US 11,739,497 B2 · Amphibious platform vehicle-vessel

Abstract

An amphibious platform vehicle-vessel to support and to move hydraulically operated and controlled earth-moving and lifting equipment, such as excavators and cranes, on solid ground, semi-solid or marshy ground, shallow water, and deeper water. The modular units can be transported to a worksite on separate trailers and assembled and reconfigured on site. Two compartmented pontoon units are mounted to an adaptive cross member that can accommodate different types of moving-lifting equipment through different mounting flanges, and to auxiliary cross members. Propulsion is provided through amphibious cleats on drive chains in chain tracks driven by dual-motor driving drums and over a tension-adjusting passive chain roller, surrounding a sealed pontoon shell internally reinforced with bulkhead partitions, beam shell-bottom stiffeners, and pressed-angle shell-bottom stiffeners. An extendable auxiliary float can be extended outward from each compartmented pontoon for increased stability in floating operations.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An amphibious platform vehicle to support moving-lifting equipment, comprising:

(i) a pair of buoyant flotation pontoons, each pontoon having a sealed pontoon shell formed with an outer wall and an inner wall, each outer wall defining a sealed compartment;
(ii) an auxiliary float fitted into the sealed compartment of each of the flotation pontoons, the auxiliary float being extendable from and retractable into a respective sealed compartment upon demand;
and
(iii) an actuator unit for moving the auxiliary float in and out of the sealed compartment.

1 more element

A method, comprising the steps of:

(i) providing an amphibious vehicle supporting moving-lifting equipment, the vehicle comprising:
(a) a pair of buoyant flotation pontoons, each pontoon having a sealed pontoon shell formed with an outer wall and an inner wall, each outer wall defining a sealed compartment;
(b) an auxiliary float fitted into the sealed compartment of each of the flotation pontoons, the auxiliary float being extendable from and retractable into a respective sealed compartment upon demand;
(c) a pair of elongated spuds, each mounted at an outward side of a respective pontoon;
and
(d) propulsion tracks mounted on each of the pontoons for providing propulsion of the vehicle on land and in water;
(ii) positioning the vehicle at a worksite;
(iii) extending the auxiliary floats from the pontoons and providing increased stability to the vehicle;
and
(iv) embedding the spuds into the ground, thereby further stabilizing the vehicle at the worksite.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Amphibious platform vehicle-vessel

Life of this patent

Amphibious platform vehicle-vessel

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20