AMPHIBIOUS PLATFORM VEHICLE-SHIP

Abstract

An amphibious platform vessel designed to support and move hydraulically operated and controlled earthmoving and lifting equipment, such as excavators and cranes, on firm, semi-firm, or marshy ground, in shallow water, and in deeper water. The modular units can be transported to a work site on separate trailers and assembled and reconfigured on-site. Two compartmentalized pontoon units are mounted on an adaptable crossbeam that can accommodate different types of earthmoving and lifting equipment via various mounting flanges and auxiliary crossbeams.Propulsion is provided via amphibious slats on drive chains in chain rails driven by twin-motor drive drums and a passive tension-adjusting chain roller. This surrounds an internally reinforced watertight pontoon hull with bulkhead partitions, beam hull reinforcements, and pressed-angle hull reinforcements. An extendable auxiliary float can be deployed from each compartmentalized pontoon to enhance stability during flotation operations. The strut units, which include a chain-driven strut and a strut drive assembly unit with strut assembly wear strips, are raised and lowered hydraulically by a strut drive motor at the operator's command using a strut control switch.

Description

AMPHIBIOUS PLATFORM VEHICLE-SHIP Descriptive report Cross-reference to related applications This application claims priority over our application serial number US 16 / 678.248, filed on November 8, 2019, entitled Amphibious Platform Vehicle-Vessel, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference and whose priority is claimed herein. Background of the invention The present invention provides an amphibious platform vessel-vessel for supporting and moving hydraulically operated and controlled earthmoving and lifting equipment, such as excavators and cranes, on firm, semi-firm or swampy ground, in shallow water and deeper water. Amphibious vehicles, known as swamp buggies, were first developed to support oil and gas exploration operations in marshy or swampy terrain. Swamp buggies typically consist of a pair of pontoons connected to a central platform. The pontoons are usually surrounded by a slatted rail system that engages with the ground, water, or marshy soil to propel the vehicle. The rail system uses one or more endless chains that encircle the periphery of each pontoon. The endless chains, which support the slatted rails, are driven from the periphery of the pontoons by a sprocket or other means to provide propulsion to the vehicle. By varying the rail speed around each pontoon, the vehicle can move forward, turn, or reverse. Swamp buggies are ideal for operating in wetlands, marshes, and other low-lying areas due to the relatively low pressure exerted on the ground by their large, tracked pontoons. Therefore, swamp buggies will not sink into soft soil in low-lying or submerged areas and will have minimal environmental impact while traveling to and from remote work sites. Swamp buggies have been adapted to transport personnel and cargo, as well as to serve as an operating platform for various types of equipment, such as excavators, draglines, and backhoe loaders. QLCcnn / zznz / B / γΐΛΐ Swamp buggies are used to support heavy earthmoving equipment in low elevation areas, soft ground areas for operations such as wetland restoration, land crust management (dewatering), dredging, dike construction, coastal erosion and other environmental decontamination operations. Swamp buggies have proven useful for earthmoving operations in soft ground and are often capable of floating to navigate shallow water. While swamp buggies can typically traverse any terrain, they are not designed to operate while floating in water deeper than their pontoons. Therefore, swamp buggies are limited to earthmoving operations on firm ground or in relatively shallow water where their pontoons rest on the ground. In deeper water, the thrust and pull forces exerted by the excavation equipment will push or pull the swamp buggy itself above the water's surface. Swamp buggies can support earthmoving operations in slightly deeper water through the use of struts, which are a type of pile that can be extended downwards to rest on or in the underwater soil. Deploying these struts can secure the swamp buggy in place against the thrust and pull forces of excavation operations. Currently, deploying and retracting the struts can be a cumbersome process, especially when they become stuck in swampy soil. The use of struts significantly slows the