34 SPECIAL OFF-ROAD VEHICLES

Amphibious vehicle of WWII in Japan. See Chapter : 'Pneumatic Tracks'. http://www.strange-mecha.com/vehicle/track/scv.htm

and the original Japanese book.

Amphibious vehicle of WWII in Japan for crossing swamps. http://www.strange-mecha.com/vehicle/track/scv.htm

and the original Japanese book.

E-4121 excavator on pneumatic tracks conceived in 1985 by ONIL VM for pipelines Bureau. These machines, produced in little series near Nizhny-Novgorod, perform work on emergency response and repair of oil and gas pipelines. It is the only pneumatic tracks built in series probably in the world.

Pneumatic tracks of E-4121 excavator.

Triangle tracks of NASA from Popular Science, Feb 1974.

Tri.on of Tuvie Design, remote controlled robot concept for firefighting. Tracks are driven and the whole triangular wheel can roll.   http://www.tuvie.com/

search/robot+wheels

Delta Beetle, Gold Medal at the Toyota Idea Olympics in 1991, year competition of the employees of Toyota was very prolific. The triangular wheels were powered on their own axle and a drive belt around the wheels could be driven independently. The vehicle could climb stairs. Terrastar and Landmaster had Tri-Star wheels but no tracks. Documentation J M M from Toyota.

Floating wheels of Straussler in 1951-52 on a Willys MB, also tried on FV1800 Mudlark (Wolseley) and VLRD (Delahaye). These inflatable wheels enable vehicle to float and to give cross-country capabilities by mean of a 'simple' attachment. Pict from 'Wheels and Tracks' N° 44, 1993.

Ford M151 with M3 Flotation Kit, 1965, of Goodyear Rubber Company. Tests were successful. Picture from book of Fred Crismon ‘US Military Wheeled Vehicles’, Crestline Publishing (Motorbook), 1983.

Kristi KT-4

Kristi Water Walker, Amphibious, 1962, issued from KT-4 but with buoyant bags fitted on tracks to move on water as the Scaled Test Bed. Steering on dry soil must be a problem. Picture from book of Fred Crismon ‘US Military Tracked Vehicles’, Motorbook International Publishers & Wholesellers, 1992.

Spherical Drive System on a motorbike. It's a project of the San Jose State University College of Engineering.    http://sphericaldrive

system.com/?gallery=image-gallery    http://sphericaldrive

system.com/concept/

Stellar Eagle Lander project led by Keith Goeller. Star wheels are used on this artist's conception.      http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23284596/ns/technology_and_science-space/t/teams-shoot-moon/#.UKscZqOa9lo

Gato Arana seen at the Motor Show of Barcelona in 1972. He could climb steps of 1 m by using rotors. On the other side, it seems that the minor wheels were fixed on rotors. Jóse Artes de Arcos, 1893-1985, important Spanish cars industrial: ‘Fabrica de Accesorios para Automobiles y Motocycletas', Barcelona, built in 1971 the amphibian 6x6 ‘El Gato Montes' and this one that looks like a little Terrastar. Does it still exists ? Pict from the book ‘Les Véhicules Hors Série’ of Jacques Borgé and Nicolas Viasnoff, Balland, 1976.

Terrastar in Lego without and with tracks.    http://www.doublebrick.ru/

mocs/sofo/terrastar-8x12-kolesnyy

Lego Tri Star Wheeled Twister, 2010. The body can tilt longitudinally.    http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=82Cch5XuG3I :

Tri-star-wheeled-vehicle-in-lego.mp4

Terrastar of Lockheed of 1967 was built in a very creative period (60s and 70s) in all fields particularly that of off-road locomotion, but idea was not new. Today, research continue and there is new prototypes although much more conventional.

US003208544-001 Stepping wheel vehicle, 1965.

Terrastar of Lockheed Aircraft Service Company, CA, in 1967. The vehicle performed very well in mud. See chapter : 'The Wheel Reinvented'. Documentation J M M of Lockheed.

