AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE

• US 3,661,114 A
• Filed: 06/08/1970
• Issued: 05/09/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Iveco-Magirus AG (Iveco Group NV)
• Original Assignee: Friedrich Kroll, Georg Kessler, Gerhard Wagner, Horst Gleich
• Inventors: Wagner, Gerhard, Kroll, Friedrich, Gleich, Horst, Kessler, Georg
• Primary Examiner(s): Farrell, Andrew H.
• Application Number:
  US05/044,025
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 115/1B
• US Class Current: 440/12.52
• 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: E01D 15/22 designed as, or mounted on, vehicles

Abstract

An amphibious vehicle having an elongated bouyant main body with ground wheels at the ends for ground travel and propulsion means for water travel. Auxiliary bouyant bodies on top of the main body can be pivoted outwardly thereon at opposite sides of the main body to form a platform for ferrying or for a bridge. When the auxiliary bodies are pivoted inwardly on top of the main body, the vehicle is compact and can be transported in a rail car. When the auxiliary bodies are pivoted outwardly, a wide platform is provided. Differing positions for use are realized by folding operations relative to the auxiliary bodies with pure pivoting movements. Land vehicle use, floating body use, and ramp use are feasible in compact and folded apart configurations of auxiliary bodies.

Claims

1. A vehicle adapted for land travel and for water travel and for forming floating platforms, said vehicle comprising an elongated floatable box-like main body forming a frame for the vehicle and having ground wheels at opposite ends, a pair of floatable box-like auxiliary first bodies extending longitudinally along the top of said main body in side by side relation, a floatable box-like auxiliary second body extending along the top of each said first body, elements of first pivot means at the sides of said main body and the adjacent sides of said second bodies for pivotally connecting said main body to said second bodies for pivotal movement of said first and second bodies as a unit 180* outwardly on the main body to a position at the side of said main body wherein the now upwardly facing surface of the respective first body forms a lateral extension of the upper surface of said main body, elements of second pivot means at the sides of said main body and the adjacent sides of said second bodies for pivotally connecting said main body to said second bodies for pivotal movement of said second bodies 180* outwardly on the main body to a position wherein the now upwardly facing surface of the respective second body forms a lateral extension of the upper surface of said main body, and elements of third pivot means on said first and second bodies pivotally connecting each first body to the pertaining second Body for pivotal movement of the first body 180* outwardly on the pertaining second body when the latter is pivoted outwardly on said main body about said second pivot means, the last mentioned pivotal movement of said first body moving the first body to a position upper surface of the said first body forms a lateral continuation of the upper surface of the pertaining second body.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, which includes means for retracting said ground wheels upwardly on said main body and means for propelling said vehicle when floating.

3. A vehicle according to claim 1, in which said main body comprises members upstanding therefrom at the ends at the sides thereof and the elements of said first pivot means on said main body are located in said members at about the level of the upper surface of said main body and the elements of said second pivot means on said main body are spaced upwardly thereupon in said members a distance equal to about half the height of said first body, and said elements of said third pivot means on said second body being located at the outer uppermost corner of said second body when the latter is in the outwardly pivoted position thereof.

4. A vehicle according to claim 3, in which the corners of said second bodies which form the upper outer corners thereof when the first and second bodies are pivoted inwardly on top of the main body are beveled off to adapt the contour of the vehicle to a rail car and also to permit movement of said second bodies downwardly from their pivoted outwardly position on said main body.

5. A vehicle according to claim 3, in which said second bodies comprise end members extending downwardly at the ends of said first bodies when said first and second bodies are disposed on top of said main body and at the outer edges overlapping the said members upstanding from said main body, said end members having bores therein in vertically spaced relation in said outer edges thereof, said bores forming the elements of said first and second pivot means on said second bodies.

6. A vehicle according to claim 3, in which adjacent ones of said vehicles can be coupled together in side by side relation when the said first and second bodies are in inwardly pivoted position by availing of the bores in said members upstanding from said main body. 7. A vehicle according to claim 3, in which each first body comprises tapered body section means pivotally connected thereto and in retracted position being disposed within the outer limits thereof, fourth pivot means connecting each said first body to the respective said tapered body section means for pivotal movement of the latter to extended position on the respective said first body when the latter is disposed at the side of the respective second body, said fourth pivot means being so disposed that in said extended position of the tapered body section means the upper surface thereof forms a lateral continuation of the upper surface of the pertaining first body.

8. A vehicle according to claim 7, in which each tapered body section means comprises a plurality of individual tapered body sections distributed longitudinally of the respective first body, said fourth pivot means comprising an individual fourth pivot connecting each said tapered body section to the pertaining first body.

9. A vehicle according to claim 7, in which said end members on said second bodies comprise further bores which register with the bores which pertain to said first pivot means in said members upstanding from said main body when said second bodies are in pivoted out position about said second pivot means thereby to provide pivot means about which said first and second bodies and tapered body section means can pivot as a unit upwardly and downwardly from a horizontal position when in outwardly pivoted position, said second bodies being bevelled off on those corners which are on the bottom toward said main body in pivoted out position of said second bodies to permit said downward Pivoting of said first and second bodies and tapered body sections as a unit.

10. A vehicle according to claim 7, which includes means preventing said fourth pivot means from buckling downwardly when said tapered body section means is in extended position.

11. A vehicle according to claim 1, which includes fluid operable means operatively connected to said second bodies for pivotal movement thereof between inner positions on top of said main body to outer positions at the sides of said main body.

12. A vehicle according to claim 11, in which said fluid operable means includes fluid motor means connected between said main body and each of said second bodies.

13. A vehicle according to claim 12, which includes further fluid motor means connected between said first and second bodies for relative pivotal movement thereof.

14. A vehicle according to claim 11, which includes link means at each end of said main body pivoted to said main body and upstanding therefrom near the sides of the main body, said fluid operable means comprising a first fluid motor connected between the link means at each end of said main body and a second fluid motor connected between each said link means and the adjacent end of the adjacent said second body.

15. A vehicle according to claim 14, in which the connection of said second fluid motors to said link means and to said second bodies are so located that the line of action of each second fluid motor is at a level above the said elements of said first and second pivot means on said main body pertaining to the respective second body in all pivoted positions of the second body.