US3332508A - Device for bounding fluid cushions of a ground effect machine - Google Patents

Device for bounding fluid cushions of a ground effect machine Download PDF

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Publication number
US3332508A
US3332508A US547632A US54763266A US3332508A US 3332508 A US3332508 A US 3332508A US 547632 A US547632 A US 547632A US 54763266 A US54763266 A US 54763266A US 3332508 A US3332508 A US 3332508A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
cushions
bags
machine
ground effect
fluid
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US547632A
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English (en)
Inventor
Bertin Jean Henri
Guienne Paul Francois
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Bertin Technologies SAS
Original Assignee
Bertin et Cie SA
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Bertin et Cie SA filed Critical Bertin et Cie SA
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3332508A publication Critical patent/US3332508A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60V—AIR-CUSHION VEHICLES
    • B60V1/00—Air-cushion
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60V—AIR-CUSHION VEHICLES
    • B60V1/00—Air-cushion
    • B60V1/18—Body structure

Definitions

  • these bags are made of inextensible material and permanently inflated at a pressure higher than that of the cushions containing them.
  • they are in the form of truncated cones and their reinforced bottom ends form friction and support bases.
  • bags made of extensible material may be used, adjustment of the pressure in these bags enabling their volume to be modified.
  • At least some of the bags are deformable and contain an independently inflated balloon.
  • Each of the bags has an adjusted discharge valve, and their progressive collapse when the machine stops has a shock-absorbing effect intervening before the balloons act as elastic supports.
  • FIGURE 1 shows in diagrammatic vertical section a multiple air-cushion platform according to the invention
  • FIGURES 2 and 3 are similar views of two modifications.
  • FIGURE 1 illustrates the principle of the invention and shows diagrammatically in vertical section a machine 1 resting on multiple air cushions 2a, 2b, 2c, six in number for example. These cushions are fed separately by means of a blower 3 with several outlets 4a, 4b, 4c in per se known manner.
  • Each cushion 2a, b, c is defined by peripheral air-retaining means, for example identical flexible skirts 5a, b, c.
  • each of these skirts 5a, b, c for the air is made less than the apparent (external) volume of the skirts by disposition below the machine 1, Within the skirts and respectively of bags 6a, b, c of different volumes.
  • These bags are inflated by means of a compressed gas cylinder 7 and pipes 8. Through each of them, if required, passes a flexible conduit 9 feeding the corresponding air cushion, this conduit naturally being designed to 3,332,508 Patented July 25, 1967 Withstand the excess pressure in the bag and, for example, reinforced by means of a metal spiral.
  • the bags are disposed at the bottom of the machine in any conventional manner for connecting a rigid to a deformable wall, for example by clamping the latter.
  • they are made of practically inextensible though flexible material, for example fabric coated to make it impermeable, and their inflation pressure is higher than the maximum pressure of the cushions.
  • Their volumes may however, be varied during the operation of the machine, either together or differentially, by forming these bags of elastic material, different thicknesses being used for different bags.
  • the bags 6a, b, c naturally increase the floatability of the machine.
  • FIGURE 2 shows a modification of the machine in which the means for feeding the cushions 2d to 2g have not been shown.
  • the skirts 5d and 5g can be raised by means of winches 10 or the like, and for this purpose they can have a bellows-shaped top 11.
  • the bags 6d to 6g are each disposed on a plate 12 which is rigidly connected to the machine by cross-pieces 13 and serves to distribute uniformly the delivery of compressed air in the corresponding cushion 2d to 2g.
  • Some of these bags, for example 6d and 6g serve at rest as elastic supports for the machine as shown on the right of FIGURE 2.
  • they have a support base 18 made of rubber at the bottom. They are inflated, as before, via the pipes 8.
  • Such a device facilitates the pressurization of the various cushions when the machine is started, the skirts 5d, 5g shortened by means of winches 10 always being perfectly symmetrical about their axis, while the skirts 5e, 5 are only very slightly twisted because of the height of the bags 6d, 6g.
  • FIGURE 3 shows another embodiment in which the bags 6h not only serve to reduce the real volume of the corresponding air cushion during the movements of the machine, but also to deaden the contact of the machine with the ground during halts, the pipe 8 having an adjusted pressure relief valve 14.
  • the machine When stationary, the machine is supported by balloons 15 which are disposed in the bag 6h and have an independent inflation system 16, 17.
  • a ground effect machine having a support frame designed to move along a surface and a plurality of wall means projecting from said frame toward said surface for laterally bounding a corresponding plurality of pressure fluid cushions formed against said surface, fluid pressure source means, means to supply said cushions with fluid pressure
  • the improvement comprising inflatable flexible bags fitted entirely within said cushions and sized to occupy therein, when inflated, such volumes as to leave different effective cushion volumes for different fluid cushions, and means other than the cushion fluid pressure supplying means for supplying pressure fluid to said bags to inflate the same.
  • a ground effect machine as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an inflatable balloon in at least some of said bags, and pressure fluid supply means for inflating said balloons, separate from said means for supplying pressure fluid to said bags.
  • a ground effect machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least some of said bags comprise, at the part thereof adjacent to said surface, a surface engaging end. 8. A ground effect machine as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a flexible pressure fluid supply hose extending through said bags and opening into the respective cushions.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Fluid-Damping Devices (AREA)
  • Air Bags (AREA)
  • Refuge Islands, Traffic Blockers, Or Guard Fence (AREA)
  • Mattresses And Other Support Structures For Chairs And Beds (AREA)
  • Investigation Of Foundation Soil And Reinforcement Of Foundation Soil By Compacting Or Drainage (AREA)
US547632A 1965-05-07 1966-05-04 Device for bounding fluid cushions of a ground effect machine Expired - Lifetime US3332508A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR16282A FR1450530A (fr) 1965-05-07 1965-05-07 Perfectionnements aux dispositifs délimitant sous un véhicule des coussins fluidesporteurs

