Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~2~L7
This invention relates to a floatable passenger automotive vehicle
for touring and water~sports which has the properties of a good passenger
automotive vehicle for touring and additionally permits direct cruising on
bodies of water. It is driven by an automobile motor of moderate power and
relatively low fuel consumption, but exhibits a high speed of more than fifty
kilometers per hour when cruising on water, and can for instance thus be used
for fast pulling of water skiers.
~ loatable passenger automotive vehicles are known. While the known
vehicles of this kind serve their intended purposes within certain inherent
limitations, they have several disadvantages. To meet these disadvantages
it is, therefore, the ob~ect of the present invention to provide a floatable
passenger automotive vehicle for touring and water-sports which is simple in
construction and performs effectively and efficiently the purpo~es ~or which
it i8 lntended.
The prototype of my passenger car makes extensive use o~ 0conomical
mass produced parts from proven passenger cars and is equipped with an addi-
tional boat propeller and with car wheels whlch completely retract into the
special-type body when cruising on water. A novel planing ability is achie~ed
which up to now has only been feasible for specially designed planing craft
which, however, can not be driven on land. During practical test cruising on
rivers and the Baltic Sea with up to five passengers on board, in the vehicle
having a length of 5.30 m, a width of 2 m, a driving weight of up to 1500 kg,
and powered only by a com~ercial 73.6 kW automobile englne of the automobile
type V~-K70 produced by Volkswagenwerk, the surprisingly high water cruising
speed of 56 kilometers per hour was achieved.
- It was especially surprising to experts that this unusually high
water
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cruising speed of my~passenger automotive veh~cle land and water cruise mobile
was achieved wlthout any special supporting-means such as hydrofoi~ls or an air
cushion (whi~ch would be ruled out for passenger cars~in publi~c traffic),
apparently due to the special configuration and design of my two meter broad
passenger car spec~al~ype body. Although my prototype could no~ be driven at
full speed on my private prem~ses on land, it was est~ma~ed b~ experts that the
performance was approximately equivalent ~n speed ~md acceleration ~o that
achievable with the same engine in a conventional passenger car, such experts
were pleased that the operation of my prototype when driving on land was the
same as that with conventIonal passenger cars and that it appeared to comply
with legal regulations for passenger cars for pu~l~c traffic.
The novel floatable passenger car with an additional ~oat propeller
for cruising in water is characterized by a passenger car special-type body
designed as a generally two meters broad special-type glide boat body with
front-englne/front-wheel drive for a partlcularly advantageous climbing out oE
the car from the water onto shore and
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with a seat assembly built into the body central portion
for three to five car passengers for the use and loading
thereof during car road driving and water entry and exit
`; and with a second seat assembly built into the rear body
portion elevated by one step and permanently positioned
above water during water cruising, on side seat benches
there for a particularly effective utilization and loading
by the same car passengers for achieving a high-speed
glide-boat cruising of the car with this special-type
body, wherein the lower body portions, i.e. the Eront
portion and the entire central portion of the passenger
car special-type body are designed as a generally two
meters broad glide-boat body, rearwardly of the particu-
larly lightweight, about two meters broad body front
: 15 portion having a lower, inclined, also about two meters
broad ramp glide surface then in the adjacent, also about
two meters broad body glide boat main portion having a
lower, also about two meters broad glide bottom at the
front the passenger car front wheel drive engine and at
the two sides thereof chute-like front wheel accommodation
boxes completely integrated into the body being installed,
said boxes being closable after retraction of the car
front wheels by at the bottom slidable plate slides,
behind the bulkhead positioned forwardly substantially
: 25 in this special-type body (by about 1.20 meters from the
rear end of the passenger car) the water thrust propeller
positionable upwardly and downwardly and drivable by the
passenger car front engine via an upwardly and downwardly
pivotable shaft and at this forwardly positioned bulkhead
articulated the upwardly and downwardly positionable car
rear wheels being arranged underneath the side seat
benches of the freely supported elevated rear body por-
tion, said rear wheels during passenger car water cruising,
being retracted into this free space, not causing a water
resistance (without for achieving this requiring closable
wheel boxes like for the front wheels), on the whole a
passenger car special-type body combination which in its
cooperation with an economic automotive vehicle engine of
only 73.6 kW power by water glide cruising on seas and
rivers achieves otherwise not approximately achievable
high speeds (in excess of 50 kilometers per hour).
Among further advantages, it is of cJreat importance
for the invention that a special safety installati.on is
found which prevents that the complete retractlon of the
car wheels into the body for high-speed water gliding
accidently may also occur during road or terrain driving
of the mobile and then the ground could be touched, which
is achieved by the invention by means of an installation
which during road driving of the car blocks a further
pulling up of the car wheels before a ground touching of
the body could occur.
