Patent ID: 6159058
Filing Date: 2000-12-12
Classification: B60F,B63C

Abstract:
A retractable suspension and wheel apparatus for a watercraft, comprising:a selectively retractable nose wheel mounted within a nose wheel cavity of a hull, towards a forward end of said hull,a laterally spaced apart pair of rear wheels mounted, within aft wheels wells in side walls of said hull, on first ends of elongate members, said elongate members pivotally mounted at second ends thereof to said hull within said aft wheel wells, said elongate members selectively pivotable by actuation of selective actuators so as to rotate said rear wheels between an elevated storage position within said aft wheel wells and a lower extended and locked position,wherein said elongate members are selectively pivotable by means of suspension struts pivotally mounted at lower ends thereof to said elongate members and pivotally mounted at upper ends thereof to said selective actuators, said selective actuators actuable so as to selectively drive said upper ends of said suspension struts from a position forward in said aft wheel wells, wherein said elongate members are rotated up so as to retract said rear wheels into said elevated storage position, to a position aft of said second ends of said elongate members wherein said elongate members are rotated down so as to extend said rear wheels into said extended and locked position and said suspension struts are releasably locked in an over-center position in said aft wheel wells.