Patent ID: 7878522

Claim:
A vehicle, comprising: a vehicle frame assembly including a vehicle frame, a steering rod coupled rotatably to said vehicle frame, and a pair of arm units, each of which is coupled pivotably to said vehicle frame; a wheel/pontoon/ski unit including a front wheel, pontoon, or ski that is coupled to said steering rod, and a pair of rear wheels, pontoons, or skis, each of which is coupled pivotably to a respective one of said arm units; and a drive unit mounted on said vehicle frame, coupled to said arm units, and operable so as to drive pivoting movement of said arm units relative to said vehicle frame to result in movement of said rear wheels, pontoons, or skis toward and away from each other; wherein each of said arm units includes a first arm that is coupled pivotably to said vehicle frame, each of said rear wheels, pontoons, or skis of said wheel/pontoon/ski unit being coupled pivotably to said first arm of the respective one of said arm units; and wherein said rear wheels, pontoons, or skis are aligned in a first direction, said drive unit including a lifting motor, and a slider that is driven by said lifting motor and that is movable in a second direction transverse to the first direction, said vehicle further including a pair of levers, each of which is coupled pivotably to said slider and is coupled pivotably to said first arm of a respective one of said arm units so that said rear wheels, pontoons, or skis are moved toward each other when said slider is moved in the second direction toward said front wheel, pontoon, or ski and so that said rear wheels, pontoons, or skis are moved away from each other when said slider is moved in the second direction away from said front wheel, pontoon, or ski.