ability to advance operations in a large area. While struts are effective at preventing movement across the water's surface, they are less effective at stabilizing against rolling motion caused by either surface waves or the operation of the excavation equipment. Different moving-lifting equipment, while similar in its hydraulic operation, requires different mounting accessories, making switching from one piece of equipment to another a complex task that is difficult to accomplish in a remote work site. Swamp buggies can propel themselves and their attached equipment to a work site, but first they must be transported to the work site, which is usually located in a remote area. This transport to QLCcnn / zznz / B / YiAi often involves the use of public roads and highways, which impose size and weight limitations, which in turn may require the partial disassembly of large heavy equipment and then reassembly at a remote and unsuitable work site. What is needed is a vessel-ship with an amphibious platform that allows the equipment operator to hydraulically operate the struts through a control inside the cabin, that provides better stability in deeper waters, that provides a modular structure that allows transport as modular sections and allows on-site assembly and mounting to different lifting and moving equipment, and that provides other improvements and efficiencies. Summary of the invention The present invention provides an amphibious platform vessel for supporting and moving hydraulically operated and controlled earthmoving and lifting equipment, such as excavators and cranes, on firm, semi-firm, or marshy ground, in shallow water, and in deeper water. The modular units can be transported to a work site on separate trailers and assembled and reconfigured on-site. Two compartmentalized pontoon units are mounted on an adaptable crossbeam that can accommodate different types of earthmoving and lifting equipment via various mounting flanges and auxiliary crossbeams.Propulsion is provided via amphibious slats on drive chains in chain rails driven by twin-motor drive drums and a passive tension-adjusting chain roller. This surrounds an internally reinforced watertight pontoon hull with bulkhead partitions, beam hull reinforcements, and pressed-angle hull reinforcements. An extendable auxiliary float can be deployed from each compartmentalized pontoon to enhance stability during flotation operations. The strut units, which include a chain-driven strut and a strut drive assembly unit with strut assembly wear strips, are raised and lowered hydraulically by a strut drive motor at the operator's command using a strut control switch. Brief description of the drawings The drawings will be referenced below, where the parts QLCcnn / zznz / Β / γΐΛΐ similar numbers are designated with similar numbers, and where: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the amphibious platform vehicle-ship of the invention, during its use, with strut units extended downwards and extendable auxiliary floats extended outwards; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the amphibious platform vehicle-ship of the invention, during its use, with strut units retracted upwards and extendable auxiliary floats retracted inwards; Figure 3 is a detailed view of the strut unit of the amphibious platform vessel of the invention; Figure 4 is an exploded view of the amphibious platform vessel of the invention; Figure 5 is a plan view of the amphibious platform vehicle-ship of the invention with the movement-lifting equipment installed; Figure 6 is a plan view of the amphibious platform vehicle-ship of the invention with the movement-lifting equipment not installed; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional perspective view of the amphibious platform vessel of the invention; Figure 8 is a side cross-section view of the amphibious platform vehicle-ship of the invention; Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the watertight pontoon hull of the amphibious platform vessel of the invention; Figure 10 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the watertight pontoon hull of the amphibious platform vessel of the invention; Figure 11 is a detailed view of the chain rails of the amphibious platform vessel of the invention; Figure 12 is a detailed view of the twin-motor drive drums of the amphibious platform vessel of the invention; and Figure 13 is a detailed view of the passive tension-adjusting chain roller of the amphibious platform vessel of the invention. Detailed description