Terrastar Marginal Amphibian of Lockheed

Terrastar earlier prototype, whose construction was subcontracted to Frank Curtis in 1967. Documentation J M M of Lockheed.

Terrastar of Forsyth Brothers of Lockheed Aircraft Service Company in 1967. At that time, Lockheed diversified, as many aircraft companies, in off-road vehicles. The idea of this one came from old patents for minor and major wheels, named Tristar wheels. It could climb stairs but performed better in mud than on rocks. Speed : 55 km/h, skid steering, Empty mass : 1120 kg, total mass 1635 kg. Documentation J M M from Lockheed.

 Tri-Star Wheel of M2A2 Terrastar of Lockheed in early 70s. It is displayed now at Rock Island Arsenal. http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/showthread.php?153774-M2A2-TerraStar-semi-SPA

Terra Star staying at Waterways Experiment Station, Vickburg, Mississipi, in 2012.               http://www.com-central.net/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=15161

Paramount Midori Astro Car is a Japanese toys of the 70s based on the Terrastar. The X-11000 from Paya, Spain was also based on the same vehicle.

www.projectsword

toys.blogspot.

com!2009!11!lunar-climber-origin-by-blog-reader.html 

Meccano model of Terrastar, 1986. This model has been constructed by the author in 1972 and removed in 2000.

12x12 Landmaster in Damnation Alley. Built in 1977 by Dan Jeffries Automotive, Universal City at Los Angeles, CA, for the film Damnation Alley whose it was the highlight. The 3-Star Wheels are as on the Terrastar of Lockheed but the latter was not articulated. The Landmaster was parked from 1977 to 2005 at Cahuenga Boulevard, North Hollywood, sold and restored in 2005. J M M archives from Dan Jeffries.

Landmaster. Documentation J M M from Dan Jeffries.

Landmaster in construction showing chassis and engine Ford 7 l, mass 10 T. J M M archives from Dan Jeffries.

Landmaster in construction. J M M archives from Dan Jeffries.

Landmaster, film crew.

J M M archives from Dan Jeffries.

Landmaster. Film shooting. J M M archives from Dan Jeffries.

Landmaster. J M M archives from Dan Jeffries.

Landmaster.

J M M archives from Dan Jeffries.

ELMS simplified drawing represents the first page of the 'Rover Mobility Performance Evaluation Tool' (RMPET) of Nildeep Patel, software predicting robots performances.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA Rover. It's the drawing of a rover equipped with ELMS in the 80s. Documentation J M M from JPL.

Loopwheel Suspension System

ELMS at Computer Museum, Mountain View, CA, at the end of the 80s one day the ELMS Rover (on left) was exhibited outside the entrance of the museum.

Elastic Loop Mobility System ELMS tested by WES, Waterways Experiment Station in 1973 for NASA. The ELMS, developed in 1971 by Lockheed Corporation, made of titanium or fiber material was not a tracked device but provided same advantages in soft soils and was able to negotiate higher obstacles. See Chapter : 'Changes Around the Tracks III.

http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/msad28apr98_1b/

ELMS Elastic Loopwheel Mobility Concept

US004378133-005 Loop Track Mobility System, 1983.

us004378133-001-loop-track-mobility-system-1983-2l.pdf

Lockheed Loopwheel Concept Vehicle, 1960, bases on M274 Mule.  A flexible titanium band (later in composite materials) replaced the wheels and suspension. Little wideness of the bands did not allowed low ground pressure. Picture from book of Fred Crismon ‘US Military Tracked Vehicles’, Motorbook International Publishers & Wholesalers, 1992.

Hubless-wheel-elms.mp4

US002711221-001 Elliptical wheel, Kopczynski, 1955.

