US3298348A

US3298348A - Marine vehicle with rolling buoyant supports

Info

Publication number: US3298348A
Application number: US451533A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lee C Sanders
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1965-04-28
Filing date: 1965-04-28
Publication date: 1967-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 1984-01-17

Description

Jan. 17, 1967 c. SANDERS MARINE VEHICLE WITH ROLLING BUOYANT SUPPORTS Filed April 28, 1965 INVENTOR: 55 6 Ima es $122K WORNEY U ited ta e fl 'ifi O r 3,298,348 MARINE VEHICLE WITH ROLLING BUOYANT SUPPORTS Lee C; Sanders, P.O. Box 1344, Nashville, Tenn. 37212 Filed Apr. 28, 1965, Ser. No. 451,533 1 Claim. (Cl. 1151) This invention relates to a marine vehicle with rolling buoyant supports, and more particularly to a marine vehicle supported by buoyant wheels having means for reducing the drag andimproving the lift of the vehicle.

In prior marine vehicles having rolling buoyant supports or whee-ls, the buoyant wheels present inertial and frictional problems to efiicient propulsion through the water, primarily because of the size of the wheels required merely to support the body of the vehicle above the water. The faster the vehicle is propelled over the water, the greater the drag of the wheels. Even though the wheels are mounted on the vehicle for free rotatable movement, such movement does not necessarily occur automatically or consistently. Theless the Wheel rotates or rolls, the more friction is developed between the wheels and the water, and the greater the drag caused by the wheels on the vehicle.

. .It is therefore an object of this invention to overcomethese disadvantages by providing a marine vehicle having buoyant wheel supports provided with means not only to consistently roll the Wheels, but also to effect a lift to the vehicle, as it moves through the water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a marine vehicle having non-driven, rotatable, buoyant wheels with radial vanes formed on the wheels for effecting a rolling and lifting movement to the wheels.

A further object of this invention is to provide a marine vehicle supported on buoyant wheels for movement on water or land, in which the wheels are provided with means for rolling and lifting the wheels in water.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the invention disclosing the approximate water levels when the vehicle is at rest and also at maximum speed.

Referring now to the drawings in more detail, the vehicle includes an elongated body, such as a boat hull, for carrying passengers and cargo, if desired. Although in the operation of this invention the body 11 will be sustained above the surface of the water at all times, still it is preferred that the body 11 be buoyant, so that it can be sustained upon the water surface if it becomes necessary. Therefore, the preferred form of the elongated body 11 is a boat hull, as disclosed in the drawings.

Adapted to support the hull 11 above the surface of the water are a plurality of buoyant supports, such as the wheels 13. Although any number of wheels 13 may be used, six wheels are shown in the drawings, there being three wheels on each side of the hull 11 mounted for rotation in substantially parallel vertical longitudinal planes. Each wheel 13 is mounted to freely rotate, preferably on ball bearings, not shown, about the individual axles 14. As best disclosed on the left rear wheel 13, the axle 14 is fixed to an upright piston shaft 15 adapted to reciprocate within the hydraulic cylinder 16, which in turn is fixed to the side of the hull 11 by a strut 17. In a similar manner, each wheel 13 is independently supported or suspended for shock absorption in order to provide maximum stability in the hull 11 as each wheel 13 reacts to the surface of the water and the different wave formations.

Each buoyant wheel 13 may be made of any convenient material, such as rubber or plastic, and of course is hollow and inflated with air or other gas to render the wheel buoyant. Moreover the wheels 13 are sufiicientlylarge, both in width and diameter, and provided in suflicient number, to adequately support the hull 11 above the surface of the water at all times. Thus, as shown in the drawings, the width of each wheel 13 is substantially greater, in relation to the diameter, than the width of ordinary wheels, in order to provide adequate buoyancy without substantially enlargingthe diameter of each wheel 13. The design of the vehicle 10, including the weight, length and other factors will of course, determine the number and size and relative dimensions of the buoyant wheels 13.

In addition to the design of the wheel 13 for buoyancy, a plurality of vanes 20 or fins are formed, preferably integrally, on the outer periphery of and extending radially from each .wheel 13. As shown in the drawings, each wheel 13 includes four radial vanes 20 equally spaced at intervals about the circumference of wheel 13. It will be understood that more or fewer vanes 20 may be employed if desired. 1

The vanes 20 preferably extend the full width of the wheels 13, but protrude radially only a distance sufficient to be thrust by the water to rotate the wheel 13 as the vehicle 10 is propelled through the water. Although the primary purpose of the vehicle 10 is to be propelled through the water, it may also be moved on dry land, at least for a limited distance, for purposes such as landing or beaching the vehicle 10. Therefore, it is preferred that the radial extent of the vane 20 be limited to permit the wheel 13 to roll on land at limited speeds and distances without damage to the vanes 20 or excessive discomfort to the passengers.

