Importance

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Abstract

An amphibious toy vehicle about the length of a 'penlight' battery can climb any grade where it will not tip over backward, and can propel itself through water. An 'AA' battery powers an electric motor in the four-wheel-drive vehicle. The motor has a double-ended shaft, driving a symmetrical worm-and-worm-gear geartrain. The motor and geartrain are aligned along one side of the chassis; the battery alongside them occupies the rest of the chassis. Both climbing and water-propulsion capability are enhanced by several-times-overscale hollow (to aid flotation) wheels, with pronounced peripheral cleats. A flotation chamber extends beneath the entire chassis. To resist degradation due to dirt, the chassis is substantially sealed against dirt particles, but for economy the sealing is not watertight. To compensate for this, the entire electromechanical system has been made to operate even with the chassis full of water. In particular the on-off switch is 'self wiping' and the key motor components are corrosion resistant.

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First Claim