of the invention Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2, the amphibious platform vessel 10 contemplates the use of the lifting and moving equipment 60 on firm, semi-firm, or marshy ground, in shallow water, and in deeper water. The lifting and moving equipment 60 can be of the excavator type or QLCcnn / zznz / e / GALA backhoe, as illustrated, or a type of crane. Different types and brands of lifting equipment have different physical mounting configurations, and the Amphibious Platform Vessel 10 is adaptable to different equipment, as discussed below. The Amphibious Platform Vessel 10 is modular and can be transported to or from a work site as separate modules of appropriate size and weight to fit on a truck trailer operating on existing roads and highways. The Amphibious Platform Vessel 10 allows for the movement of mounted lifting equipment 60 around a work site, including movement between firm surfaces, marshy areas, and water. The lifting-movement equipment 60 is hydraulically operated and has a hydraulic equipment controller 61 having several channels, and an equipment operator control 62, often in the form of a joystick inside the operator's cab, through which the equipment operator controls the hydraulic pressure directed by the hydraulic equipment controller 61 to the various parts of the lifting-movement equipment 60. The amphibious platform vessel 10 provides an additional strut control switch 45 that allows for the motorized deployment and retraction of some struts, as discussed below. The amphibious platform vessel 10 provides two compartmentalized pontoons 20, each having a watertight pontoon hull 21, which are mounted on an adaptable crossbeam 32 and two auxiliary crossbeams 34, all together forming a platform for the lifting and moving equipment 60. In the illustrated embodiment, an excavator is mounted on the adaptable crossbeam 32 via an excavator equipment mounting flange 35. Each compartmentalized pontoon 20 provides an extendable auxiliary float 50 that can be retracted into the pontoon when not needed or during transport, and can be extended outside the pontoon when required in waters deep enough to float the amphibious platform vehicle-ship 10, where the extended extendable auxiliary float 50 will stabilize against rolling motion and provide better leverage to counteract the forces resulting from the use and movement of the lifting-movement equipment 60. The watertight pontoon hull 21 remains watertight and watertight even when extended QLCcnn / zznz / B / YiAi the extendable auxiliary float 50. One or more strut units 40 are provided, which can be deployed downwards beyond the bottom of the pontoons to make contact with or partially penetrate the ground surface, such as marshy soil or the underwater bed. The deployed struts provide anchorage and stability to compensate for the loss of stability when the pontoon's underside floats away from firm contact with the ground. The strut units 40 can be retracted upwards above the bottom of the pontoons when not needed. The amphibious platform vehicle 10 allows for the deployment and retraction of the strut units 40 via the strut control switch 45, operated by the operator from the cab of the lifting equipment. The amphibious platform vessel-vessel 10 contemplates movement across soil, swamp, or water surface by providing drive chains 23, in loops, which move along chain rails 22, which have attached amphibious slats 24, driven by a twin-motor drive drum 25, with the appropriate tension on the drive chain loops adjusted and maintained via the passive tension-adjusting chain roller 26, as discussed below. During use, as illustrated, each compartmentalized pontoon 20 has an elongated axial shape along a forward-to-backward travel line. Each watertight pontoon hull 21 has upper and side surfaces and a lower surface along the elongated axis. When the two compartmentalized pontoons 20 are mounted on the adaptable crossmember 32 and the auxiliary crossmembers 34, each compartmentalized pontoon 20 has a nominal inner and outer side. Referring to Figure 3, the strut unit 40 provides a chain-drive strut 41 mounted on the compartmentalized pontoon 20 by means of a strut drive mounting unit 42, which also drives the chain-drive strut 41 up and down during use. Strut mounting wear strips 43 are arranged on the surfaces of the strut drive mounting unit 42 that are in sliding contact with the chain-drive strut 41. The strut mounting wear strips 43 provide surfaces that can QLCcnn / zznz / e / YiAi wear out with