Waterpillar

Abstract

A pedal-powered aquatic vehicle is a positively buoyant aquatic vehicle with a lightweight frame and driven flotation wheels on either side of the occupant(s) seat. A pedal drive is incorporated into the lightweight frame to produce propulsion through a chain driven multi-geared system coupled with a drive shaft. Outer drive wheels rotate the flotation driven wheels to propel across water and level ground. Paddles are affixed to the driven flotation wheels. Steering linkages disengage drive wheels independently to provide steering.

Description

[0001] This application stems from provisional application No. 60 / 398,552-filed Jan. 14, 2002 in the name of David Paul Hart with the title of the invention being "Waterpillar".[0002] 1. Field of the Invention[0003] The present invention relates to a man-powered aquatic vehicle, and more particularly a pedal driven aquatic vehicle in which the driven part also provides the flotation and is operational on land.[0004] 2. Background of the Art[0005] Numerous man-powered aquatic vehicles have been developed in the past that can be grouped into a few categories. An example of paddle wheel driven aquatic vehicles with the paddle wheel or wheels mounted in, beside, or behind a displacement hull and driven by pedals are presented in U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,752. Examples of bicycle type water-bikes with two hulls and a bicycle drive to a paddle or propeller are presented in U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,864 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,237. Examples of tricycles with ribbed flotation wheels are shown in U.S. P...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0023] Another object of the invention is to provide a watercraft that is easily disassembled and deflated and shipped as a kit in collapsed form.

[0024] Another object of the invention is promote ease of launching and storage by enabling the invention to travel on both land and water.

[0025] Another object of the invention is to ensure all replacement parts are inexpensive, easily accessed, and fastened in such a manner so as to be easily and quickly replaced.

[0027] Another object of the invention is to be easily towable by another vehicle.

Problems solved by technology

Because fixed flotation such as pontoons or hulls create a great amount of drag when forced through the water.

Because paddle wheel propulsion is very inefficient due to the energy wasted forcing the water down and the lifting it up during the paddle cycle.

Because propeller propulsion is more efficient than paddle wheels but inherently expensive and prone to damage when operated at the shoreline as is generally the case with water toys and is inherently dangerous as a propeller is driven at speeds which can cause injuries if contacted.

Because displacement hull vehicles require rudders for steering which again add more drag and rudders are only marginally effective for directional control on man-powered vehicles.

Because the tricycle configuration requires one of the wheels to act as a rudder thus adding drag and limiting directional control.

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