US3881566A

US3881566A - Pipe-framed, insulated, land-traversing vehicle

Info

Publication number: US3881566A
Application number: US427707A
Authority: US
Inventors: Alvin Edward Moore
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-12-26
Filing date: 1973-12-26
Publication date: 1975-05-06
Anticipated expiration: 1992-05-06

Abstract

A vehicle, adapted for travel over land, having wheels, wheel and motor supports, and strong, light-weight walls, floor and top that include tie-beams or other tie-members and pipes (preferably of rigid or semi-rigid plastic) that are attached to the tie members. Adjacent pipe ends are joined by fittings (elbows or tees). Optionally, the pipes may be inflated with gaseous material. Each of the pipes of the top is joined by elbows to sidewall pipes; each sidewall pipe is joined by a fitting (elbow or tee) to a floor pipe. Some of the floor pipes are joined by fittings (elbows or tees) to short pipes of sidewheel-support housings. Preferably, some of the floor pipes are joined by elbows to short pipes of a support housing for a motor, source of energy (optionally electric batteries) and a rear driving wheel. The central wheel and motor support preferably is detachable from the floor framework and may be withdrawn from below for repair or replacement. The sidewheel supports also may be thus withdrawn. Preferably, a single front steering wheel has bearings in a fork that is pivotally mounted on the floor frame, and for repair or replacement is detachably fixed to a steering post. Exterior and interior skin means are fixed to the tie-beams or the like, preferably including metal mesh and stucco of Portland cement, epoxy or other cement and aggregate, troweled or sprayed on the mesh. Between the exterior and interior skins in-situ-applied foamed plastic preferably imbeds the pipes.

Description

1451 May 6,1975

ABSTRACT members and pipes (preferably of rigid or semi-rigid plastic) that are attached to the tie members. Adjacent pipe ends are joined by fittings (elbows 0r tees). Optionally, the pipes may be inflated with gaseous material. Each of the pipes of the top is joined by elbows to sidewall pipes; each sidewall pipe is joined by a fitting (elbow or tee) to a floor pipe. Some of the floor pipes are joined by fittings (elbows or tees) to short pipes of sidewheel-support housings. Preferably, some of the floor pipes are joined by elbows to short pipes of a support housing for a motor, source of energy (optionally electric batteries) and a rear driving wheel. The central wheel and motor support preferably is detachable from the floor framework and may be withdrawn from below for repair or replacement. The sidewheel supports also may be thus withdrawn. Preferably, a single front steering wheel has bearings in a fork that is pivotally mounted on the floor frame, and for repair or replacement is detachably fixed to a steering post. Exterior and interior skin means are fixed to the tie-beams or the like, preferably including metal mesh and stucco of Portland cement, epoxy or other cement and aggregate, troweled or sprayed on the mesh. Between the exterior and interior skins insitu-applied foamed plastic preferably imbeds the pipes.

27 Claims, 18 Drawing Figures Alvin Edward Moore, Manini Way, Diamondhead, Rt. 1, Bay St. Louis, Miss. 39520 Dec. 26, 1973 United States Patent Moore l 54 l PIPE-FRAMED, INSULATED,

LAND-TRAVERSING VEHICLE [76] Inventor:

[22] Filed:

[21] Appl. No.1 427,707

[51] Int. [58] Field of Search................

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1 ,27 ,99 F 3 r a n 6 1 7830995 22 fl m 6 734555. 20 5 "S l 333333 1 PAAM FHENYEE MAY 6 i975 SHEET 2 BF 3 1 PIPE-FRAMED, INSULATED, LAND-TRAVERSING VEHICLE This invention pertains to a safe, very light-weight, very strong, land-traversing vehicle, simply and economically made, capable of lessening or eliminating damage in crashes, and easily repairable. It may be utilized for land-surface travel or as an aircraft or space vehicle that is capable of landing and/or taking off from land or other solid surface. In some respects it comprises improvements of the inventors prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,251 of Apr. 20, 1971.

This invention has, among other purposes, the following objectives: (l) a light-weight but extremely strong vehicle, adapted to traverse land at least part of the time of its travel; (2) vehicular structure having strong, light-weight wall frames, comprising pipes joined by sealed fittings, pipe-contacting tie-members, and vehicle-strength-providing skin means on the tiemembers, sheathing the hollow-wall framework; (3) vehicular structure as in (2) above, in which the skin means comprises stucco on mesh; and (4) a vehicle having tubular cabin-framework and detachable supports of wheels, motor and energy source, comprising pipes and pipe-junction fittings. Other objects and the specific structure of the invention will be apparent in the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a top plan view of the framework of the invented vehicle in horizontal section from the plane 1-1 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view in section from the vertical planes indicated by the lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view from the plane 3-3 of FIG. 1, showing variations of the interior skin materials of the floor, ceiling and wall skins;

FIG. 4, on a scale enlarged from that of FIGS. 1 to 3, is a fragmentary sectional view from the plane 44 of FIG. 1',

FIG. 5 is a detail view of an optional and currently preferred composite mesh, adapted to be stuccoed in forming the skin means;

FIG. 6, somewhat similar to the top of FIG. 3, shows variations of the cabin-corner design and materials of the beams and stucco;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view from the plane l-I of FIG. 2, on a scale enlarged from that of FIGS. 1 to 3, showing an assembly of an apertured pipebracing beam, pipes and skin means fastened to the beam;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 7, showing an alternative type of means for bracing and tying the pipes together;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the assembly of FIG. 8, from the line 9-9 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view, similar to FIG. 8, showing another optional type of the pipeconnecting means;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary, reduced-scale view in section from a plane transverse to the pipes, adjacent to an apertured beam, illustrating a variation of the pipeattachment means of FIGS. 7 to 10;

FIG. 12 is a detail plan view, on a scale enlarged from that of FIG. 10, showing an optional means for holding the rope, cable or other tie of FIG. 10 in tension around the pipes;