Some preferred embodiments of the invention will now
be described by way of example and with reference to the
accompanying schematic drawings in which:
Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my
actually built and practically tested passenger car proto-
type with front wheel drive by a 73.6 kW car engine of
the well-known car type VW-K70 of the Volkswagenwerk in
this instance during road driving with downwardly posi-
tioned car wheels and boat propeller retracted into the
body, all car passengers sitting on the front seat as-
sembly in the central portion of the passenger car special-
type body (which is then also maintained upon entry of
the passenger car from shore into water and similarly
upon exit from the water to shore), driving situations
wherein the driven passenger car front wheels are to
mainly be loaded;
Fig. 2 is a similar view of the passenger car which
has now already entered water, its boat propeller already
being positioned downwardly~ the car wheels being up-
wardly moved into khe body and the front wheel boxes
already being closed by sliding forwardly the plate
slides only provided there tfor which operations the
driver only was required to depress electrical push-
buttons in order to have these operations performed by
electric drives), by reseating of car passengers which in
Fig. 1 during road driving of the car and entry into
the water were still sitting on the front seat assembly
in the central portion of the body and had there loaded
the ~ront wheels of the car more heavily in the elevated
rear portion of the special-type body on the side seat
benches located there the passenger car thereby already
attaining in water a certain inclination rearwardly,
thereby the lower edge of the bulkhead far forwardly
positioned at the special-type body now being positioned
accordingly deeper in water than the front portions of
this special-type body;
Fig. 3 is a similar view of the passenger car already
in high-speed water gliding, where the elevated rear por-
tion of the passenger car special-type body is loaded
y
most heavily by the car passengers sitting on the side
seat benches and only the car driver has stayed on his
seat in the central poxtion;
Fig. 4 is a similar view of the passenger car still
in water, but already during pulling out of the water
onto shore, for whichpurpose the car wheels have already
been positioned downwardly, the car passengers have now
resumed their positions in the central portion of the
body and the thrust propeller has now been positioned
into a central elevation in which only the lower pro-
peller half is underneath the gliding floox where the
thrust propeller when landing is able to support by
thrust pushing with generally half power, but a stripping
along the shore ground being prevented by the tires of
the car wheels positioned at a lower elevation. In the
passenger car embodiment outlined in Fig. 4 for instance
as a car modification instead of the car engine VW-K70
used in the built prototype outlined in Figs. 1 to 3
wherein the differential for the front-wheel drive is
already built underneath this front-drive engine at the
genuine engine now modified an otherwise commercial car
engine of the so-called standard car type has been used
wherein otherwise the front~engine had driven the rear
wheels of the car. Since now for the instant invention a
front-wheel drive is a requirement, also for the car modi-
fication of Fig. 4 (similarly for a further modification
according to Fig. 17 and Fig. 18) a differential for
the front-wheel drive has been built in underneath such
a standard front engine (in Figs. 17, 18 a differential 12"
however), which again, however, requires a new additional
intermediate transmission (accoraing to Fig. 11) behind
the speed-ratio transmission of the standard engine and
an intermediate shaft forwardly to this differential,
for which modifications in Fig. 11 such an intermediate
transmission has been outlined which then also replaces
the reversion transmission still used in the built car
prototype. Applicant has chosen :Eor his built prototype
the embodiment modification according to Figs. 1 to 3 with
an additional reversing transmission, because the latter
is produced in mass production as one conventional in
motor boats, is able to be purchased ready at a reasonable
price and in the VW-K70 engine capable of being used
particularly simple the d:ifferential already is posi-
tioned underneath this engine, the passenger car
modification according to Fig. 1 was presently cheaper
than passenger car modifications according to Fig. 4
and also to Fig. 17 and Fig. 18, which on the other
hand brings about the appreciable advantage that the pro-
peller may also be driven with the further gear ratios
of the speed-ratio transmission (11' or 11" in Figs. 17,
18), with these passenger car modifications for the
same engine power rates the same maximum speeds probab-
ly being able to be reached for water gliding, however;
Figs. 5 and 6 show a cross section and a longitu-
dinal section of a motor boat reversing transmission
as used in the passenger car modification according
to Figs. 1 to 3 and there drives the propeller with half
of the speed of the front engine reduced;
Fig. 7 shows from the front a vertical cross section
of the passenger car in the proximity of the driven
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front wheels of the car, the car wheels just havlng been
brought into their lowermost position for road driving;
Fig. 8 shows from the front the same passenger car
cross section, but with the front wheels of the car re-
tracted into the body, the wheel box plate slides for
closing the front wheel boxes already being slid into the
closed position underneath the front wheels raised into
broad wheel boxes because of steerability of the wheels;
Fig. 9 shows from the rear a vertical cross section of
