Claims
- 1. A nautical propulsion device for an amphibious vehicle in which the rims for the tires of the driving wheels are equipped with vanes, which turn with the wheels and which accelerate the liquid towards the inlet of a delivery means, this delivery means including an ejection nozzle orientated in the opposite direction to the desired direction of travel, wherein each wheel thus equipped includes, as a delivery means, in the region where the liquid leaves the vanes, a helical delivery channel which is contiguous with and open towards said region, followed by a delivery pipe ending in said ejection nozzle.
- 2. Nautical propulsion apparatus for an amphibious vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of driving wheels mounted on the vehicle for propelling the vehicle on land, each driving wheel having a tire mounted on a rim;
- at least one of said rims defining a region extending through the wheel from side to side and situated radially inward from said tire, said region including a passage for liquid flow;
- a plurality of vanes mounted within said region for rotation with the wheel to accelerate liquid flow through said passage;
- liquid delivery means mounted inboard of and adjacent said passage for receiving liquid accelerated by said vanes, said delivery means having an inlet region and an ejection nozzle orientated in a direction opposite to the desired direction of travel;
- said delivery means further including in said inlet region a helical delivery channel having an increasing cross-section and being contiguous with and open toward said inlet region; and
- a delivery pipe connected between said channel and said ejection nozzle.
- 3. Nautical propulsion apparatus for an amphibious vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of driving wheels mounted on said vehicle for propelling the vehicle on land;
- at least one driving wheel including a rim and tire mounted thereon;
- said rim having a circumferential region situated radially inward from the tire and containing a passage for liquid flow therethrough in a direction inboard of the vehicle;
- liquid delivery means mounted inboard of said passage for receiving liquid therefrom and redirecting it in a direction opposite from the desired direction of travel;
- a plurality of vanes mounted within said passage for rotation with the wheel to accelerate liquid flow through the wheel toward said liquid delivery means.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said passage includes an inlet at its outboard end and an outlet adjacent said delivery means for controlling the path of liquid flow through said passage.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said inlet is formed with a reduced diameter relative to said passage and wherein said vanes include a radially-directed portion extending from the vicinity of said inlet and connecting with an axially-directed portion at the radially outward end of said radial portion for developing helico-centrifugal liquid flow through said passage.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said vanes are mounted in said passage to develop axial flow of the liquid being accelerated thereby.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said vanes are mounted in said passage to develop centrifugal flow of the liquid being accelerated thereby.
- 8. Nautical propulsion apparatus for an amphibious vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of driving wheels mounted on said vehicle for propelling the vehicle on land;
- at least one driving wheel including a rim and tire mounted thereon;
- said rim having a circumferential region situated radially inward from the tire and containing a passage for liquid flow therethrough in a direction inboard of the vehicle;
- liquid delivery means mounted inboard of said passage for receiving liquid therefrom and redirecting it in a direction opposite from the desired direction of travel; and
- a pump mounted within said region for propelling liquid through said passage.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said pump includes a plurality of vanes mounted to rotate with the wheel for accelerating liquid through the pump in an inboard direction into said delivery means.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the vanes of said pump are configured to produce centrifugal flow of the liquid accelerated by said pump.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the vanes of said pump are configured to produce axial flow of the liquid accelerated by said pump.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the vanes of said pump are configured to produce helico-centrifugal flow of the liquid accelerated by said pump.
- 13. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said liquid delivery means includes an inlet mounted adjacent the outlet of said passage, a helical delivery channel beginning adjacent said inlet and increasing in cross-sectional area with distance therefrom, and an ejection nozzle mounted to eject liquid therefrom in a direction opposite to the desired direction of travel.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein said delivery means further includes a delivery pipe positioned between the delivery channel and the ejection nozzle.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said pump is integral with said rim.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation of PCT application No. FR93/00789, filed August 4, 1993, from which priority is claimed.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2690385 |
Oct 1993 |
FRX |