All-terrain vehicle of the motorcycle type

• US 4,357,893 A
• Filed: 10/03/1980
• Issued: 11/09/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Norman V. Frye
• Original Assignee: Norman V. Frye
• Inventors: Frye, Norman V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Blix, Trygve M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brahan, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US06/193,678
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 114/67 A, 114/270, 114/288, 280/8, 280/13, 180/126, 180/116, 180/182, 180/183
• US Class Current: 114/288
• CPC Class Codes: B60F 3/0069 Recreational amphibious vehicles toy vehicles A63H17/00 - A63H31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B62D 61/02 with two road wheels in tandem on the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B62K 11/00 Motorcycles, engine-assisted cycles or motor scooters with one or two wheels fairings or streamlining parts not forming part of the frame B62J; transmission of drive from engines to wheels B62M

Abstract

A motorcycle having a body carried on front and rear power-driven wheels in which the wheels are provided with novel tread design cooperating with the body and portions thereof to literally pump water rearwardly while confining it to ridge or crest form centered on the longitudinal centerline of the vehicle whereby to enable the vehicle to travel over water. The body is closed at its top, opposite sides and also at its front and rear ends by front and rear fender wells, respectively, creating an air chamber beneath which the front wheel pumps water to flow rearwardly as aforesaid.

Claims

1. A vehicle having a fore-and-aft body including a top, opposite side sheets and front and rear fender wells joined together to form a downwardly opening air compartment wherein the side sheets terminate respectively as fore-and-aft runners, front and rear wheel means respectively in the fender wells and carrying the body, and a power source within the compartment and driving both wheel means, characterized in that the front fender well has a depending, lower rear edge portion directed downwardly and then rearwardly beneath the front edge of the air compartment, the rear fender well has a depending, lower front edge portion directed downwardly and then rearwardly of the rear edge of the air compartment, said edge portions depend to a level below that of the fore-and-aft runners, and at least an additional fore-and-aft runner is joined to and extends between the depending portions, each wheel means has a water-engaging tread portion comprising at least a pair of annular rows of radial, circumferentially spaced apart fins, each fin in each row being directed both axially and circumferentially of the wheel means so as to slant axially inwardly and counter to the direction of the wheel means when the vehicle travels forwardly, the inner ends of the fins in each row terminating short of the fore-and-aft median plane of the wheel means so as to leave an annular space between the rows whereby water engaged by the fins is directed oppositely axially inwardly to the space, the water engaged by the front wheel means fins being directed rearwardly beneath the aforesaid depending rear edge portion and beneath the air compartment for exerting a lifting effect on the vehicle and the water engaged by the rear wheel means is directed rearwardly away from the air compartment.

2. The vehicle of claim 1, further characterized in that there are a plurality of such runners.