Tri-cycle build differential ideas

[the repair man]

that one as been stripped to build trike for my eldest girl.
its going to have carrying area on back for all her junk.

am looking into building some working indicators and brake lights using leds to go on it.

I thought that, lights radio etc, where does it end though. I have a nice stainless tray for a carrier, but it's about 40" wide. Its actually a tray slide from a cafe, so would look bespoke..ho hum too many ideas. Contemplated and electric motor and battery for a little booster on hills etc nah..!

 

[Pete.]

There's another option. A machine we have at work uses one-way bearings to drive a bank of rubber-tyred wheels, which are about £70 each. One of these either side of the sprocket driving each half-shaft would not give you true differential drive but would transfer drive to the inside wheel on a turn and allow the outside wheel to free-wheel faster. Machine is hydraulic using a 25KW motor for the main pump and works fine through two bearings so they are plenty strong enough.
They are listed by the manufacturer as 'ratchet bearings', though they do not ratchet, the action is perfectly smooth.

 

[Orraman]

As an older person with walking difficulty I found that a Powatryke with one wheel driven from the pedals and an electric motor in the front wheel worked very well.
The motor overcame any slight problem of turning to the dead wheel and being able to choose to pedal, motor or both made for greater carrying capacity and enjoyment.

Dave

 

[normspanners]

They are listed by the manufacturer as 'ratchet bearings', though they do not ratchet, the action is perfectly smooth.

Same principle as my idea,
BTW they are called sprag clutch bearings

 

[Pete.]

Aye I knew that I just passed on what the manufactured listed them as to make a search easier. It is the same principle as yours but with fewer components. In fact, with those bearings used as wheel bearings you'd only need a solid axle and single crank - you could convert any single-wheel-driven trike to 2-wheel drive by modding the wheel bearings.

 

[the repair man]

That is the same as putting a single speed freewheeling gear on either end of solid axle, but I'm sure it would make the inside wheel the driving wheel. I have considered an electric motor as a booster, but will see how it goes!

 

[normspanners]

Aye I knew that I just passed on what the manufactured listed them as to make a search easier. It is the same principle as yours but with fewer components. In fact, with those bearings used as wheel bearings you'd only need a solid axle and single crank - you could convert any single-wheel-driven trike to 2-wheel drive by modding the wheel bearings.

Not sure if you can use sprag bearings as wheel brg coz one element has to be solid ie not turning in the frame, so when it sprags it would lock solid surely? They can be only used in a allready turning hub.
MY idea when I was thinking about it, was to use twin drive so if one side got broken it would still drive on the other wheel and would be cheap as the bits are free on scrap bikes

 

[dannyp]

lots of 3 wheeled things are 1 wheel drive sems to be the normal soution.

otherwise your going to be useing a mower diff i think, possobly even one out of a pedestrian mower

 

[Pete.]

Not sure if you can use sprag bearings as wheel brg coz one element has to be solid ie not turning in the frame, so when it sprags it would lock solid surely? They can be only used in a allready turning hub.
MY idea when I was thinking about it, was to use twin drive so if one side got broken it would still drive on the other wheel and would be cheap as the bits are free on scrap bikes

If the OD of the bearing is set in the hub of the wheel and the ID is clamped to the axle shaft, the wheel will be driven one way but free-wheel the other. A second, normal bearing alongside could provide support.

Axle runs on plummer blocks or whatever.