An Improved Combined Vehicle and Boat.
Year: 1898

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Combined Vehicle and Boat.
I, JOHN WILLIAMS, of 4, Wood Street, Queen's Road, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Clothier's Assistant, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
My invention has reference to an improved combined vehicle and boat that
is to say to a contrivance which is at times capable of being driven or drawn
along the road and is at other times equally capable of being propelled or towed
through the water.
According to a design of a combined vehicle and boat which I at present
consider to be suitable I arrange a platform of convenient strength and dimen-
sions this platform constituting the floor of the vehicle and the deck of the
boat. This platform might be surrounded by a low wall or gunwale if thought
desirable. Below and to this platform I secure two or more boat or cigar
shaped structures designed to give sufficient buoyancy to the whole when on
the water. When using two of these boat or cigar shaped structures they are
attached beneath the platform towards the sides and at equidistances from a
line drawn down the centre of the platform. prefer that these attached buoy-
ing structures should be air-tight to increase their efficiency. In lieu of these
boat or cigar shaped structures I might of course utilise a series of air tight
chambers with the same results.
The vehicle when on land runs on sets of wheels, preferably three sets of two
wheels each, the driven wheels, or the wheels capable of being driven, prefer-
ably occupying a central position beneath the boat shaped buoying structures,
the other two sets which act respectively as steering and rudder wheels being
arranged at the front and rear of the platform:
For the rear or steering wheels I. should employ disc wheels or I might have
a rudder of the ordinary or suitable description in addition to the sets of wheels,
Propelling screws are also arranged and secured beneath the platform where-
by the contrivance, when fulfilling the function of a boat, is advanced through
the water.
To drive the vehicle. when running on land the centrally situated, driven
wheels are actuated through gearing by any suitable or convenient motor carried
on the platform or deck the same motor actuating the driving screws through
gearing to propel the boat when on the water. The steering wheels and rudder
wheels are operated in a convenient fashion by steering handles or gearing so
as to direct the progress of the contrivance either on land or water.
In cases where the combined vehicle and boat would be used for pleasure and
short excursion purposes the driven wheels and screws might be manually
operated through suitable gear by the passengers.
I do not confine myself to the use of screws for propelling purposes as I might
employ paddles or the like.

page_text: When using my improved combined vehicle and boat to convey passengers
the platform would be provided with convenient seating arrangements and
other accommodations necessary or desirable in the interests of travellers.
A combined road vehicle and boat constructed and used in accordance with
my invention offers considerable attractions in the way of novelty and utility.
Dated this 5th day of January 1897.
An Improved Combined Vehicle and Boat.
I, JOHN WILLIAMS, of 4, Wood, Street, Queen's Road, Manchester, in the
County of Lancaster, Clothier's Assistant, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement and accompanying
drawings:-
My said invention has reference to an improved combined vehicle and boat,
that is to say, to a contrivance which is at times capable of being driven or
drawn along the road and is at other times equally capable of being propelled
or towed through the water.
In order to render my invention more clear I have attached hereto an illus-
trative sheet of diagrams to which I will throughout the following description
refer.
On the said sheet, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a combined vehicle and boat con-
structed in accordance with my invention, and shown by way of example.
Fig. is a plan view of the structure inverted.
Fig. 3 represents a plan view of Fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of Fig. 1 on the line y y looking in the direction
of the arrow.
Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the manner in which the steering wheels are
coupled up.
In carrying my invention into effect I build up in any convenient fashion,
a platform a, this platform constituting the floor of the vehicle and the deck
of the boat. The said platform is of suitable strength and dimensions and may,
or may not, be surrounded by a low wall or gunwale 6 as indicated in Fig. 4.
Below and to this platform, I secure two or more boat or cigar shaped struc-
tures c, designed to give sufficient buoyancy to the whole when on the water.
When using two of these boat or cigar shaped structures c, they are attached
beneath the platform a towards its sides, and at equidistance from a line drawn
down the centre of the platform. prefer that these attached buoy-
ing structures should be air-tight to increase their efficiency, said I
also propose to form the same into one or more separate, compartments by
division wall as shown in the drawing, so that collapse or failure at one part
shall not affect the whole length of the buoying structure.
In lieu of these boat or cigar shaped structures I might of course utilise a
series of independent air tight chambers with the same results.
The vehicle, when on land, runs on sets of wheels, preferably three sets of
two wheels each. The driven wheels, or the wheels capable of being driven,
are marked & and occupy a central position beneath the boat shaped buoying

page_text: structures being partly shrouded thereby, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The other
two sets of wheels e f which act both as steering and rudder wheels are arranged
beneath and at the front and rear of the platform. These sets of wheels c f
are of disc formation SO ag to present a greater area to the
water, the two wheels in each set being coupled together by connecting rods f
and the two sets by rods g as indicated in the diagram Fig. 5. By having each
wheel independently mounted and the whole coupled together as described the
appliance is more efficiently steered.
I might have a rudder of the ordinary or suitable description in addition to
the sets of wheels if thought necessary. When fulfilling the function of a boat
the contrivance is propelled through the water by means of screws h carried
on the shaft h¹ which is arranged and secured beneath the platform a.
I do not confine myself to the use of screws for propelling purposes as I might
for instance employ paddles. To drive the vehicle when running on land, the
centrally situated wheels d are actuated through gearing from a suitable motor A
which however forms no part of my invention.
This motor A is carried on the platform or deck a and in addition to operating
the wheels d when on land, also actuates the driving screws h, so as to propel the
boat when in the water. The steering and rudder wheels e f, are operated in a
convenient fashion through gearing by a steering wheel or the like, so as to
direct the progress of the contrivance either on land or water.
When using my improved combined vehicle and boat to convey passengers,
the platform would be provided with convenient seating arrangements and other
accommodation desirable in the interests of passengers.
In cases where the combined vehicle and boat would be used for pleasure
and short excursion purposes the power of the motor might be augmented by
the provision of pedals and chain gear, the pedals being worked by the pas-
sengers and the power so created transmitted to the necessary shafts in any
convenient manner.
This arrangement is indicated in Fig. 3 where the fore half of the deck or
platform is shown provided with seating saddles and pedals for a dozen pas-
sengers, the rear half being furnished with seats which may be of the usual
garden formation.
The improved combined vehicle and boat possesses considerable attractions
in the way of novelty and utility and is therefore particularly suitable for the
use of holiday makers at sea-side resorts.
It will be obvious that the structural details of the indicated combined vehicle
and boat may be readily varied, without departing from the spirit of my inven-
tion, and I do not therefore confine myself in this respect.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
The improved combined vehicle and boat, constructed, arranged and operated,
in the manner, and substantially as hereinbefore described and shown.
Dated this 5th day of October 1898.
JOHN WILLIAMS.