the passenger car in the proximity of the rear wheels of
` the car when they are extended (according to Fig. 4) for a
moving of the car out of the water onto shore, a propeller
being in a central position at the level of the lower
glide floor;
Fig. 10 shows from the rear a vertical cross section
of the rear portion of the passenger car with now fully
retracted rear wheels and the propeller brought into the
lowermost position for high-speed water gliding generally
according to Fig. 3;
Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of an additional
transmission as used for the passenger car modification of
Fig. 4 and also for the passenger car modiication of
Figs. 17, 18, in which latter case this intermediate trans-
mission may be built into the body a little further rear-
wardly at the former place of the reversing transmission in
the built passenger car prototype;
Fig. 12 is a cross section of a small gear for an
electro-motive movement of the plate slides upon opening
and closing the box chutes for the front wheels;
Fig. 13 shows in section, on a larger scale, the half
ofaworm gear drivable by an electric motor with the screw
spindle portion and the nut as used in Fig. 7 and 8 for
lifting or lowering the front wheels of the car;
Fig. 14 is a cross section, on a larger scale, of the
- rear body portion, at the left half of the drawing with
the one rear wheel in the lower position, at the right-hand
~ half of the drawing with the rear wheel completely pivoted
; into the body and in the midportion of the drawing with
a particularly advantageous mechanism for a height posi-
tioning of the propeller;
Fig. 15 shows in a partial cut-away section o the
bocly of the car from the side the height positioning
mechanism of the propeller and the side rudder;
Fig. 16 shows in a view from the top the passenger car
in a horizontal longitudinal section at a level closely
above the side seat benchesin the body rearportion, now with
a steering apparatus of the passenger car for water
cruising;
Fig. 17 is a side elevational view of a newly planned
water-land mobile with the mechanism of an uncomplicated
crank-lift- and lower-apparatusof the just still low posi-
tioned rear wheels (as illustrated in full lines), which
with safety lock levers already pivoted away fromthe wheel
axles for a now possible upward pivotingof the rear wheels
may be brought into the upper position of the rear wheels
within the body as illustrated in phantom, a positioning
of the safety lock levers being outlinedin which just all
safety lock levers have been disengaged, which, however,
is only done by the car driver during that short perioa of
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time in which he wishes to completely retract the car
wheels into the body with the car already in the water,
for high-speed water gliding, and
Fig. 18 is a side elevational view of the same water-
land mobile with car wheels lowered as illustrated in
phantom, for driving on land, wherein the safety lock
levers are permanently positioned in a locking position
above the wheel axles, it now having been assumed that
the switch for the electric motors for moving upwaxdly
the car wheels has been operated by accident or erroneous-
ly, but then the car wheels during their slow lifting
movement are able to move only so far that their wheel
axles strike against the safety lock parts, the car wheels
(illustrated in full lines) then still having sufficient
ground clearance for driving, per se unprobable cases which
are safeguarded by further safety devices additionally.
The passenger car special-type body shown in Figs.1
to 3 and 16 of the built passenger car prototype tested in
the fie~ld consists of corrosion-resistant light metal, has
on overall length of 530 cm and an overall width of 200 cm,
with a front portion 1 of 110 cm in length and 200 cm in
width, a central portion 2 with a length of 300 cm and a
width of 200 cm, and a rear portion 3 at one step higher
and having a length of 120 cm and a width of 200 cm.
The body central portion 2 has a front seat assembly
4 for four to five car passengers, which is occupied for
car road driving and also when driving into watex from the
shore and similarly when driving out of water onto shore,
in order to thereby well load the driven front wheels of
the passenger car. The body rear portion 3 raised by one
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7~7
step has a second seat assem~)ly 5 on two side seat benches
5' which are occupied by the car passengers for high-speed
; water gliding of the car (Fig. 3, 10), in order to thereby
relieve the front portion 1 and also at the front the
central portion 2 of the special-type body for this period
of time and to load accordingly more the rear elevated
body portion 3.
The front portion1 has as a floor an inclined, slight-
ly convexly curved lower front gliding surface 6, but is
otherwise a space empty and kept as light-weight as
possible, except for an engine water radiator 7 at the
bow with electric ventilator 8 the electric motor 9 of
which controlled thermostatically automatically switches
on and off this ventilator according to the respective
coolant temperature.
Adjacent thereto, there is provided the large central
portion 2 of the special-type body, which in its front
center supports a passenger car front engine 10 (VW-K70)
having a power rating of 73.6 kW (in Fig. 4 a different
car engine 10' and in Figs. 17 and 18 also a different
car engine 10" ), namely in the passenger car prototype the
lengthwise arranged VW-K70 four-cylinder engine 10 from
; the rear speed-change transmission 11 of which the
differential 12 already positioned underneath this car
engine 10 is driven via an intermediate shaft 13 leading
thereto forwardly, said differential 12 again driving the
front wheels 16 and 16' of the car via semi-shafts 14 and
14' (Figs. 7, 8) with two ganged pivots 15 and 15'.