Elliptical Wheel of John Kopczynski patented in the 40s and tested on scale models and the M7 prototype. Osmund Anthony Goulden tested also a scale model in 1955. See Chapter 'The Wheel Reinvented'. Did Kopczinski and Goulden knew each other ? http://blog.hemmings.com/

index.php/2009/11/24/wobbly-wheels-and-ferraris/ from Mechanix Illustrated, Aug 1949.

Trucks walk on wheels

Elliptical Wheels

GB945375 Elliptical wheels from O.A. Goulden, 1961. Kopczinski had been the first to take patent on elliptical wheels. Did they know each other ?

Rotoped of Julius Mackerle from Car Research Institute of Prague in 1958 was intended to move on moon. See Chapter 'the Wheel Reinvented'. From the review 'Popular Science' 1970.

 Rotoped of Julius mackerle

Julius Mackerle & Rotoped ÚVMV, Praha. Photo by the courtesy of Mr Ivan Mackerle. http://www.flickr.com/photos/fkada/4408509148/ 

LTSS, Light Track Suspension System of Caterpillar. These rubber tracks were mounted on Water Purification Trailer of Lohr Company, France. J M M archives.

LTSS. Water Purification Trailer. J M M archives.

Baker Tank, 8x8 1942 and 4x4, 1941 from Baker Manufacturing Co. Models only but the principle was proved viable. http://www.warwheels.net/Baker8x8Jumping

TankIndex.html

Boirault Machines, 1915, was an early land ship made of an outer deformable like track skeleton with an engine in the middle. In 1916, the second Boisrault Machine (upper) was not more successful. Speed very low, 1 km/h, these machines could not be steered.

Kind of tracks with Peugeot HP 28. In 1908, it ran 450 km between Biskra and Touggourt and in 1909 150 km between Tebessoy and Gafsa in Tunisia. www.strangernn.

livejournal.com

Squirrel Cage, 1950, tested at Quantico, Virginia. Poor traction between tires and cage, too heavy and without steering. Nevertheless, an invention is always worth to be tried. Picture from book of Fred Crismon ‘US Military Tracked Vehicles’, Motorbook International Publishers & Wholesellers, 1992.

US002786540-001a. Non circular wheels, 1957.

Advertising of the German Bohnenkamp tires at Agritechnica 2011. Pict Nathan Thomas and Jean-Pierre Noret from review 'Tracteurs Passion et Collection' Jan-Feb 2012.

Omni-crawler-robot, 2011, of Osaka University. It is fitted with a unique Omni-Ball drive. Meanwhile, it needs hard and flat ground and is not truly off-road.  http://www.robots-

dreams.com/engineering

NXT tracked amphibious in LEGO.  http://bluetoothkiwi.

blogspot.fr/   and     http://thenxtstep.blogspot.fr/2008/07/nxt-amphibious-vehicle.html

NXT amphibious vehicle : Front

Gauthier hopping car, 1913, invented by Gauthier, Blois, France, to resolve problems of obstacle crossing, roads being very bad at that time. Compressing a spring on each wheel when moving forward at 35 km/h, the car jumps 1,5 m high and 6 m is landing away. Contacted, Army did not follow. Pict from the book ‘Les Véhicules Hors Série’ of Jacques Borgé and Nicolas Viasnoff, Balland, 1976.

Traction Hipkins device, 1941-42 was not for road, nor for sand, because it dig this later and buried the vehicle. More, the crew had to mount and un-mount the device. Adjust air pressure in the tires is always much better. Picture from book of Fred Crismon ‘US Military Tracked Vehicles’, Motorbook International Publishers & Wholesellers, 1992.

Wheel traction with chains and very low ground pressure tires for locomotion. These later don't become bogged in mud and wrap around unequal way.

Wheel traction. Some different systems to increase off-road mobility.

Neuson Excavator is fitted here with a non-driven roller of stabilization. If it was driven, this could help to move better. Picture at Euroforest, St Bonnet-de-Joux, France, June 2003.

