Patent ID: 7316594

Claim:
A wheel suspension and retraction system for an amphibious vehicle, comprising: a pair of wheels spaced apart transversely across the vehicle, each wheel mounted for rotation on a hub assembly; suspension linkages for the wheels connecting the hub assemblies to a common rocker member via spring and damper assemblies, one spring and damper assembly for each wheel, with the rocker member mounted for rotation about a pivot axis and a first of the wheels being connected via an associated suspension linkage to the rocker member on one side of the pivot axis and a second of the wheels being connected via an associated suspension linkage to the rocker member on the other side of the pivot axis; an actuator connected to the rocker member for rotating the rocker member about the pivot axis thereof, with rotation in one sense retracting the wheels to raised marine mode locations and with rotation in an opposite sense protracting the wheels to lowered land mode locations; wherein: the suspension linkages each extend transversely across the vehicle to the rocker member which is mounted for rotation at a location lying inboard of the pair of wheels.