use and can be easily replaced as needed. The strut mounting wear strips 43 should be made of a material that does not erode or wear the chain-drive strut 41. The strut mounting wear strips 43 should provide a low-friction surface resistant to wet, dirty, and sometimes salty operating conditions. A strut drive motor 44 provides the driving force for the strut drive mounting unit 42 to drive the chain-drive strut 41 up and down as needed and as controlled by the strut control switch 45 discussed below. Referring to Figure 4, the strut control switch 45 is added to the equipment operator control 62, generally located in the cab of the lift-moving equipment 60. It controls a channel of the equipment hydraulic controller 61 to exert hydraulic pressure through a pair of hydraulic lines, either differentially or uniformly, on the strut drive motor 44. This will move the chain-driven strut 41 up or down, or hold it in place, depending on the relative pressures in the two hydraulic lines. In this way, the strut control switch 45 provides the equipment operator with control of strut deployment and retraction from their normal location within the cab, without leaving the other equipment controls unattended. Referring again to Figure 4, the amphibious platform vessel 10 is modular and can be disassembled for transport. Each modular, compartmentalized pontoon 20 is sized and shaped to allow it to be transported on a truck trailer via public roads and highways. Because the extendable auxiliary float 50 can be retracted to be substantially flush with the watertight pontoon hull 21, it does not extend the compartmentalized pontoon module 20 during transport or storage. After transport to a generally remote work site, the amphibious platform vessel 10 can be assembled, and the lifting equipment 60 can be attached on-site. The amphibious platform vessel 10 can accommodate various types of lifting equipment 60, such as excavators, backhoes, cranes, gantries, concrete pumps, or specialized earthmoving or object-moving equipment.This adaptation is achieved using different methods. QLCcnn / zznz / e / YiAi Mounting flanges, such as the excavator equipment mounting flange 35 and the crane equipment mounting flange 36, are illustrated. The mounting flanges differ in their diameters and exact numbers, arrangement, and hole threading. The adaptable crossbar 32 provides a variety of hole sizes and patterns to accommodate the different mounting flanges. With the excavator equipment mounting flanges 35 and 36, different moving and lifting equipment 60 can be mounted, dismounted, and remounted on the amphibious platform vehicle 10 at or near the work site. Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the extendable auxiliary floats 50 can be extended outward from the compartmentalized pontoons 20 as required in waters deep enough to float the amphibious vehicle-ship platform 10 and can be retracted into the compartmentalized pontoons 20 when not needed, such as during transport and storage. When extended, the extendable auxiliary floats 50 significantly increase the outward flotation area, thereby significantly stabilizing the platform against the forces exerted by the operating lifting and moving equipment 60. The auxiliary crossbeams 34 located forward and aft of the adaptable crossbeam 32 provide increased structural stability under all operating conditions. The auxiliary crossbeams 34 accommodate portions of the beams of the extendable auxiliary floats 50 when retracted and connect the beams to each other when extended, transferring force between the extendable auxiliary floats 50 without placing excessive torsional force or deformation on or through the watertight pontoon hulls 21. Each of the compartmentalized pontoons 20 provides an adaptable crossbeam assembly 31 and auxiliary crossbeam assemblies 33 for connection, during use, to the adaptable crossbeam 32 and the auxiliary crossbeams 34. Referring to Figure 7 and Figure 8, each compartmentalized pontoon 20 further provides bulkhead partitions 27 that form separate watertight compartments within the watertight pontoon hull 21. The retractable auxiliary float 50 also serves as a separate watertight compartment within the confines of the watertight pontoon hull 21. The bulkhead partitions 27 also serve as structural bracing for the watertight pontoon hull 21. Additional support and bracing for QLCcnn / zznz / B / γΐΛΐ The lower surface of the watertight pontoon hull 21 is provided by beam bottom reinforcements 28 and pressed angle bottom