Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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The invention relates to an amphibious vehicle having
an undercarriage with a watertight bottom qhell and at least one
pair of bottom wheels~ prefexably a forward pair and a rear pair~
pre~erably powered3 and a propulsion device which is operable
while the vehicle i9 afloat.
In known amphibious vehicles, a drive shaft i~ provided,
leading from themDtor to the rear of the vehicleg with a propeller
operating like a ship's ~rew, powered by the motor while the
vehicle is afloat. This propeller propulsion~ however is only
capable of working in the ~ater, and may become unusable when it
comes in contact with seaweed, reeds or other material, which
wraps around the drive shaft; such plants often grow on the
water'~ edge and the slopes of river banks and mu t be traversed
during cross country driving. Such propeller~ are unsuitable for ~
propul~ion in mire or bog. ~:
Therefore, the cross country capability of known
amphibious vehicles in the sloping areas near the shores o~ river~
and sea~ i5 for the most part not guaranteed, because the rear of
~he vehicle is still a~loat when the front wheels are in contact
with the solid ground. In very boggi~h ground~ a fro~t wheel
drive of the ~mphibious vehicle is not in position to move the
vehicle forward onto the bank, i~, on account of the floating
condition o~ the rear half of the vehicle, the necessary ground
pressure is still not provided for the front ~heels and also for
the same reason the front wheels still cannot find any hold, or
grind a~ay the slope of the ba~k~
An object o~ the invention is an Lmproved vehicle
having an effective propulsion while the vehicle i5 afloat and
capable of surmounting ~teep or non-uniform river bank slope
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without difficul~y, and capable o~ pa~sing through the border
area between solid grvund and water, i~e. mire or bog.
According to the invention the propulsion device has
a rihbed wheel drive revolving around a horizontal axi~, the
wheel drive, with the aid of pivvt means at the rear o~ the
vehicle, being height adjustable between a lower position pressed
against the ground and an upper po~ition partially immersed in
the water.
A wheel drive profiled with transverse ribs operate~
like a paddle when in i~ upwardly pivo~ed state during water
t~avel. optImum propulsion effect can be achieved by adjustment
of the immersion depth, w~erebyQnly the bottom part of the wheel
dkive ~hoves the water awayO The ~heel drive is mounted acxoss
essentially the entire breadth of the vehicle, somewhat like a
paddle steamer with rear driva. Ability to cross mire and/or
slope~ o riverbanks is obtained ~ith this construction~ with
the wheel drive pressed downward against the earth, wi~h the aid
o~ it~ pivot meanæ, upon approach to the ba~k, so that according
to the size of the angle of the slope, the wheel drive may come
in contact with the ground eithe~ ~irst o~ all, or simultaneously
~ith the front wheels of the vehicle, and in ei~her case an
effective support and distributio~ of ground support preæsure of
the vehicle is achieved. During movement in mire, the wheel
drive w~ich is effective pre~erably over the breadth of the
vehicle serves simultaneously as a support and propulsion device.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wheel
drive which extends essentially across the entire br~adth of the
vehicle is divided into section~, and each wheel section may be
controllable independently, as to its speed o rotation and it~
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dir~ction of rotation. Such an apportioned arrangemen~ o~ ~he
the wheel drive simplifies moun~i~g and main~enance, and aids
in swinging around and m~king turns in water. Otherwise,
swinging axound in the water can be effected by ~teering the
front wheels.
If wheel sections are mounted on pivot arms independ-
~ntly of each other, the vehicle can be easily adapted to the
ground irregularities, e.g. by oblique movement along the slope
of the bank, so that the vehicle is supported at any moment by
~he biased pivot arms with the wheel ~ections pressed again~t
the ground independently of each other. Wh el axms and drive
wheel sectiQnS independent of each other also achieves greater
maneuverability during flotation .
Besides providing support of a vehicle during travel
on slopes of rivexban3cs, or during travel on an irregular boll:tom,
the described structure iæ also basically sound for motsr
vehicles which use a chain or caterpillar drive, with the aid
of the wheel drive ~rrangement, for overland travel in mountains,
or over snow and ice, or to produce a propul~ion ~or boggy
ground during an almost ~loating condition. The range o~ e~ects
of the selected apportioned w~eel drive can be regulated a~
desired.
