US2035192A - Autoball and armored ball - Google Patents

Description

March 24, 1936. Ag N 2,035,192

AUTOBALL AND ARMORED BALL Filed June 11, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l 5 Fr" 0 i E 24, 1936- I A. J. RICHARDSON I 2,035,192

AUTOBALL AND ARMORED BALL Filed June 11, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 March 24, 1936. J. RICHARDSON 2,035,192

AUTOBALL AND ARMORED BALL Filed June 11, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 1936.- A. J. RICHARDSON 9 AUTOBALL AND ARMORED BALL Filed June 11, 1932 5'Sheets-Shet 5 Patented Mar. 24, I936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

The invention relates to a new and useful mechanism for transportation at low and fast speed, the machine to be used in various embodiments as a pleasure vehicle either for travel or amusement, or as an armored warfare vehicle;

With these ends in view the invention has among its more general objects to provide an improved device for such uses, and to provide various and sundry improvements in general assembly and in the construction of parts thereof. Other and more detailed objects of the invention will be made apparent in the following description of the preferred embodiments of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 through 14 illustrate an embodiment of my invention primarily designed for use as a pleasure vehicle;

Figs. 1 and 2 being sectional details showing the construction of the hub and tire assemblies respectively;

Fig. 3 a section through Fig. 2 on the line 3-3 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4, a diagrammatic plan view of the interior of the vehicle;

Fig. 5, a detail plan of the drive gearing and spring assembly on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 6, a side'elevation of the spring and shaft bearing taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig 7a, a detail in elevation of one of the spring hangers looking in the direction indicated by the arrows on line I of Fig. 5;

Figs. 7b and '70, further details of the spring hanger, looking in the directions indicated by the arrows on lines l -I and I-'| of Fig. M,

respectively;

Figs. 8 and 9, elevation and plan views of the steering mechanism shown at the center of Fig. 4, drawn to a larger scale;

Fig. 10, a detail, drawnto a larger scale and partly in section, of the guide element of Figs. 8 and 9, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows on the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11, a side elevation of the assembled auto- 5 ball;

Fig. 12, a side elevation of the autoball cab;

Fig. 13,, a front elevation of the autoball cab; and

Fig. 14, a diagrammatic elevation of the interior arrangement of the autoball cab;

Figs. 15 and 18 illustrate a belt attachment which may be employed with the autoball to facilitate travel over sand;

55 Fig. 15 being a detail in plan and Fig. 18 a (16s.

tail in section showing application of the same to the autoball and 7 Figs. 16 and 17 illustrate a screen attachment which may be employed with the autoball to facilitate travel over snow, Fig. 16 being a detail in 5 section and Fig. 17 a detail in plan showing the application of the same to the autoball;

Figs. 19 through 22 illustrate an embodiment of my invention primarily designed for use as a war machine, or armored ball; 10

Fig. 19 being a diagrammatic outside end View of the same; i. e. an outside polar view;

'Fig. 20, a diagrammatic plan view of the interior thereof;

Fig. 21 a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional 15 view of the same looking in the direction of the arrows on the line 2l-2l of Fig. 20; i. e. an inside diagrammatic equatorial section, and

Fig. 22, a diagrammatic transverse sectional view of the same looking in the direction of the 20 arrows on the line 22-22 of Fig. 21; i. e. an inside section longitudinal of the polar axis.

Autoball Referring in Figs. 1 through 14 it will be seen 25 that the first embodiment of my invention, as most clearly shown in Fig. 11, consists of a cab .(Figs. 12-14) swung on the axle 5 (center of Outer cage construction 4 35 The rotatable cage (best shown in Figs. 11 and 4) is attached to the axle at either pole by combined hub and frame-securing members (see Fig. 1) each consisting, in the embodiment shown, of a steel hub 4 carrying an inner steel flange I 40 which is provided with hub-bolts, indicated in dotted lines, for'the purpose of securing the two hard rubber collars l and the outer steel collar l in position on the hub 4, which is in turn keyed to the tapered end of the axle 5 as indicated at 52 (Fig. 1) and held in place thereon in any suitable way as by the hub-nut shown.

