The object of the invention relates to a wheeled vehicle adapted for fast water transport, which has a support structure, a vehicle housing secured to the support structure, a primary propulsion unit connected to the support structure and/or to the vehicle housing, a power transmission unit, torque transmission drive axles, rolling bodies secured to the drive axles, and a steering apparatus for changing the direction of the vehicle, a braking device facilitating braking, and a drive control unit, where the drive control unit has a main drive measuring unit for measuring the rotational speed of at least one of the drive axles for rotating the rolling bodies, furthermore, a drive performance adjustment part-unit associated with the primary propulsion unit, and a central unit, the central unit has a signal receipt input for receiving information from the main drive measuring unit and connected to the main drive measuring unit, and a primary control output connected to an intervention part-unit monitoring the operation of the primary propulsion unit and/or to the drive performance adjustment part-unit, furthermore the primary propulsion unit is coupled with a supplementary propulsion unit supplementing the primary propulsion unit, where the primary propulsion unit has an intervention part-unit monitoring its operation, while the supplementary propulsion unit has an intervention part-unit monitoring its operation, the power transmission unit is interposed between the primary propulsion unit and at least one of the torque transmission drive axles, while at least some of the rolling bodies are provided with ribs protruding from the external surface of the rolling body, furthermore the ratio of the total mass of the vehicle and the volume of the rolling bodies is under 0.3 t/m ³ , and in this way in the case of travelling over water, using the buoyancy due to the water displaced by the rolling bodies, the rolling bodies, with the exception of a part of them, are raised above the surface of the water.

Over time numerous amphibious vehicles capable of travelling on dry land and in water have been developed to date. A group of these include those amphibious vehicles that move on dry land using driven wheels, in the conventional way, while in the water it is also the rotation of the driven wheels that propels the vehicle forwards.

Such a solution is disclosed by, among others, publication document number US2006/0186840, the essence of which is that the waterproof body of the vehicle is provided with three pairs of wheels, of which the three wheels on each side of the body are connected to each other via a drive transfer unit adapted for torque transfer and to an electric motor driving the wheels on the given side. A synchronisation unit controls the two motors, their speed of rotation and the direction of rotation, according to the position of the joystick moved by the operator. However, the disadvantage of this design is that it requires a complex drivetrain,. which absorbs a significant amount of energy in the course of transferring the torque. Another disadvantage is that while travelling in water it is only able to move forwards with the help of the rotation of the wheels, which movement, because of the density of water, and the low “adhesion” between the driven wheels and the water, cannot be fast.

Another disadvantage that may be listed is that due to the large weight and the water-wheel adhesion relationship, even in the case when the motors are running at a high speed a great speed cannot be achieved, and so the given amphibious vehicle may only be used for limited purposes for travelling on water.

The propulsion apparatus presented in utility model registration number HU 2017 endeavoured to overcome this deficiency. The essence of this is that due to the magnitude of the buoyancy created as a result of the dimensioning of the wheels connected by axles to the body of the vehicle the body of the vehicle do not get immersed in the water, only its wheels come into contact with the water. The vehicle has an auxiliary drive that makes it possible for the vehicle to accelerate when it is travelling in water. The indubitable advantage of the given solution is that due to the dimensioned wheels connected to the body of the vehicle is it adapted for travelling on water. Its disadvantage, however, is that due to uncertain speed control acceleration performed with the auxiliary drive does not make it possible to accelerate the water vehicle to a speed in the water so that when reached the driven wheels in contact with the water are able to sufficiently rise above the surface of the water, and so that due to the difference in speed they would be able to rotate near to the surface of the water so that it approximates movement on the dry land.

Patent specification registration number US 9.981.518 is also known of, which relates to the design of an amphibious vehicle. The vehicle has two different propulsion possibilities, of which the one is used for travelling on dry land and the other for travelling on water. The two propulsion options may also be operated from one power source. In addition the vehicle has a control unit with which the propulsion option corresponding to the terrain conditions can be switched on. And with this the vehicle is able to travel on the water, on the muddy soil along the shore and on dry land in a more favourable way. In order to perform this task the control unit monitors the torque of the driven wheels and regulates them.

The disadvantage of the solution is, however, that in the lack of appropriate information in the course of travelling on water it is unable to optimise the speed of the vehicle on the basis of the relative speed of the vehicle and the water. Therefore it is unable to travel at a higher speed on the water, because the body of the vehicle becomes partially immersed in the water while travelling on the water, i.e. while floating, which significantly reduces the attainable speed.

