Patent attributes
An expandable wheel has rollers arranged radially about a plate within a main housing. Spokes pivotally connected to the plate are attached to linkages on which the rollers are mounted. The rollers and linkages protrude through apertures in the main housing. The rollers form the circumference of the wheel. Rotation of the plate relative to the main housing changes the angle of the spokes relative to radii of the plate. When the spokes are parallel with the radii of the plate, the rollers are pushed radially outward at a maximum distance from the plate, forming the largest wheel circumference. When the spokes are as near perpendicular as possible with respect to the radii of the plate, the rollers are pulled radially inward at a minimum distance from the plate, forming the smallest wheel circumference.
