GB1170459A - Improvements in or relating to Amphibious Vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,170,459. Amphibious vehicles. FRANCE, ARMED FORCES, MINISTER OF DEFENCE, SECRETARY OF. 15 March, 1967 [5 Oct., 1966], No. 12247/67. Headings B7A, B7S and B7V. [Also in Division E1] An amphibious vehicle includes retractable road wheels 10, Fig. 18, a cabin 4 at each end so that the vehicle can be driven in either direction, a hollow watertight body or caisson 13 pivotally mounted above each of the cabins 4 such that it can be moved to the position shown in Fig. 6 when the vehicle is afloat, a pair of propelling units 15 pivotally attached to each caisson and controlled by a corresponding helm 6 such that the vehicle can be propelled and navigated in any direction, a plurality of deck-forming, or platform, elements 16 that are pivotally connected to each other and to the body 1 of the vehicle, and an additional platform element 19 pivotally mounted on one side of said body, the said elements being such that they can be arranged when the vehicle is afloat to form a continuous deck, track or roadway transversely of the vehicle. To form either a raft, or ferry, or a floating bridge, the elements 19 on two of such vehicles can be coupled together edge to edge, Fig. 12 (not shown). Alternatively, for the same purpose, the element 19 on one vehicle can be connected to an intermediate one 18 of the elements 16, Fig. 14, on the other vehicle, the lengths of the elements 18, 19 being different so that the span of the deck, track or roadway can be varied. A plurality of vehicles can be coupled together in this manner to form either a ferry or a bridge of any desired length. Connection of two elements 19, or 18,19 on two adjacent vehicles is effected by tongues, or male members (24, 26), Figs. 16 and 17 (not shown), engaging with recesses (25) in the mutually-abutting elements and by hydraulically-actuated rods (33) on each of said elements engaging with lugs (28) on the other element. Hooks (36) on each element engage with cross rods (37) on the other element to complete the connection. When the vehicle is afloat in shallow water, the propeller units 15 can be raised by tilting the associated caisson upwardly to a suitable extent, Fig. 11 (not shown). The pivotal movement of the caissons may be effected by hydraulic actuators (not shown). Towing and mooring accessories 7, 8 are provided in each of the cabins 4.