These front wheels 16 and 16' of the car are, as
usual for passenger cars with front wheel drive and as
.
outlined in Figs. 7 and 8 swingable upwardly ancl down-
wardly on transverse arms18 and 18' pivotable upwardly
and downwardly about body supports 17 and 17' when the
car bounces, the external ends of said transverse arms
18 and 18' supporting from the lower side with usual ball
and socket joints 19 and 19' at the bottom of the wheel
hub housings 20 and 20' the front wheels steerable for
directional changes, while at the top for a further
guiding of the front wheels there are secured the
generally vertically positioned tubes of spring legs 21
and 21' of the well-known so-called McPherson design to
the wheel hub housings 20 and 20'.
The spring leg piston rod 23, 23' surrounded by the
spring leg spriny 22, 22' is now secured according to
Figs. 7 and 8 to the upper piston rod end for permitting
the front wheel low positioning for road driving and high
positioning for water cruising (see also Fig. 16) by means
of a ball and socket joint 24, 24' to the external end of
a new upper transverse arm 25, 25' which in turn arranged
above the lower transverse arm 18, 18' generally parallel
thereto is supportedwith its internalend in a bearing 26,
26' guiding it upwardly and downwardly pivotable at the
upper edge of one internal wall 27, 27' each of the front
wheel chute boxes 39, 39' to be described hereinafter, at
which internal wall 27, 27' underneath also already the
pivot bearing 17, 17' of the lower transverse arm 18, 18'
is supported.
The upper transverse arm 25, 25' now further has up-
wardly directed elbow levers 28, 28' at the external ends
of which in bearing bores 29, 29' (see also Figs. 13 and
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16) there are supported the bearing spigots 30, 30' of a
screw nut 31, 31' pivoted therein.
In the two screw nuts 31 and 31' one screw splndle
32, 32' is inserted into the central bore thereof provided
with screw spindle threads, said spindles being connected
at their internal ends to a universal joint 33, 33' at the
axle of ~ worm gear 34 the casing 35 of which is secured
to a horizontal cross beam 36 in the lonyitudinal central
line of the body. I'he screw spindle 32 has right-hand
threads, and the screw spindle 32' has left-hand threads.
When turning the worm gear 34 (Fig. 13) in the worm
gear casing 35 by means of the drive worrn 37 supported in
this casing b~ an electric motor 38 reversible in its di-
rection of rotation, the two rotated screw spindles 32 and
32' push by their screw threads of a differen-t hand the
screw nuts 31 and 31' guided on their thread convolutions
outwardly, thereby the elbow levers 25, 28 and 25', 28'
; being pivoted such that the front wheels 16 and 16' of the
car are simultaneously brought into the low front wheel
position for driving of the passenger car on roads (Figs.
1, 4, 7), or by a reversed direction of rotation of the
electric motor 38 the front wheels of the car are brought
into the upper position completely within the body for a
high-speed cruising of the car in water (Figs. 3, 8).
For accommodating the two front wheels 16 and 16' of
the car for water cruising, at both sides of the front
engine 10 particularly spacy front wheel boxes 39 and 39'
(Figs. 1 to 4, 7, 8, 1~, 17, 18) are integrated into the
wide (200 cm) special-type body, each of said hoxes
being defined in the form of a vertical chute by a part
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surface 40 or 40' of the external wall of the body, an
internal wall 27 or 27' parallel thereto, a front wall
41 or 41' and a rear wall 42 or 42'. These front wheel
boxes 39 and 39' are dimensioned so large that the pivot-
ability of the front wheels 16 and 16' is completely
maintained when directing the car through turns.
In order to achieve a maximum glidiny speed of the
passenger car in water, these chute-shaped front wheel
boxes 39 and 39' are completely integrated into the special-
10 type body and closable after lifting up the front wheels
16 and 16' of the car into these front wheel box chutes at
the lower edges thereo by plate slides 43 and 43' (Figs. 1
to 4, 7, 8, 16), to this end these plate slides being
pushed at their lateral edges in guides externally at a
15 lower gliding floor 44 of the front lower body central
portion 2 for a secluding covering of the front wheel
boxes forwardly at the car and rearwardly for a complete
opening.
As a device easy to be operated from the driver's seat
20 for a respective forward or rearward slide movement of
each of the two plate slides 43 and 43', at the front edge
thereof a front rod 46" non-rotatable in a small block 45
and extended through a packing box 46' water-proof in the
wheel box chute wall42, 42' ~Fig. 16) is secured defining
25 a part of a screw spindle 46 arranged above the internal
gliding floor 44 parallel thereto in longitudinal direc-
tion of the passenger car, thus in sliding direction of
the plate slide 43, 43', said screw spindle 46 passing
through a hub of a gear 47 ~Fig. 12) provided with the
30 same nut threads, which gear in turn is supported in a
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gear housing 48 secured on the internal gliding floor 44
and being able to be rotated by a pinion 49 by means of
a reversible electric motor 50, the gear 47 depending on
its direction of rotation axially displacing the non~
rotatable screw spindle 46 and thereby the plate slide 43
through the intermediary of the block 45 thereof.
