Amphibious vehicle

Abstract

An amphibious vehicle is disclosed designed to have its ground engaging wheels retracted in response to manual switch activation only if there is a detection of sufficient thrust by the marine motive device to impart motion to the vehicle. The vehicle includes a land motive device and a marine motive device. An engine is positioned within the vehicle to provide power to the land motive device and the marine motive device. The ground engaging wheels are part of the land motive device. A directing device operatively connected to the engine directs engine power selectively to one of the land motive device, the marine motive device, and the combination of the land motive device and the marine motive device. An operator actuable switch is positioned within the vehicle for manual activation to switch the vehicle between land operation and marine operation. A pressure sensor also is provided to determine when the marine motive device provides sufficient thrust to impart motion to the vehicle. Means are also provided for deactivating the land motive means in response to manual switch activation only when the pressure sensor indicates there is sufficient thrust by the marine motive device to impart motion to the vehicle.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.