In the embodiment shown the frame of the spherical cage is made up of a plurality of spring steel spokes 2 extending, as longitudinal lines '50 of the spherical surface, from pole to pole thereof except as hereinafter noted, and secured to the hub assemblies at the poles, preferably by means of steel balls 3 (Fig. 1)' threaded onto the ends of the longitudinal spokes, and clamped, together 55 wear.

with the ends of the spokes, between the two rubber collars or flanges I, this mode of attachment being particularly advantageous to minimize the effect of vibration of the machine and allow it to yield resiliently in every direction, while also permitting ready removal and replacement of the spokes if breakage thereof should occur. These spring steel spokes 2 are preferably of about one-half inch cross-section, and 24 or 48 of such spokes may be employed without undue interference with clear vision of the operator while driving.

To provide ready access to the cab 29 which is provided with suitable do'ors (indicated at 28 in Figs. 11 and 12), the longitudinal spokes 2 are interrupted by frame members or rims 5|, which may be about 30 inches in diameter, and of which there are preferably two in either hemisphere of the globular cage at opposite sides of the pole thereof as shown; and at the point of interruption the spokes 2 are preferably secured in the frame members or rims 39 in the same way that they are secured in the hubs at the poles of the cage.

With the rims 39 provided in this manner, entrance and egress from the cab may be easily had, regardless of the position stopped in, because, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, there is a normal clearance of sixteen inches in the disclosed embodiment, between the cage and the sides of the cab at either pole, while additional clearance may be obtained by shifting the cab toward one pole and away from the other as hereinafter described.

In addition to the elements so far described, the frame or cage further comprises traction members in the form of four rubber tires 8 molded around spring steel rods 9 and placed as latitudinal circles of the globe. These-tires in the form shown are of two and one-half inch outside diameter with spring steel cores one inch in diameter, being made of this size to permit vision at a great distance beyond the tires, which is thus made possible inasmuch as the average distance between a drivers eyes is two and onehalf inches or more. These tires may be said, for ease of reference, to correspond to the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn and to the Arctic, and

Antarctic Circles, and in addition to the four. tires so far mentioned, the machine is preferablyequipped with a fifth tire, positioned equatorially to act as a reinforcement in carrying the weight of the machine, and also as a front sight in driving it; the center of the windshield (as hereinafter described) acting as the rear sight.

As clearly shown in Fig. 4, and detailed in Figs. 2 and 3, the four traction tires, and also the equatorial tire, are preferably mounted, each'by attachment to all the spokes 2 of the globular cage, this being effected, in the form shown, by constructing the rubber-bodies of the tires with passages 6 providing for passage therethrough of the steel spokes 2 of the cage. In this connection each of the spoke-receiving holes 6 is provided with a bronze bearing block 7, molded into the rubber 8 between the hole 6 and around the spring steel core 9 of the tire, thus minimizing The four traction tires, as shown, are mounted with their cores 9 external of the spring steel spokes 2, while the equatorial tire is made of a smaller diameter than the traction tires and mounted with its core 9 internal of the steel spokes 2, further reinforcing them.

Cab body construction and suspension In the preferred form shown in Figs. 1 through 14 the doors 28 of the cab 29 (see Figs. 11-14) are located one at each side of the cab and open inwardly, and are each provided with glass ports 44 to supplement the windshield 33 and rear window 72 (Fig. 14) for observation purposes.