The 200 cms broad car gliding floor 4~ underneath the
300 cm long central portion 2 of the special-type body
for achieving a maximum water cruising speedsls not
extended to the rear end of the car, but terminates in
the passenger car prototype 120 cm in front thereof at
a vertical bulkhead 51, beginning with -this bulkhead
placed forwardly in the paSsencJer car the body portion
3 elevated by one step starting, the floor 52 of which
is at such a level that it will always be disposed above
; the water surface.
As outlined in Figs. 9, 10 and 14, underneath each
of the two side seat benches 5' one rear wheel 53 or 53'
is accommodated in this body portion 3 along with the
specific apparatus thereof for lifting and lowering,
since it has proven to be advantageous in the structure
of the versatilely usable mobile to provide in this body
portion 3 for each rear wheel an own lifting and lower~
ing device with a specific electric drive motor, as
auxiliary means for the actual lifting and lowering of
the rear wheels a simple crank drive or crankshaft being
employed.
Each of the two rear wheels 53 and 53' is mounted
individually (Figs. 9, 10, 14, 16) like otherwise also
known for passenger cars on oné longitudinal arm 54 ! 54'
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or inclined arm each which is mounted upwardly and down-
Ti~ardly pivotable and thus swingable above the rear wheel
spring leg with a generally horizontal bearing axis 55,
but here at the vertical bulkhead 51 in the vicinity of
the lower edge thereof.
A spring leg 57 with a lower bearing 57' is articu-
lated to each of these longitudinal arms 54 and 54' (Fig.14
at the rear axle trunnion 56 in the vicinity of the rear
wheel hub 56' in a generally upright position.
The upper end of the spring leg piston rod 57"' sur-
rounded by the spring leg helical spring 57" now carries a
novel, special bearing 57"" which like a connecting rod
bearing is screwed together of two half-cylinder shells and
now encompasses the crank pin 58 o the crankshaft provided
in this instance which with the stroke of its crank arms
58' and 58" during their generally semi-circular forward
or rearward pivot movement has to effect the actual lower-
ing and lifting.
This crankshaft for a particularly stable attachment
to the light-weight body sheet parts is supported at both
ends underneath the respective seat bench 5'.
The crankshaft main axle 58"'at the one crankshaft arm
58' is mounted in a casing 59 bolted underneath the re-
spective seat bench 5' and carries in the casing interior
a worm gear 60 keyed thereto which is able to be driven
by a worm 60' now likewise mounted lengthwise in this
casing 59 with a suitable reduction, either by a more
powerful electric motor 61 directly on the worm a~le 60"
as illustrated in Fig. 4 and in the semi-diagrammatic
illustrations of Figs. 1 to 4, 9 and 10 or in a two-step
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reduction as outlined in Figs. 17 and 18 with a large
gear 60"' keyed upon the worm axle 60", said gear 60"'
then being driven by a pinion 60"" via a several times
smaller electric motor 61', respectively with a right-
hand or left-hand rotation, depending on whether a lift-
ing or lowering of the rear wheels is to be effected.
For a mounting of the rear wheel crankshaft at both
ends, the second crank arm 58" thereof (Fi~.14) further
has an axle trunnion 58"~' which is mounted in the bearing
bush 59' of a flange 59" bolted to the body. The general-
ly semi-circular pivot movement of the two crank arms 58'
and 58" of this crankshaft is stopped upon lowering the
rear wheels 53 and 53' toward the end of water cruising
in the low position also required for road driving by
stops 62 and 62' stationary at the body, as outlined in
Fig. 4, or by support parts such as lock supports 62"
stationary at the body as outlined in Figs. 17 and 18,
acting as limitations and securers, in Fig. 17 by a second
stop 62"' in hoth directions of rotation of the crank. For
a further securing of the low positioning of the car rear
wheels during road and cross-country driving, these limit
stops 62 and 62' (Fig. 14) or 62" (Figs. 17, 18) are now
arranged in the pivot circle range of the crankshaft arms
58' and 58" such that they stop the crank arms 58' and 58"
only when the crank pin 58 has already exceeded the lower
deadcenter by a certain distance, i.e. is already slightly
in upward movement again, thereby now the retrograde thrust
of the rear wheel itself insuring that the crank pin 58
is not able to move retrograde again itself, a movement
which is also per se already obstructed by the self-
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locking feature in the worm gear drive.
This securing of the low positioning (Fig. 14, left-
hand portion and Fig. 17) of the rear wheels of the car
for road driving by itself brings about a further advantage,
namely, as will be particularly noted when viewing Fig.
17, that then a loading of the worm gear hardly occurs
during long-time road driving, for the retrograde thrust
forces of the rear wheels via the spring legs thereof are
received for the major part, even predominantly by the
support parts 62 and 62' in Fig. 4 and the support 62" in
Fig. 17 stationary at the body.