FIG. 13 is a detail view, showing the tie-tensioning means of FIG. 11 in an alternative position between pipes;

FIG. 14 is a top plan view of one form of a vehicle, the view in its middle part being broken away in section along a horizontal plane below the floor to illustrate one form of support for the central wheels, motor and energy source, and in its forward and rear parts being broken away in section along a horizontal plane thru the floor frame;

FIG. 15 is a view in vertical section from the plane l5l5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is a detail plan view of the detachable part of another form of housing and support for the rear wheel, motor and energy source, shown before the housing is fastened to the floor frame;

FIG. 17 is a view in section from a vertical plane thru the floor-fixed part of the motor-and-wheel supporting means to which the housing of FIG. 16 is fastened;

and FIG. 18 is a view in section from a vertical plane thru a sidewheel support, at and above the floor level, and the wheel assembly detachably mounted in it.

The invention includes: pipes; fittings (elbows and/or tees) fastening the pipes together; pipe tying, connecting and bracing means around the pipes; exterior and interior skin means on the pipes and ties; and, preferably, foamed plastic between the skins and imbedding the pipes. Preferably and as illustrated, the pipes of the side and end walls have upright axes, and the pipes of the top and floor are horizontal and are joined to the top and sidewall pipes by tubular fittings and bonding material, thus forming spaced side, top and floor framework members. As illustrated, each of the majority of these framework members comprises: lower and upper horizontal pipes, I and 2', two sidewall pipes, 3', two elbows, 4, each joining a top pipe 2 to a sidewall pipe 3; and two other elbows, 4', joining a floor-frame pipe to sidewall pipes. Preferably, and as shown, a different type of framework member is utilized at and over the wheels, motor and vehicle-carried source of energy.

Although other forms of wheels may be used, for simplicity and economy of construction single front and rear wheels (5 and 6), similar to those of a motorcycle, are preferred. And midway between these two wheels, on each side of the vehicle, a stabilizing wheel 7 is located. Two forms of the support for the stabilizing sidewheel are shown in FIGS. 4 and 18. In each instance, this wheel during travel optionally may be at all times in contact with the road surface, or it may be normally out of such contact and bear against the road surface only on sidewise tipping of the vehicle by a predetermined amount as in going around a sharp curve. When stabilizing balloons of the type shown in the inventors prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,251 are utilized, aiding gyroscopic force in maintaining the vehicle in upright position, the wheels 7 are normally clear of the ground in travel.

In the form of FIG. 4 the two sidewheels are in supports that are below the floor-surface level. Each of these supports comprises: parallel tees 8, each of which is glue-bonded to an end of an elongated floor-frame pipe 1; a short pipe 9 that is bonded in a downward projection of each of the tees 8; parallel tees 10, each being bonded on the lower end of a sidewall pipe 3; a short length of floor pipe, 2, bonded in a tubular projection of each of the tees 10; an upright pipe 12, bonded in a downward projection of each tee 10; a cap 13, glue-bonded to the lower end of each of the pipes 9 and 12; a metallic or molded-reinforced-plastic box 14, open at its bottom, fixed by epoxy and rod-like fastening means (bolts, screws or the like) to the bottom edge of the floor tie beam 16; a pair of bearing and guide channels, fixed to inside surfaces of the box 14, each including a bearing strip 18 and flanges 19 between which the wheel bearings may reciprocate; a slide and thrust bearing on each end of the axle 20; antifriction bearings on each side of the wheel; a pair of shock absorbers 22, of any selected known shockabsorber design; a pair of detachable bars 24, one of which supports the outer race of the antifriction bearing on each side of the wheel; and means comprising rod-like elements (bolts, screws or the like) detachably fastening the bars 24 to flanges on the forward and rear end-walls of the box 14. By jacking up the vehicle and releasing the rod-like fastening means at the forward and rearward ends of the bars 24 the sidewheel assembly may be removed from the rest of the vehicle. for its repair or replacement.

1n the form of FIG. 18 major portions of the two sidewheel assemblies are located above the lower skin of the vehicle. Each of these two assemblies includes: parallel elbows 26, each being bonded over an end of a floor-frame pipe 1; a short piece of pipe 27, bonded by glue or the like in an upward projection of each elbow 26 and in a tie-beam; an elbow 28 bonded over the upper end of each pipe 27; a short piece of pipe 29, bonded in the upper portion of each elbow 28; parallel tees 30, bonded over the pipes 29', parallel lengths of pipe 31, bonded in downward projections of the tees 30 and in holes in tie-beams 32; a cap 13, bonded by glue or the like over the lower end of each pipe 31; a metallic or molded-plastic box 14, epoxy-bonded to the elbow 28 and the

beams

16 and 32; bars 24, detachably fastened to each of the boxes 14; and a reciprocable sidewheel assembly inside each box 14 that is similar to the wheel assembly of P16. 4.

The housing and support for the rear wheel and its driving means may be below the floor-surface level and nearly the length of the vehicle, as indicated in FlG. 14 (including a substantially streamlined forward end 35 around the front wheel), or, as indicated in FIG. 16, be shorter (optionally extending either above or below the bottom body skin) and housing only the motor means (36, 37), the vehicle-carried source of energy 38, the power transmission and the rear-wheel mounting. In each instance, this middle'wheel housing and support include a light-weight, vehicle-strength-providing framework of pipes and fittings which optionally are permanently attached to floor-frame pipes or separable from the floor pipes. FIG. 14 illustrates the

housing pipes

39 and 40 as in a separable unit, having endjoined tie-beams 41, 42 and 43 which are detachably fastened by means of bolts or screws and preferably also by angle irons or apertured metal bars of the type shown at 44 in FlG. 16 to bottom portions of floor tiebeams (illustrated at 16 in FIGS. 3 and 4). Optionally these beams may be integrally molded in one piece of Masonite" or plastic or Portland cement mixed with fibrous material. All the vertical pipes 39 have upper ends (optionally capped), epoxy-bonded in sockets opening at the lower surfaces of the upper beams 41, 42 and 43, and passing thru holes in lower beams that are parallel to these upper beams. Those pipes 39 which are opposite to the wheel well terminate just below these lower beams, where they are bonded to pipe-end caps like 13 of FIG. 4. All the other vertical pipes are joined to horizontal pipes by elbows similar to those shown at 4 and 4' in FIGS. 1 and 3, and on these horizontal pipes (sheathed by exterior and interior skin means) the motor means 36, 37 and the energy source 38 are mounted.