The cab, in the embodiment shown, is not only swung on the axle 5, but is also movable longitudinally thereof, for steering purposes as hereinafter set forth, and the bearings effecting the suspension of the cab (see Fig. 4 through '7) are designed accordingly. The bearings may of course be of any type suitable for this purpose, and are preferably housed in bearing housings I9 (Figs. 4 and 5) provided with removable covers 21, to facilitate replacement of the bearings. These bearing housings I9 (themselves slidable on the shaft 5) are in turn mounted in any suitable manner on leaf springs 36 (see Figs. 5 and 6) this being effected in the form shown by means of studs36 adapted to pass through the springs 34 and tobe secured in position by suitable means such as nuts and washers (not shown). The springs 3d are in turn carried by shackles 35 (Fig. 6) pivoted, as shown in Fig. 70 to spring hangers 35 (see Fig. 5), the details of construc-' tion of which may, if desired, take the form shown in Figs. 7a, 7b, and 70. To accommodate the vertical movement of the cab 29 relative to the shaft 5 as the springs 34 are flexed, the cab 29 is provided with elongated slots 55 (Fig. 12) for passage of the shaft 5.

The cab body 29 may take various forms without departing from the principles of my invention as embodied in the form shown, in which advantage is taken of the principle of suspensio'n, of wind resistance, and of gyroscopic action, to maintain the cab in upright position during operation of the machine to thus assure application of all the power of the power plant to drive the vehicle.

The principle of suspension is applied, in the form shown, by having the center of gravity of the cab below the axle 5, and this provision insures proper position of the cab while the device is stationary and travelling at low speeds, and assists in balancing the cab while starting and stopping the device and at other times.

Particularly at the faster speeds, however, the application of wind resistance to hold the cab 29 in upright position, as embodied in my invention, comes into play. Obviously the power of the motor, particularly at high speeds and when accelerating, would have a tendency to pull the cab upward in front, but by constructing the top of the front of the cab 29 with an inclined surface 69, shown as extending from its prow H to its top front corner Til, the effect of wind resistance is brought into play, producing a counteracting force which increases with the speed of the autoball and prevents the front end of the cab 29 from rising. The incline 69 may be made of different angles according to the speed of the machine and power of the motor.

To prevent overturning of the cab during rapid acceleration of the machine and during deceleration thereof by the braking system (hereinafter described), it is desirable to provide the cab 29 with a pair of gyroscopes running in opposite directions, which will tend to prevent any out of balance movement of the cab during these periods when the other provisions are not fully effective. These gyroscopes may beof any usual construction, and may conveniently be located, adjacent the motor, in the space 10 at the toeof the'cab 29, (see Fig. 14). W V

Ventilation of the cab body 29 is effected in the embodiment shown, by the employment of air vents 59, Fig. 14, particularly because at'high speeds the doors could not beleft open nor the windows lowered, for the protection of the occu pants of the cab.

In the embodiment shown the seating arrangement provides for four passengers, three in the front seat 3| and one in the rear seat 32.

Illustrative power plant arrangement Referringto Figs. 4, 5, and 14, it will be seen that the toe of the cab 29 which is separated from the main compartment of 'a dash 46 and floorboards 48, in the embodiment, shown houses not only the gyroscopes and motor diagrammatically indicated at H), but also the transmission gearing, diagrammatically indicated at H, which may be controlled in any suitable way asby means of the shift lever 49. From the transmission H the power is delivered through the gear train 12 to the power shaft l located about half way up the height of the cab and at one side thereof. The power shaft l5, which issupported at its forward end by a suitable bearing l3 carried by a bracket I4 attached to the wall of the cab 29 (see Figs. 4

and 14) is provided with suitable universal couplings (diagrammatically indicated at 45, Fig. 14) and is carried at its rear end by a combination thrust and roller bearing diagrammatically indicated at 2| (Figs. 4 and 5) mounted in a driveand-break housing 22 which is secured to the bearing housing 19 and slidable therewith length wise of the axle 5, and thus delivers the power from the transmission H to the small driving gear of the gear set I6, located within and'movable with the housing [9. The large driven bevel gear of the gear set 16, in the form shownfis carried within the housing [9 between the main drive hub I l and a brake drum I 8, all of which are splined as a unit to the axle 5, as by the key 30 slidable in the keyseat 31 of the axle 5. With this construction it will be appreciated that the cab 29, and the entire power plant, including the housing 19 and its enclosed mechanism, may be moved as a unit longitudinally of the axle 5 in steering the machine as hereinafter set forth.

