GB2471510A

GB2471510A - Amphibious vehicle having removable sponsons

Info

Publication number: GB2471510A
Application number: GB0911492A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Andrew Francis White
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-07-02
Filing date: 2009-07-02
Publication date: 2011-01-05
Also published as: GB0911492D0

Abstract

The present invention is a removable sponson apparatus that is attachable to an amphibious vehicle 10. The apparatus comprises a support 20 mountable to the amphibious vehicle 10; and one or more sponsons 30 slidably attachable to the support. The support 20 and sponson 30 are provided with cooperating runners (32, fig 2) and tracks (27, 28, fig 2) to facilitate releasable inter-connection. The support 20 may be substantially rigid and connected along the side edges (23,24, fig 4), the bow (21, fig 4) and/or the stern (22, fig 4) of the vehicle 10, the support having an inner edge fixedly connectable to the vehicle 10. If the support extends behind the stern of the amphibious vehicle it may define counter which may provide a mounting 41 (fig 4) for an outboard engine (26, fig 3).

Description

AMPHIBIOUS VEHICLE APPARATUS

This invention is directed to apparatus for modifying an amphibious vehicle.

Amphibious vehicles are those which may operate both on the land and on water. They usually have wheels or tracks on which they travel whilst on land, and are buoyant enough to float when in the water (usually as a result of a sealed chassis that forms a hull that displaces sufficient water), where they may be driven by a suitable propulsion mechanism such as a water jet or propeller. The disadvantage of the majority of amphibious vehicles is that the design compromises mean they are never particularly well suited for travel on land or on water. They do not excel at both functions and usually are more adept at one than the other. Amphibious vehicles suited for high-speed or off-road land travel are not generally hydrodynamic, and therefore can only travel at low speeds in the water. In particular, amphibious vehicles that are better suited for land travel lack necessary buoyancy and stability for safe water travel especially at sea.

As such, despite amphibious vehicles being desirable and having been developed for many years in both domestic and military settings, they have never been particularly effective. Importantly, improving performance using existing techniques has been very expensive thus reducing the commercial viability of amphibious vehicles.

The present invention seeks to address the problems associated with existing amphibious vehicles by providing means by which the vehicle has improved stability and buoyancy in the water, so that greater safety, and better efficiency and control can be achieved. This aim is achieved without adversely affecting the land performance properties of the vehicle.

According to the present invention there is provided removable sponson apparatus attachable to an amphibious vehicle, the apparatus comprising: -a support mountable to the amphibious vehicle; and -a sponson slidably attachable to the support wherein the support and sponson are provided with a cooperating runner and track assembly to facilitate releasable connection therebetween.

The apparatus of the present invention can be applied to any amphibious vehicle in order to improve the seaworthiness and stability thereof. In general however, the amphibious vehicle will have a generally rectangular plan, comprising side faces, and a substantially flat front end (or bow) and rear end (or stern). Such amphibious vehicles are often referred to as Amphibious All Terrain Vehicles, or AATVs. AATVs are generally fairly small, have six to eight wheels with low-pressure balloon tyres or tracks, and are particularly adapted for off-road driving. AATVs float, and in the water the spinning of the tyres is normally sufficient to propel the vehicle at low speed, though an outboard motor can sometimes also be attached.

As used herein, the term "sponson" describes any buoyancy aid suitable for removable attachment to the vehicle. The sponson may be a single or series of inflatable tubes arranged along either side of the vehicle, or most preferably a sponson is arranged in a substantially U-shaped fashion surrounding the side edges and front of the vehicle. These tubes are similar to those found on rigid inflatable boats (RIBs), and are known to greatly improve the stability and buoyancy of these boats.

The present invention has the advantage of greatly improving the seaworthiness of the amphibious vehicle without adversely affecting the off-road capabilities. The removable sponson apparatus of the present invention can be retrofitted to convert current amphibious vehicles, or vehicles can be manufactured to include a suitable support. The runner and track arrangement ensures that the sponson can easily be attached, and also so it can easily be removed for repair and maintenance.

