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GB2338426A - Rolling sphere propulsion unit - Google Patents

Rolling sphere propulsion unit Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2338426A
GB2338426A GB9813047A GB9813047A GB2338426A GB 2338426 A GB2338426 A GB 2338426A GB 9813047 A GB9813047 A GB 9813047A GB 9813047 A GB9813047 A GB 9813047A GB 2338426 A GB2338426 A GB 2338426A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
propulsion unit
sphere
drive tube
spheres
driven
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
GB9813047A
Other versions
GB9813047D0 (en
Inventor
Peter Vernon Nuell
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to GB9813047A priority Critical patent/GB2338426A/en
Publication of GB9813047D0 publication Critical patent/GB9813047D0/en
Publication of GB2338426A publication Critical patent/GB2338426A/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B22/00—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements
    • A63B22/02—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements with movable endless bands, e.g. treadmills
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16H—GEARING
    • F16H35/00—Gearings or mechanisms with other special functional features
    • F16H35/18—Turning devices for rotatable members, e.g. shafts
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63B—APPARATUS FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING, GYMNASTICS, SWIMMING, CLIMBING, OR FENCING; BALL GAMES; TRAINING EQUIPMENT
    • A63B22/00—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements
    • A63B22/02—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements with movable endless bands, e.g. treadmills
    • A63B2022/0271—Exercising apparatus specially adapted for conditioning the cardio-vascular system, for training agility or co-ordination of movements with movable endless bands, e.g. treadmills omnidirectional

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Cardiology (AREA)
  • Vascular Medicine (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Physical Education & Sports Medicine (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Rehabilitation Tools (AREA)

Abstract

A propulsion unit, which, when part of a cluster of such propulsion units placed onto a controlling device, becomes part of a directional conveying/walking machine. The four surface spheres 13, of each propulsion unit, will turn with a uniform speed and direction within 360 degrees. The direction in which the spheres turn is controlled by the directing rod 10, which is mounted inside the drive tube 18, and held in position and able to turn independently of the drive tube, by bearings 20. The drive tube is mounted inside of, and turned by, the electric motor 19. It has a sprocket 17 at the top end which turns an intermediate sprocket 16 which turns the sprocket 15 attached to the wheel 11 driving the main sphere 12 which drives the surface spheres. The drive tube is held in position, and turns independently of the housing, by bearings 21.

Description

2338426 1 ROLLING SPHERE PROPULSION UNIT This invention relates to a
rolling sphere propulsion unit.
Conveyor belts or walking/running machines are well known devices which comprise of a surface that moves in a single direction for the propulsion of an object, or for a person to walk on the spot..
According to the present invention there is provided a propulsion unit, which, when part of a cluster of units placed onto a controlling device, becomes a conveying/walking machine, which is directional in any one of 360 degrees.
As the surface spheres of the propulsion units turn, the person standing on the spheres will be propelled across the surface in the direction of the turning spheres. To prevent himself from falling off the edge he must start to walk towards the centre. The direction in which the spheres turn may be altered mid-stream to change the direction that the person on the surface has to walk.
If it were possible to force the spheres to change direction and speed, as the person walking on the surface changes direction and speed, there would be an opportunity to use the machine in a'virtual reality' application, to, with the use of hydraulics, provide a walking platform, of approximately two yards square, that can tilt to simulate inclines and declines in the walker's path.
A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 shows an elevation section of a whole single propulsion unit.
Figure 2 shows a plan section of the unit as indicated on Figure 1 as Sectionl.
Figure 3 shows the units arranged side by side.
Figure 4 shows the effect of clustering a number of the propulsion unIts to create a walking surface.
Figure 5 shows a plan of a stabiliser and sphere.
2 Referring to the drawings, the propulsion unit comprises a directing rod 10 which can be positioned in any one of 360 degrees, enabling the wheel 11 to drive the main sphere 12 in any one of 360 degrees. The main sphere will drive the surface spheres 13, of which there are four, in a uniform speed and direction.
The wheel 11 is turned by sprocket 15, which is mounted outside the wheel's fork 14.
Sprocket 15 is turned by sprocket 16, mounted on the directing rod, which is turned by sprocket 17.
Sprocket 17 is attached to, and turned by, the drive tube 18 which is mounted inside of and powered by the electric motor 19.
The inner bearing 20 enables the drive tube 18 to turn freely against the directing rod 10.
The outer bearing 21 enables the drive tube 18 to turn freely against the housing 22.
The sphere stabilisers 23 hold the spheres 12 and 13 in position.
Each surface sphere can be further layered with four more spheres to reduce the size of, and increase the concentration of, the spheres at the surface.

Claims (10)

  1. 3 1. A rolling sphere propulsion unit comprising of four surface spheres, a main sphere, a directing rod and wheel, a drive tube and an electric motor, all housed in a tube of an inner diameter equal to that of the overall diameter of the main sphere's stabiliser and arranged together so that the surface spheres are driven at a uniform speed, which is variable, and a uniform direction, which is variable within 360 degrees.
  2. 2. A rolling sphere propulsion unit as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the surface spheres are mounted on top of, and driven by, the main sphere.
  3. 3. A rolling sphere propulsion unit as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the main sphere is driven by the wheel.
  4. 4. A rolling sphere propulsion unit as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the wheel is positioned by the directing rod, which can turn in 360 degrees.
  5. 5. A rolling sphere propulsion unit as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the wheel is driven by a sprocket driven by an intermediate sprocket, mounted on the directing rod, driven by the sprocket attached to the drive tube.
  6. 6. A rolling sphere propulsion unit as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the drive tube is driven by the electric motor, which is housed around the drive tube.
  7. 7. A rolling sphere propulsion unit as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the drive tube turns freely against the directing rod via inner bearings.
  8. 8. A rolling sphere propulsion unit as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the drive tube turns freely against the housing via outer bearings.
  9. 9. A rolling sphere propulsion unit as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein stabilisers hold the spheres in place.
  10. 10. A rolling sphere propulsion unit, substantially as described herein, with reference to Figures 1-5 of the accompanying drawings.
GB9813047A 1998-06-17 1998-06-17 Rolling sphere propulsion unit Withdrawn GB2338426A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9813047A GB2338426A (en) 1998-06-17 1998-06-17 Rolling sphere propulsion unit

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9813047A GB2338426A (en) 1998-06-17 1998-06-17 Rolling sphere propulsion unit

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9813047D0 GB9813047D0 (en) 1998-08-12
GB2338426A true GB2338426A (en) 1999-12-22

Family

ID=10833904

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9813047A Withdrawn GB2338426A (en) 1998-06-17 1998-06-17 Rolling sphere propulsion unit

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2338426A (en)

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1495436A (en) * 1975-06-07 1977-12-21 Gibbs D Exercising apparatus
WO1998008572A1 (en) * 1995-03-10 1998-03-05 Carmein David E E Omni-directional treadmill

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1495436A (en) * 1975-06-07 1977-12-21 Gibbs D Exercising apparatus
WO1998008572A1 (en) * 1995-03-10 1998-03-05 Carmein David E E Omni-directional treadmill

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB9813047D0 (en) 1998-08-12

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
WAP Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1)