Front wheel drive for bicycles

991,660. Hand-driving mechanism for cycles. W. E. HENDRICKS. Nov. 1, 1963 [Nov. 5, 1962], No. 43186/63. Heading B7E. A bicycle, Fig. 1, is provided with a coaster brake and gear hub 22 mounting a sprocket 24 driven by a chain from a hand crank mechanism mounted on the handlebar stem 26. Cranks 47, 48, Figs. 2 and 3, which may either form a U figure or extend in opposite directions as for pedal drive, mount rotatable handles 49, and themselves rotate in a bearing 51 mounted on a pillar 52 angularly adjustable about a shaft 57 in a clamp 32 on the stem 26. The cranks drive a toothed wheel 50 and a chain 62 passing over an adjustable idler or jockey wheel 36, the chain passing around the sprocket 24. The front wheel drive can be locked for use as ordinary handle bars by providing an apertured ring 70, Fig. 4, rigidly mounted on the bearing 51, the ring being engageable by a plunger pin 71 operated by a cam 72 pivoted on the crank 48. The cam is biased to an operative locking position shown by a spring 75 but may be rotated to withdraw the pin and free the cranks for rotation by pivoting to an over-centre position shown dotted, a lever 73 connected by a link 74 to the cam.