In my preferred embodiment of the machine, it will be noted that the gasoline tank 33 (see Figs. 4 and 14) is located at the rear part of the cab 29, remote from the engine and removed as far as possible to the opposite side of the axle 5. This is a material safety feature and if the driver should apply the brake too suddenly or in some other way cause the cab 29 to whirl over inside the spherical frame, the gasoline would automaticallybe whirled away from the motor by centrifugal force and the motor would stop running, thus preventing danger from fire and the motor from continuing to run.

The brake system comprising the drum l8 may be of any'usual form actuated by the foot lever 41 (Fig. 14). 7

Steering devices The steering, as above mentioned, is effected in my device by the novel expedient of shifting the cab 29 and power plant enclosed therein lengthwise of the axis 5 to throw its center of weight toward one pole or the other of the sphere. The preferred embodiment ofmechanism for effecting this shift of weight, generally indicated at the center of Figs. 4 and 14, is shown most clearly in Figs. 8, 9, and 10, and consists of a steering wheel 23, the shaft 24 of which is journalled in two bearings 39 bolted to the centers of a pair of parallel angle irons 40 riveted at their ends to the walls of the cab 29 (Fig. 4) and constituting supports for the bearings 39 as well as a guide rackfor the steering gear hangers 26. Intermediate the bearings 39 the steering shaft 24 is provided with a steering drum 38, rotation of which is effective to produce relative lateral movement between the guides 40 and the steering gear hangers 26, by means of thesteering cable 42 extending to right and left from the drum 38 and having its ends secured in the hangers 26 by tensioning springs 41 and adjusting nuts 56. This preferred arrangement enables ready adjustment of the tension of the steering cable 42 and also is effective in absorbing vibration.

The steering hangers 26, as best shown in Fig. 8, are themselves journalled on the axle 5. between collars 26 and are thus maintained in fixed position relative to the axle, and as the guide rack 40 is rigid with the cab 29, it will be apparent (particularly by reference to Fig. 4) that movement of the steering wheel 23 to the left will move the cab 25 to the left on the axle 5 and vice versa. Assuming the autoball to be running in a straight-ahead direction, it will be apparent that it will be running on the two tropic traction tires (see Fig. 4). Now turning the steering wheel 23 to shift the cab 29 to the right on the axle 5, v

will throw its weight right of center, and cause the ball to cant over lifting the left-hand tropic tire from the ground, and, with sufiicient shift canting it until its right hand circle tire touches the ground. As this canting occurs two principles of mechanics come into play to effect turning of the autoball; one the gyroscopic principle, particularly at high speeds, which would cause the ball to turn to the right or left, whichever way the weight of the cab were thrown; the other, the rolling cone principle, when the autoball rests on one tropic and one circle tire, due to the diameter of the circle tires being smaller than that of the tropic tires.

This novel steering means of my invention is a particularly desirable feature of my autoball, particularly in the embodiments thereof designed for pleasure and amusement use, as it will cause the machine tobank to the right when turning to the right and bank to the left when turning to the left, thus preserving the com fort and convenience of the passengers of the,

autoball to an extent not obtainable with an ordinary automobile for example. Indeed, the machine of my invention, properly constructed as to specifications, should attain a speed of 150 to 200 miles an hour as easily and safely as an automobile at 75 miles an hour.

Autoball attachments a supporting surface to prevent undue sinking into the sand.

Another such device, shown in Figs. 16 and 17, is particularly desirable for travel over snow, and consists of a screen 54 adapted to be fastened around the entire machine to cover the spaces between the tropic and circle tires 8, and act to prevent sinking in the snow by a snowshoe efiect. In the embodiment shown the screen 54 is provided with snap-fastener members 51 (see Fig. 17) which may be in sufficient number to fasten the screen to every other spoke, or even to every spoke, if necessary.

With any such devices, vision may be obtained with reflecting mirrors, arranged in suitable Ways with a periscopic effect.

