All-terrain vehicle

• US 10,076,938 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2016
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Copperstone Technologies Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Copperstone Technologies Ltd.
• Inventors: Olmedo, Nicolas, Dwyer, Stephen, Lipsett, Michael, Yuen, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Bolduc, David
• Application Number:
  US15/063,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20170259633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 3/0023 comprising screw-type ground-engaging means vehicles characterised by having other ground-engaging means than wheels or endless track B62D57/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 3/0061 Amphibious vehicles specially adapted for particular purposes or of a particular type armoured amphibious vehicles F41H7/00; equipment for working under water B63C11/00; flating bridges designed as or mounted on vehicles E01D15/22
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 2035/008 remotely controlled
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 25/005 Above ground means for handling the core, e.g. for extracting the core from the core barrel
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/14 Suction devices, e.g. pumps; Ejector devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/1481 Archimedian screw; Auger
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 3/42 by performing impressions under a steady load by indentors, e.g. sphere, pyramid G01N3/54 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/24 Earth materials G01N33/42 takes precedence

Abstract

An all-terrain rover has a ladder frame having one or more crosspieces, two drive units connected on opposite sides of the frame, first and second auger cylinders engaged with the drive. The drive units are in contact with the axes of the auger cylinders and the flange of the first cylinder is wound in an opposite direction to the flange of the second cylinder. The cylinders are counter-rotated to urge the rover forward. Sampling equipment is mounted on the frame. In an embodiment, each cylinder further comprises a conical end cap at each end. Each cylinder may have a frustaconical end cap at each end, and each cylinder may be buoyant.

Claims

1. An all-terrain rover, comprising:

a. a ladder frame having one or more crosspieces;

b. two drive units connected on opposite sides of the frame;

c. first and second auger cylinders engaged with the drive units so as to be urged into rotation by the drive units, each cylinder comprising;

d. a sealed hollow cylinder; and

e. a spiral auger flange affixed to the exterior of the cylinder,

wherein the drive units are in contact with axes of the auger cylinders and the flange of the first cylinder is wound in an opposite direction to the flange of the second cylinder, and wherein the cylinders are each counter-rotated to urge the rover forward, and wherein sampling equipment is mounted onto the rover, and wherein the sampling eqipment comprising a valved core sampler tip connected to a descent mechanism to lower the tip into a surface below the rover.

2. The all-terrain rover of claim 1 wherein each cylinder further comprises a conical end cap at each end.

3. The all-terrain rover of claim 1 wherein each cylinder further comprises a frustaconical end cap at each end.

4. The all-terrain rover of claim 1 wherein each cylinder is buoyant.

5. The all-terrain rover of claim 1 wherein each cylinder is coated with a hydrophobic coating.

6. The all-terrain rover of claim 1 where each cylinder is rotated in the same direction to urge the rover in a sideways direction.

7. The all-terrain rover of claim 1 wherein only one cylinder is rotatable to produce a skid turn.

8. The all-terrain rover of claim 1 further comprising a control unit connected to each of the drive units to control a rotation speed and direction of the drive units.

9. The all-terrain rover of claim 1 wherein the rover may be controlled in a remote-controlled configuration or in a robotic configuration.

10. The all-terrain rover of claim 1 further comprising third and fourth cylinders, wherein the third cylinder is adjacent and coaxial to the first cylinder, and the fourth cylinder is adjacent and coaxial to the second cylinder.

11. The all-terrain rover of claim 1 further comprising a platform across the frame.

13. The all-terrain rover of claim 1, further comprising an excavator arm attached to the frame.

12. An all-terrain rover comprising:

a. a ladder frame having one or more crosspieces;

b. two drive units connected on opposite sides of the frame;

c. first and second auger cylinders engaged with the drive units so as to be urged into rotation by the drive units, each cylinder comprising;

d. a sealed hollow cylinder; and

e. a spiral auger flange affixed to the exterior of the cylinder,

wherein the drive units are in contact with the axes of the auger cylinders, and the axes of the auger cylinders are parallel to one another, and the flange of the first cylinder is wound in an opposite direction to the flange of the second cylinder, and wherein the cylinders are each counter-rotated to urge the rover forward, and wherein sampling equipment is mounted onto the rover, and wherein the sampling equipment comprises a cone penetrometer connected to a descent mechanism to lower the tip into a surface below the rover.

14. An all-terrain rover, comprising:

a. a ladder frame having one or more crosspieces, the frame having first and second sides;

b. first and second auger cylinders positioned coaxially, rotatably mounted on the first side, each cylinder comprising;

a sealed hollow cylinder; and

a spiral auger flange affixed to the exterior of the cylinder,

c. third and fourth auger cylinders positioned coaxially, rotatably mounted on the second side, each cylinder comprising;

a sealed hollow cylinder; and

a spiral auger flange affixed to the exterior of the cylinder, and

d. at least one drive unit on each side, each drive unit engaged with at least one auger cylinder on that side so as to urge the rotation of the cylinder;

wherein the axes of the first and second auger cylinders are parallel with axes of the third and fourth auger cylinders, and the flanges of the first and second cylinders are wound in an opposite direction to the flanges of the third and fourth cylinders, and wherein the first and second cylinders are counter-rotated relative to the third and fourth cylinders to urge motion in the rover, and wherein sampling equipment is mounted onto the rover, and wherein the sampling equipment comprises a valved core sampler tip connected to a descent mechanism to lower the tip into a surface below the rover.

15. The all-terrain rover of claim 14 wherein each cylinder further comprises a conical end cap at each end.

16. The all-terrain rover of claim 14 wherein each cylinder is sealed and buoyant.