Publication document number US 2008/0227344 presents a solution in the case of which the amphibious vehicle is able to perform various maneuvered with the use of a regulation device and the operation of various valves. The vehicle has hydraulic motors for driving the wheels on both sides and for rotating the propellers used for travelling on water. In the case of the given solution the one drive is used for travelling on dry land, while the other for travelling on water.

As a result of this the disadvantage of the solution is that the drives are not harmonised so that they help each other in the course of water travel, and so increase the speed of travel of the vehicle in the water, and so to make it possible for the vehicle body to be raised out of the water.

Our objective with the solution according to the invention was to overcome the propulsion deficiencies of the known wheeled vehicles also able to travel on water and to create a version that makes it possible for the vehicle to travel on the water at a high speed, while the body of the vehicle does not come into contact with the water at all, and so that the rolling bodies immersed in the water are increasingly less immersed in the water in proportion with the speed of the vehicle, thereby making it possible to gradually achieve an increasingly greater speed. Our objective was also for it to be simple to set the appropriate speed, and so while the vehicle is travelling on the water in addition to achieving a greater speed it has preferred energy consumption also.

The primary observation that led to the solution according to the invention was that while accelerating the speed of rotation of the rolling bodies has a significant role in increasing the speed of the vehicle. If the peripheral speed of the rolling bodies immersed in the water is insufficient they essentially brake the vehicle, and the magnitude of the acceleration caused by the supplementary propulsion unit will not be sufficient, and so the vehicle cannot be accelerated to the desired speed. While in the case of a peripheral speed greater than that desired the rolling bodies “embed” themselves into the water, and so immerse the vehicle body deeper into the water. In other words the harmonisation of the peripheral speed of the rolling bodies immersing into the water and of the vehicle-water relative speed is an essential condition of the objective being realised.

On the basis of experience the recognition that led to the structure according to the invention was that if the vehicle is provided with devices one of which is adapted for measuring the speed of the vehicle travelling on water with respect to the water, while another measures the peripheral speed of at least one of the rolling bodies immersed in the water, then on the basis of this information the primary propulsion unit driving the rolling bodies may be regulated so that the rolling bodies immersed in the water rotate continuously rotate in harmony while the vehicle is accelerating with a peripheral speed corresponding with the vehicle- water relative speed, and so in this case the rotation of the rolling bodies do not have a braking effect on the vehicle, and so, in this way the task may be solved.

In accordance with the set objective the wheeled vehicle adapted for fast water transport, - which has a support structure, a vehicle housing secured to the support structure, a primary propulsion unit connected to the support structure and/or to the vehicle housing, a power transmission unit, torque transmission drive axles, rolling bodies secured to the drive axles, and a steering apparatus for changing the direction of the vehicle, a braking device facilitating braking, and a drive control unit, where the drive control unit has a main drive measuring unit for measuring the rotational speed of at least one of the drive axles for rotating the rolling bodies, furthermore, a drive performance adjustment part-unit associated with the primary propulsion unit, and a central unit, the central unit has a signal receipt input for receiving information from the main drive measuring unit and connected to the main drive measuring unit, and a primary control output connected to an intervention part-unit monitoring the operation of the primary propulsion unit and/or to the drive performance adjustment part-unit, furthermore the primary propulsion unit is coupled with a supplementary propulsion unit supplementing the primary propulsion unit, where the primary propulsion unit has an intervention part-unit monitoring its operation, while the supplementary propulsion unit has an intervention part-unit monitoring its operation, the power transmission unit is interposed between the primary propulsion unit and at least one of the torque transmission drive axles, while at least some of the rolling bodies are provided with ribs protruding from the external surface of the rolling body, furthermore the ratio of the total mass of the vehicle and the volume of the rolling bodies is under 0.3 t/m ³ , and in this way in the case of travelling over water, using the buoyancy due to the water displaced by the rolling bodies, the rolling bodies, with the exception of a part of them, are raised above the surface of the water, - is formed in such a way that the drive control unit has a reference measuring unit for measuring the relative water speed with respect to the vehicle, while the central unit has a reference signal receipt input for receiving information arriving from the reference measuring unit and connected to the reference measuring unit, and the peripheral speed of the rolling bodies and the relative speed of the vehicle and the water are harmonised using the central unit connected to the reference measuring unit.

