables the current load of the batteries to be kept within stipulated limits. Other advantages of the invention lie in the better use that is made of the construction space, the lower production costs and the use of economical construction materials.

Abstract: Drive apparatus (2) for a cycle (4), comprising an electric motor (6), a first pulley (8) driven by electric motor (6), a second pulley (10), an endless belt (12) which passes around two pulleys (8, 10) and is driven by first pulley (8), and a swinging link mounting (14). During use, endless belt (12) is in driving engagement with a tire (16) of a wheel (18). Mounting (14) enables the distance between centers of first and second pulleys (8, 10) and tire (16) to vary during use of drive apparatus (2), which enables drive apparatus (2) to exert on tire (16) a varying contact pressure which increases as transmitted torque increases. Mounting (14) comprises an attachment for attaching drive apparatus (2) to cycle (4), and a pivot (24).

Abstract: An electric-powered scooter is disclosed having a chassis with a platform upon which the rider stands, a front wheel mounted to provide steering control and a rear wheel rotatably mounted at the rear section of the chassis. A pedal is pivotably mounted at the rear section of the chassis and is attached to the motor and drive wheel. The pedal, in an inactive position, holds such drive wheel in a position where it does not contact the rear wheel. When the pedal is depressed by the foot of the rider, the motor is turned on and the drive wheel contacts the rear wheel, propelling the scooter forward. When released, the pedal returns automatically by spring means to its inactive position, breaking the contact of the rear wheel with the drive wheel, and automatically turning the motor off.

Abstract: An electrically powered scooter is disclosed having a chassis with a platform upon which the rider stands, a front wheel mounted to provide steering control and a rear wheel rotatably mounted at the rear section of the chassis. A pedal is pivotably mounted at the rear section of the chassis and is attached to the motor and drive wheel. The pedal, in an inactive position holds such drive wheel in a position where it does not contact the rear wheel. When the pedal is depressed by the foot of the rider, the motor is turned on and the drive wheel contacts the rear wheel, propelling the scooter forward. When released, the pedal returns automatically by spring means to its inactive position, breaking the contact of the rear wheel with the drive wheel, and automatically turning the motor off.

Abstract: An improved electrically powered driving mechanism for use on a bicycle can be readily mounted onto a common bicycle without making any additional conversion work. It is particularly designed to improve the inefficiency of a conventional friction-type transmission of an electrically powered driving mechanism. It has a dual-purpose power transmitting device having a pair of wheels adapted for either friction transmission or gear engagement transmission. Each driving wheel is divided into two sides, one side for frictional transmission and the other side equipped with a plurality of consecutively spaced gear teeth for gear engagement transmission so that the wheels can be selectively assembled to make the driving device to be either frictionally operable or gear drivable. Besides, a dual-shaft electric motor provides power to the driving mechanism. Between the driving device and the dual-shaft electric motor is disposed a pair of shifting gear sets.

Abstract: The assembly of the invention provides a direct frictional drive system for a wheeled vehicle having a vehicle frame whereby at least one drive roller is in frictional contact with a vehicle wheel, which includes a hub portion having a wheel axle, a rim portion, and a tire portion having a tread surface. The assembly comprises an assembly frame structure including an upper frame portion, an upper drive roller carrier portion, and a lower wheel axle coupling portion for attaching the assembly to a hub portion of the vehicle frame. The upper frame portion is connectable to the vehicle frame and the drive roller carrier portion rotatably supports at least one drive roller in frictional contact with the tread portion. A drive motor mounted to the drive roller carrier portion rotates the drive roller when the motor is activated.

Abstract: An electric powered skateboard having an electric motor which directly drives one of the wheels of the skateboard. The board is preferably controlled by a remote controller which smoothly accelerates the motor and also smoothly brakes the motor electrically. Preferably the direct drive is through a toothed belt and preferably a high torque/low RPM electric motor is used.

Abstract: The rear wheel drive assembly of a motorized stroller includes a transmission unit, a bidirectional motor, a battery unit and a control unit. The transmission unit includes a gear housing to be mounted on a rear wheel support rod of a stroller frame, and a speed reducing gear set mounted operably in the gear housing. The gear set includes an input gear, an output gear driven rotatably by the input gear, and a knurled roller mounted coaxially on one side of the output gear and extending partially out of an open bottom end of the gear housing. The knurled roller contacts the tire portion of a rear wheel on the support rod such that rotation of the input gear results in corresponding rotation of the knurled roller in order to generate friction between the knurled roller and the rear wheel. The motor is mounted on the gear housing and drives rotatably the input gear. The battery unit includes a battery holder mounted on the stroller frame and adapted to receive a storage battery therein.

Abstract: A power assist apparatus which includes a battery powered motor which is mounted on a manually operated vehicle such as a bicycle, which is to be selectively usable by the rider of the bicycle to not only assist in the manual operation of the bicycle but can be used as a sole source of operation of the bicycle. The power assist apparatus is normally fixedly mounted on the bicycle and is carried with that bicycle at all times. The power assist apparatus includes a housing and exteriorly mounted on that housing is a handle. Movement of the handle to various positions locates the power assist apparatus in either a disengaged position relative to a support wheel of the bicycle or to an engaged position relative to the support wheel of the bicycle.

