The invention concerns a handheld power generator for generating electrical power
for a consumer device, the generator comprising a main casing housing an input
gear for driving an alternator via at least one intermediate gear so as to provide
a step-up drive ratio in the range of 10:50; the input gear, the or each intermediate
gear, and the rotor of the alternator all having their rotational axes perpendicular
to the base of the main casing so that the gears and rotor rotate parallel to the
plane of the base; a rectifier circuit for rectifying the alternator output; means
for mounting a storage device for storing the output of the alternator, a control
circuit for modifying the rectifier output to a voltage/current appropriate for
the consumer device, and wherein the input gear is connected to a drive member
rotatable by manual action to rotate the input gear in turn, the axis of the drive
member being parallel to the respective axes of the input gear, the or each intermediate
gear and the rotor with all the axes lying in a single straight line.