THE WHEEL-DRIVING MEANS The energy source 38 may be a tank containing gasoline, alcohol or other fuel or optionally compressed air or other gas; but preferably at present, it includes a pluraiity of electric batteries. The motor means 36, 37 may comprise a fluid motor or pair of fluid motors or internal-combustion means; but preferably it includes a pair of electric motors, one of which operates at slow speeds and both of which operate to provide higher speeds. Each motor drives the wheel axle thru a clutch (optionally an overrunning clutch on the axle) via a powertransmission element 45, which may be a sprocket chain, belt or worm shaft, and the element 46, which may be a sprocket, pulley or worm gear. Preferably the energy source and motor means are mounted in a boxlike pivoted support as indicated in FIG. 16, having strong pivot pins 47 which turn in the bearings 48 that are attached to the lower surface of the beams 49 (or of the beams 41 of FIG. 14). The wheel axle rotates in a pair of bearings 50; and the outer casing of each of these bearings may rotate in the bearing of an end por tion of the strong metal bar or l-beam 51, which is rigidly fixed to the housing of 36, 37 and 38. Each of these bearing casings also may slide up or down in a metallic, arcuate channel 52 which is fixed to a pair of the tie beams, The arc of this channel is centered at the axis of the pivots 47, so that in travel, as the wheels and axle move upward against shock absorbers due to unevenness of the road surface, the casings of the bearings 50 slide upward in the channels 52. Thus much of the shock of impact of the wheels and road is absorbed by lifting the fairly heavy motive equipment, without being transmitted to the vehicular body and passengers. The shock absorbers, which for example may be arcuate pieces of stiffly resilient foamed rubber, mounted in the channels 52, between flanges at the top of the channels and the bearings 50, preferably have only slightly more resilience than that necessary to return the axle to its lowest position, against bottom, stop flanges across the channels.

FIG 16 illustrates an optional form of the streamlined housing for the pivoted wheel-and-power unit, projecting below the floor level and extending forward to a middle part of the vehicle; and FIG. 17 shows an optional form of this housing, projecting above the floor level, usable when the sidewheel assemblies are of the type shown in FIG. 18. FIG. 17 is a view in vertical section from a plane normal to the vehicles longitudinal axis, showing the main wheel-and-motor housing before installation in it of the arcuate channels and the pivoted wheel-and-motor assembly. In such installation the channels 52 are welded or otherwise bonded to the inside, lateral surfaces of the metallic box 54, and the pivoted support assembly is detachably fastened to the box by bolts extending thru the flanges or tabs 55 and 55' and thru the apertured flanges 44 (FlG. 16), which in this case are attached to the lower pair of tie-beams the two that are well below the upper tie-beams 49 and S6. The housing assembly of FIG. 17, fixed to the floor framework, includes the following other parts: elbows 57, bonded to ends of floor-frame pipes 1; tiebeams 58, glued to top edges of the elbows 57 and extending over most of the length of the housing; short pipes 59, glued in the tie beams and in the upper tubular projections of the elbows 57; the parallel pairs of upper elbows 60, bonded on the tubes 59; the parallel upper pieces of pipe, 61; the assembly-bracing angle irons 62, welded to the sidewalls of 54 and fastened by bolts, screws or the like to short, auxiliary floor tiebeams 62' (these short beams being fixed to the longer main floor beams 16); and the upward projection 63 of the floor skin.

Optional forms of the body corners are shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. In FIG. 3 the upper, angled tie-beams 64 and 65, joined by epoxy glue and/or screws, nails or the like, support the mesh 66, which is nailed to them and also to the lower tie-beams; and the corner layer of stucco 67 on the mesh is rounded. In FIG. 6, the tiebeam 68 supports the upper ends of the vertical pipes; and the angled tie-beams 69 and 70 are so placed as to facilitate formation of a square corner of the mesh and stucco.

THE PIPES, FITTINGS AND TIE-MEMBERS The pipes and fittings optionally may be of thin metal; but preferably they are plastic tubes and fittings of the type used in plumbing. When of metal the pipes are sealingly joined by metallic fittings, and the bonding material used may be welding, brazing, solder, lead or epoxy. But when the pipes are of plastic they are bonded to the fittings by epoxy putty, other glue, or if thermoplastic the tubes and fittings optionally may be joined by welding of the thermoplastic material.

Ties bracingly connect together the pipes of each of the side and end walls and preferably also of the top and floor. These tie elements serve three purposes: l they connect, brace and bridge over the pipes; (2) they are fastened to and help hold in fixed positions the exterior and interior boat skins; and (3) they serve as filler pieces, at intervals filling out space between the skins and the pipes, at least equal to the distance the fittings and pipe-end caps project beyond the peripheries of the pipes. This third purpose is desirable because this thickness of the end caps and the elbows 9 and tees 6 causes part of the mesh or other first-applied portion of the skin means to be clear of portions of the pipes.