Armored ball Referring now to Figs. 19 through 22, diagrammatic of an embodiment of my invention particularly designed for use as a war-machine or armored ball, it will be seen that this embodiment incorporates many of the features of the autoball in altered form, and differs therefrom primarily in being provided with a rotatable spherical shell 58 presenting a continuous surface, instead of having a spherical shell made up of spokes, and in being provided with various modified features adapting it for amphibian use.

Like the autoball embodiment of my invention, the armored ball consists of an outer traction shell and an inner cab, these major elements being distinguished for clarity, in diagrammatic Figure 20, by indicating the outer shell 58, with its associated propeller vanes 61, hatches 59, and driven gear-tracks 60, inlight lines; and by indicating the cab wall 65 and its associated driving gears 6i and driving-gear-supports 66, in relatively heavy lines.

Traction-shell In this embodiment of my invention access to and egress from the interior of the cab 65 is had by way of polar ports adapted to be closed by suitable hatches as indicated at 59. Surrounding each of these polar ports, and carried by the outer shell 58, is an annular gear track 60, externally toothed to mesh with driving-gears 6| supported on bearing arms 66 extending from the wall 65 of the inner cab and hereinafter more fully described.

With this construction, the inner cab 65 .being held upright by means similar, to those employed for the autoball, driving of the gears 6| by the motor 63 within the cab 65, will cause rotation of the annular gear tracks 60 and the outer shell 58, so that it will travel in a manner similar to the autoball.

For smooth travel on land the outer shell 53 of the armored ball is made substantially flat at its equatorial or tropical section; and to facilitate travel in mud and sand, and provide for a paddling action when floating on water, the shell 58 is provided with vanes 61 relatively high adjacent the poles of the machine and tapering off as they approach the substantially flat equatorial zone of the shell 58.

Inner shell or cab As above mentioned, the driving gears 6!, which engage the annular gear tracks 60 of the outer shell to drive the same, are carried on bearing-extensions 66, extending from the innershell or cab 65. There may be any desired number of these driving gears BI, and in the disclosed embodiment they are made sufiicient in number to hold thecabin place with reference to the annular gear tracks 60, and thus concentric with the outer shell 58, without the need of other provisions in this regard.

Obviously, with the cab 65 enclosed within the outer closed sphere 58', the principle of wind resistance acting on the cab itself, as in the autoball, cannot be employed to counteract the tendency' of the cab 65 to turn out of its vertical position during acceleration and deceleration of the armored ball, and for this reason the use of other means, such as ballast below center and gyroscopic action, must be employed for this purpose. Thus, in the disclosed embodiment, the heavy engine is preferably located below center in the inner shell 65, as indicated at 63 in the diagrammatic drawings, and the space I l therebelow is set aside for ballast and fuel storage to as effectively as possible avoid all tendency of the inner sphere to turn out of its upright position.

As in the autoball embodiment of my invention, steering is effected by shifting the weight of the power plant toward one or the other of the poles, as hereinafter described, and for this reason, the motor; indicated at 63, is mounted on trackways 64 extending parallel to the polar axis of the armored ball, so that it may be so moved. Power take-offs are provided from the motor to the driving gears 61 etc., which will of course be designed accordingly, using any well known or special mechanical construction for the purpose.

The remainder of the cabin space of the inner shell 65 may of course be apportioned to use in numerous ways, but for the purposes of a war machine, it will be found advantageous to maintain a clear passage from pole to pole as shown; to apportion the equatorial space 15 lateral of this passage as cabin space for the crew; to em-- ploy the dome-like space 68 above the passage for-storage and supply purposes; and to employ the spaces 62 lateral of the passage and adjacent the polar ports as receiving spaces into which to swing back the guns or rifles and other equipment, when not in use.

In steering the armored ball on land the motor 63 will simply be shifted to the right on the tracks 54 to steer the machine to the right, and vice versa; but this .principle of steering will be reversed when the machine is travelling on the surface of the water, as in this circumstance shifting of the motor to the right will cant the machine and cause the fins or vanes 51 on the left hand hemisphere to lift up out of the water, whereupon the action of the vanes 51 on the right hand hemisphere will cause the machine to turn toward the left.