The lifting and lowering device for each o~ the rear
wheels 53 and 53' is not to be seen ~rom externally behind
the bulkhead 51 underneath the side seat benches 5' in the
elevated rear body portion 3 by the rear body external wall
sheets 52', as illustrated by Figs. 17 and 18, which for
a good accessibility for a tire replacement also provide for
aesthetical and well-functioning dirt collectors for road
driving and have no covering at the bottom.
In building the passenger car prototype according to
Figs. 1 to 3 and 16, the drive power of the 73.6 kW auto-
mobile engine VW-K70 was taken from the shaft 72 (Figs. 1
and 16~ of its change-over transmission 11 and passed through
the intermediary of a universal joint 73, a shaft 74 and a
further universal joint 75 to a boat reversion transmis-
sion 76 (Figs. 5 and 6), which in a conventional manner
permits a forward and rearward driving and reduces the
speed of revolution of its countershaft to half the speed
of revolution of the engine.
From the countershaft of the reversing transmission,
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the shaft string passes via a universal joint 77, an inter-
mediate shaft 78 and a universal joint 79 to the front end
of the propeller shaft 81 projecting from the tube end of
the propeller shaft support tube 80, at the rear end of
which propeller shaft now already behind the bulkhead 51
at the end of the gliding floor 44 of the body central
portion 2 the propeller 82 is positioned far in front of
the rear end of the passenger car.
The propeller shaft support tube 80 is pivotable up-
wardly and downwardly shortly behind its start behind the
universal joint 79 in the vertical longitudinal central
plane of the passenger car about a horizontal transverse
axle 83 (F~ys . 1 to 4, 15 and 16) in a wide bearing block
84 along with the propeller shaft 81 contained therein and
the propeller 82 located at the rear end thereof and be-
ginning with the bearing block 84 in a narrow elongated ~.
acuate shaft chute 85 which beginning with the bearing
block 84 opens downwardly to the water, therefore per-
mitting the propeller shaft support tube 80 with the bear-
iny block 84 as pivot axis to immerge inclined into the
water underneath the gliding floor 44.
The narrow shaft chute 85 also passes rearwardly
through the bulkhead 51 (Figs. 10 and 14) in a narrow re-
cess so that the propeller shaft support tube 80 along
with the propeller 82 may be lifted upwardly also into the
- free space behind the bulkhead 51 underneath the floor 52
of the elevated rear body portion 3 (Figs. 1, 15). At the
rear end of the propeller shaft support tu~e 80 at the
top the conventional caveation plate 87 covering the pro-
peller 82 is arranged which is positioned in two generally
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vertical rails 86 offering little resistance to water
during water cruising, the rudder 89 being supported with
its bearing 88 at the rear of said caveation plate :~Figs.
2, 15 and 16),
For pivoting up and down the propeller shaft support
tube 80 along with the propeller 82 a:nd the control rudder
89 about the horizontal axle 83 of the bearing block 84 for
road driving in the upper position or for water cruising
of the ~ar in the lower position and in any intermediate
position ~Figs. 4, 9), a particularly convenient lift and
lowering device (Figs. 14, 15 and 16) to be operated remote-
ly by the car driver is provided the upper parts of which
are located in a shee-t-metal houslng 90 which by means of
rotary SpiCJotS is mounted sllghtly tlltable at both ends
ln small bearing blocks 91 and 91' at the upper bulkhead 51
or there at the bottom side of the floor 52 of the body
portion 3. In this sheet-metal housing 90 suspended hori-
zontally in the bearing blocks 91 and 91' behind the upper
: bulkhead at the lower plate 92 thereof in one ball bearing
93, 93' each at the upper end there are mounted two ver-
tically and relatively parallel downwardly suspended screw
spindles 94 and 94' which at the top may be driven in the
; housing 90 with a roller chain 95 connecting them and
coupliny them in unison via a small worm gear 96 by a
reversible electric motor 97.
On the threads of these two parallel screw spindles
94 and 94' there is now located on the same level one
threaded nut 98, 98' each of polyamide, which carry at
lateral bearing spigots with small bearing blocks 99, 99'
and 99", 99"' a common horizontal transverse rail 100
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~?~?~o 3~
which itself is connected by means of two lower vertical
support rails 101 and 101' to the top side of the caveation ~-
plate 87 above the propeller 82.