reinforcements 29 as illustrated and discussed below. Referring to Figure 9, along the elongated forward-backward axis of the lower surface of the watertight pontoon hull 21, the lower surface, and the chain rails 22 along the lower surface, have a flat profile along a central portion, rounded profiles along each end portion, and a slightly angled profile along the intermediate portions between the center and the ends. The slight angle along the intermediate portions may be approximately one or two degrees. When in use, not in motion, on a firm ground surface, the flat central portion, directly beneath the lifting and moving equipment 60, provides support and stability.In motion, the rounded profiles along each end portion allow approaching and climbing inclined surfaces, and the slightly angled intermediate profiles allow a more gradual approach of the amphibious slats 24 to the ground surface, when on firm or swampy ground, so that the shear force is applied more gradually, and to an initially shallower depth than with a longer section of the flat lower surface. Referring further to Figure 10, the lower surface of the watertight pontoon hull 21 is subjected to tensile force and is reinforced by beam hull bottom reinforcements 28 and pressed angle hull bottom reinforcements 29. The beam hull bottom reinforcements 28, such as sections of a steel I-beam, are heavier and stronger, and are used along the central portion of the lower surface. The pressed angle hull bottom reinforcements 29, such as a steel bar bent on a press brake, are lighter and less expensive than beams. Another consequence of the slightly angled profile provided by the intermediate portions of the lower surface is a reduced amount of tensile force exerted on those intermediate portions during use.Therefore, lighter and less expensive pressed-angle 29 hull bottom reinforcements are provided in these intermediate sections, providing sufficient reinforcement while reducing weight and cost. Pressed-angle 29 hull bottom reinforcements are also used in the rounded-profile end sections for the same reason: weight. QLCcnn / zznz / B / γΐΛΐ Total reduced compartmentalized pontoon 20 reduces ground contact pressure, improving operational efficiency and reducing wear. Referring to Figure 11, the compartmentalized pontoon 20 of the amphibious platform vessel 10 provides chain rails 22 mounted on the upper and lower outer surfaces of the watertight pontoon hull 21. The chain rails 22 provide a protective shield and guide for the drive tracks 23 while protecting the watertight surface of the watertight pontoon hull 21. Each chain rail 22 provides two vertical pieces, such as A-36 steel bar material, which are fillet-welded onto the watertight pontoon hull 21, on the outside of the pieces, as illustrated, leaving a space or channel for the placement of a suitable horizontal piece, such as a HARDOX 400 steel bar, which is fillet-welded to the inside sides of the vertical pieces, as illustrated. Worn or otherwise damaged portions of the chain rails 22 may be repaired or replaced as necessary. Referring to Figure 12, a twin-motor drive drum 25 is provided for each compartmentalized pontoon 20. The provision of a drive drum eliminates the need for an intermediate drive chain to power the sprockets that drive the drive chains 23, simplifying operation and improving the handling and braking capabilities of the motor unit. Each twin-motor drive drum 25, and therefore each compartmentalized pontoon 20, has two hydraulic motors, providing four motors for the entire amphibious vehicle-ship platform 10. The normal operation of such paired hydraulic motors, when supplied from a shared pair of hydraulic lines, is to compensate for and balance each other while moving in any direction or while held stationary in a braking condition. Referring to Figure 13, a passive tension-adjusting chain roller 26 is provided for each compartmentalized pontoon 20. The passive tension-adjusting chain roller 26 maintains a substantially constant tension on the drive chains 23 to keep them within the chain rails 22 and engaged with the sprockets of the twin-motor drive drum 25. Major, general adjustments can be made manually after repair or modification of the drive chains 23 or QLCcnn / zznz / B / γΐΛΐ to adjust for extreme environmental or temperature changes, and smaller adjustments are automatically made moment by moment during operations. Many other changes and modifications can be made to the system and method of the present invention without departing from its