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Wheel reinvented
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04/07/2007
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A graduating student has invented and applied for a patent on a collapsible bicycle wheel.
Inventor Duncan Fitzsimons says of it, “The wheel is a full sized 700c wheel which uses regular inflatable tubular tyres and can fold into a compact, elongated shape for transportation and storage. An aluminium prototype has already been tested and proven to work on a bicycle. Next stage pre-production prototypes will include an integrated locking mechanism and composite components to reduce weight. The project is patent pending and I am very interested in finding project partners to help continue the development of the wheel and associated folding bike”.
We saw both the aluminium prototype and a full sized mock-up of the intended production version at this year’s Royal College of Art Summer Show. The rim is jointed at six points and supported by two cross members. These rotate relative to each other either to collapse the wheel rim, or to make it circular, whereupon their relative positions are locked in place with a pin.
We did not try it or see the bike to which is was fitted being ridden, but colleagues present at the show assured us they had seen Mr Fitzsimons riding it and that his prototype was perfectly secure and safe to ride on.
www.duncfitz.co.uk
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Author
Tom Shelley
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