It is an object of the present invention to provide an amphibious vehicle which is relatively cheap to produce and whereof maintenance and repair needs are, in the main, satisfied by conventional road vehicle parts.

The word "chair" is used hereinafter and in the claims to mean a shackle connecting a road vehicle chassis to its spring and wheel assemblies.

According to the present invention there is provided a hull for an amphibious vehicle, the hull being adapted to receive and mount a road vehicle in a watertight and operational manner, whereby the motive power, and possibly the steering, for the amphibious vehicle is provided from the road vehicle.

Also according to the invention there is provided an amphibious vehicle comprising a hull and a road vehicle disposed in the hull in a watertight manner with the spring and wheel assemblies of the road vehicle disposed externally of the hull and connected to the chassis of the road vehicle through the hull or to the hull per se, the engine of the road vehicle being downwardly coupled to a propelled shaft provided in the hull.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which :-

Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a hull to form an amphibious and road vehicle chassis adapted for assembly according to the present invention.;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary part sectional view of the amphibious vehicle;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the amphibious vehicle; Fig. 4 is a detailed side view of the connection between the hull and chassis,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary part sectional view of an alternative construction of hull and chassis assembly;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary part sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but showing an alternative road vehicle chassis;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the amphibious vehicle showing a pivoted fore-deck;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a propeller shaft and its stuffing box inside the hull;

Fig. 9 is a schematic view of the steering arrangement of the amphibious vehicle;

Fig. 10 is a part sectional view of the road vehicle axle case and wheel arches modified according to the present invention;

Fig. 11. is a perspective view of a steering box cover plate on the hull;

Figs. 12 to 14 are sectional views of alternative embodiments of a road vehicle steering, box and its sealing arrangements therefor; and

Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic view of the amphibious vehicle showing pivotable deflectors.

Referring to Figs 1 to 4 of the drawings a watertight displacement hull is generally indicated by the reference 10. The hull can be constructed from inter alia, glass reinforced plastic, wood, metal or other plastics.

It is of any suitable configuration, but is formed internally to accept and seal the chassis of a conventional road vehicle and it is provided with buoyancy tanks at appropriate locations.

The hull 10 at each side is provided with two wheel recesses 11.

Each of these recesses 11 is apertured as indicated at 12 (see Fig 2). For each wheel recess 11, therefore, there is provided two longitudinally-spaced apertures 12 inboard of the hull periphery.

The road vehicle, only the chassis 13 of which is shown, to be fitted into the hull is adapted for such fitment by being provided at each side of the chassis 13 with flat outwardly and horizontally extending plates 14. There is a plate 14 on the chassis 13 for each aperture 12 in the hull 10.

These plates 14 do not extend beyond the normal road width of the road vehicle, whereof the chassis 13 forms a part.

Each of these plates 14 surrounds one of the usual wheel- mounting chairs 15 of the chassis 13.

When it is desired to connect the road vehicle, to the hull 10 the road vehicle is raised by any convenient means such as a crane and its wheels 16 and associated wheel springs 17 are disconnected (see Fig. 1). The road motor vehicle is then lowered and disposed within the hull 10 with the wheel mounting chairs 15 thereof engaging in and passing through the apertures 12 (see Fig. 2).

The wheel assemblies 16, 17 are then reconnected to the chairs 15 through the intermediary of the wheel springs 17 and the road vehicle 13 is now firmly connected to the hull 10, the vehicle chassis 13 being disposed within the watertight hull 10 and the wheels 16 and wheel springs 17 outside the watertight hull 10 (as shown in Fig. 2). The fully assembled amphibious vehicle is shown in Fig. 3. The plates 14 make watertight connections with the surfaces of the hull 10 on which they rest thereby ensuring no ingress of water into the hull 10 through the apertures 12.

Fig. 4 shows in detail a chassis hull arrangement that is inclined to correspond to the inclination of the hull 10 around aperture 12. In this particular embodiment an additional external apertured sealing plate 30 is included. The plate 30 is a substantially square frame with an interior bevelled edge 31. The plate 30 is mounted such that it sandwiches the hull 10 between itself and the chassis plate 14. A sealant washer 32 is located around the body of the chair 15 between the bevelled edge 31 of the plate 30 and the hull 10. The sealant washer 32 is compressed into this area to assist in the prevention of water ingress.

