I couldn't resist doing a quicky drawing based on one of the US patents. This 'armoured car' was patented in 1916 by A.J.Jehlik. I've put a figure in to show the scale. Thats not wheels at the front but a 20ft wide roller! I'll try and do a more detailed 3 view based on the patent sketches later. I note that Mr Jehlik left out details of the engine in his drawings!
edit just going to try and recapture the tank from Tim
As you state on you signature, Always mistrust captions. This is no armored car, this vehicle is actually the Jehlik 2000toner, classified as an official American Tank design during the war, it was actually offered to the war department, but they laughed, and said that no road or bridge would hold this beast, but his argument was that it could be built on site, and it would roll across the Rhine and right into Germany.
I look forward to more drawings of this thing, I have 1 sheet from an original blueprint, dated March 16, 1917, I guess he was going to try and build the thing. No such luck, so it disappeared into oblivion. All the best Tim R
True but I think the patent in 1916 was submitted as an armoured car. The term tank meaning a tracked armoured vehicle wouldn't be around at the time. Don't forget even Haig refered to the first British tanks as armoured cars for some weeks after their first use .
I beleive the yanks had something similar during the Vietnam-war. It was a huge machine on giant rollers, intended to crush forests to aide in airstrip construction. Only one was constructed and used, saw a pic of it on ML some time ago.
Kaiser wrote: I believe the yanks had something similar during the Vietnam-war. It was a huge machine on giant rollers, intended to crush forests to aide in airstrip construction. Only one was constructed and used, saw a pic of it on ML some time ago.
There was also one in Thunderbirds. It moved through forests and mountain ranges, and a 6-lane motorway, complete with lane markings, came out of the back.
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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
To put it simply, NO!! But this was one of the handful of Leviathans designed, and never built by American designers.
The Article on the 150 and 200 ton American Landships will be out by the end of the Month, I have been working in conjunction with Roger Todd, and we have started on the 1500 ton beastie as well.
All the Best
Tim R
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Google patents conjures up the the original document at: http://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT1195680&id=PkZLAAAAEBAJ&dq=A.J.Jehlik The google search is a lot easier than the USPO website. Andrew
The patent is interesting-thank you Andrew! Not at all the profile I would have expected from Ceturion's side view. I can't help but think that single forward ? roller would have been more plough than sterring wheel...
I did say in the text that the roller was in the order of 20 ft wide. Steering seems to have been effected by the rear relatively small roller that can not only turn but also slide from side to side.
But this was one of the handful of Leviathans designed, and never built by American designers.