A further feature of the vehicle according to the invention may be that the central unit is supplemented with an evaluation and intervention centre, and a reference signal receipt input for receiving information arriving from the reference measuring unit and connected to the reference measuring unit, a signal receipt input for receiving information from the main drive measuring unit and connected to the main drive measuring unit, and the primary control output connected to the intervention part-unit monitoring the operation of the primary propulsion unit and/or to the drive performance adjustment part-unit are connected to the evaluation and intervention centre, and in this way the peripheral speed of the rolling bodies, and the relative speed of the vehicle and the water are directly harmonised via the intervention centre. In the case of another version of the invention the central unit has a display connected to the reference signal receipt input connected to the reference measuring unit, furthermore, a display connected to the signal receipt input connected to the main drive measuring unit, and a manual intervention member connected to the primary control output connected to the intervention part-unit monitoring the operation of the primary propulsion unit and/or to the drive performance adjustment part-unit, and the peripheral speed of the rolling bodies and the relative speed of the vehicle and the water are harmonised on the basis of the display of the reference measuring unit and the display of the main drive measuring unit using the manual intervention member.

In the case of yet another different embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention the supplementary propulsion unit has a torque transfer axle, the drive control unit is supplemented with a supplementary propulsion measuring unit for measuring the speed of rotation of the torque transfer axle of the supplementary propulsion unit, and with an acceleration performance adjustment part-unit belonging to the supplementary propulsion unit, while the central unit has a signal receipt input for receiving the information arriving from the supplementary propulsion measuring unit and connected to the supplementary propulsion measuring unit, and an acceleration adjustment signal output connected to the intervention part-unit monitoring the operation of the supplementary propulsion unit and/or to the acceleration performance adjustment part-unit.

In the case of another different embodiment of the vehicle the supplementary propulsion unit is in a torque transfer connection with the primary propulsion unit with the interposing of a separable supplementary power transmission part-unit.

In the case of yet another different embodiment of the invention the vehicle is provided with an accelerating propulsion unit, and the supplementary propulsion unit is in a torque transfer connection with the accelerating propulsion unit.

In the case of another embodiment of the vehicle at least some of the rolling bodies are secured to the drive axles with quick release connections, being mountable onto and removable from them. From the point of view of the invention it may be preferable if the ribs are located on the running surface of the rolling bodies, and the main plane of the ribs of the rolling bodies is at an acute angle to the longitudinal axis of the drive axle. Optionally V-shaped ribs are arranged on the running surface of the rolling body or curved ribs are formed on the running surface of the rolling body.

In the case of yet another different embodiment of the vehicle the frontal surface of the rolling bodies is formed from a flexible material, or at least some of the rolling bodies are formed by a set of body rings that fit into one another and that may be pulled out from each other and pushed back in telescopically in the direction of the drive axle.

In the case of yet another different embodiment of the vehicle the vehicle is provided with an inclination signalling part-unit.

The most important advantage of the vehicle according to the invention is that as a consequence of the novel drive control unit in the case the vehicle is travelling on water it may be accelerated by the supplementary propulsion unit so that the rolling bodies partially immersed in water do not prevent the acceleration of the vehicle.

A significant advantage deriving from this is that the vehicle, the vehicle housing and support structure of which do not come into contact with the water, may be accelerated up to a much greater speed than traditional water vehicles, therefore in time travelling on water may become preferable, which makes it possible to use watercourses in an efficient and cost- effective way even for daily travelling purposes.

Another feature that may be listed among the advantages is that after accelerating to a given speed with the supplementary propulsion unit the rolling bodies immersed in water substantially rise up to the surface of the water, and due to the effect of the relative speed difference between the water and the vehicle the rolling bodies of the vehicle may substantially run on the water-air boundary layer, which on achieving a given speed it has the effect of the harden of a dry land road. In this case the magnitude of dry land road speeds may be achieved with the vehicle, as there is much less resistance exerted on the rolling bodies than in the case of conventionally used water vehicles where the wheels of the wheeled water vehicles become significantly immersed under the water level. In this way transport time on the water may be significantly reduced, which, with respect to a given distance, may reduce the level of water transportation costs, and make water transportation more efficient.

Another advantage is that with vehicles that are able to travel quickly on water too passenger and goods transportation, in the case of the opportunity to use watercourses, may be performed in a shorter amount of time than by using the busy dry land roads. And in a given case, when given destinations may only be reached by water, the vehicle according to the invention may be used more efficiently than conventionally used water vehicles.