The support preferably comprises a substantially rigid material, such as plastic or metal, and is connected along at least the side edges of the amphibious vehicle. Many Amphibious ATVs have a moulded body shell, with a solid lip that runs around the outer periphery thereof. Where present, the support is preferably bolted or otherwise attached along the lip defined along at least the side edges of the amphibious vehicle. Where a lip is not present, alternative attachment methods, such as support brackets on the side of the vehicle, could be used. When attached, the support will define an inner edge fixedly connectable to the vehicle and an outer edge to which the sponson is releasably mounted. Once installed, the support could easily be removed from the vehicle as desired, or kept as a permanent fixture.

In a preferred embodiment, when attached the support extends behind the stern of the amphibious vehicle, to define a counter. This counter stern has the advantage of preventing water from entering the vehicle from the stern and provides additional buoyancy in the water. Furthermore, an outboard motor can advantageously be attached to the stern of the vehicle to improve performance on the water. A counter stern would provide protection to the outboard when on water and also when the vehicle is on land.

The sponson is removably attached with a runner and track arrangement, and it is unimportant whether the track is attached on the sponson or the support. Preferably, the runner comprises at least one cylindrical member, advantageously a rope, attached along an inner surface of the sponson. Preferably the track comprises a groove extending substantially along the outer edge of the support, in which groove the runner is slidably insertable and held securely therein. A suitable arrangement of groove/rope is one similar to that seen on a luff groove and bolt rope on a boat rigging.

Although a series of separate runners/tracks can be provided between the sponson and the support, it is preferred that they are continuous, so that water is prevented from entering the vehicle from between the support and sponson.

Preferably, the support and sponson are provided with two, parallel runner and track arrangements for improved attachment and also so that the sponson is held more securely in place during use.

So that it may be better understood, one embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail, but by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings wherein: Figure 1 shows a cross sectional view of removable sponson apparatus according to the present invention mounted on an amphibious vehicle (shown in schematic representation only); Figure 2 shows a close-up end view of a sponson and support as shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 shows a side view of the amphibious vehicle and removable sponson apparatus of Figure 1; and Figure 4 shows a plan view of the removable sponson apparatus of Figure 1.

With reference to all of the Figures, there is shown an amphibious vehicle generally indicated 10. In these drawings the vehicle 10 is an Amphibious All-Terrain Vehicle, which comprises a body section 11 and tracked wheels 12. The body section 11 is constructed from a lightweight plastics material and has a sealed chassis, so that the vehicle can float and remain watertight when used in the water. The body 11 has two side edges 14, 15, a front end 16 and a rear end 17. Surrounding the periphery of the body section 11 is a lip 18. The vehicle 10 is shown in simplified schematic form, as the exact details of its design are not relevant to the present invention.

A support, generally indicated 20, is mounted to the vehicle 10, onto which support is mounted a sponson 30, generally indicated 30. The sponson is removably mounted on the support 20 so that it can easily be removed for cleaning, storage or maintenance, or easily mounted for use.

The support 20 is constructed from a lightweight plastic that has been machined so that it fits tightly around the perimeter of the body section 11 and rests on top of the lip 18. The support 20 can be formed to fit any shape of sponson or vehicle. In this embodiment the support has a rounded bow 21, and a substantially square stern 22 shaped to engage with the sponson 30 and 20 side edges 23 and 24. As shown most clearly in Figure 4, there is an opening 40 in the support 20 such that the support 20 may be placed over the vehicle 10. The support 20 could also be formed from two or more separate parts.

The support includes raised portion 25, which extends along the side edges 23, 24 and around the bow 21 of the support 20, for attachment to the sponson 30. As most clearly shown in Figure 2, the raised portion 25 on the side edges 23, 24 and bow 21 of the support 20 include two parallel tracks, generally indicated 27, which extend along the length of said raised portion 25. The tracks 27 comprise an attachment flange 28 which lies parallel to the raised portion 25 to which it is connected, and a channel 29 which has an open-ended c-shaped profile.