Gismo Machine built by Sanford-Day Iron works, Inc., Knoxville, USA, for Grandview of American Zinc in 1954. The tracked non-driven trailer at the front was self-loading and unloading. From 'Machine Mobile Evolution' of AIPETOHAC of Francis Pierre, 1993 08.

Jet propulsion for off-road vehicles, Russia, in the 70s. From YouTube.

Off-road vehicle with jets : top Chevrolet 1948, below  1964. Jets help in difficult crossing. From 'Popular Mechanics', Sept 1948. http://books.google.fr/

books?id=CtkDAAAAMBAJ&pg

=PA102&lpg=PA102&dq=jets+for+trucks+popular+

mechanics+september+

1948&source=bl&ots=Do9zrbtBmM&sig=nm95c0b0fkz2m9TY

JqRCWCPr_6A&hl=en&sa=X&ei=r-yGUKqMF8is0QXvzoHYBA&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA

Trials of jets for trucks in 1948 to help in mud and steep roads. Loaded of 33-ton, this 6x6 truck has 12 Jato auxiliary jets engines of 500 hp, 5 on each side, and 2 front to blow mud out of the path. Pict from 'Popular Mechanics', Sept 1948.

Jets for trucks

Louis Vannod project of 1939 presented wheels in diamond pattern and retractable tracks. Mass 550 kg, speed 80 km/h, intended to replace motorcycles.

 Pict from the book ‘Les Véhicules Hors Série’ of Jacques Borgé and Nicolas Viasnoff, Balland, 1976.

US004530545-002 Pneumatic track of Bertelsen, 1985.

US4778019 patent. Sealed tracks with inside pressure for sealing.

US005881831-003 Multi-terrain amphibious vehicle, 1999.

Half-wheels off-road Meccano/Erector model. Half-wheels go onto obstacle but, as the half-wheels are packed in 180 °, on flat ground, vehicle moves smoothly. on flat ground, vehicle remains horizontal. Model and picture of J M M in 2009 05.

Varlet Tank. See Chap 'Change around the track I'. from www.aviamor.ru

Varlet Tank

Controlled suspension from USA in the 70s. Sensors could predict terrain profile in order to lift or lower hydraulically the wheels of the tracked vehicle at the right time.  From site :  http://armor.kiev.ua/

Tanks/Modern/FromTo/

 Expendable Wheels Toy of the 80s. When wheels were stopped, they increase its diameter. Seen on YouTube :  80_s_Power_Machines_

Commercial__FLEX power Tonka.

 Tractor spider  from Walter Ruda on www.farmphoto.com

It is also mentioned in Chap ‘Walking, Hopping, Spherical and WSL Robots and vehicles’. It can be seen here another inscription.

 Wheel of Major-General Fuller, GB, Complex and probably unreliable. Posted by Robert Grauman on the excellent site : http://www.practical

machinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-history/ot-crawler-tractors-196276/index17.html

Wheel of André Dunlop 1861. Levers and short rails for this 'improved rail-wheel for chars'.     

http://armor.kiev.ua/lib/tank/1-2/t2.html

Walking wheel of Clarke 1891. There were no spokes and rim. The system was very slow.     http://armor.kiev.ua/lib/tank/1-2/t2.html

US006517457-027 curved track  patent

First tracked steam tractor from John Gitkota, 1832, England. A proto was built and tested in wet areas.    http://armor.kiev.ua/lib/

tank/1-2/t2.html

Chain around wheel of Lewis Gompers 1831. It looks like Koppish system.

http://armor.kiev.ua/lib/tank/1-2/t2.html

Benson Farm Locomotive, 1886. Pict posted to site 'practicalmachinist' by Robert Grauman from The Scientific American of February 20, 1886.

http://www.practical

machinist.com/vb/antique-machinery-history/ot-crawler-tractors-196276/index10.html

Bonmartini Roller tracks on Fiat 25C and trailer, 1961. These free rotating rubber rollers on tracks allowed to reduce friction when changing direction mainly on hard surfaces. Pict from 'The Engineer', July 21, 1961.

