GB1309745A - Gas cushion vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

1309745 Gas cushion vehicles NATIONAL RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT CORP 25 March 1970 [2 April 1969] 17244/69 Heading B7K In a gas cushion vehicle the cushion space is bounded by a plurality of independently movable members 1 formed of, e.g. aluminium, steel or a plastics material, means being provided to control the forces acting on the members 1 due to the application thereto of gas from the cushion, so that the members 1 assume and equilibrium position spaced from the surface over which the vehicle travels. As shown, the members 1 comprise washers mounted on a rod 2 and vertically movable between walls 3a, 3b, Fig. 1, which define a chamber 7. A flexible strip 6 controls the efflux of gas to the chamber 7. Ports 8, 8a may additionally be provided for this purpose. In a modification, Fig. 4 (not shown), the washers 1 move in a direction inclined to the vertical within inclined walls (12). In Fig. 12 (not shown), the members 1 are substantially pear-shaped and are pivotally mounted to an inner stub wall (10), or to the outer wall 3a. In Fig. 9 (not shown), a depending wall (23) has mounted thereon paddle-shaped members 1 which each have a vertical slot (22) into which the end of the wall (23) fits, a chamber being defined between the lowermost part of the wall and the bottom of the slot (22) to which chamber gas can pass through a horizontal passage (27a) in the member and exhaust to atmosphere from the chamber through a similar passage (27). The members 1 may form the skirts of load supporting pallets, Figs. 5, 6 (not shown), and may form the skirt of a vehicle which co-operates with a vertical surface.