The sandwich of internal chassis plate 14, hull 10, sealant washer 32, and external sealing plate 30 is secured by nuts and bolts 33.

In an alternative arrangement of hull/chassis connection (shown in Fig. 5), the apertures 12 in the hull 10 are omitted and the hull 10 at the location of each wheel recess 11 is sandwiched between two plates 34, 35 bolted thereto, each having two shackles 36. The shackles 36 of the upper end hull interior plate 35 are designed to connect to the chairs 16 on the chassis 13. The shackles 36 of the lower end hull exterior plate 34 are designed to be connected to the

wheel springs 17. This arrangement is used particularly with chassis designs in which the spring mounting chairs 15 do not protrude below the level of the chassis (see Fig. 6) and thus cannot be passed through apertures 12 in the hull 10. The plates 34, 35 and intervening hull 10 are bolted together by nuts and bolts 37.

The road vehicle driving-shaft 18 (see Figs 7 and 8) is disconnected from the rear differential and is connected by an intermediate shaft 18A to a propeller shaft 18B which passes through a stuffing box 18C in the hull 10 to the exterior and rear of the hull 10, the end of the propeller shaft 18B having a propeller 19 connected thereto.

The shafting 18, 18A and 18B and consequently the propeller 19 are driven by the road vehicle engine 20.

It is to be noted that the hull 10 is supplied for assembly with the road vehicle with the propeller shaft 18B, stuffing box 18C and propeller 19 fitted.

Figs. 9 and 11 show a schematic view of the steering arrangement of the amphibious vehicle.

The steering is effected by the road vehicle steering wheel 40 connected through the usual steering gearbox 41 and steering links 42 (only one shown) to the usual pivotal drop arms 43 to which the steering links 44 for the front wheels 16 are connected.

A connecting rod 45 extends from one of the drop arms 43 inboard of the hull 10 through a stuffing box 46 or similar and is connected to a centrally pivotable cross link 47 to control the tiller 48 connected thereto via a further connecting rod 49. The tiller 48 is directly fixed a rotatable spindle 49 to which a rudder 50 is removably secured. Thus turning the steering wheel 40 controls the angular position of the rudder 50. The rudder 50 could alternatively be controlled by steering means independent of the road vehicle.

To render the hull 10 watertight at the exit location of the steering link 42 (see Fig. 11) a sealing cover plate 51 is bolted or screwed as indicated at 52, the cover plate 51 being traversed by the steering link 42.

Fig. 12 shows part of the steering box 41 inside the hull 10 with the steering link 42 passing through an aperture in the sealing cover plate 51 which is bolted to the hull 10 as shown at 52. The steering

link 42 is in splined connection with drop arm 43 which is held axially on to the steering link by a nut 53. The steering box 41 abuts the sealing cover plate 51 in a small annular region. Around the steering box 41 at the face 54 there is a ring 55 welded or heat shrunk in position and which is bolted to the sealing cover plate 51 as indicated at 56. The sealing ring 55 thus effectively increases the surface area of the face 54 of the steering box 51 to provide for more effective sealing.

Fig. 13 shows an alternative method of sealing the steering box 41. A large rubber or similar washer 57 surrounds the steering link • 42 and is placed between the face 54, the steering box 41 and the cover plate 51. On the other side of the cover plate 51 a further rubber washer 58 and a brass washer 59 are fitted over the steering link 42. The drop arm 43 is then fitted and tightened by the nut 53 causing the rubber washers 57, 58 to be compressed and thus form an effective seal. The spline on the drop arm 43 is tapered to limit its length of travel along the steering link 41. Several greased brass washers 59 may be used as spacers to adjust the correct compression on the seal arrangement.

Fig. 14 shows a similar arrangement to Fig. 13. In this embodiment a cylindrical cast block 60 of rubber or glass reinforced plastics is fitted over the steering box 41 to seal the box 41 on the opposite side to pressure washers 61, 62 and 63. A jubilee clip 64 can be used to tighten the grip of the block 72 on the steering box 41.

To prevent waves sweeping up the front of the hull 10 to contact with the windscreen 65 of the road vehicle there is provided a fore-deck 66 (see Fig. 7.) overlying a lower fixed deck 67 and pivoted at the rear as indicated at 68 and which is capable of being raised and lowered by means of one or more hydraulic rams 69.

The fore-deck 66 is provided with a depending skirt 70 and means for sealing against the ingress of water is provided between the skirt 70 and the sides of the hull 10.