Three optional forms of these ties are shown in FIGS. 6 to 12. The type of tie-element illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 is an apertured beam for example, the fiberreinforced plastic tie-beam 69, the plastic beam 70 or the wooden beam 71. Although the apertured beam or stringer may be of metal, it preferably is of a material which frictionally holds nails or screws, for example: wood; Masonite or other pressed-wood; or molded plastic or Portland-cement concrete containing enough fibers, sawdust, excelsior or other pore-forming agents to make the material strongly retentive of nails or screws. Pipe-retaining apertures (holes or curved recesses), 72, are formed in the beam; if in wood they may be drilled or punch-cut or sawed; if in pressed wood or plastic or concrete comprising Portland cement and excelsior or other fibrous material or largemesh fence wire, they may be formed by core elements in the pressing or molding operation, or later drilled or cut out. Other holes, 73, formed like 72, are for flow of poured-in-situ foamed-plastic liquids from one side of the beam to the other.

The pipe-tying means exampled in FIG. 8 comprises pairs of adjacent, opposite, resilient pieces 74, bent over the pipes and bolted together by the bolts or other rod-like elements 75. The resilient material of these pieces may be plastic (optionally reinforced by fibers) or thin lumber or plywood. They optionally may be relatively narrow strips of the type indicated in FIG. 9, or much wider pieces.

The tie 76 of FIGS. I0 to 12 comprises a flexible rope, band, cable or the like which extends on both sides of pipes of the side and end walls, or of the floor or of each wheel support. Its ends are fastened together, forming an endless tie, by a connector or attachment element which tautly holds the flexible element in tension around the pipes. As illustrated in FIG. 10, showing a rope or very flexible narrow band, this connector, exampled as imbedded in epoxy putty, is a knot, including, for example, a round turn and half hitch. The rope or band has a loop, 77, by which it is initially fastened to one of the pipes. Then it is wound in zigzag convolutions around the pipes (its staggered nature permitting it to serve as a space-filler on both the exterior and interior sides of the pipes); its free-end portion is pulled taut, tensed by snubbing it around the pipe 78; the connector-knot is formed; and epoxy putty or other pasty cement, 79, is daubed on the knot. The attachment element illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13 is a turnbuckle, 80, which may be used with a rope, cable, band, wire, chain, or the like. In FIG. 12 the turnbuckle is in the general position occuped by the knot of FIG. 10. But in FIG. 13 the turnbuckle is at a position indicated in FIG. 10 at T; when it is in this position, the loop 77 is eliminated, and the turnbuckle connects the two ends of the flexible element in an endless tie.

FIG. 11 illustrates an optional variation of the beam or stringer of FIG. 7, in which the pipe-retaining apertures are not annular but instead are segments of circles or the like, the beam having edge portions, defining each aperture, which do not encompass the entire periphery of the pipe at that aperture. When the beam material is wood or plywood and the apertures are not formed by a cutting die in a punch press this recess or segmental type of aperture has an advantage of being easily sawed out.

Because the pipes in this modification project beyond one of the curved edges of the beam a filler element, of a thickness at least equal to that of the projection of the fittings on each pipe beyond its curvature, in some instances is desirable. Such a filler element is shown in FIG. 11 at 81. This may be a rope or band of the type shown at 76 in FIG. 10 or a strip like 74 of FIG. 9. The rod-like elements 82 (nails, screws, looped wires or bolts) are extended thru the auxiliary tie and into the tie-beam material. When the element 81 is like 76, preferably two such rod-like elements are used between each adjacent pair of the pipes; but when it is like 74, preferably only one such rod-like element is placed at a middle location between each pair of the tubes. Although a turnbuckle or knot may be used with the auxiliary tie 81, when it is like 76, its tie-tensioning means preferably comprises only the rod-like elements 82, including those at contiguous or adjacent ends of the looped, flexible tie.

In the assembly of the elements of FIG. 11, considering for example substantially vertical car wall pipes, the

desired number of them for a sidewall or end-wall framework are held in upright position in a fixture; and a horizontal pair or trio of aligned pipe clamps of known type are placed around the pipes in location just below the desired position of a beam. Then the beam is threaded down on the pipes until it rests on the clamps in its planned position; the tieelement 81 is nailed, screwed or bolted to the beam; and epoxy putty or other pasty adhesive or bonding material is applied on the upper edges of the aperture and forced downward into the clearance at these edges and into the adjacent gap between the tie and pipe. After the bonding material sets the clamps are removed. Such temporarily-positioned clamps also may be used in the assembly of the elements of FIG. 7.

When the recesses or segmental apertures have an area of only half or less than half that of a circle, the edges of each aperture not being reentrant at the pipes projection beyond the aperture, these edges may be coated with epoxy putty, silicone-rubber cement or other pasty bonding material; and the beam then may be laterally moved into position above the clamps. But when these curved edges encompass the pipe, for example as in FIG. 7, or are reentrant at the pipes projection beyond the aperture as in FIG. 11, the beams are vertically threaded over the pipes until the beams rest on the fittings or else on the above-described clamps or temporarily positioned fixture parts.

THE STEERING-WHEEL ASSEMBLY Within the broad purview of this invention, two front steering wheels may be utilized, mounted in the manner of FIG. 4 or FIG. I8 but within wider boxes 14, to allow room for turning the wheels in steering. In this event, the steering mechanism is of a type commonly used in present-day automobiles, and the two side wheels 7 then optionally may be eliminated. But such structure, being heavy and somewhat complex, is not preferred. Instead the preferred form of the steering wheel assembly, indicated in FIGS. 1 and 15, comprises a single forward steerable wheel and its steering mechanism. This steering means, in addition to the wheel 5 and its axle, includes: antifriction bearings 85; the rotatable fork 86, in the lower ends of which the outer races of the bearings 85 are held; box-like or channeled metallic element 87 which bridges the space between two of the parallel floor beams 16 and has lower projections that extend below the bottom floor skin; the metallic plates or bars 88; the bolts or other rod-like elements 89 which fasten the plates 88 to the beams; the bolts or the like 90 which detachably fasten together the

elements

87 and 88; the lower, detachable, steering-post part 91 which is journaled in radialand-thrust bearings mounted in or on the element 87 and has lower, annularly-arranged teeth or tongues which at 92 fit in grooves or valleys between similar teeth in the upper end of the fork 86, these cooperating teeth allowing the fork and wheel to move upward under shock, but pre venting rotation between the fork and shaft part 91; the shock absorber 93 (of any appropriate known type), which absorbs shocks on the wheel and fork, cushioning their upward movement relatively to the steering post; the upper steering-post part 94', the separable plates or disks 96. each of which is welded or otherwise fixed to an end of one of the steering-shaft parts; the bolts 97 which detachably fasten the elements 96 together; and the steering wheel 98 (or equivalent motorcycletype handle bars).

