US 5,509,370 AGranted

Amphibious land reclamation vehicle

AssigneeKempco, Inc.

InventorsPeter Kovacs, Mihaly Kovacs, Endro Kovacs

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Abstract

A lightweight vehicle which is operational on water, mud, marshy areas and other ground surfaces which includes a raised main frame upon which controls are provided for independently rotating at least one pair of drive drums which are mounted on opposite sides of the main frame. The drive drums are of a hollow cylindrical configuration and of a size to provide sufficient buoyancy to allow the vehicle to float on water. Each drive drum is provided with a spiral flute for developing propulsion and is driven by one or more hydraulic motors mounted axially with respect to the drum. Cutter bars are mounted to the frame and extend toward the ends of the drums to prevent debris interference with the drive shafts or bearings on which the drums are mounted.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A lightweight amphibious land reclamation vehicle which is maneuverable in water, mud, slime and other surface areas comprising, a main frame having a top, a bottom, opposite sides and front and rear portions, a platform frame extending forwardly of said front portion of said main frame, a fuel tank, means for mounting said fuel tank on said platform frame, a first pair of outrigger members extending from said front portion of said main frame and a second pair of outrigger members extending outwardly and downwardly with respect to said rear portion of said main frame, at least one pair of drive drums mounted on opposite sides of said main frame and extending between said front outrigger members and said rear outrigger members, a drive motor means mounted to at least one of said front and rear outrigger members and being drivingly connected to each one of said drive drums, each drive drum having opposite end portions, cutter bar means extending from at least one of said front and rear outrigger members towards and in closely spaced relationship with respect to an end portion of each of said drive drums, each of said drive drums being hollow and having generally cylindrical outer surfaces, said drive drums providing sufficient buoyancy to permit the vehicle to float on water, each of said drums having a spiral flute extending outwardly therefrom and along the length of said cylindrical outer surface, at least a portion of each of said drive drums extending below said bottom of said main frame, and control means for controlling each of said drive motor means.

A lightweight amphibious land reclamation vehicle which is maneuverable in water, mud, slime and other surface areas comprising, a main frame having a top, a bottom, opposite sides and front and rear portions, a platform frame extending forwardly of said front portion of said main frame, a fuel tank, means for mounting said fuel tank on said platform frame, first drive drums mounted on opposite sides of said frame and second drive drums mounted on opposite sides of said frame, a drive motor means drivingly connected to each of said first and second drive drums, means on each side of said frame for axially mounting one of each of said first and second drive drums rotatably about a common axis, each of said first and second drive drums being hollow and having a generally cylindrical outer surface, said first and second drive drums providing sufficient buoyancy to permit the vehicle to float on water, each of said first and second drive drums having a continuous spiral flute extending outwardly therefrom and along the length thereof, said spiral flutes of said first drive drums being pitched in an opposite direction to said spiral flutes of said second drive drums, at least a portion of each of said first and second drive drums extending below said bottom of said main frame, each of said first and second drive drums having end portions, cutter bar means mounted adjacent each of said motor means and extending to adjacent said end portion of said drums, and control means for controlling each of said drive motor means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.