The lower fixed deck 67 provides a watertight membrane across the top of the hull 10 should the fore-deck 66 be damaged, or water enter past the sealing means between the skirt 70 and the sides of the hull 10.

The hydraulic ram or rams 69 pass through a hole or holes (not

shown) in the lower deck 67 and are provided with rubber sealing sleeves (not shown).

Fig. 10 shows the road vehicle axle case 71, disposed beneath the hull 10, having a differential 72 at its mid point. Oil seals 73 are fitted between the axle case 71 and a shaft 74 (see inset) and are held thereto by a garter spring 75. A reduction regulator valve 76 inside the hull 10 is connected to the axle case 71 interior by a flexible pipe 77 which passes through the hull 10 and is sealed thereto. A second valve 78 is connected to the flexible pipe 77 inside the hull 10. A third valve 79 is connected similarly to the axle case 71 via a flexible pipe 80. The flexible pipe 80 extends into the axle case 40 such that its open end resides at the bottom of the axle case differential 71. A water sensing switch 81 is fitted to the hull 41.

To keep the oil seals 73 closed against the water pressure external to the axle case 71, air pressure from a suitable source (not shown) is applied (e.g. 2-3 lbs per square inch) through the reduction regulator valve 76 into the axle case 71. The pressure is applied only when the water is detected by water sensing switch 81. When the water is sensed valve 78 is closed. During normal road use the air pressure is shut off by valve 76 and valve 78 is opened. This allows the normal breathing of warm expanding air inside the axle case 71 caused by the heat generated in the axle bearings (not shown).

While afloat the third valve 79 is open to allow oil in the axle case 71 to be drained and changed. Any water ingress into the axle case 71 will be detected below the oil in the axle case differential 72. The oil and/or water is blown out by applying air pressure through valve 76. By regular flushing using this pressure method any sediment residing at the bottom of the case 71 will be removed.

Fig. 10 also shows a cover plate 82 fitted in a sealed manner to the hull 10 to cover partially each wheel recess 11. The cover plate 82 is air tight. Thus the wheel recess 11 is defined between the hull 10, the cover plate 82 and the water surface 83.

A pipe 84, having a valve 85 is fitted to the interior of the hull 10 and is connected to the upper end of the wheel recess 11.

Using the pipe 84, air can be forced into the recess 11 to force the water out below the cover plate 82, thus increasing the buoyancy of the hull 10.

Alternatively air can be sucked out from the wheel recess 11 allowing water to flood therein causing a suction effect to hold the vehicle down. This is particularly useful in a heavy swell.

The same principle can be applied to adjust the list of the amphibious vehicle when afloat, i.e. by adjusting the pressure in the wheel recesses 11 or one thereof to raise or lower that side of the vehicle.

Fig. 15 shows a pair of deflectors 86, 87 fitted to the underside of the hull 10. The deflectors 86, 87 are movable with respect to the underside of the hull 10 between a raised position (shown dotted) in which the deflectors 86, 87 are moved forwardly and upwardly and are received in the recesses (not shown) on the underside of the hull 10 and a lowered position in which the free ends of the deflectors 86, 87 move backwardly and downwardly towards the wheels. In this lowered position, when the amphibious vehicle is in the water the deflectors 86, 87 provide a slope to. guide the flow of water over the wheels 16 such that the wheel drag is reduced.

The movement of the deflectors 86, 87 is effected by hydraulic pistons or an equivalent mechanical device. When the vehicle approaches shallow water the deflectors 86, 87 are raised and are maintained in this position for use on the road.

The front and rear ends of the hull 10 are adapted to have fore and aft flood tanks 88, 89 as shown in Fig. 1. The tanks 88, 89 can be flooded with water as required to raise or lower an end of the vehicle in the water. This is used particularly in the launching of a lifeboat from the vehicle. One end of the vehicle is lowered relative to the water by flooding the relevant tank, thus allowing the lifeboat to slide into the water without a significant drop from the vehicle end.

It can be seen that a conventional motor vehicle chassis can be mounted on to a hull and sealed thereto as above described in such a manner that the vehicle is still suitable for road use. The vehicle chassis can be removed easily from the hull for the purpose of repair or replacement. The spare parts for the amphibious vehicle are those of the conventional motor vehicle and are therefore readily available. Thus the invention provides for an amphibious vehicle which is cheap to repair and is easily adaptable.