Marine propulsion – Self-propelled vehicle having land and water propulsion means
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-11
2003-12-23
Sotelo, Jesus D. (Department: 3612)
Marine propulsion
Self-propelled vehicle having land and water propulsion means
C440S012550
Reexamination Certificate
active
06666735
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
INCORPORATIONS: The following U.S. patent documents are made a part of the present disclosure and specification and are therefore incorporated by reference in order to teach several of the known portions of the present invention: U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,697 to Gaasenbeek, U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,420 to Hannappel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,447 to Hannappel, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,324 to Martinmaas.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to mechanical drives for vehicles and more particularly to a combination internal combustion engine and jet drive system for an off-road vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Gillois et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,486 describes an amphibious vehicle having a body adapted to be armored and having power driven front and rear axles connected with front and rear wheels for travel on land, propeller means for travel on water; and drive means for said front and rear wheels and for said propeller means, said wheels being equipped with oversized, shot-proof low pressure tires, the tires for said power driven front wheels projecting ahead of said body, and said drive means including transmission means selectively operative to drive said front and said rear wheels together, said wheels and said propeller means simultaneously, and said propeller means separately, and said transmission mean including a propeller driving transmission portion and a land driving transmission portion operative at a land traveling speed not exceeding the speed of water travel, said propeller driving transmission portion including a horizontal drive shaft and said propeller means including a propeller drive shaft extending perpendicularly to said horizontal drive shaft and being connected thereto and pivotally movable about its own axis and about the axis of said horizontal drive shaft.
Rogers et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,664,451 describes a vehicle having front and rear body sections rotatably interconnected along the longitudinal axis of the body sections. An engine is located in the front body section and a drive shaft extends through the coupling between the body sections through the compartment of the rear body section and to a gear box on a rear axle located entirely outside of the compartment of the rear body section. The rear axle is supported by frame members extending rearwardly from the rear body section. A wall extends horizontally over the rear axle and provides a seat for the compartment in the rear body section. A propeller may be connected to a drive shaft extending rearwardly from the gear boxy on the rear axle.
Asbeck, U.S. Pat. No. 3,765,368 describes an amphibious vehicle is propelled by a conventional inboard mounted engine which is connected by conventional automobile transmission and differential mechanisms for driving a pair of wheels on land and also connected with a conventional inboard-outboard marine drive mechanism, all of the wheels being mounted on air suspension means which are pivotally connected with the hull to allow the wheels to be raised for marine use.
Gaasenbeek, U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,697 describes a steering and transmission arrangement for an off-road all-terrain vehicle providing for the drive ratios to each of the vehicle wheels to be geared up and down in unison so that each wheel receives a torque which is an average of the torque requirements of all the wheels. Steering is effected by varying the drive ratios to the left-hand and right-hand wheels differentially so that the wheels on one side are speeded up and the wheels on the other side are slowed down. The wheels are supported independently on longitudinally-extending legs pivotally connected on the vehicle body. Problems of stress on the drive train as the wheel legs rock up and down on rough terrain are avoided through a speed-reducing coupling at the pivotal leg connection and a torsional energy-storing drive shaft between the coupling and the wheel which absorbs small torques induced by the rocking of the legs and by rotational advancements and retardations of the wheels as they ride over local bumps in the terrain.
Hannappel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,420 describes structurally integrated equipment that is selectively, individually or conjointly detachably attachable to a three-wheeled vehicle for preventing rearward tip over, carrying cargo, rendering the vehicle waterborne, enhancing travel over snow or providing power takeoff. Supports extending from the framework of the vehicle are adapted to receive and retain with quick disconnect fittings frame elements of the equipment. The frame elements may be adjustable to accommodate load variations and variances of the surface traversed.
Hannappel, U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,447 describes structurally integrated equipment that is selectively, individually or conjointly detachably attachable to a three-wheeled vehicle for preventing rearward tip over, carrying cargo, rendering the vehicle waterborne, enhancing travel over snow or providing power takeoff. Supports extending from the framework of the vehicle are adapted to receive and retain with quick disconnect fittings frame elements of each of the equipments. The frame elements may be adjustable to accommodate load variations and variances of the surface traversed.
Martinmaas, U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,324 describes a self-propelled all terrain vehicle that is converted to amphibious operation by means of an amphibious conversion kit that provides rear axle extensions to mount outer rear wheels that dualize the rear wheels, and radial paddle elements on the extensions between the dual rear wheels. Over-size tires on the dual rear wheels and on front wheel means of the vehicle provide flotation means capable of supporting the vehicle and a desired load in water.
Davis, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,777 describes an aquatic wheelchair having a main flotation body of thermoplastic material of closed cell construction including a seat portion and an integral backrest portion. Flotation paddle wheels are connected to the seat portion and a flotation stabilizer wheel assembly is detachably connected to the backrest portion. The flotation paddle wheels are constructed and arranged to facilitate the grasping thereof by the user for manually propelling the wheelchair not only on soft terrain but also in water.
Somerton-Rayner, U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,244 describes an all-terrain vehicle with eight wheels on four equidistant axles all driven from a single engine via two transfer boxes and differential gear units on each axle. The axles are fully floating beam axles on long travel coil springs and controlled by radius arms and Panhard rods. The radius arms may be parallel to and co-extensive with the respective propeller shafts coupling the differential gears to the transfer boxes and the connections between the propeller shafts and the transfer box outputs include torsional vibration dampers. The couplings at the ends of each propeller shaft to the transfer box and the differential gear unit comprise respective universal joints, and the yokes of the universal joints at opposite ends of the propeller shaft are set to be rotationally out of phase, with the driven yoke lagging the driving yoke. A dual circuit braking system with a deceleration sensing valve can be provided to limit the hydraulic pressure to the front wheel brakes.
Davis, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,846 describes an amphibious mobility assist vehicle for mobility impaired persons wherein a main flotation body has a catamaran configuration of twin hulls and constructed of molded thermoplastic material filled with plastic foam material of closed cell construction. A pair of conventional wheelchair-type wheels are detachably connected to the rear portion of the main flotation body on each side of a seat portion thereof, and a pair of hollow, spherical, flotation, caster mounted wheels are connected to the front of each hull. A manually actuated lift mechanism, which is accessible to the occupant of the vehicle, is connected to each spherical wheel so that the spherical whee
Gene Scott-Patent Law & Venture Group
Sotelo Jesus D.
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