spirit. Therefore, we pray that our rights in the present invention are limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An amphibious platform vessel for supporting lifting and moving equipment, having a hydraulic equipment controller and an equipment operator control, the amphibious platform vessel comprising: (i) an adaptable crossbeam adapted for the installation of lifting and moving equipment and the routing of hydraulic lines; (ii) an excavator equipment mounting flange adapted for the installation of excavator-type lifting and moving equipment on said adaptable crossbeam; (iii) a crane equipment mounting flange adapted for the installation of crane-type lifting and moving equipment on said adaptable crossbeam; (iv) two auxiliary crossbeams adapted to add support and stability; (v) two compartmentalized pontoons, which, during use, have an axially elongated shape along a forward and aft travel line and nominal inward and outward sides,each compartmentalized pontoon comprising: (a) a watertight pontoon hull with upper and side surfaces and a lower surface along the elongated axis, having a flat profile along a central portion, rounded profiles along each end portion, and a slightly angled profile along the intermediate portions between the center and the ends; (b) a plurality of chain tracks arranged axially along the upper and lower surfaces of said watertight pontoon hull, adapted to provide a wear-resistant and repairable surface protecting said watertight pontoon hull; (c) a plurality of drive chains, each looped, partially contained within and moving within said chain tracks; (d) a plurality of amphibious slats, each arranged perpendicularly across said drive chains,adapted to provide propulsive contact with firm, semi-firm, and liquid ground surfaces; (e) a twin-motor drive drum mounted on said watertight pontoon hull, having sprockets that mesh with said drive chains, adapted to drive said drive chains along said chain tracks, thereby moving said amphibious slats in propulsive relation to the ground surface; (f) a passive tension-adjusting chain roller mounted on said watertight pontoon hull, adapted to provide adjustable tension on the loops of said drive chains; (g) a plurality of bulkhead partitions arranged within said watertight pontoon hull,adapted to provide structural support and to form separate watertight chambers within said watertight pontoon hull; (h) a plurality of beam hull bottom braces arranged on the inner lower surface of said watertight pontoon hull along the midsection; (i) a plurality of pressed angle hull bottom braces arranged on the inner lower surface of said watertight pontoon hull along the midsection and end sections; (j) an extendable auxiliary float adapted to retract into said watertight pontoon hull during transport and when not required, and to extend from the outside side of said watertight pontoon hull when required to provide improved buoyancy stability; (k) an adaptable crossbeam assembly positioned centrally on the inside side of said watertight pontoon hull,adapted for mounting said adaptable crossbeam on said watertight pontoon hull; and (I) two auxiliary crossbeam assemblies positioned on the inside side of said watertight pontoon hull forward and aft of said adaptable crossbeam assembly; (vi) at least one strut unit adapted to provide anchorage and stability when placed downward on or within the ground surface, and to prevent interference with movement when placed upward on the ground surface, the strut unit comprising: (a) a chain-driven strut adapted to move upward and downward as required; (b) a strut drive mounting unit adapted for mounting said chain-driven strut on said compartmentalized pontoon,and for actuating said chain-driven strut upwards and downwards; (c) a plurality of strut mounting wear strips arranged on said strut drive mounting unit at the points of contact with said chain-driven strut, adapted to facilitate the smooth movement of said chain-driven strut within said strut drive mounting unit and to provide serviceable and replaceable wear surfaces; and (d) a strut drive motor adapted to provide a driving force to said strut drive mounting unit for actuating said chain-driven strut upwards and downwards; and (vii) a strut control switch mounted on the equipment operator control,1. Adapted to cause the appropriate channel of the equipment hydraulic controller to activate said strut drive motor to influence the desired movement of said chain-driven strut by means of said strut drive mounting unit.

