ford-son sno-motor

Are you asking about this beast? Armstead, alas, is no more.

Here's one more.

YouTube - ZIL screw drive (2)

Now if could only be made buoyant enough to travel through water it would be a prize for the old family cabin.

As depicted in video small diameter saplings caused it to rise when pushing them over. Buoyant outriggers may do the trick, maybe an alteration of a catamaran eh?

Look at the volume of those drums! I've done no calculations, but I believe it may well be buoyant as shown. If not, it wouldn't take much to make it so.

Now the stability as shown might leave something to be desired, but maybe lengthen the drums a bit, separate them a little farther, and locate them under the center of gravity, and I think you've got it.

... and let's add a chain guard of some kind!

I wonder if the Fordson tractor was a crawler or wheel type? The steering wheel is linked to the gearbox of what looks like a crawler transaxle.

I noticed the screw drums are articulated in front, but I couldn't make out exactly how they are mounted in the rear to maintain sprocket alignment (some sort of flex drive)?

You can see the drums provide a certain amount of flotation.

Maybe Bobcat will come out with an attachment like this?

The outtakes for that film probably show the horse trampling that guy after the spring thaw.

The ones I remember were wheeled, and as I recall, at one point in the video it mentioned replacing the wheels in the summer.

The small crawlers I remember were Olivers.

I know some Allis Chalmers had individual rear wheel brake levers in addition to the front wheel steering.

Well here ya go.

http://www.modeltfordsnowmobile.com/IMAGES/ArmsteadSNOW_MOTOR_VEHICLE[1].pdf

Pretty cool

These are very impressive, being "different" but are there any advantages?

Say, over caterpillar tracks? Surely if there was, the armed forces (at least)
would have jumped on the idea? If not the commercial world?

Would any engineer like to advise me if the idea is worth pursuing please?
I could see some wet land flotation, but are there any other advantages?
Efficiency? Speed? Any?????

Thanks for the input.

jt.

What about replacing the drums by a semi-flexible variation with enough buoyancy, with electric motors built in place of transmission? Plug a good generation with the engine, and you could make it driven by wire. It could be even more efficient because a good amount of gears and differential transmission is needed in the original model. But... pretty cool! I'd love to get one in my hands for a ride.

I like your idea! Are you thinking of a vehicle for the Amazon area, or are there places in Brazil with significant snow?

Looks like a dual clutched PTO setup driving the drums. Simple. Effective. Just looks like it could easily turn into a total nightmare in the blink of an eye though.

http://www.cardatabase.net/snowmobiles/photos/big/00000056.jpg

Why the name Fordson? The answer is found in the tractor's fascinating history. The Ford Motor Co., founded in 1903,

Chrysler Marsh Screw Amphibian (1964)

Same principle as the DAF screw vehicle, this one can do 14 mph in the mud 8 mph in water and in the snow up to 20 mph.
The power came from a Chrysler 225 cubic inch, 140 hp, 6 cylinder gasoline engine. An automatic gearbox was used to make the screws turn.
On hard pavement the only way to operate was to roll side ways but not at the same speed as the DAF

I can't imagine what all those vehicles would do to a road…

Update:
This toy was build with the same tehnology,with Archimede's screw propulsion, a very unique control system and the ability to drive on both land and water.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yIkxN-2BLM&feature=player_embedded#

Heidrick Ag History Center in CA actually has an original.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,728812,00.html

I don't have the answer to your question... I believe there was also a german vehicle at the same time as the fordson... they are fascinating

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screw-propelled_vehicle

http://www.icechallenger.com/

here is a couple of my conceptual vehicles that use the screw drive, from last year...

http://cr4.globalspec.com/comment/346478/Re-Select-Your-Favourite-Invention

http://cr4.globalspec.com/comment/356587/Re-Hurricane-Rescue-Vehicle-for-New-Orleans

I can only encourage you to build one... please post pictures. :)

Chris