Abstract: An electrical auxiliary drive for a bicycle includes an inverted U-shaped bracket having a top wall disposed above a rear wheel of the bicycle and two side walls each fixedly mounted on a respective seat stay of the bicycle and each located adjacent to the rear wheel. Each of the two side walls of the bracket has an arcuate slot defined therein. Two motors are each mounted on a respective side wall of the bracket and each have a driving axle rotatably mounted thereon and slidably extending through an associated arcuate slot. A driven axle is mounted between the top wall of the bracket and the rear wheel and has two end portions each fixedly mounted on the driving axle of a respective motor. A driving wheel is fixedly mounted around the driven axle and detachably engages with the rear wheel.

Abstract: An electric road motor vehicle with a switchable winding electric motor propulsion system, a switchable winding electric motor propulsion system in an electric road motor vehicle, and a switchable winding electric motor propulsion system for a motor vehicle. For the optimization of an electric motor propulsion system of a vehicle, the electric motor equipped with a rotary field winding is connected through a switching system to an electronic converter, so that due to the switching system, the number of phase windings of the rotary field winding to be connected to the individual output connections can be changed. The switching system is controlled by a control circuit through a actuator. The control circuit also controls the converter and deactivates the driver currents fed to the rotary field winding, while it switches over the switching system through the actuator. The switching system can thereby be made simpler and smaller.

Abstract: A fluid coupling directly-drive a wheel from a small engine. The fluid coupling is mounted in cantilevered support or two ended bearing support from a small engine and has a small diameter inner driven shaft and a larger diameter out wheel driving shaft for contacting and directly driving a wheel. The inner driven shaft connects to a pump having a relatively larger outer diameter than either the driven or driving shaft. This pump is mounted on the opposite side of the driven wheel from the engine and preferably includes rotating vanes within one half a toroidal path having an attached eccentrically mounted toroidal plug for causing helical rotation of fluid about the plug. A turbine mates to the pump and includes rotating vanes within the other half of the toroidal path, these vanes being shaped around the toroidal plug of the pump.

Abstract: A vehicle is proposed, in particular a chassis of a bridge-underside inspection apparatus, having a frame (1) and road-vehicle wheels. In order to be able to quickly and simply convert such a vehicle into an operational chassis having increased stability, a pneumatically sprung axle unit (3) and, in front of and/or behind this pneumatically sprung axle unit, at least one unsprung auxiliary wheel (7, 8) are arranged on the frame (1). The axle unit (3) has a pneumatically actuated device (4, 5) which is connected to the spring-suspension arrangement and by means of which the frame (1) can be lowered from a top position in which the spring suspension is effective into a bottom position. The auxiliary wheel (7, 8) is lifted from the roadway in the top position of the frame (1) during the road-transport operation and stands on the roadway in the bottom position of the frame (1) during working operation.

Abstract: An electrically driven brake controlled skateboard employing an electric motor and associated battery mounted on the bottom of its foot supporting board employs a pulley arrangement whereby the initial slipping of its belt acts as a clutch for transferring rotational power from the motor to a U-grooved drive wheel of the skateboard. The U-groove is low cut so that the drive belt is partially exposed to the road surface. A dual purpose tether mounted brake control and on/off switch is used to control the braking of the skateboard and the energization of the drive motor.

Abstract: Apparatus for driving and steering an invalid chair, or other light wheeled vehicle, comprises a transverse drive transmission shaft (8) with end cones (9 and 10) which contact across the periphery respectively of each of a pair of road wheels (11 and 12). By transverse axial movement of the drive transmission shaft the contact diameter of the cones can be varied and thus the relative speed of the road wheels controlled for differential steering.

Abstract: A spherical element is disclosed having an external pivotably mounted bail counterbalance by an internal counterweight where the sphere is operable over plane surfaces and water supporting a variety of counterbalanced instrumentalities upon the bail and maintained upright by the counterweight when the spherical unit is moving, as well as when at rest.

Abstract: A motorized wheel chair is provided comprising a chassis having two rear wheels and one front wheel mounted thereon. The front wheel is steerable by a handlebar. The rear wheels are driven by an electric motor, coupled to a gearbox, for reducing the speed of the wheel chair. The gearbox drives a friction drive assembly which is engageable with the rear wheels and also is coupled to the handlebar such that one of the rear wheels will be disengaged depending upon which direction the handlebar is turned. The device is provided with a switch which cuts power to the device when a change in surface elevation of a desired amount is detected either in front of or behind the device. A second switch may be provided to stop the vehicle upon contact with a foreign object. A third switch may be activated remotely to stop the device. Also, the chassis is adjustable in length, such that as a child grows the device may be adjusted accordingly.