I am not pissing on your parade. But 8 years ago i thought of something similar. Except two hydraulic expanding krosses. Nice work. So often that person thinks of something and few years later someone else bring it to live. Ceep up the good work.
Not a new idea. Tokheim corp had the same principal in thevariable rear gears they actually marketed in the 70s. If they had made it light weight and more durable it might have succeeded. Reference their patent! Bikes were built and it was covered in the cyling mags.
With all due respect, VECTr is not very similar to Tokheim's device (or the many other attempts at a variable gearing system for bicycles) except in the general aim of varying gear ratios without a variety of chainrings or rear sprockets. But I know of scores of such devices which also were not commercially successful. Tokheim (patent no. US3861227) had variable gear ratios that were "selectively formed by ejecting toothed drive segments from retracted positions to active positions in which they are engageable by the chain." VECTr varies gear ratios by varying the radial position of gear segments on a crank mounted base plate. This, and the fact that it is light weight and more durable, sufficiently distinguish it from the Tokheim's device and the score of other systems.
I was issued a patent on a similar idea in 1993(?) 5,492,506. My design had some of the same issues you mention in your design. I never got adequate financing and after spending thousands of dollars in fees etc. I let the patent expire. Good ideas are only a small part of the invention process IMHO, Better luck to you with your idea.
Thanks for the encouragement. I agree, ideas are relatively easy (though not effortless). The devil is in the details and the implementation -- and then one has no control over market forces.
JEFF DragonBall I noticed that also. It made me think of a specialized hard rock I had years ago. That bike had a "biopace" chain ring. If this were properly designed that pulsing might be an advantage.
With the newer 5 bolt version, not at all. Check it out testing in the lab: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-9Q8RavDigzo.html Here it is tested on the road: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5jBXFftKy6U.html