Off-road Locomotion

Experimental pneumatic tracks on Lombartini Castoro tractor for agriculture, Aosta, 1961. The tracks are moved by friction between bars connecting the flanges of the rear wheel and the track. The lubricating pump can be seen at the front wheel. Pict from 'The Engineer', July 21, 1961.

Pneumatic Tracks Bonmartini

Union of pneumatic and track

Lombardini Castoro. Picture from the book of  Richard H Robinson: ‘Crawler Tractor Scrapbook’ Part Three, Country Life Ltd, New Zealand, 2000.

Propelled platform SPGD (Spherical Pneumatic Tracks Propulsion), of Elia Monin of Dubna. They look like a segmented Rolligon with an overall stuck rubber band. On the patent, a large envelope covers the whole. Prototype is not finished.

http://translate.google.fr/translate?hl=fr&sl=ru&tl=fr&u=http%3A%2F%2Fstrannik.flyboard.ru%2F  and   http://strannik-v.ru/topic211.html ;

http://niva-club.net/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=2316

Curtiss-Wright Model 2500 Air Car, 1960. Тhis new air car, very innovative at that time, could travel at 61 km/h at 635 to 965 mm above the ground. It was commercially conceived but fairly maneuverable and not all terrain. Two 180 Lycoming engines, front and rear. It stays now at Transportation Museum, Fort Eustis, Virginia. Picture from www.justacarguy.blogspot.com

Hovertruck at WES Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi. A platform suspended on air cushion with driven wheels for moving was conceived to transport oilfield equipment on muskeg of Canada. The wheels could be replaced by a tracked vehicle like Foremost or Bombardier to move the platform as a trailer. From the 60's or 70's.            http://www.americansabbatical

.com/Dispatches/dated/

A096log17Apr97.htm

Air Cushion Platform payload 450 t, from Hovertrailers International Ltd and ACE & Markley, GB, in the 70's. Very low ground pressure allowed it to move on muskeg, Canada, thanks to pulling tracked vehicles (like Nodwell or Bombardier). They had additional non-driven steering wheels. However, lateral inclined surfaces caused excessive forces in the wheels and in 1973 was conceived Aerobac AB7 with air cushion and tracks whose the ratio useful mass / total mass was not good and the project, funded by Transport Canada, did not exceed the stage of the model. From 'Machine Mobile Evolution' from AIPETOHAC of Francis Pierre, 1994 08

An air cushion trailer and a tracked vehicle, total mass 6 t, moving both on swamp at 80 km/h in USSR in 1973. Similar vehicles were tested in Canada jointly with Bertin, France. Pict from the review : 'L'Automobile', Dec 1973.

AT-L Tracked tractor and air cushioned platform, prototype. Mass of tractor 6,3 t, payload 2 t, 96 hp, speed 42 km/h. Ground pressure 0,45 kg/cm².  Picture from the book of Alain Dupouy, Auto-éditeur : 'Tracteurs et Engins Spéciaux Chenillés Soviétiques’  Tome II', 1986.

Adams Wagons Ltd produced in 1983 these wide polyurethane wheels of 1.050 m diameter and 900 mm wide to reduce ground pressure on their 6 tons capacity trailer in peat.

Mitsubishi Big Foot won Grand Prix of Idea in 1991. Each wheel can differ according to 8 segments and follow terrain and soil. Picture from review 'Auto Verte', Dec 1991.

US3814046 patent. An articulated chassis is used with the inverted torus.

Toroidal locomotion by inverted torus of Dr Valery Shihirin immigrated to USA in 2001 is a really new application. www.elastoneering.com and Chapter 'Pneumatic Tracks' of present site. Toroidal locomotion allows very low ground pressure but all problems are not resolved.

Toroidal locomotion by inverted torus of Dr Valery Shihirin.