That hatch covers 59 are suitable equipped to provide for intake and outlet for air, and are also preferably equipped with periscopes of any suitable construction (not shown).

The outer shell of the armored ball constructed in accordance with my invention, because of its spherical shape, offers the maximum strength for protection of the occupants, both because the spherical shape is the so-called maximum strength-shape, and because it presents only an extremely limited area available for a perpendicula-r hit by gun-fire or bomb from any direction, and all its surface surrounding this area is sloped away so that it can only be hit a glancing blow.

Furthermore, the use of two concentric relatively rotatable spheres, according to my invention, more than doubles the effective resistance to gun-fire of the device. Bullets or bombs pene-. trating the outer shell will have expended most this construction, even if the outer shell should be ripped open by the mine the inner shell would float until the outer shell could be turned over as hereinafter described.

The hatch cover 59 is made water-tight in the preferred embodiment of my invention by'any suitable construction, and the machine can be submerged, when necessary, by pumping water into ballast chambers located in the space 14. Thus my armored ball is so equipped and constructed' that it would be possible to run on the land, on or submerged in the water, or on the bo tom of the ocean (provided the pressure is not too great, or the machine at too lowa level). The hatch cover, or covers, 59, may be provided with a propeller suitably geared to the motor 63.

The type of propeller will be chosen according to the media in which it will be used, a water propeller being employed when the device is to be propelled while under the water, and not on the bottom.

The machine would also be equipped with a welding torch to repair it while in mid ocean. If the armored ball ran into a mine, and unless it were completely destroyed by the mine, it would continue to float as above recounted and could be thrown in gear and the hole that was blown in the bottom of the armored steel could be turned up on the top and a patch welded over the hole; therefore saving the crew in mid ocean. This would be a great improvement over the ordinary submarine and battle ship, since they cannot be turned up-side-down in mid ocean and repaired.

The air inlets of the hatch hole covers are equipped with air filters to filter the air that is taken into the machine; thus avoiding the use of gas masks in gas areas. The armored ball is lighted byelectricity from power from the motor.

To review the outstanding features of the machine, it is: first, an amphibian machine; it is a submarine; it is a protective machine to the crew from airplane bombing; and it is a protective machine from gas in gas areas. It is also a machine for transportation in warfare.

The foregoing descriptions of preferred embodiments of my invention will make clear to those skilled in the art the novel application of principles and features embodied therein, and it is obvious that my invention is not limited to the details of the embodiments shown, and that many changes may be made without departing from the scope of my invention.

I therefore claim as my invention:

1. A vehicle of the class described, comprising a hollow spherical traction body having a fixed polar axis and rotatable thereabout, a cab suspended therein with reference to said fixed polar axis, said cab being provided with means tending to maintain it in upright position, driving means in said cab for rotating the spherical traction body about its fixed polar axis to cause travel of the vehicle, and means to cause canting of the fixed polar axis of rotation of the traction body to thereby effect steering of the vehicle by forcing it to roll on a latitudinal geometric element of the sphere displaced from the equatorial plane thereoi; said driving means including a powermotor, and said last-named means comprising provisions for shifting said motor in a direction parallel to the fixed polar axis of rotation of said traction body to efiect steering of the vehicle as aforesaid.

2. A vehicle of the class described, comprising a hollow spherical traction body having a fixed polar axis and rotatable thereabout, a cab suspended therein with reference to said fixed polar axis, said cab being provided with means tending to maintain it in upright position, driving means in said cab for rotating the spherical traction body about its fixed polar axis to cause travel of the vehicle, and means to cause canting of the fixed polar axis of rotation of the traction body to thereby effect steering of the vehicle by forcing it to roll on a latitudinal geometric element of the sphere displaced from the equatorial plane thereof; said cab beingishiftable in a direction parallel to the fixed polar axis of rotation of said traction body, and said last-named means comprising provisions for so shifting said cab to effect steering of the vehicle as aforesaid.