It is also important to highlight the advantage that the vehicle according to the invention has no need for the construction and maintenance of a more substantial dock, as it may take on or unload its load by driving onto the dry land. Therefore, the additional infrastructural investments and the maintenance of the required infrastructure represent a much smaller cost.

Another feature that must be mentioned among the advantages is that as the vehicle housing and the support structure do not come into contact with the water, these structural units of tire vehicle may be constructed in a much simpler way with lower costs. Furthermore, as only a part of the rolling bodies comes into contact with the water the vehicle according to the invention may be operated more economically and with the use of less energy.

It is to be viewed as an important advantage that the wheeled vehicle is also able to move on dry land, and so it is able to get from the shore into the water independently. Also, as a result of its structure it is even able to use watercourses in the case of low water levels, which water vehicles are unable to do as they become grounded.

It is also an advantage that separate roads do not have to be constructed in order to carry out passenger and goods transportation on water using the vehicle according to the invention, and so there no road maintenance tasks at all. Therefore in the case of transportation using the vehicle according to the invention the aforementioned costs do not occur.

It is also beneficial that the drive control unit as a fundamental element of the solution according to the invention may be installed simply, and its operation does not require specialist knowledge. Therefore numerous types of dry land vehicle may be transformed at a favourable cost, which may result in the widespread use of the solution according to the invention.

Embodiments of the solution according to the invention are represented in detail with reference to figures, wherein:

Figure 1 shows a side view of a possible version of the vehicle according to the invention in partial cross-section,

Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of another embodiment of the vehicle according to the invention,

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the rolling body used in the case of the vehicle,

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the rolling body used in the case of the vehicle.

Figure 1 shows a version of the vehicle according to the invention that has a vehicle housing 2 and support structure 1 adapted for goods transportation. It may be observed that the vehicle housing 2 is built on the support structure 1, which vehicle housing 2, in a way known of in itself, accommodates the primary propulsion unit 3, the power transmission unit 4, and the intervention part-unit 3a of the primary propulsion unit 3 and the steering apparatus 7.

Preferably the display 30a of the inclination signalling part-unit 30 is also located here, which, in the case of water transportation, is an important instrument, and an auxiliary device that may be used to maintain the appropriate direction of the vehicle. The inclination signalling part-unit 30 is secured to the support structure 1 or to the vehicle housing 2 in the vicinity of the centre of gravity of the vehicle, and its task is to inform the driver of the vehicle of the sideways, forwards and backwards inclination of the vehicle using the display 30a. It must be mentioned here that adjustment of the sideways inclination due to the environmental conditions, i.e. due to the direction of the wind and waves may be compensated using the variable volume rolling bodies 6.

Here the power transmission unit 4 is in a torque-transfer connection with the front drive axles 5, but the vehicle itself also has further synchronised drive axles 5b as well. The drive axles 5 and the further axles 5b carry the driven rolling bodies 6. The task of the rolling bodies 6 is to keep the support structure 1, the vehicle housing 2, as well as all of the structural elements secured to the support structure 1 above the surface 9a of the water 9. In the interest of this the rolling bodies 6 must be dimensioned so that the ratio of the total weight of the vehicle and the volume of the rolling bodies 6 is preferably under 0.3 t/m ³ . As in this case the vehicle driving into the water 9 remains on the surface 9a of the water 9 due to the buoyancy.

Figure 1 also shows that in the case of the given embodiment the support structure 1 also has a supplementary propulsion unit 10 in addition to the primary propulsion unit 3. Here the supplementary propulsion unit 10 is not an engine that may be submerged under the surface 9a of the water 9, instead it is a propeller that provides the thrust required to accelerate the vehicle in the air. Accordingly, the supplementary propulsion unit 10 is located at the end, according to the direction of travel, of the support structure 1.

The supplementary propulsion unit 10 has an accelerating propulsion unit 14, a torque transfer axle 11 and an intervention part-unit 12, which performs the control of the accelerating propulsion unit 14 of the supplementary propulsion unit 10, which in this case means adjustment of the speed of rotation of the torque transfer axle 11.