The entire arrangement of the screw spindles 94 and 94' ~:
and the threaded nuts 98 and 98' moved by them along with
the horizontal transverse rail 100 carried by them and the
caveation plate 87 connected thereto, the control rudder
89 and the propeller 82 is codetermined by the concurrent
circular pivot movement of all these parts with the pro-
peller shaft support tube 80 about the front horizontal
pivot axle 83 thereof in the shaft chute 85 in the vertical
: longitudinal center plane of the passenger car, the hori-
zontal transverse rail 100 along with all parts 101l 87
; and 82 rigidly connected thereto upon the ioint rotation
o the two screw spindles 94 and 94' also perorming a
movement on the cylindrical surfaces about the horizontal
: pivot axle 83 of the propeller shaft support tube 80~
For a secure arresting of the propeller 82 at the
i long propeller shaft support tube 80 for the particularly
:, ,
high stressing as a result of lateral thrusts on the con-
: trol rudder for high-speed curves, the transverse rail 100
carries on its bottom side in the vicinity of the two
outer edges one tapered strong locating pin 102, 102' each
which upon pivoting down (Fig. 14, 15) the transverse rail
: 25 into the lower position of the propeller engage hookingly
~: ,
in correspondingly hollow tapered sturdy bushes 103 and
103' which are secured at the bulkhead 51 at the bottom
and by this additional terminal connection to the rigid
bulkhead 51 give particular support to the propeller 82
and the control rudder 89 also laterally.
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q~
When using (Fig. 4) a standard automobile engine 10'
(instead of the engine 10 of the type VW-K70 of the
prototype) for driving the passenger car with the attached
conventional four-gear transmission 11' with reverse, in
which case (Fig. 4) then also a differential 12' underneath
the engine 10' and a connecting shaft 13' are to be pro-
vided, to advantage an additional transmission 104 accord-
ing to Fig. 11 may be used the input shaft 105 of which
may define the direct continuation of the output shaft 105'
of the engine change-over transmission 11'.
The shaft 105 of such an intermediate transmission 104
outlined in Fig. 11 carries on its midportion provided with
longitudinal keys 106 two dog clutches 107 and 108, of
which the one dog clutch 107, provided with flight pins
109 and axially shifted by its operating lever 110, is
able to be coupled to a gear 111 loosely arranged on the
start of the shaft 105, which gear then via a meshing
intermediate gear 112 drives the shaft 13' extensible up
to the front differential 12' and thus then front wheels of
the passenger car.
To the other dog clutch 108, provided with flight pins
113, by means of its operating lever 114 axially shifted, a
gear 115 loosely arranged on the other end of the shaft
105 may be coupled which then via an intermediate gear 116
meshing therewith drives the shaft 117 thereo~ which now
via a universal joint 118 and an intermediate shaft 119 is
able to directly drive the universal joint 79 at the start
of the propeller shaft 81.
Instead of directly adjoining, as outlined in Fig. 4,
the additional transmission casing 104 of Fig. 11 to the
- ~2 -
casing of the change-over transmission 11' of a standard
automobile engine 10' with the shaft 13', it has found to
be convenient when using a different standard automobile
en~ine 10" (Figs. 17, 18) to arrange the additional trans-
mission casing 104 outlined in Fig. 1'l in a certain distance
to a change-over transmission 11" (Figs. 17, 18) in the
body a little further rearwardly now as an intermediate
- transmission 104' at the location of the reversing trans-
mission 76 still used in the built prototype (Figs. 1 to 3)
and to connect it via a universal joint 73', a shaft 74'
and a universal joint 105" to the change-over transmission
11", in this embodiment (Figs. 17, 18) at the additional
transmlssion 104' (Fig. 11) Eurther universal joints 10$"
and 13" and at the difEerential 12' (r~igs. 17, 18) a uni-
versal joint 13"' and for transmitting the engine power
for the respective driving of the front wheels of the car
and/or for driving the propsller further shafts 13"" and
78' and joints 118 and 79 being able to be used.
For steering the passenger car upon cruising in water,
for turning the control rudder 89 atthe control rudder axle
89' mounted rotatable in the bearing 88 (Figs. 15, 16) at
the caveation plate 87 at the top pivot arms 89" and 89"'
are arranged at the ends of which one steel cable 120, 120'
each is engaged which then, beginning with cable shoes 100'
and 100" provided at the external ends of the transverse
rail 100 guided in elongated flexible Bowden drive conduits
121 and 121' extending to apertures 122 and 122' in the
bulkhead 51 and there along the inner walls of the body
central portion 2, are each articulated to one of two
arms 124' and124" of a two-armed lever l24 (Fig. 4), which
- 23
is conveniently operable from the driver's seat for a
manipulation by the left hand of the drivex during water
cruising completely independent of the usual steering o~.
.
the passenger car during road driving
The novel sporting land-water cruisemobile outlined -
in a side elevational view and in a partial sectional view
in Figs. 17 and 18 next to cruising so-to-say across land
and sea is particularly also provided for water sporting,
and to this end the rear passenger car body portion 3 is
designed as cockpit open at the top, from where among
other things water skiers may conveniently be hauled or
launch, said cockpit, however, as not outlined, provided
with a collapsible roof, at times also being able to be
provided with a roof. There are further provided specific
devices for special vehicle saety which neYt to other
advantages eliminate an otherwise potential danger that
during land driving of the mobile by an accidental opera-
tion of switches shifting motors 38, 61 and 50 are put
into operation and thereby for instance the car wheels
are retracted into the body.