The support 20 further includes a rectangular aperture 41 in the stern 22 through which an outboard motor 26 can extend if attached to the back of the vehicle 10, as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The stern 22 extends beyond the rear end 17 of the vehicle to define a counter, which protects the outboard motor 26, improves seaworthiness, and reduces the risk that water enters the stern of the vehicle 10 when in use.

The sponson 30 comprises a substantially U-shaped inflatable collar 31, which is divided into a series of internal chambers (not shown). Similar sponsons 30 are present on known Rigid Inflatable Boats. When attached, the sponson 30 extends around the perimeter of the bow 21 and side edges 23,24, and beneath the raised portion 25 of the support 20. Two parallel runners, in the form of ropes 32, are arranged along the sections of the sponson 30 beneath the raised portion 25. This rope is connected to the sponson 30 by straps 33, which are adhered or sewn onto the collar 31. The widest diameter of the ropes 32 is slightly less than the diameter of the c-shaped channel 29 in the tracks 27, but larger than the width of the mouth of the channel, so that the ropes 32 may be slid into the channel attached to the raised portion 25, but not removed laterally therefrom.

The removable sponson apparatus of the present invention is primarily intended to be added as a retrofit to existing amphibious vehicles, as shown in the present example, though vehicles could be manufactured with a suitably shaped support to which the sponson can be attached.

When retrofitted onto existing amphibious vehicles, bolt holes could be drilled into the lip 18. To install the removable sponson apparatus, the support 20 is placed over the vehicle 10, so that the vehicle is within the opening 40 and the support rests on the lip 18. The support 20 is then fixed in place with bolts 42 that extends through the support 20 and through the lip 18.

If a lip is not present on the vehicle, then alternatively suitable brackets can be attached onto the body of the vehicle.

The sponson can either be supplied with runners 32 extending along an inside edge thereof, or these can be adhered onto an existing RIB collar or similar. To attach a U-shaped sponson as shown in the Figures, the sponson 30 should be uninflated. One end of the runners 32 toward one end of the sponson 30 can be threaded into the open end of the channels along one side of the support 20 toward the stern 20 thereof. The sponson 20 is then slid laterally along the side of the support, across the bow 21 and then down the other side of the support. The sponson 30 can then be inflated. As the connection between the runner 32 and the track 27 is continuous around the front and sides of the vehicle, then water is prevented from entering the vehicle between the sponson 30 and the support 20.

Claims

CLAIMS1. Removable sponson apparatus attachable to an amphibious vehicle, the apparatus comprising: -a support mountable to the amphibious vehicle; and -a sponson slidably attachable to the support wherein the support and sponson are provided with a cooperating runner and track assembly to facilitate releasable connection therebetween.
2. Removable sponson apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support is substantially rigid and connected along at least the side edges of the amphibious vehicle, the support having an inner edge fixedly connectable to the vehicle and an outer edge to which the sponson is mounted.
3. Removable sponson apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the support extends around the side edges and front of the amphibious vehicle.
4. Removable sponson apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the sponson comprises at least one inflatable tube.
5. Removable sponson apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the runner comprises at least one cylindrical member attached along an inner surface of the sponson.
6. Removable sponson apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the cylindrical member is a rope.
7. Removable sponson apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the track comprises a channel extending substantially along the outer edge of the support, in which channel the runner is laterally slidably insertable and held securely therein. -10-
8. Removable sponson apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the support and sponson have two parallel runner and track assemblies.
9. Removable sponson apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the support extends behind the stern of the amphibious vehicle to define a counter stern.
10. Removable sponson apparatus as claimed in any of the preceding claims, wherein the support is bolted along a lip defined along at least the side edges of the amphibious vehicle.
11. Removable sponson apparatus as claimed in claim 1 and as substantially herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.