3In a vehicle of the class described, a hollow spherical traction body having a fixed polar axis and adapted to travel by rolling over and over about its fixed polar axis, and means for canting its fixed polar axis to cause said spherical traction body to roll ina curve by forcing it to roll on a latitudinal geometric element of the sphere displaced from the equatorial plane thereof; said spherical traction body comprising a pair of tropic tires symmetrically spaced adjacent its equatorial plane and upon which the body rolls when travelling in a direct line, and a pair of circle tires, of smaller size, one between each of said tropic tires and the adjacent pole of the spherical body, said spherical traction body, when canted, being adapted to roll on one of said tropic tires and one of said smaller circle tires with the non-lineal rolling effect of a rolling cone.

4. In a vehicle of the class described, a hollow spherical traction body having a fixed polar axis and adapted to travel by rolling over and over about its fixed polar axis, said construction adapting said body to travel linearly when rolling on its equatorial section, and non-linearly when its fixed polar axis is canted over to force it to roll on a latitudinal geometric element of the sphere displaced from the equatorial plane thereof; said body being constructed with hubs at its poles and spring steel spokes arranged as longitudinal lines of the sphere, said hubs including rubber bodies, and said spokes including portions removably clamped between said rubber bodies, substantially as described.

5. A vehicle of the class described, comprising a revoluble traction cage, a cab suspended therein and means in said cab for revolving said cage to propel the vehicle, said cab presenting an upwardly inclined plane extending rearwardly from its prow formed to take advantage of the windresistance thereagainst to assist in preventing rise of the prow of the cab under the force exerted by said means.

6. A vehicle of the class described, comprising a revoluble traction body, a cab suspended therein, and means in said cab for revolving said body to propel the vehicle, said means including a gasoline type motor and a fuel supply tank, and said motor and tank being located remote from one another and at opposite sides of the axis of relative rotation of the body and cab to take advantage of centrifugal force to prevent feed of fuel to the motor if and when said cab should revolve about said axis.

'7. In a vehicle of the class described, a spherical traction cage adapted to travel by rotation about its polar axis, said cage comprising spring steel spokes arranged as longitudinal lines of the spherical surface and a pair of tires arranged as latitudinal lines of the sphere, and spaced symmetrically adjacent its equatorial plane, and a demountable filling device surrounding the equatorial region of the sphere between said tires substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. The combination defined in claim 7, in which said demountable filling device consists of a band of belting fastened around the sphere between said tires to facilitate travel in soft sandy terrain or the like.

9. The combination defined in claim '7, in which said demountable filling device consists of screening fastened over said tires to facilitate travel in snowy terrain.

10. In a vehicle of the class described, a hollow spherical traction body having a fixed polar axis and adapted to travel by rolling over and over about its fixed polar axis, said construction adapting said body to travel linearly when rolling on its equatorial section, and non-linearly when its fixed polar axis is canted over to force it to roll on a latitudinal geometric element of the sphere displaced from the equatorial plane thereof; said body being substantially water-tight and being provided with external fins or vanes at each side of" its equatorial section so that said vehicle may be propelled on water, and so that the canting of the axis of rotation of the traction body may be employed to effect steering of the vehicle on the water.

11. An armored vehicle comprising two concentric imperforate sheet metal spheres relatively rotatable about a common fixed polar axis, means for maintaining said spheres in relatively concentric relation, means for maintaining the inner sphere substantially in a normal upright position, means for rotating the outer sphere about said fixed polar axis under control of an operator in the inner sphere, and said spheres having polar entrance and exit means, said concentric spherical construction providing two spaced walls of maximum strength-shape for protection of the occupants, as against munitions of war.

12. An armored vehicle according to claim 11, said spheres having substantially water-tight walls adapting it for amphibious use, the watertight character of the inner sphere providing for floating the vehicle in case of damage to the outer sphere, and adapting the vehicle for repair while in the water, substantially as described.

ANDREW J. RICHARDSON.

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