Preferably the pivot arms are height adjustable at the
rear area of the undercarriage by means of hy~raulic cylinders
supported on the undercarriage. ~he pres~ure of ~he wheel drive
against ~he ground can be adjust~ble with the aid of mechanical
or pneumatic spring devices operating on he pivot arms. During
overland travel of the vehicle, in ca~e of overrunning or
spinning of the front ~heel~, the wheel drive can be connected
~o that then a four-wheel drive is available.
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The wheel drive can take the form of drive wheel
pairs on the undercarriage. By use of hydraulic power, the
d~iv~g engine can be mounted in the best position for land
travel and or water travel~ e. g. mounted in the ~ront, the mid-
section, or the rear, according to which structure and which
application for the vehicle come most into question.
Circum~erential ribs may be arranged on the wheel drive
or wheel drive sections, which ribs e~sentially increase the
propulsion effect of the transverse rib8 while ~he vehicle i~
a~loat. The drive wheels are preferably hollow bodies of steel
or plastic.
In a preferred embodiment, the wheel drive comprises
sev6ral individually detachab~y mounted wheel sections, which
preferably are ru~ber or plastic tires with a strongly defined
rib profile, preferably a herringbone rib profile. In the top
rest position, these wheel sectio~s can project at the rear
ve~icle end, whereby they serve as a bumper.
The invention will be ~urther understood by reference
to the embodiment shoun in the drawings.
FIGURE 1 is a side view of the vehicle of the invention
arranged for land travel.
FIGURE 2 shows the vehicle arranged for driving while
afloat.
F,IGUR~ 3 shows the vehicle during travel up a ~lope
of a riverbank.
FIGURE 4 shc~s the vehicle arranyed ~or o~road txavel .
FIGTlRE 5 is a rear view of the vehicle arra~ged as in
FIÇ;U~E 1.
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FXGU~E 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic representation :
of the pivot means and drive wheel section6 at the rear of the
vehicle.
A vehicle for rapid overland travel and for floating
travel according to the invention7a~ shown in the drawings, has
an undercarriage or vehicle frame with bottom wheels and a water-
tight ~looring shell. On ~hell 10 are mounted front bottom
wheels 12 and rear bottom wheel~ 13, on a suspension (which is
not ~hown) having guide rods 11 (FI~. 6) on bo~h sides.
Preferably the front wheel pair 12 is driven. The engine is
arranged in a de~ired po~ition within the watertight vehi~le
shell 10 and driv~s the ~ront wheels in a suitable manner
through hydraulic controlæ (not shown), so ~hat no movab}e links
need to be provided except ~or hydraulic lines.
A~ the rear of the vehicle is a wheel drive, for
example extendi~g across the entire vehicle breadth. In the
embodiment in FIGU~E 5 the wheel drive is apportioned into ~our
wheel sections 16, the wheel sections consisting e.g. o~
inflatable rubber tires, w~ich have a well de~ined xib profile -~
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17, preferably in a herringbone pattern. The wheel drive, in
the pOBition showm in FIGURES 1 ~d 2, is similar to a paddle-
w~eel o~ a boat~ The ribs 17 have a h~g~ profile, as sho~n in
FIGURE 6, so that ~he ~rive w~eel~ can provide e~fective propul-
sion while the vehide is afloat or in snow ox bog. Furthermore,
the ribs 17, a~ shown in side vi~w in FIGURE 6~ can be inclined
forward, or the front sides o~ the ribs ~an be essentially
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radial, or in planes parallel to ~he radial.
Instead of using individual inflat~ble tires of rubber
or soft plastic (for good adherence in ice and snow), the
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invention can also b~ realized with other typ~s of dxive wheels,
e.g~ with hollow cylinders of steel or pla~tic with ribs thereon,
which provide ~ood results both when the vehicle i~ a~loat and
in overland travel. The propul~ion during water travel i~ :
improved if the work of the ribs i~ apportioned between predeter-
mined wheel section~. Circumferential ribs or radial ridges may
be provided on a continuous drive wheel, or on drive wheel
sections.
The wheel drive 15 can be mounted b~ mean~ of pivot arms
189 which are articula~ed to undercarriage 10 by mean~ of pin~ 19.
