Transporting and launching arrangements for amphibious campers

Claim 3

A system for transporting and launching a pontoon raft, as described in claim 1, wherein said wheeled cross bar of the undercarriage is journalled in bearing means, said bearing means being connected to the opposite ends of a torsion spring coiled around said cross bar to assist in the raising and lowering of said undercarriage.

Claim 4

A system for transporting and launching a pontoon raft, as described in claim 1, wherein said extensible and retractible draft means attached to said vehicle is comprised of telescopic sections, said sections being formed with longitudinal grooves along exterior surfaces and spring bias transverse pins to latch said sections to set the length of the tow means for launching lengths, and provided with a backing plate and groove guides which together aline holes for a locking pin to set the said draft means at highway transport length.

Claim 5

A system for transporting and launching a pontoon raft as described in claim 1, including means for removing spring torque force from the clutch assembly while preserving the torque.

Claim 6

A pontoon raft or the like with a deck portion having land and water supporting means, said land supporting means comprising ground engageable wheels, said wheels being mounted on an undercarriage, said undercarriage being moveable to raised or lowered position, said undercarriage having a transverse bar pivotally mounted, torsion spring means mounted around said transverse bar, to thereby provide spring bias on said undercarriage when in ground engagement by the wheels thereof, said water supporting means comprising pontoon members swingably mounted on longitudinally extending bar means along each outboard side of the raft, laterally extending holding arms connected to each of said pontoon members and to said bar means along each outboard side, each having torsion spring means mounted around said longitudinal bar means, to thereby bias said pontoon means toward a raised position, spaced sleeve means to latch said land supporting means to ground engagement against the bias action of the spring, said torsion spring means around said longitudinal bar means along each outboard side of the raft being secured at each opposite end to spaced sleeve and collar means mounted on a central section of said respective longitudinal bar means, to thereby develop torque as the pontoon arms impart movement to the pontoons from an intermediate spring relaxed starting point of an arc of swing of the pontoons connected to their respective laterally extending arms toward a position placing the pontoons on the raft deck or toward a position in a reverse direction from said intermediate point toward a position placing the pontoons in a down floatation position, said swing of the pontoons on their respective lateral arm connections developing torque in the respective torsion springs at each end of the said arc of swing in either direction from said intermediate spring relaxed point of the arc, to thereby assist in the movement of the pontoons from an inboard raft deck position to said intermediate point of the arc and to assist in the lift of the pontoons from an outboard float position to said intermediate point of the arc, and means for relaxing tension of said spring means to permit free removal of said laterally extending arms selectively from said pontoons.

Claim 7

A pontoon raft or the like with a deck portion having land and water supporting means, said land supporting means comprising ground engageable wheels, said wheels being mounted on an undercarriage, said undercarriage being moveable to raised or lowered position, said undercarriage having a transverse bar pivotally mounted, torsion spring means mounted around said transverse bar, to thereby provide spring bias on said undercarriage when in ground engagement by the wheels thereof, said water supporting means comprising pontoon members swingably mounted on longitudinally extending bar means along each outboard side of the raft, laterally extending holding arms connected to each of said pontoon members and to said bar means along each outboard side, each having torsion spring means mounted around said longitudinal bar means, to thereby bias said pontoon means toward a raised position, spaced sleeve means to latch said land supporting means to ground engagement against the bias action of the spring, said torsion spring means around said longitudinal bar means along each outboard side of the raft being secured at each opposite end to spaced sleeve and collar means mounted on a central section of said respective longitudinal bar means, to thereby develop torque as the pontoon arms impart movement to the pontoons from an intermediate spring relaxed starting point of an arc of swing of the pontoons connected to their respective laterally extending arms toward a position placing the pontoons on the raft deck or toward a position in a reverse direction from said intermediate point toward a position placing the pontoons in a down floatation position, said swing of the pontoons on their respective lateral arm connections developing torque in the respective torsion springs at each end of the said arc of swing in either direction from said intermediate spring relaxed point of the arc, to thereby assist in the movement of the pontoons from an inboard raft deck position to said intermediate point of the arc and to assist in the lift of the pontoons from an outboard float position to said intermediate point of the arc, and means for relaxing tension of said spring means to permit free removal of said laterally extending arms selectively from said pontoons.

Claim 8

A system for transporting and launching a pontoon raft as described in claim 5, wherein said laterally extending arms are engaged at an end within a saddle sleeve on each pontoon, and including means for fine adjustment of the end of the arc of swing and alignment of the said laterally extending holding arms within the pontoon saddle sleeve.