Amphibious bridge vehicle

Claim 2

An amphibious vehicle adapted for land travel and also for use in forming bridge-like structures; a vehicle frame, wheels on the frame at the ends thereof for support of the vehicle when on land, longitudinally extending buoyant bodies carried by said frame, and means movably connecting said bodies to said frame for movement of the said bodies oppositely pivotable between a folded together juxtaposed position longitudinally on top of said frame for land travel of the vehicle and folded out positions of lateral extension perpendicularly from the sides of said frame wherein said bodies and frame form a continuous upwardly facing platform, said frame comprising a longitudinally extending body portion generally rectangular in cross section, said bodies comprising a pair of first bodies generally rectangular in transverse cross section and disposed on top of said body portion with the larger sides thereof in vertical juxtaposed relation when in folded together position and disposed at respectively opposite sides of said body portion with the larger sides substantially horizontal when in folded out position, and with the upper surfaces of said bodies and body portion forming said continuous upwardly facing platform.

Claim 3

A vehicle according to claim 1, which includes a second body generally rectangular in cross section and movably connected to each of said pair of first bodies, each said second body being movable from a folded in position of juxtaposition with the respective first body to a folded out position of extension from the end of the said first body which is remote from said body portion when the said first body is in folded out position.

Claim 4

An amphibious vehicle adapted for land travel and also for use in forming bridge-like structures; a vehicle frame, wheels on the frame at the ends thereof for support of the vehicle when on land, longitudinally extending buoyant bodies carried by said frame, and means movably connecting said bodies to said frame for movement of the said bodies between a folded together juxtaposed position on top of said frame for land travel of the vehicle and folded out positions of lateral extension from the sides of said frame wherein said bodies and frame form a continuous upwardly facing platform, said frame comprising a longitudinally extending body portion generally rectangular in cross section, said bodies comprising a pair of first bodies generally rectangular in transverse cross section and disposed on top of said body portion with the larger sides thereof in vertical juxtaposed relation when in folded together position and disposed at respectively opposite sides of said body portion with the larger sides substantially horizontal when in folded out position, and with the upper surfaces of said bodies and body portion forming said continuous upwardly facing platform, a second body generally rectangular in cross section and movably connected to each of said pair of first bodies, each said second body being movable from a folded in position of juxtaposition with the respective first body to a folded out position of extension from the end of the said first body which is remote from said body portion when the said first body is in folded out position, said second bodies when in folded in position being disposed above said body portion when said first bodies are in folded together position and extend to below said body portion when said first bodies are moved to folded out position, said second bodies when moved to folded out position when said first bodies are in folded out position having the upper sides thereof disposed in the plane of the upper sides of said body portion and first bodies, a longer and shorter side of each second body being adjacent and coextensive with a respective longer and shorter side respectively of the adjacent first body in the respective folded in and folded out positions of said second body.

Claim 5

An amphibious vehicle adapted for land travel and also for use in forming bridge-like structures; a vehicle frame, wheels on the frame at the ends thereof for support of the vehicle when on land, longitudinally extending buoyant bodies carried by said frame, and means movably connecting said bodies to said frame for movement of the said bodies between a folded together juxtaposed position on top of said frame for land travel of the vehicle and folded out positions of lateral extension from the sides of said frame wherein said bodies and frame form a continuous upwardly facing platform, said frame comprising a longitudinally extending body portion generally rectangular in cross section, said bodies comprising a pair of first bodies generally rectangular in transverse cross section and disposed on top of said body portion with the larger sides thereof in vertical juxtaposed relation when in folded together position and disposed at respectively opposite sides of said body portion with the larger sides substantially horizontal when in folded out position, and with the upper surfaces of said bodies and body portion forming said continuous upwardly facing platform, a second body generally rectangular in cross section and movably connected to each of said pair of first bodies, each said second body being movable from a folded in position of juxtaposition with the respective first body to a folded out position of extension from the end of the said first body which is remote from said body portion when the said first body is in folded out position, said second bodies when in folded in position being disposed above said body portion when said first bodies are in folded together position and extend to below said body portion when said first bodies are moved to folded out position, said second bodies when moved to folded out position when said first bodies are in folded out position having the upper sides thereof disposed in the plane of the upper sides of said body portion and first bodies, a longer and shorter side of each second body being adjacent and coextensive with a respective longer and shorter side respectively of the adjacent first body in the respective folded in and folded out positions of said second body.

Claim 6

A vehicle according to claim 3, which includes linkage means extending between said body portion and each of said pair of first bodies and between said first and second bodies and pivotally connected thereto for guiding said first pair of bodies between the folded together and folded out positions thereof on said body portions and for guiding said second bodies between folded in and folded out positions on said first bodies.

Claim 7

A vehicle according to claim 4, which includes a ramp member pivotally mounted on each second body and foldable outwardly therefrom to form a ramp at each side of the platform formed by said body portion and bodies when the bodies are in folded out position.

Claim 8

A vehicle according to claim 5, in which each said ramp member is subdivided longitudinally into a plurality of individual parts each of which is pivotally mounted on the respective second body.

Claim 9

A vehicle according to claim 4, in which the said linkage means connecting each first body to said body portion comprises a pair of spaced links.

Claim 10

A vehicle according to claim 7, in which the pivotal connections of the said pair of links with each first body are spaced vertically a predetermined distance in the direction of the shorter dimension of the said first body while the pivotal connections of the said links with said body portion are spaced apart a distance smaller than said predetermined distance.

Claim 11

A vehicle according to claim 7, which includes hydraulically operable cylinder piston means connected between said body portion and said first bodies for moving the latter between folded together and folded out positions on said body portion.

Claim 12

A vehicle according to claim 4, in wHich said linkage means extending between each first body and the respective second body comprises a triangular link having end and intermediate pivot points, pivot means joining said bodies at a corner thereof, said intermediate pivot point being connected to one of said bodies near said pivot means, and a hydraulically operable cylinder piston means connected between each said end pivot point of said triangular link and a respective one of said bodies.

Claim 13

A vehicle according to claim 10, in which said intermediate pivot point is connected to the said first body whereby when said first body is in folded together position, the said pivot means can be removed and the second body manipulated by means of the cylinder piston means connected to said triangular link.

Claim 14

A vehicle according to claim 11, in which said frame includes driving heads at the opposite ends thereof carrying said wheels, and power means in said heads.

Claim 15

A vehicle according to claim 12, in which at least one of said heads is pivotal on said frame on a vertical axis for steering purposes.

Claim 16

A vehicle according to claim 12, which includes a propeller carried by each head and driveable by the respective power means.

Claim 17

A vehicle according to claim 12, in which the said power means in one of said heads is coupled to the wheels carried by said one head, and means extending longitudinally of said frame for coupling the power means in said one of said heads to the wheels carried by the other of said heads.