In the embodiment shown in FIG~RE5 5 an~ 6, two independent pivot
arms 18 are articulated on u~dercarriage 10, each pivot arm
supporting a transverse axle 20, on each of which are rotatably
mounted two dxive wheel sections 16. A piston rod 22 of an
hydraulic cylinder 23 engages with each pivot arm 18 by mean~ of
a hinge pin 21, and the pivot eye is mounted to pivot on a pivot
pin 24 on undercarriage 10. FIGURE 6 show a pivo~ arm 18 in
top position, with the drive wheel~ mounted thereon~ in the com- -~
pressed state o hydraulic cylinder 23, corresponding to the
20 rest po~ition in ~I~URE 1. FIGUR~ 6 al~o shows the ~econd pivot
æm~ 18 in a bottom lowered position~ w~ich i5 obtained with
hydraulic cylinder 23, extended, corresponds to the drive
position shown in FIGURE 3.
Preferably9 on each axle 20 are mounted two dri~e
wheel sections 16, the wheel pair 16a being powered independently
from the wheel pair 16b (FIGunE 5), through hydraulic geaxing
(not shown), w~ich during overland travel drives the front
wheels synchronou~ly.
In ~lotation per~ormance, a3 in FIGURE 2, pivot arms 18
are pivo~ed upward into a sui~able posikion in whi¢h optimum
propul~ion occurs. The best position for propulsion depends
on the dep~h o~ submersion of the vehicle and al80 upon the
speed of rotation, or peripheral velocity, of the drive wheels
provided with rib ~rofile 17. The maximum obtainable top end
pogition i5 S0 determined that even with remarkably great depth
of the floating vehicle, the depth of submersion o drive w~eels
16 can be individually regulated. While the vehicle is afloat,
steering of the vehicle is poæsible through different depths of
submersion of drive wheels 16a or 16b and/or through dif~erent
rotation speed and/or direction of rotation. -~
Thus, a vehicle ~or conveyance of freight or passen-
gers is provided, suitable not only for rapid land travel and ~;~
for travel in water, but also useful in overland travel between
solid ground and boggy ground, i.e. on swampy or boggy ground
or on slopes of riverbanks or the like. The drive wheel~
arrangement ac~ording to the invention allows advantageous
,; additional possibilities of use, e.g. for special vehicle~ in
ice or snow and for travel on mountainsides.
Wheels which can be pivoted vertically and which have
strongly defined ribbing are especially suitable for the drive
wheels arrangement. The wheel drive can be embodied in one
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unit or a plurality o~ u~itsg and the wheels can be driven
separately on one common axle, or each section can be operated ~ -
by itself, i.e. driven and also pivoted. ~he wheel, or wheel
pair, can be raised and lowered with the aid o~ mechanical or
hydraulic devices. Thus the vehicle can be raised by the wheel ~`
drive arrangement at the rear. The ~heel drive can also be
suspended, and also pressed to the gxound to provide support
and an effective propulsion.
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The drive o~ the drive wheel~ can be achieved by
mechanical or hydraulic mean~ ~nd can be ~ynchronized with the
front wheel drive. When the vehicle i~ afloat7 the drive of
the wheel drive can be effected independently from the ront
wheel drive.
During land travel, the upwardly pivoted wheels of
so~t rubber or soft pla~tic or in the form of ~ir tires serve
as a bumper. Drive of the front wheels sufice~ for land travel,
if desired in the form of an hydraulic individual wheel drive.
In land travel as shown in FIGURE ~ the wheel drive
can be used in connection with the front wheel drive to provide
a four-wheel drive, especially duri~g climbing up slopes o~ :
riverbanks ~nd swampy hillockæ. The drive wheels are pre~sed
again~t the ground by means of the hydraulic cylinderæ. This
compxe~sion pressure can be regulated by a mechanical or
pneumatic spring, and the irregularities of the ground can be -~
ab~orbed. In the water, the wheel drive arr~ngement is pi~oted
: as in normal land travel into its topmost position for propulsion,
and is driven with greater velocity, whereby the ribbing ef~ects
20 the propulsion acting as paddles~ The drive can be applied at ~ ~:
the most suitable position~ for land and water travel by use of
an hydraulic control ~or the fronk wheels and the whcel drive
at the rear, and the engine can be at the ~ront, in the middle,
or at the rear. The invention i~ not limited to the described
cmbodiments.
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