BUMPER MEANS, not shown but utilized with the structure of FIGS. I to 4, is illustrated in FIG. 14 as comprising four bumpers, 99, separated by the doorways 100. These bumpers may be of any known design; but for lightness of weight they preferably comprise inflated tubes of plastic or thin, highly ductile metal sheathed in fibers or resilient foamed plastic, within flexible, waterproof bumper skins.

THE VEHICLE SKIN MEANS Exterior and interior skins are fixed to exterior and interior edges of the beams. Although these skins may comprise thin solid, sheet plastic or metal, they preferably are of strong, waterproofed stucco on meshv This stucco in each instance may include short fibers, cinders, sand or other fine aggregate mixed with cement (Portland cement, or lime and Portland cement, or epoxy, liquidrubber or other plastic cement or putty). This stucco may be troweled and/or sprayed on the mesh. After it is set it is sanded to form a smooth sur face, and then coated with two or three coats of waterproofing paint. When the cement comprises Portland cement (preferably mixed with lime) this coating preferably comprises two or three coats of STADRI" concrete paint, which optionally may be topped with epoxy enamel.

The mesh used optionally may be: expanded-metal lath (of steel or aluminum alloy); hardware cloth; hardware cloth covered with a ply of poultry-fence wire, two or more plies of metal fencing; or strong plastic network. In any event, the mesh should be sufficiently resilient to bend in a curve along the longitudinally curved beams (and when, as is optional, the body is also vertically curved to curvingly bend in establishing the desired curve). When the beams are of the type of material that frictionally holds nails, the mesh is nailed (or screwed) to them; but when they are of extruded, angled metal the mesh is attached to them by screws, bolts or rivets, extending thru holes in the beam flanges or channels. In any event, the mesh preferably is further secured to the beams by bonding material (epoxy putty, other adhesive, or if the beams are metallic by welding or brazing). If desired, other securing means may comprise bolts, 101, each being adjacent to a pipe, extending thru and from the exterior mesh to and thru the interior mesh, clamping the layers of mesh together.

For lightness of weight with adequate strength, the preferred type of the mesh is the composite form of FIG. 5. This comprises an inner layer of hardware cloth, I02, and over this an outer layer, 103, of diamond-mesh wire fencing of the poultry-fence kind. Preferably the two plies are tacked together by scattered bits of epoxy putty or silicone-rubber cement. In stuccoing, the smaller mesh of the hardware cloth stops excessive penetration inward of the relatively heavy stucco, while the large-mesh, poultry-type fencing, having relatively large wire, well reinforces the set stucco.

The assembly of the vehicle, with use of tie-beams of the type of FIG. 7 or FIG. 11, may include the following steps:

I. The framework of the wheel assemblies and the floor, which has been made in subassembly operation, is installed.

2. The lower ends of the cabin-sidewall pipes 3 are fitted in and sealingly bonded to upper parts of the elbow 4' and the tees or and the lower ends of the end-wall pipes 104 are fastened in the apertures of the beams 65 by attachment means which includes bonding material.

3. The intermediate tie-beams 65' and 105 are threaded on the

pipes

104 and 3, each into place above temporarily-positioned, co-level pipe clamps or removable fixture elements, and fastened to the tubes by epoxy putty or other bonding material. These beams may be individually placed, and then their abutting end portions bonded and/or plate-spliced together. But preferably a pair of quadrilateral units of the beams 65' and 105 have been sub-assembled, and in this step 4 these units are successively threaded down until they rest on temporarily positioned pipe clamps or removable fixture elements and are bonded in place on the

pipes

3 and 104. (One of these two horizontal, quadrilateral units is not seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 because it is in the broken-away parts of these views.) Each unit comprises a pair of fore-and-aft beams 105 and a pair of transverse beams 65' with their abutting edge surfaces joined by epoxy or other bonding material and each of their four joints preferably further strengthened by a flat corner-reinforcing plate or a pair of small splicing plates and bolts extending thru the plates and thru the beams that are between the plates.)

4. The top pipe-and-beam framework is installed. This framework comprises: four co-level, apertured, pipe-holding and skin-securing tie beams (the two side beams 65 and two end beams 106, fastened together at abutting edges of their end portions by epoxy or other bonding material and/or splicing corner-reinforcing plates and bolts); the two beams 64 (FIG. 3) that are orthogonally fastened by rod-like elements and/or bonding material to the beams 65; the two beams 107 that are similarly fastened to the beams 106; the elbows 4', the transverse car-top pipes 2, having ends that are sealingly bonded in the elbows 4; and intermediate apertured tie-beams, similar to 16, threaded on the pipes 2. This top framework is brought over the

upright pipes

3 and 104 and the apertured tie-beams 65 and 106 are fitted over these pipes and bonded to them, above temporarily-placed pipe clamps, or else movable fixture parts which hold the beams in proper positions until the bonding material sets.

5. Exterior and interior skins of one of the optional above-described types are formed on and fastened to outer and inner edges of the tie-beams. Preferably, at least the exterior skins comprise stucco, including fibers or other fine aggregate and Portland, epoxy or other cement, troweled or sprayed on mesh, and optionally the interior skins also may include stucco on mesh.