The support structure 1 of the vehicle is also provided with a braking device 8, which basically serves to slow down the vehicle while travelling on water. Furthermore a rudder body 7 a of the steering apparatus 7 facilitating manoeuvring on the water is fitted to the support structure 1. However, it must be mentioned here that the rudder body 7a is not obligatory. A structure is also conceivable where some of the rolling members 6 make it possible to change the direction of the vehicle in the water 9.

It is also clearly observable that the vehicle has a drive control unit 20, which contains the reference measuring unit 21, the main drive measuring unit 22, optionally the supplementary propulsion measuring unit 23, the drive performance adjustment part-unit 24, the acceleration performance adjustment part-unit 25 and the central unit 26. The central unit 26 has a reference signal receipt input 26a connected to the reference measuring unit 21, a signal receipt input 26b connected to the main drive measuring unit 22, and a signal receipt input 26c connected to the supplementary propulsion measuring unit 23, furthermore here a primary control output 26d connected to the intervention part-unit 3a, and an acceleration adjustment signal output 26e connected to the intervention part-unit 3a.

The central unit 26 may be connected to the reference measuring unit 21, the main drive measuring unit 22, the supplementary propulsion measuring unit 23, the intervention part-unit 3a and/or the drive performance adjustment part-unit 24 and the acceleration performance adjustment part-unit 25 using a wireless or wired connection. The wired connection may be a channel adapted for electric signal transmission or a mechanical connection, e.g. wire cable positive mechanical engagement. While the wireless connection may be an RF connection.

If there is a wireless connection between the central unit 26, the intervention part-unit 3a and/or the drive performance adjustment part-unit 24 and the acceleration performance adjustment part-unit 25, then preferably the central unit 26 may contain an evaluation and intervention centre 26f that on the basis of the information received from the reference measuring unit 21, the main drive measuring unit 22 and the supplementary propulsion measuring unit 23 automatically regulates the primary propulsion unit 3 via the intervention part-unit 3a and/or the drive performance adjustment part-unit 24, and the supplementary propulsion unit 10 via the acceleration performance adjustment part-unit 25 using the computer program running on the evaluation and intervention centre 26f.

Moving on to figure 2, it shows a different version of the vehicle according to the invention. Here, using the supplementary power transmission part-unit 13, the power transmission unit 4 connected to the primary propulsion unit 3 is connected to a supplementary propulsion unit 10 the torque transfer axle 11 of which may be submerged in the water 9 and may be operated as a boat propeller. Naturally the supplementary power transmission part-unit 13 is formed so that the using the intervention part-unit 12 the torque transfer axle 11 may be separated from the power transmission unit 4, so in this way the torque transfer axle 11 may be brought into operation as required. Furthermore, it is preferable if in such a case the torque transfer axle 11 may also be able to be raised out of the water 9, so that when it is not in operation it does not exert a braking effect on the movement of the vehicle. Optionally the supplementary propulsion unit 10 may be turnable, and so by changing the direction of the torque transfer axle 11 the direction of the vehicle may also be changed as long as the torque transfer axle 11 is in the water.

Naturally the given embodiment also has a drive control unit 20, the central unit 26 of which is connected to the reference measuring unit 21 , the main drive measuring unit 22, the intervention part-unit 3a and/or the drive performance adjustment part-unit 24, and the supplementary propulsion measuring unit 23 and the acceleration performance adjustment part-unit 25.

Here however the reference signal receipt input 26a of the central unit 26 connected to the reference measuring unit 21 is connected to the display 21a, while the signal receipt input 26b of the main drive measuring unit 22 is connected to the display 22a, which display 21a and display 22 a show the appropriate speed data for the person controlling the vehicle. Furthermore the central unit 26 also has a manual intervention member 27 connected to the primary control output 26d, with which on the basis of the data of the display 21a and display 22a the person controlling the vehicle may manually give an intervention signal to the intervention part-unit 3 a monitoring the operation of the primary propulsion unit 3 and/or to the drive performance adjustment part-unit 24.

It is important to note that, as shown in figures 1 and 2, the supplementary propulsion unit 10 for accelerating the vehicle may be located at any position on the support structure 1, and it may be a structural unit submersible in the water and lifted out of it, or secured onto the support structure 1 in a fixed position or connected after it operating above the surface 9a of the water 9. It essence is that it is capable of exerting thrust with which the vehicle may be accelerated to a speed when due to the relative speed between the water-air boundary layer and the vehicle the water 9 become “harder” and the rolling bodies 6 may rise to near the surface 9a of the water 9, and in this way the rolling bodies 6 no longer float in the water 9, instead they roll on the surface 9a of the water 9.