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3332508A true US3332508A (en) 1967-07-25

Family

ID=8578272

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US547632A Expired - Lifetime US3332508A (en) 1965-05-07 1966-05-04 Device for bounding fluid cushions of a ground effect machine

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US3332508A (fr)
DE (1) DE1291209B (fr)
FR (1) FR1450530A (fr)
GB (1) GB1146622A (fr)
OA (1) OA02228A (fr)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3466010A (en) * 1966-12-16 1969-09-09 Clark Equipment Co Apparatus to compensate for off-center loading on a material handling device having inflatable fluid pads
US3465845A (en) * 1961-01-17 1969-09-09 Bertin & Cie Fluid cushion confining system for ground effect machines
DE1781108B1 (de) * 1967-09-14 1970-09-24 British Hovercraft Corp Ltd Gaskissenbegrenzungswand fuer Gaskissenfahrzeuge
US3724588A (en) * 1967-11-17 1973-04-03 Bertin & Cie Cushion confining system
US3768588A (en) * 1971-08-16 1973-10-30 J Vaughen Structure to form a load-bearing air cushion for a vehicle
US3783965A (en) * 1972-05-25 1974-01-08 Textron Inc Air cushion vehicle seal system
US3802602A (en) * 1972-01-28 1974-04-09 F Wilson Vehicular air cushion impact absorbing system

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB968193A (en) * 1960-09-26 1964-08-26 Hovercraft Dev Ltd Air cushion vehicles
DE1190800B (de) * 1961-01-17 1965-04-08 Bertin & Cie Luftkissenfahrzeug

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
None *

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3465845A (en) * 1961-01-17 1969-09-09 Bertin & Cie Fluid cushion confining system for ground effect machines
US3466010A (en) * 1966-12-16 1969-09-09 Clark Equipment Co Apparatus to compensate for off-center loading on a material handling device having inflatable fluid pads
DE1781108B1 (de) * 1967-09-14 1970-09-24 British Hovercraft Corp Ltd Gaskissenbegrenzungswand fuer Gaskissenfahrzeuge
US3724588A (en) * 1967-11-17 1973-04-03 Bertin & Cie Cushion confining system
US3768588A (en) * 1971-08-16 1973-10-30 J Vaughen Structure to form a load-bearing air cushion for a vehicle
US3802602A (en) * 1972-01-28 1974-04-09 F Wilson Vehicular air cushion impact absorbing system
US3783965A (en) * 1972-05-25 1974-01-08 Textron Inc Air cushion vehicle seal system

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1450530A (fr) 1966-06-24
OA02228A (fr) 1970-05-05
DE1781360A1 (de) 1970-12-03
DE1781360B2 (de) 1975-06-05
GB1146622A (en) 1969-03-26
DE1291209B (de) 1969-03-20

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