Abstract: An amphibious platform vehicle-vessel to support and to move hydraulically operated and controlled earth-moving and lifting equipment, such as excavators and cranes, on solid ground, semi-solid or marshy ground, shallow water, and deeper water. The modular units can be transported to a worksite on separate trailers and assembled and reconfigured on site. Two compartmented pontoon units are mounted to an adaptive cross member that can accommodate different types of moving-lifting equipment through different mounting flanges, and to auxiliary cross members. Propulsion is provided through amphibious cleats on drive chains in chain tracks driven by dual-motor driving drums and over a tension-adjusting passive chain roller, surrounding a sealed pontoon shell internally reinforced with bulkhead partitions, beam shell-bottom stiffeners, and pressed-angle shell-bottom stiffeners. An extendable auxiliary float can be extended outward from each compartmented pontoon for increased stability in floating operations.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for measuring a position of a point on a submerged surface. The apparatus includes: a platform; a liquid-tight pressure vessel fixedly coupled to the platform, wherein the liquid-tight pressure vessel is formed in part by an optically transparent enclosure; a pan-tilt mechanism coupled to the platform and disposed inside the liquid-tight pressure vessel; a camera mounted to the pan-tilt mechanism; a laser range meter affixed to the camera; and a refractive index sensor coupled to and disposed outside the liquid-tight pressure vessel. In accordance with one proposed implementation, the optically transparent enclosure is spherical, the pan-tilt mechanism has a pan axis and a tilt axis that intersect at a center of the optically transparent enclosure, and the laser range meter is located to emit a laser beam that is perpendicular to the optically transparent enclosure.

Abstract: A rear flap configuration for an amphibious vehicle includes a vehicle body, a pair of crawlers disposed on both right and left sides with respect to a traveling direction of the vehicle body, and a rear flap connected to a rear part of the vehicle body. The vehicle body has a rear surface including a departure angle surface which extends obliquely upward from a lower edge of the rear surface as the vehicle body extends rearward. The crawlers have upper surfaces positioned above the lower edge, lower surfaces positioned below the lower edge, and rear edges projecting rearward from the lower edge. The rear flap includes a flap body part having a facing edge which faces the lower edge between the crawlers and is vertically rotatably connected to the vehicle body so as to allow the facing edge to come into contact or close proximity with the lower edge.

Abstract: An amphibious vehicle according to some embodiments includes a vehicle body, a plurality of wheels disposed on each of both sides of the vehicle body, a crawler disposed on each of both sides of the vehicle body so as to surround the plurality of wheels, and one or more wheel covers mounted to an outer side or an inner side of at least one wheel of the plurality of wheels so as to cover a side surface of the wheel.

Abstract: Amphibious construction equipment comprising a working unit supported on a pair of elongate, parallel, buoyant pontoons (2) each of which carries a caterpillar track (3) driven by sprockets mounted on an axles (5), the axles (5) being positioned at or towards the ends of each pontoon (2) on its upper surface, wherein each axle (5) is driven by at least one hydraulic motor (4), all the motors (4) being powered by a single hydraulic pump (7), the motors (4) on each pontoon (2) being arranged such that they run synchronously as to both direction and rate but not necessarily in the same direction or at the same rate as the motors (4) on the other pontoon (2).

Abstract: The present patent consists of a vehicle equipped with a series of floating caterpillars that circulate on an ovoid rail, forming a continuous track; the male-female couplings between the traction caterpillars, their hydrodynamic locks and their direction system operate with the braking of one of the sides of the track and the slipping of the opposite track, being able to rotate through 360°. Said vehicle has the purpose of towing load barges on rivers or lakes. Due the absence of displacement, since the vehicle moves on the water, the performance is distinctly improved and the fuel consumption is considerably reduced in comparison with watercraft having an equivalent load-carrying capacity.

Abstract: An amphibious vehicle operable on dry land, wet land, or marsh land covered by water. In some embodiments, the amphibious vehicle includes a land-based vehicle, such as a car, truck, or all terrain vehicle (ATV), at least two pontoons supporting the land-based vehicle, and a track system disposed around each of the pontoons. Each pontoon has an internal volume configured to provide buoyancy for the land-based vehicle, whether on wet land or in water. The track system is adapted to propel the land-based vehicle. The amphibious vehicle may further include a drive system coupled between the land-based vehicle and the track system and a skid steering system. The drive system is configured to selectably rotate the track system about the pontoons, while the skid steering system is configured to control the direction in which the land-based vehicle is propelled. The amphibious vehicle may also include a suspension system.

Abstract: A ship employing a buoyant propulsion system. A preferred such ship comprises a superstructure, a backbone, and a sub-structure. The backbone supports the superstructure. The sub-structure depends from the backbone and adapted to float the backbone and the superstructure above liquid water. The sub-structure includes one or more buoyant propulsion units. Each buoyant propulsion unit comprises an endless track having a plurality of associated paddle members and is adapted for elongate rotary motion of at least portions of the associated paddle members through the water. Each buoyant propulsion unit further comprises a race-roller-bearing assembly for transmitting load imposed by the superstructure to the track. Preferably, the one or more buoyant propulsion units are adapted to float the backbone and the superstructure substantially above the water.

Abstract: The present invention provides a track-shoe of an amphibious caterpillar vehicle and more particularly, a track-shoe of an amphibious caterpillar vehicle with mobility on land and water, which comprises a space inside the track-shoe for conferring buoyancy to the track-shoe while simultaneously forming an arc-shaped groove for pushing out water at the frontal side of the track-shoe.