Figure 3 shows a version of the rolling body 6 that may be used for the vehicle according to the invention. The running surface 6c of the rolling body 6 is provided with ribs 6a that when submerged under the surface 9a of the water 9 “grip” the water 9 and propel the vehicle forwards. The orientation of the rib 6a as compared to the drive axle 5 must be selected so that when a given rib 6a rotates out of the water 9 while the rolling body 6 is rotating the water flows off it as soon as possible. In the interest of this the main plane “FS” of the rib 6a is at an acute angle “a” to the longitudinal axis 5a of the drive axle 5.

In the given case the ribs 6a are straight protrusions running across the entire width of the running surface 6c of the rolling body 6, but they may be “V”-shaped ribs 6a formed on the running surface 6c of the rolling body 6, or even curved ribs 6a located on the running surface 6c of the rolling body 6.

In the interest of it being easy to mount the rolling bodies 6 floating on the water 9 onto the drive axles 5 they have quick release connections 5c with which a torque-transfer connection may be created between the frontal surface 6b of the rolling body 6 an and the drive axle 5.

In the case of this version of the rolling bodies 6 the frontal surface 6b may be made form a flexible material, in this way more or less air or other gas may be put into or released out of the rolling body 6 depending on the degree of buoyancy needed to keep the vehicle above the surface 9a of the water 9.

Moving now to figure 4, it shows a different rolling body 6 structure. Here the rolling body 6 is assembled from three body rings 6d, 6e and 6f that fit into one another and that may be pulled out from each other and pushed back in telescopically. Such a wheel is preferably made from a rigid material, such as polyurethane foam. Such a telescopic rolling body 6 may be used to good effect when travelling on water 9 when the side stability of the vehicle needs to be reinforced, or, for example, when the effect of the wind needs to be compensated on one side of the vehicle to prevent it tilting to the side, or when the rocking of the vehicle forwards and backwards needs to be reduced.

It should be noted here that the rolling bodies 6 of the vehicle may differ from that presented in figures 3 and 4. In this way rolling bodies 6 are conceivable that are made form a composite material. However, the essence in all cases is that the joint. buoyancy of all the rolling bodies 6 should counterbalance the total mass of the vehicle, and so that the support structure 1 of the vehicle does not get under the surface 9a of the water 9. The operation of the vehicle according to the invention and presented in the figures is as follows. In the case of travelling on dry land the operation of the vehicle differs in no way from that of a conventional vehicle. Two cases are possible on reaching the shore of a watercourse. If the vehicle is already fitted with rolling bodies 6 with a running surface 6c provided with ribs 6a suitable for travelling in water, no preparation is required, the vehicle simply drives into the water 9.

In a case different to this the rolling bodies 6 provided with quick release connections 5c have to be mounted onto the drive axles 5 and onto the further synchronised axles 5b as well. Then the vehicle may drive into the water 9.

In order to accelerate the vehicle in the water 9, on the one part, the supplementary propulsion unit 10 must be switched on, and, on the other part, the primary propulsion unit 3 must also be switched on. It is necessary to star the primary propulsion unit 3 basically because harmonising the relative speed of the water-vehicle and the rolling bodies 6 rotated by the drive axles 5 driven by the power transmission unit 4 of the primary propulsion unit is required in order to reduce resistance 3 and achieve the appropriate speed.

While the drive axle 5 is rotating the main drive measuring unit 22 of the drive control unit 20 sends the data relating to the speed of rotation of the drive axle 5 to the signal receipt input 26b of the central unit 26 of the drive control unit 20. Additionally, the information relating to the relative speed between the support structure 1 and the water 9 is forwarded by the reference measuring unit 21 to the reference signal receipt input 26a of the central unit 26. Although in a given phase of the acceleration of the vehicle it is not absolutely necessary, but the supplementary propulsion measuring unit 23 measuring the speed of rotation of the torque transfer axle 11 of the supplementary propulsion unit 10A also forwards the data to the signal receipt input 26c of the central unit 26. The central unit 26 of the drive control unit 20 forwards the received data to the evaluation and intervention centre 26f, which is preferably located in the vehicle housing 2, and is provided with a display. This is preferable because the driver may also monitor the operation of the primary propulsion unit 3, the power transmission unit 4, and the accelerating propulsion unit 14 of the supplementary propulsion unit 10. If the intervention part-unit 3a of the primary propulsion unit 3 and/or the power transmission unit 4 may be controlled manually, such as with a mechanical accelerator lever or gear lever, then on the basis of the signals shown by the evaluation and intervention centre 26f the person controlling the vehicle may intervene into the operation of the primary propulsion unit 3 with the drive performance adjustment part-unit 24 via the primary control output 26d or by switching over the power transmission unit 4 to change the speed of rotation of the drive axles 5 so that during the acceleration process the speed of rotation of the drive axles 5, and so the peripheral speed of the rolling bodies 6 rotated by the drive axles 5 corresponds to water-vehicle relative speed. As in this way in the acceleration phase the rolling bodies 6 driven by the drive axles 5 essentially roll over the water 9 and do not cause any braking effect.

