Experimentation on Various Designs of Drive Mechanisms of Cycle Rickshaw

摘要

Cycle rickshaw is a product of crude engineering, which is developed as per the individual convenience and availability of component. Design of rickshaw is different on different parts of India. It is observed that all these designs have common drive mechanism which is a combination of crank, sprocket, chain and free wheel. The conventional driving of mechanism of cycle rickshaw is provided with one set of sprocket, which gives speed ratio of 2 between input and output. This S.R. is fixed irrespective of road, load and gradient condition. While starting the rickshaw from the rest or going up slope, more effort beyond the capacity of the puller is required. Diameter of wheel, no of teeth on driving and driven sprocket and crank length are more or less same. 700 mm diameter wheel is commonly used with a speed ratio of 2 between the input and output. However the performance of pedal driven vehicle is much more sensitive to road, load and gradient condition. Single high gear ratio demands a great effort from the puller when starting from rest or while climbing a gradient. Peddaling is not possible beyond a limiting torque of human being. Therefore in such a situation puller pulls the rickshaw by walking. Design of rickshaw is different in different part of these India. None of these cycle rickshaw has a gear box. Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay, STEPS-New Delhi published reports on cycle rickshaw and their development. They report on various cycle rickshaws in India and their drawbacks. The concern work has been mainly concentrated on chassis, canopy, sitting arrangement.