Research on inverted torus seems to be continued since 2008 by Roman Maksymenko of Max-Master, region of Moscow : http://max-master.com/   

Hirotoshi Hikota vehicle for disabled presented at the Toyota Olympic Ideas about 2000. That year, competition of employees of Toyota was relayed by the media. Here was an all-terrain vehicle with new concept of tracks surrounding a wheel and a star-wheel.

Vehicle for disabled, of Hirotoshi Hikota. Picture from 'Livre Mondial des Inventions' by Anne-Valérie Giscard D'Estaing, about 2001, Ed. Cie 12.

Meccanum wheel on obstacle    http://www.youtube.com

/watch?v=5HjuALaXmn8

Scorpa Quad Trial, 2007, is a four wheel bicycle driven by Yamaha motor. Is it really off-road ? http://moto.caradisiac.com/

Scorpa-se-met-au-quad-mais-toujours-en-trial-308

Tweel of Michelin, 2008, puncture-proof tire. It consist of a round honeycomb wrapped around the wheel hub which itself is wrapped with thick heavy-duty tread. http://www.markstechno

logynews.com/2008/11/

honeycomb-tire-bomb-proof-bullet-proof.html

Drawing of special vehicles on a Russian Magazine : Model Builder, 1976, N° 6.

 http://hobbyport.ru/mk_other/

horizons_technic/

7606_vezdehody.htm

which can be translated in English by the search engine.

Drawings of a Russian Magazine Model Builder, 1976, N° 6. See the site : http://hobbyport.ru/mk_other/

horizons_technic/7606

_vezdehody.htm which can be translated in English by your search engine.

Terraplane BC7 of Bertin Company, Castillon la Bataille, after BC4 and BC6, in the mid-60s, with 4-wheel drive and 10 air cushions. A smaller version, the T3S, succeeded to BC7. http://aernav.free.fr/

Terraplane/Bc7/BC7.html

Aérobac AB7 scaled model from Canada and SEDAM (Société d'Etudes et de Développement des Aéroglisseurs Marins) from the 80s with tracks and air cushions. Larges air cushioned platform were pulled in 1973 by tracked vehicles on Muskeg and thus the idea of Aerobac was born. But the ratio between payload and empty mass was poor and no customers were interested. http://aernav.free.fr/

Terraplane/Bc7/BC7.html

Terraplane Bertin BC8, 1966, was tested by Bertin Company, Tarnos, France, at Angers on La Maine River. Sustenance was produced by Marboré reactor of 400 kg of thrust feeding 7 skirts and propulsion screws by Artouste turboprop. Payload 2000 kg. It was of course amphibious and skirts helped pass over small obstacles on land. It was marketed, without success. After this vehicle, Bertin Company was split : SEDAM, Société d'études et de Développement des Aéroglisseurs Marins and Société de l'Aérotrain. Picture from Francis Pierre, Salon du Bourget, 1966.

Wheelchair KSK23 climbs stairs. www.roboken.esys.

tsukuba.ac.jp  

Tractor and tracked gantry : its name in Russia is Puteukladchick for construction of railway rails. This crane serves also for construction of roads, bridges, pipes. Although equipped with tracks, this big rig is not truly off-road but unusual.   http://bse.sci-lib.com/article094281.html

Tracked Wheeled support of camera. Pict J M M at Intermat, Villepinte, 2009 04.

Projects TV21 Snow train and Sand Flea (with a tire filled with reserve of water) early concepts of toys.              http://projectswordtoys.

blogspot.fr/2009/01/1966-artwork-by-eric-eden-in-tv21.html

Probieda with propeller in the 50s. Motor sleds are well and only suited for large flat snow covered spaces. Pict from the review 'Tout Terrain 82', Auto Loisirs, Editions P.A.L., 1982, by Jean Gabriel Jeudy.

Botrail Tractor prototype date from mid-1910s to 1920 and built in England from patent of Frank Bottrill, Australia, 1912. See chap 'Change around the tracks I'.    //bp1.blogger.com