If a computer control program is running in the evaluation and intervention centre 26f then this automatically sends a signal through the primary control output 26d to the drive performance adjustment part-unit 24, which after this by adjusting the parameters of the intervention part-unit 3a or the power transmission unit 4 synchronises the peripheral speed of the rolling bodies 6 of the drive axles 5 and the water-vehicle relative speed.

During the acceleration process, after harmonising the peripheral speed and relative speed or by manual operation, using the signal given directly through the acceleration adjustment signal output 26e to the intervention part-unit 12 of the supplementary propulsion unit 10, the speed of rotation of the torque transfer axle 11 may be increased via the accelerating propulsion unit 14 of the supplementary propulsion unit 10, and in this way the acceleration can be increased.

In the case of computer control the evaluation and intervention centre 26f sends a signal through the acceleration adjustment signal output 26e to the acceleration performance adjustment part-unit 25, which using the intervention part-unit 12 sets the speed of rotation of the torque transfer axle 11 of the accelerating propulsion unit 14 in the interest of continued acceleration.

If the vehicle has a supplementary power transmission part-unit 13, then via the acceleration adjustment signal output 26e of the evaluation and intervention centre 26f a given part of the supplementary power transmission part-unit 13, e.g. the gear level, may be adjusted to achieve the desired parameters. In this way the speed of the vehicle may be gradually increased in such a way that the peripheral speed of the driven rolling bodies 6 increases accordingly in a synchronised way.

When the vehicle reaches the desired speed, the rolling bodies start to rise in the water 9, and as due to the speed the water 9 no longer behaves as a liquid with respect to the rolling bodies 6 but as a solid medium instead, the rolling bodies 6 rise to near the surface 9a of the water 9 and rotate there in accordance with the speed of rotation of the drive axles 5. In this state it is no longer necessary to operate the supplementary propulsion unit 10, therefore, in the case of the arrangement presented in figure 1 , it may be switched off or, in the case of the construction shown in figure 2, or lifted out of the water 9 and optionally taken into the vehicle housing 2. Naturally, if the speed of the vehicle drops, then the supplementary propulsion unit 10 automatically switches on once again or may be switched on manually.

The steering of the vehicle may be performed either with the rolling bodies 6 and the operation of the steering apparatus, or with the one or more rudder bodies 7a submerged in the water 9. While the braking of the high-speed vehicle may be performed with the braking device 8 that can be turned into the water 9, e.g. braking flaps, optionally in the case of a lower speed braking may be performed by rotating the torque transfer axle 11 of the supplementary propulsion unit 10 in the opposite direction.

Naturally, in the case the speed of the vehicle drops the rolling bodies 6 once again become submerged further under the surface 9a of the water 9, and then the vehicle may be accelerated again in the way given above.

It should be noted here that if the central unit 26 of the vehicle does not have the evaluation and intervention centre 26f, instead it is provided with the display 21a, the display 22a and the manual intervention member 27, then the harmonisation of the water-vehicle speed is performed by the person driving the vehicle. In this case the evaluation of the data of the display 21a and the display 22a and the corresponding intervention is not performed by the evaluation and intervention centre 26f, but by the person driving the vehicle with the manual intervention member. Apart from this, however, the operation of the vehicle is the same as that described in detail.

The vehicle according to the invention may be used to good effect in all cases when persons or packages need to be taken by water quickly and with a favourable investment of energy from the starting point to the destination.

List of references 26f evaluation and intervention centre 27 manual intervention member

30 inclination signalling part-unit 30a display „α” acute angle

„FS” main plane