In order to propel the vehicle 10, a motor 22 is mounted on the hull 11, preferably at the rear, and preferably swiveled for turning by the handle 24 to change the direction of movement of the vehicle 10. The motor 22 is shown in the drawings drivingly supporting an air propeller 25 above the water levels 30 and 31 at all times. Although it is possible to employ a motor 22 having a marine propeller submerged beneath the surface of the water, still the air propeller 25 is preferred to permit the vehicle 10 to be propelled not only through the water, but also upon the land.

In the operation of the invention, the wheels 13 are partially submerged in the water to approximately the vicinity of the axles 14 when the vehicle 10 is at rest, as represented by the water level 30 in FIG. 2. Of course the water level 30 will vary depending upon the weight of the hull 11 and the load supported in the hull. In this position, the hull 11 as well as the air propeller 25 are supported completely above the water level 30. Also, in the normal rest position at least one vane 20 is submerged in the water below the level 30. FIG. 2 discloses only one vane 20 below the water level, although it will be understood that if the wheel 13 were rotated slightly, then two vanes 20 would be submerged.

After the hull 11 is loaded with passengers and cargo, if desired, the motor 22 is started to rotate the propeller 25 to thrust the hull 11 forward. As the hull 11 gradually accelerates forward, it carries the wheels 13 forward through the water at the same velocity and acceleration of the hull 11. Of course, the six wide wheels 13 half-submerged in the water present a substantial drag to the forward progress of the vehicle 10. However, as the wheels 13 move forwardly, the reaction of the water against the submerged vanes 20 forces the submerged vanes to the rear, or in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2, to cause the wheels 13 to rotate freely about their axles 14. Thus, the rotatable movement or rolling of the wheels 13 in the water as the vehicle 10 is pro- 3 pelled forwardly, reduces some of the friction between the wheels 13 and the water.

However, the most important advantage of the vanes 20 is that the reaction of the water against the rotating submerged vanes 20 also creates a lifting effect upon the wheel 13 and consequently the hull 11 as the speed of the vehicle increases. As the vehicle 10 moves faster, the combination of the rolling and the rising of the Wheels reduces the friction of the wheels in the water to decrease the total drag on the vehicle 10, so that the vehicle 10 can move faster with proportionately less power. When the vehicle attains its maximum speed, the water level will be approximately at 31 in FIG. 2 With relation to the vehicle 10. Thus, the vehicle 10 substantially achieves the combined advantages of a catamaran, a hydrofoil craft, and a wheeled vehicle rolling over a supporting surface.

As the vehicle 10 moves across the water surface, each individual wheel 13 will react independently to the various wave and water surface formations encountered because of the shock absorbers -16, to achieve maximum stability and comfort in the hull 11. It will, of course, be understood that other types of shock absorbers might be employed, such as springs, in place of the hydraulic cylinders 16.

In order to avoid disembarking in shallow water or docking, the vehicle 10 may roll upon the bank or beach at the waters edge, and may even move to higher, drier ground, or to other limited destinations so that the occupants of the vehicle 10 may disembark without getting wet or soiled. Moreover, the vanes 20, although possibly creating a bumpy ride, will also afford excellent traction in soft or wet ground surfaces.

It will be understood that other forms of propulsion may be employed if desired. The marine or motor boat motor has already been mentioned. The same lifting effect and efiiciency in the vehicle 10 can be obtained by towing from another boat. It will also be understood that the means for driving or propelling the hull 11 are separate and independent from the buoyant wheels 13, which are not positively or motor-driven, but are driven only by the reaction of the water against the radial vanes as the wheels 13 are moved through the water.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A marine vehicle comprising:

(a) an elongated body for carrying passengers,

(b) a plurality of non-driven buoyant wheels,

(0) means mounting said wheels on opposite sides of said body for free rotatable movement in substantially vertical, longitudinal planes,

(d) said wheels being sufficiently buoyant in water to support said body above the surface of the water when the body is at rest or in motion,

(e) vanes fixed to the peripheral surface of and extending transversely of and radially from each of said wheels, said vanes being circumferentially spaced on said surface so that at least one vane is immersed in said water at any given time while said vehicle is supported on said water, so that said wheels rotate as said wheels move longitudinally through the water, and

(f) drive means fixed to said body and operative, in-

dependently of said non-driven wheels, to propel said body longitudinally.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,263,192 4/1918 Bergman 19 X 1,484,410 2/1924 Pridgen 1151 2,432,107 12/ 1947 Williams 115-1 2,821,949 2/1958 Uyehara 115-1 2,823,637 2/1958 Cheramie 115-1 References Cited by the Applicant UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,420,783 6/ 1922 Swencki. 2,187,658 1/1940 Lane et al. 2,7 05,935 4/ 1955 Peterson. 2,809,972 7/1957 Jacobson et al. 2,955,635 10/ 1960 Miller.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

ANDREW H. FARRELL, Examiner.