The first most simple safety device to avoid an
accidental operation of switches for the shifting electric
motors is that these switches 125 in the leads 125' of the
current of the car accumulator battery 125" are only able
to be operated by means of a key 125"'.
A second device much more extensive in its protective
effect which renders impossible the accidental operation
of the shifting electric motors during road driving of
the passenger car utilizes the circumstances specific to
the instant passenger car that the shi~ting electric
- 24 -
`7
motors actually are only needed for a powering action
when the car is in the water of a sea or a river, thereby
an absolutely reliable solution of this problem being
able to be practically achieved, namely that in the power
leads to the shifting electric motors means are provided
which only permit a current flow to the shifting electric
motors upon being subjected to the action of water.
As means for this purpose, as outlined in Fig. ~7, in
the passenger car at its inner floor 44 a vessel 126 is
provided having a short length of pipe 126' leading to
the water underneath the gliding floor 44 of ~he car
body which vessel contains a float 126" which automatical-
l~ closes an intermediate switch 127 (toggle switch)
open during road driving of the car in the leads from the
battery 125" to the shifting electric motors 38, 61 and 50
when the car has entered the water of a sea or a river
and then water has entered the float vessel 126 which
then lifts the thereby buoyant float 126" and by the
buoyancycloses via a float rod 126"' the intermediate
2 0 switch 12 7 open up to now, so that then upon operation of
the switch 125 the shifting electric motors (in Fig. 17
only one shifting motor 61 outlined for a rear wheel 53)
are put into operation, whereas on the other hand the
intermediate switch 127 is automatically reopened when
the passenger car has left the water again and the water
flows out of the float vessel 126 and the lowered float
interrupts the intermediate switch again as a result of
its weight.
For the same purpose instead of a float in the embodi-
ment of Fig. 18 a pressure capsule 128 is installed at the
- 25 -
gliding floor 44 of the body of the car and provided with `
a supply passage 128' through the floor 44 of the body
the diaphragm 128"' of which loaded by a spring 128" is
then lifted as soon as the car has been driven into water,
since by the entry of sea water underneath the diaphragm
128"' of the pressure capsule by the water pressure the
diaphragm 128"' is lifted, the spring 128" is stressed and
now closes with a diaphragm rod 128"" the intermediate
switch 127 interrupted during road driving of the car so
that the electric motor 38 for a front wheel positioning
connected as outlined in Fig. 18 could be put into opera-
tion by means of the switch 125, whereas on the other
hand the intermediate switch 127 (Fig. 18) is interrupted
again as soon as the passenger car has been driven out of
: 15 the water again and the water flows out of the pressure
capsule 128 then by the biased diaphragm spring 128"
~ the diaphragm 128"' is urged downwardly again, the dia-
phragm rod 128"" interrupting the intermediate switch
127 for the entire time of road driving of the car, on the
whole an absolutely reliable safety measure of the water-
land mobile.
In the instant land-water cruisemobi.le, there is
additionally installed, as outlined semi-diagrammatically
in Fig. 18, a mechanical safety device which during road
driving of the passenger car is permanently in safe-
guarding operation by lock supports 129 then permanently
pivoted inwardly with their lower ends into the lifting
range of the rear wheel axle trunnions 56 and the lower
transverse arms 18 of the car front wheels (drawn in full
lines in Fig. 18), which lock supports are supported with
- 26 -
their upper ends suspended generally vertical at a bearing
129' stationary at the body, permi tting a lifting of the
four car wheels 16, 16', 53 and 53' at the body only to
such an extent that upon abutment with these lock supports
the car wheels still have a residual ground clearance
sufficient for the driving of the carl thereby a touching
of ground by the car floor not being ab~e to occur.
These limitation supports 129 of the car wheel lift
relative to the floor 44 of the car body are urged by one
spring 129" each against abutments 129"' rigid with the
body during the entire driving on land.
E'or only prior to beginning wi th high-speed water
cruising of the passenger car already driven into water
these car wheel lift limitation supports 128 are laterally
pivoted out of their locking positions (as shown in phantom
in Fig. 18) by a lever 130 of the driver via a linkage 130'
during the short time in which the car driver completely
retracts the car wheels into the body by an operation of
the switches 125 with the then operated shifting electric
motors 38 and 61. So that the shifting lever 130 is not
able to move during road driving of the passenger car, it
is permanently urged by a spring 130" against an abutment
130"' rigid with the body.
This lever abutment 130"' is additionally also pro-
vided with a lock 130 "" for a locking for extended land
driving of the mobile.
The invention may be embodied in other specific
forms without departing from the spirit or the essential
characteristics thereof. The embodiments are therefore
to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not
restrictive.
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