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US 5,899,164 AGranted
Tracked, amphibious marsh vehicle with improved track and drive arrangement
AssigneeCoast Machinery, Inc.
InventorJohn B. Coast
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved marsh craft construction uses spaced apart pontoons with endless belts (e.g.,. rubber) that encircle the pontoons and ride upon a rail system. Lugs are fastened to the belts for sliding against the rails. Drive wheels have cylindrical pins that intermesh with correspondingly shaped surfaces of the lugs. This improved construction eliminates any roller chain.
Claims19
A tracked, amphibious marsh vehicle, comprising:
- a) at least two, spaced, elongated pontoons disposed generally parallel to one another, each pontoon having a longitudinally extending runway and at least one curved end portion;
- b) a platform structure supported by and structurally connecting the pontoons at their upper surface leaving a free clearance area under the platform and between the pontoons through which terrain can pass when the vehicle is moving;
- c) a continuous, endless belt encircling each pontoon, the belts having inner and outer surfaces;
- d) a plurality of ground-engaging cleats assembled on the outer surface of each belt, the plurality of cleats covering the pontoon bottom for providing traction to the vehicle;
- e) a series of evenly spaced apart lugs connected to the inner surface of the belt and cleats assembly and the lugs engaging the runway to retard the belt from moving laterally off its longitudinal center;
- f) a pair of powered drive members that rotate respectively upon the pontoons, each drive member comprising a rotating drum with circumferentially spaced drive rods that fit in between the lugs during use;
- and
- g) wherein the drive rods engage the lugs at a position adjacent to the curved end portion of the pontoon wherein the belt sharply turns an angle and wherein the rods drive the belt at the curved end portion.
5 more elements
A tracked, amphibious marsh vehicle, comprising:
- a) at least two, spaced, elongated pontoons disposed generally parallel to one another, each pontoon having a longitudinally extending runway and at least one curved end portion;
- b) a platform structure supported by and structurally connecting the pontoons at their upper surface leaving a free clearance area under the platform and between the pontoons through which terrain can pass when the vehicle is moving;
- c) a continuous, endless belt encircling each pontoon, the belts having inner and outer surfaces;
- d) a plurality of ground-engaging cleats assembled on the outer surface of each belt, the plurality of cleats covering the pontoon bottom for providing traction to the vehicle;
- e) a series of spaced apart lugs affixed to the inner surface of the belt and cleats assembly, the runway and lugs being cooperatively configured so that the runways retard lateral movement of the belts by providing longitudinally extending rail surfaces that engage the lugs during use;
- f) a pair of powered drive members that rotate respectively upon the pontoons, each drive member comprising a rotating drum with circumferentially spaced drive rods that fit in between the lugs during use;
- and
- g) wherein the drive rods engage the lugs at a position adjacent to the curved end portion of the pontoon wherein the belt sharply turns an angle and wherein the rods drive the belt at the curved end portion.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.