6. Optionally, mixed foam-plastic liquids are poured or injected into spaces around the pipes thru a sealable opening in the skin means.

When the apertures of the tie-beams have curved outlines that are not reentrant at one beam edge, the beams are shoved laterally into place on the pipes, thus eliminating the need of threading the apertures on the pipes; and in this event all the ends of the pipes may be sealed by standard-type caps (13). Such flanged caps also may be used for sealing all the pipe ends when the intermediate tie-elements are of one of the types shown in FIGS. 8 to 13.

Various changes may be made within the scope of the following claims. For instance, when the tie-beam apertures are so cut or formed that they are practically but not quite circular and the vehicularly inner peripheries of the pipes in these apertures are substantially flush with the vehicularly inner edge of the beam, the interior skins may be sheets of plastic or plywood (of the type illustrated in H68. 1 to 4), nailed, glued, or otherwise fastened to and flush with inner edges of the tiebeams; and the outer skin may be of mesh and stucco or other skin material.

in the claims, unless otherwise specified: aperture means: a hole in a beam that is entirely surrounded by beam material or a recess extending inward from an edge of a beam that is only partly surrounded by the beam material; *cable" means: a rope, cord, wire, bundle of wires or chain; the term rodlike elements signifies: nails, screws, rivets or bolts; bonding material": adhesive, welding, brazing, solder or the like; plastic": synthetic or natural plastic, with or without reinforcement of fibers or the like; stucco" means: aggregate of fibers, sand, pumice or the like mixed with cement (Portiand cement or Portland cement mixed with lime, lime, epoxy, or other cement); and the term gaseous material" means: gas, mixture of gases, gas mixed with insulating fibers or other particles, or gas-cellcontaining foamed plastic.

1 claim:

1. A vehicle, adapted to travel over land, including:

vehicle-strength-providing body framework, comprising a plurality of juxtaposed, quadrilateral, tubular framework members, encompassing a loadcontaining space, each of said members including: four elongated, end-joined pipes, having axes at angles to each other; a pair of elbow fittings joining ends of one of said pipes to the adjacent ends of two other pipes; two junction fittings, connecting ends of a fourth pipe to the ends opposite to said adjacent ends of said other two pipes; one of the said four pipes, in each of said quadrilateral members, being a substantially horizontal floor pipe; bonding material between and connnecting each of said fittings and the pipe-ends associated with it; and tie-members extending across said framework members and means connecting the tie members to said pipes, each of the said pipes having at least a part of its periphery contiguous to portions of at least one of said tie-members;

wheel-supporting means on said body framework, in-

cluding: a plurality of auxiliary pipes, connected to said floor pipes, junction fittings between said auxiliary pipes and said floor pipes; and bonding material between and connecting each of said fittings and adjacent pipe ends;

exterior, waterproofed skin means, adjacent to said pipes and tie-members, contiguous to said tiemembers; and

interior skin means on said pipes and tie-members,

contiguous to said tie-members.

2. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which: the said first-named junction fittings are tees; the said wheelsupporting means includes an auxiliary framework on each side of the vehicle; each of said auxiliary frameworks comprises a plurality of said auxiliary pipes which are upright; and the upper ends of at least some of said upright auxiliary pipes are sheathed in and connected to lower tubular projections of said tees.

3. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which the material of said pipes is plastic, and the vehicle further includes: foamed plastic between said exterior and interior skin means, each of the said pipes being imbedded in said foamed plastic; and gaseous material in each of said pipes.

4. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which: said tiemembers comprise tie-beams of vehicle-strengthproviding material, having apertures; peripheral portions of the said pipes are located within said apertures; and the said means connecting said tie-members and pipes includes bonding material between the pipes and the edge surfaces of said beams that define said apertures.

5. A vehicle as set forth in claim 4, in which: the said pipes are annular in cross section; each of the said fittings includes portions projecting a distance beyond and outward from the peripheries of the pipes; the said edge surfaces encompass peripheries of the pipes; and each of said tie-beams has an edge portion of the beam material, between said edge surfaces of each aperture and an edge of the beam on each of its sides, which has a width at said exterior skin means and at said interior skin means that is at least equal to said distance.

6. A vehicle as set forth in claim 4, in which: the said edge surface of each of said apertures only partly encompasses the periphery of the pipe in that aperture.

7. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which said tiemembers further include auxiliary, flexible tieelements, comprising means for holding surfaces of the tie elements in close contiguity to peripheral portions of each of said pipes.

8. A vehicle as set forth in claim 7, in which: each of said flexible tie-elements comprises a cable, encompassing said load-containing space; and the said means for holding surfaces of the tie-element in close contiguity to pipe portions includes means joining ends of said cable, holding it in tension around pipes.

9. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said tiemembers comprise: flexible tie-means, tying said pipes together, encompassing said load-containing space; and connecting means for holding surfaces of said flexible tie-means in contiguity to peripheral portions of pipes of each of said quadrilateral framework members.

10. A vehicle as set forth in claim 9, in which said tie means comprises a cable, and said connecting means joins end portions of said cable.

11. A vehicle as set forth in claim 10, in which said connecting means comprises a turnbuckle.

12. A vehicle as set forth in claim 10, in which said cable is sinuous and is in contact with outer and inner exteriorly peripheral portions of said pipes.

13. A vehicle as set forth in claim 10, in which said cable is a rope and said connecting means includes a knot in said rope.

14. A vehicle as set forth in claim 9, in which: said flexible tie-means comprises at least one strip of resil ient material.

15. A vehicle as set forth in claim 9, in which: said tie-means comprises pairs of resilient strips, one strip of each pair being on outer sides of pipes of said body framework, and the other strip of each pair being on inner sides of body-framework pipes; and said connecting means includes rod-like elements, each extending thru opposite strips of one of said pairs of strips and fastening said opposite strips together, in clamping relationship with the pipes that are between the opposite strips.

16. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which:

two of the pipes in each of said quadrilateral framework members are upright, tubular ribs at sides of said vehicle;

the said tie-members include: two lower fore-and-aft tie beams and two lower vehicularly transverse tie beams and means connecting end portions of said tie-beams together in a substantially horizontal, lower, tie-beam unit, the said fore-and-aft tiebeams having apertures defined by edge portions of the beam material that are contiguous to peripheral portions of lower parts of said tubular ribs; two upper fore-and-aft tie-beams and two upper transverse tie-beams and means connecting end portions of said upper tie-beams together in a substantially horizontal, upper, tie-beam unit, the said fore-and-aft upper tie-beams having apertures defined by edge portions of the beam material that are contiguous to upper peripheral parts of said tubular ribs;

the said body framework further includes upright end-wall pipes;

the said transverse beams have apertures defined by edge portions of the beam material that are contiguous to upper peripheral parts of said end-wall pipes; and

the said tie-members further include intermediate tie-elements, between said upper and lower tiebeam units, extending around said load-containing space, reinforcingly connecting said upright tubular ribs and end-wall pipes.

17. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which: said tie-members are substantially horizontal; said junction fittings are tees, in which ends of said fourth pipe and said other two pipes are fitted; some of the said auxiliary pipes are upright and have upper ends within said tees; and said vehicle includes bonding material between each of said tees and upper ends.

18. A vehicle as set forth in claim 17, in which said exterior skin means comprises mesh and stucco on said mesh.

19. A vehicle, adapted for travel over land, including:

body framework, comprising substantially parallel,

quadrilateral tie-beam assemblies, each of which includes: four tie-beams of vehicle-strengthproviding material; means connecting abutting end portions of said tie-beams together, the said tiebeams having pipe-holding apertures; pipes on and extending between said assemblies, having peripheral portions that are contiguous to the edge portions of said beam material which define said apertures, the said pipes being arranged in substantially parallel, vehicular-framework units, each of said units including: at least four of said pipes; at least two elbow fittings, joining the opposite ends of one of said pipes to ends of two others of said pipes; at least two tee fittings, joining the opposite ends of a fourth one of said pipes to ends of said two others of the pipes;

means facilitating travel over land, including: pipes having ends that are in portions of said tee fittings; and bonding material, connecting said last-named pipe ends and said tee fittings; and

exterior, waterproof skin means, covering said pipes,

on and contiguous to said tie-beams.

13 20. A vehicle as set forth in claim 19, further including: interior skin means on and contiguous to said tiebeams; and foamed plastic between said exterior and interior skin means, the said pipes being imbedded in said foamed plastic.

2 A vehicle as set forth in claim 19, in which said exterior skin means comprises mesh and stucco on said mesh.

22. A vehicle as set forth in claim 21, in which said mesh includes a layer of metallic hardware cloth and a layer of metallic fencing network on said hardware cloth.

23. A vehicle, adapted to transverse land, including: vehicle-framework, comprising: a plurality of spaced tie-beams of vehicle-strength-providing material, each of which has a plurality of recesses extending inward from a recessed one of the lateral edges of the beam and spaced from the other lateral edge of the beam, each of the said recesses being in the form of a segment of an annulus; a plurality of elongated pipes of vehicle-strength-providing material, extending transversely to said beams, each of said pipes having a periphery contiguous at spaced points to an aligned, spaced group of said recesses in different beams; means fastening each of said pipes to beams, in position against said aligned, spaced group of the recesses; and pipe fittings connecting groups of said pipes together;

waterproofed, exterior vehicle-skin material and means fastening it to exterior edges of said beams; and

interior vehicle-skin material and means fastening it to said framework at interior edges of said beams.

24. A vehicle as set forth in claim 23, in which said means fastening the pipes against said recesses comprises auxiliary tieelements and means fastening said tie-element to said recessed edges.

25. A vehicle as set forth in claim 24, in which: the vehicle further includes foamed plastic between said skins and in contact with said pipes; and the said skin material comprises mesh and stucco on the mesh.

26. A vehicle, adapted for travel over land, including:

a vehicular structure including: vehicle-strengthproviding framework, comprising a plurality of juxtaposed, tubular framework members, encompassing a load-containing space, each of said members having a plurality of pipes and junction fittings each of which has tubular projections sheathing adjacent ends of said pipes; and exterior skin means, covering said pipes and fittings;

floor beams having apertures the edges of which are contiguous to portions of said pipes;

a support, connected to and movable relatively to a lower part of said structure;

motive means, supported by a forward part of said support;

wheel means at a rearward, pivotal part of said support, drivingly connected to said motive means;

bearings for said wheel means;

means supporting said bearings, providing for upward, arcuate movement of the bearings and said rearward part; and

shock-absorbing means, connected to and between said bearings and said structure.

27. A vehicle as set forth in claim 26, further including:

a box-like device, around said support;

metallic attachment means, connected to at least some of said floor beams, having a plate-like extension projecting below floor portions of said exterior skin means;

a plate-like part, fixed to said box-like device, ex-

tending below said floor portions of the skin means, contiguous with said extension; and

rod-like elements detachably fastening together said attachment means and plate-like part.

Claims

1. A vehicle, adapted to travel over land, including: vehicle-strength-providing body framework, comprising a plurality of juxtaposed, quadrilateral, tubular framework members, encompassing a load-containing space, each of said members including: four elongated, end-joined pipes, having axes at angles to each other; a pair of elbow fittings joining ends of one of said pipes to the adjacent ends of two other pipes; two junction fittings, connecting ends of a fourth pipe to the ends opposite to said adjacent ends of said other two pipes; one of the said four pipes, in each of said quadrilateral members, being a substantially horizontal floor pipe; bonding material between and connnecting each of said fittings and the pipe-ends associated with it; and tie-members extending across said framework members and means connecting the tie members to said pipes, each of the said pipes having at least a part of its periphery contiguous to portions of at least one of said tie-members; wheel-supporting means on said body framework, including: a plurality of auxiliary pipes, connected to said floor pipes, junction fittings between said auxiliary pipes and said floor pipes; and bonding material between and connecting each of said fittings and adjacent pipe ends; exterior, waterproofed skin means, adjacent to said pipes and tie-members, contiguous to said tie-members; and interior skin means on said pipes and tie-members, contiguous to said tie-members.

2. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which: the said first-named junction fittings are tees; the said wheel-supporting means includes an auxiliary framework on each side of the vehicle; each of said auxiliary frameworks comprises a plurality of said auxiliary pipes which are upright; and the upper ends of at least some of said upright auxiliary pipes are sheathed in and connected to lower tubular projections of said tees.

4. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which: said tie-members comprise tie-beams of vehicle-strength-providing material, having apertures; peripheral portions of the said pipes are located within said apertures; and the said means connecting said tie-members and pipes includes bonding material between the pipes and the edge surfaces of said beams that define said apertures.

7. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which said tie-members further include auxiliary, flexible tie-elements, comprising means for holding surfaces of the tie elements in close contiguity to peripheral portions of each of said pipes.

9. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said tie-members comprise: flexible tie-means, tying said pipes together, encompassing said load-containing space; and connecting means for holding surfaces of said flexible tie-means in contiguity to peripheral portions of pipes of each of said quadrilateral framework members.

14. A vehicle as set forth in claim 9, in which: said flexible tie-means comprises at least one strip of resilient material.

16. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which: two of the pipes in each of said quadrilateRal framework members are upright, tubular ribs at sides of said vehicle; the said tie-members include: two lower fore-and-aft tie beams and two lower vehicularly transverse tie beams and means connecting end portions of said tie-beams together in a substantially horizontal, lower, tie-beam unit, the said fore-and-aft tie-beams having apertures defined by edge portions of the beam material that are contiguous to peripheral portions of lower parts of said tubular ribs; two upper fore-and-aft tie-beams and two upper transverse tie-beams and means connecting end portions of said upper tie-beams together in a substantially horizontal, upper, tie-beam unit, the said fore-and-aft upper tie-beams having apertures defined by edge portions of the beam material that are contiguous to upper peripheral parts of said tubular ribs; the said body framework further includes upright end-wall pipes; the said transverse beams have apertures defined by edge portions of the beam material that are contiguous to upper peripheral parts of said end-wall pipes; and the said tie-members further include intermediate tie-elements, between said upper and lower tie-beam units, extending around said load-containing space, reinforcingly connecting said upright tubular ribs and end-wall pipes.

19. A vehicle, adapted for travel over land, including: body framework, comprising substantially parallel, quadrilateral tie-beam assemblies, each of which includes: four tie-beams of vehicle-strength-providing material; means connecting abutting end portions of said tie-beams together, the said tie-beams having pipe-holding apertures; pipes on and extending between said assemblies, having peripheral portions that are contiguous to the edge portions of said beam material which define said apertures, the said pipes being arranged in substantially parallel, vehicular-framework units, each of said units including: at least four of said pipes; at least two elbow fittings, joining the opposite ends of one of said pipes to ends of two others of said pipes; at least two tee fittings, joining the opposite ends of a fourth one of said pipes to ends of said two others of the pipes; means facilitating travel over land, including: pipes having ends that are in portions of said tee fittings; and bonding material, connecting said last-named pipe ends and said tee fittings; and exterior, waterproof skin means, covering said pipes, on and contiguous to said tie-beams.

20. A vehicle as set forth in claim 19, further including: interior skin means on and contiguous to said tie-beams; and foamed plastic between said exterior and interior skin means, the said pipes being imbedded in said foamed plastic.

21. A vehicle as set forth in claim 19, in which said exterior skin means comprises mesh and stucco on said mesh.

23. A vehicle, adapted to transverse land, including: vehicle-framework, comprising: a plurality of spaced tie-beams of vehicle-strength-providing material, each of which has a plurality of recesses extending inward from a recessed one of the lateral edges of the beam and spaced from the other lateral edge of the beam, each of the said recesses being in the form of a segment of an annulus; a plurality of elongated pipes of vehicle-strength-providing material, extending transversely to said beams, each of said pipes having a periphery conTiguous at spaced points to an aligned, spaced group of said recesses in different beams; means fastening each of said pipes to beams, in position against said aligned, spaced group of the recesses; and pipe fittings connecting groups of said pipes together; waterproofed, exterior vehicle-skin material and means fastening it to exterior edges of said beams; and interior vehicle-skin material and means fastening it to said framework at interior edges of said beams.

24. A vehicle as set forth in claim 23, in which said means fastening the pipes against said recesses comprises auxiliary tie-elements and means fastening said tie-element to said recessed edges.

26. A vehicle, adapted for travel over land, including: a vehicular structure including: vehicle-strength-providing framework, comprising a plurality of juxtaposed, tubular framework members, encompassing a load-containing space, each of said members having a plurality of pipes and junction fittings each of which has tubular projections sheathing adjacent ends of said pipes; and exterior skin means, covering said pipes and fittings; floor beams having apertures the edges of which are contiguous to portions of said pipes; a support, connected to and movable relatively to a lower part of said structure; motive means, supported by a forward part of said support; wheel means at a rearward, pivotal part of said support, drivingly connected to said motive means; bearings for said wheel means; means supporting said bearings, providing for upward, arcuate movement of the bearings and said rearward part; and shock-absorbing means, connected to and between said bearings and said structure.

27. A vehicle as set forth in claim 26, further including: a box-like device, around said support; metallic attachment means, connected to at least some of said floor beams, having a plate-like extension projecting below floor portions of said exterior skin means; a plate-like part, fixed to said box-like device, extending below said floor portions of the skin means, contiguous with said extension; and rod-like elements detachably fastening together said attachment means and plate-like part.