Tank truck vehicle for transporting fluid or pulverous material, particularly oil

Claim 1

A land vehicle, such as a tank truck, for transporting fluid, pulverous, granular and/or chipped material and, in particular, for transporting oil, in a transporting container, said vehicle having an engine, power transmission means and front and rear wheels, comprising: a longitudinally extending substantially tubular shell defining said transporting container having a transverse dimension at least as great as the wheel base of said vehicle, and a longitudinal dimension essentially as long as the vehicle, said shell having a structure which is sufficiently rigid such that said shell comprises both the sole means for defining said transporting container as well as the sole means for defining the supporting frame of the vehicle so that the vehicle supporting frame does not include any supporting frame structure separate from said tubular shell; an engine and power transmission means substantially directly supported by said tubular shell beneath the same; and wherein said front wheels are connected to a front axle and said front axle is substantially directly supported by said tubular shell in substantial alignment with the forward end of said shell; whereby by virtue of said vehicle being devoid of any supporting frame structure other than said tubular shell, said vehicle has a smaller overall height and lower center of gravity than conventional vehicles of this type.