2. The amphibious platform vehicle of claim 1, wherein said strut mounting wear strips are made of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material.

3. The amphibious platform vehicle of claim 1, wherein said strut mounting wear strips are made of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) material.

4. The amphibious platform vehicle of claim 1, wherein said strut mounting wear strips are made of a plastic material.

5. The amphibious platform vehicle of claim 1,6. The amphibious platform vehicle of claim 1, wherein said strut mounting wear strips are made of a metallic material.

7. The amphibious platform vehicle of claim 1, wherein said watertight pontoon hull further comprises a slightly angled profile along intermediate portions of 1 degree.

8. The amphibious platform vehicle of claim 1, wherein said watertight pontoon hull further comprises a slightly angled profile along intermediate portions of 1.5 degrees.

9. The amphibious platform vehicle of claim 1, wherein said watertight pontoon hull further comprises a slightly angled profile along intermediate portions of 2 degrees.

10. The amphibious platform vessel-vessel of claim 1,further comprising three of said chain tracks.

11. A method for using a lifting and moving equipment having a hydraulic equipment controller and an equipment operator control, in a workplace having firm, semi-firm, and liquid ground surfaces, comprising: (i) providing an amphibious platform vessel comprising: (a) an adaptable crossbeam adapted for the installation of lifting and moving equipment and the routing of hydraulic lines; (b) an excavator equipment mounting flange adapted for the installation of excavator-type lifting and moving equipment on said adaptable crossbeam; (c) a crane equipment mounting flange adapted for the installation of crane-type lifting and moving equipment on said adaptable crossbeam; (d) two auxiliary crossbeams adapted to add support and stability; (e) two compartmentalized pontoons, which, during use,an elongated axial shape along a forward and aft travel line and nominal inward and outward sides, QLCcnn / zznz / B / YiAi comprising each compartmentalized pontoon: (1) a watertight pontoon hull with upper and side surfaces and a lower surface along the elongated axis, having a flat profile along a central portion, rounded profiles along each end portion, and a slightly angled profile along the intermediate portions between the center and the ends; (2) a plurality of chain rails arranged axially along the upper and lower surfaces of said watertight pontoon hull, adapted to provide a wear-resistant and repairable surface protecting said watertight pontoon hull; (3) a plurality of drive chains, each in the form of a loop, partially contained within and moving within said chain tracks; (4) a plurality of amphibious slats, each being arranged perpendicularly across said drive chains, adapted to provide propulsive contact with firm, semi-firm and liquid ground surfaces; (5) a twin-motor drive drum mounted on said watertight pontoon hull, having sprockets that mesh with said drive chains, adapted to drive said drive chains along said chain tracks, thereby moving said amphibious slats in propulsive relation to the ground surface; (6) a passive tension-adjusting chain roller mounted on said watertight pontoon hull, adapted to provide adjustable tension on the loops of said drive chains; (7) a plurality of bulkhead partitions arranged within said watertight pontoon hull, adapted to provide structural support and to form separate watertight chambers within said watertight pontoon hull; (8) a plurality of beam hull bottom reinforcements arranged on the inner lower surface of said watertight pontoon hull along the central portion; (9) a plurality of QLCcnn / zznz / Β / γΐΛΐ pressed angle hull bottom reinforcements arranged on the inner lower surface of said watertight pontoon hull along the intermediate and end portions; (10) an extendable auxiliary float adapted to retract into said watertight pontoon hull during transport and when not required, and to extend from the outside side of said watertight pontoon hull when required to provide improved buoyancy stability; (11) an adaptable crossbeam assembly positioned centrally on the inner side of said watertight pontoon hull, adapted to mount said adaptable crossbeam on said watertight pontoon hull; and (12) two auxiliary crossbeam assemblies positioned on the inner side of said watertight pontoon hull forward and aft of said adaptable crossbeam assembly; (f) at least one strut unit adapted to provide anchorage and stability when placed downward on or within the ground surface, and to prevent interference with movement when placed upward on the ground surface, the strut unit comprising: (1) a chain-driven strut adapted to move upward and downward as required; (2) a strut drive mounting unit adapted to mount said chain-driven strut on said compartmentalized pontoon,and for actuating said chain-driven strut upwards and downwards; (3) a plurality of strut mounting wear strips arranged on said strut drive mounting unit at the points of contact with said chain-driven strut, adapted to facilitate the smooth movement of said chain-driven strut within said strut drive mounting unit and to provide serviceable and replaceable wear surfaces; and (4) a strut drive motor adapted to provide driving force to said QLCcnn / zznz / e / YiAi strut drive mounting unit for actuating said chain-driven strut upwards and downwards; and (g) a strut control switch mounted on the equipment operator control,adapted to cause the appropriate channel of the equipment hydraulic controller to activate said strut drive motor to influence the desired movement of said chain-driven strut by means of said strut drive mounting unit; (ii) transporting said amphibious platform vehicle to the work site as separate modules; (iii) assembling said amphibious platform vehicle at the work site; (iv) mounting the movement-lifting equipment on said amphibious platform vehicle at the work site; (v) moving the movement-lifting equipment mounted on said amphibious platform vehicle around the work site; (vi) using the movement-lifting equipment mounted on said amphibious platform vehicle; and (iii) controlling the deployment and retraction of said strut units through said strut control switch.

12. The method of claim 11,wherein said strut mounting wear strips are made of a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said strut mounting wear strips are made of a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) material.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said strut mounting wear strips are made of a plastic material.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said strut mounting wear strips are made of a metallic material.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said strut mounting wear strips are made of steel. QLCcnn / zznz / B / GALA 17. The method of claim 11, wherein said watertight pontoon hull further comprises a profile slightly angled along intermediate portions by 1 degree. 5 18. The method of claim 11,wherein said watertight pontoon hull further comprises a slightly angled profile along intermediate portions of 1.5 degrees.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said watertight pontoon hull 10 further comprises a slightly angled profile along intermediate portions of 2 degrees.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein said amphibious platform vessel further comprises three of said chain tracks.

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