US3754617A - Device for partitioning a space between two bodies in relative motion to each other - Google Patents

Device for partitioning a space between two bodies in relative motion to each other Download PDF

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Publication number
US3754617A
US3754617A US00117891A US3754617DA US3754617A US 3754617 A US3754617 A US 3754617A US 00117891 A US00117891 A US 00117891A US 3754617D A US3754617D A US 3754617DA US 3754617 A US3754617 A US 3754617A
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United States
Prior art keywords
pressure plate
flexible sheet
chambers
platelets
pressure
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Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00117891A
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English (en)
Inventor
L Duthion
R Chaube
Marie F Croix
M Jacquot
C Amicel
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Bertin Technologies SAS
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Bertin et Cie SA
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60V—AIR-CUSHION VEHICLES
    • B60V3/00—Land vehicles, waterborne vessels, or aircraft, adapted or modified to travel on air cushions
    • B60V3/02—Land vehicles, e.g. road vehicles
    • B60V3/025—Land vehicles, e.g. road vehicles co-operating with a flat surface, e.g. transporting loads on platforms

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to the partitioning of the space between two bodies which are movable relatively to each other without, or with very little, mutual friction, in such manner as to subdivide the space into a plurality of individual chambers or cells inside which are established overpressures and/or underpressures with respect to the environment for the purpose of generating lift or guiding forces.
  • the invention finds particularly interesting applications in the field of groundeffect machines which travel over a surface with an interposed cushion of fluid at positive and/or negative pressure, the very plurality of such cushions enabling the stability of the system to be improved especially if the cushions are supplied independently.
  • the present invention relates to a partitioning device basically comprising a preferably flexible waffled sheet having a cellular appearance, which is fixed to one of the two relatively moving bodies whereby to bound, jointly with the other, the space therebetween while at the same time subdividing the space into a plurality of preferably contiguous cells or chambers which are partitioned from one another by the protruding waffles on said waffled sheet.
  • the cells extend over a relatively large area and the waffles over a relatively small area.
  • the waffling can be produced for example on a flexible sheet which may originally have been flat and continuous, either by a continuous preforming process or by a transient process by inflating the sheet locally to produce the waffles or ribs.
  • the bottoms of the cells of the waffled sheet are each provided with a reinforcement in the form of a metal platelet, or the like, applied against the bottom and clamping it against a rigid pressure plate, the ribs or waffles being on the other hand free and retaining their flexibility.
  • the waffled sheet may be secured at the level of the bottoms of the cells, for instanceby a bonding process or by riveting the platelets to the pressure plate through the sheet.
  • FIG. 1 is a plan-view showing of the underneath of a ground-effect platform devised according to a possible embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale through the line "-11 of FIG. I
  • FIGS. 3 to 6 are corresponding partial sectional views on an enlarged scale
  • FIG. 7 is a plan-view showing of the top of a system reversed with respect to that of FIG. I
  • FIG. 8 is a sectional view on the line VIII-VIII of FIG. 7
  • FIG. 9 is a fragmental plan view of another embodiment according to the invention
  • FIG. 10 is a sectional view on the line XX of FIG. 9
  • FIG. 11 is an axial sectional view, on the line XI-XI of FIG. 12, of a fluid bearing;
  • FIG. 12 is a cross-section taken through the line XII- -XII of FIG. 11;
  • FIGS. 13 and 14 are views in partial section of two possible embodiments of a structural detail
  • FIG. 15 is a partial showing, as viewed along the arrow F of FIG. 16, of a ground-effect machine devised accordingto still another enTbodiment of the invention:
  • FIG. 16 is a section through the line XVIXVI of FIG. 15
  • FIGS. 17, 18 and B9 are partial views corresponding to FIG. 15, showing alternative possible cell shapes and distributions 7
  • FIG. 20 is a fragmental plan-view showing of the underneath of a ground-effect machine devised according to yet another possible embodiment of the invention and
  • FIG. 21 is a section taken through the line XXI-XXI of FIG. 20.
  • a groundeffect machine platform 1 used for transporting a burden 2 in the illustrated example, travels above a surface 3 with twenty-five interposed fluid cushions 4 arranged in square formation.
  • these cushions 4 are confined by a flexible sheet 5, made of plastic or rubberized fabric for example, formed with ribs or protrusions 6. which give it a cellular appearance.
  • a flexible sheet 5 made of plastic or rubberized fabric for example, formed with ribs or protrusions 6. which give it a cellular appearance.
  • metallic platelets 8 which may be round, polygonal or star-shaped.
  • the sheet 5 is clamped, on the one hand, between the platelets 8 and a pressure-plate 9 integral with the rigid structure of platform 1 and, on the other, along its periphery 14 against a flange 15 provided along the perimeter of platform 1.
  • the platelets 8 are secured to pressureplate 9 by hollow rivets 10.
  • the flexible sheet 5 could be otherwise secured to pressure-plate 9, for instance by bonding of the bottoms 7 and the periphery l4.v
  • the hollow rivets 10 serve to supply pressure-fluid to the cushions 4 from a distributor conduit 11 connected to a delivery union l2. Passages or holes 13 are likewise provided through pressure-plate 9 in registry with the network of ribs 6 on sheet 5.
  • these ribs are accordingly inflated and caused to project towards the surface 3, thereby laterally confining the individual cushions 4 after the fashion of square skirts, there being a small terminal clearance with respect to the surface 3 that provides a leakage gap from the cushions 4 for the fluid supplied through hollow rivets l0.
  • the holes 13 provided through pressure-plate 9 for inflating the ribs 6 could be disclaimedd with and recourse had to holes 16 formed through sheet 5 instead. This would require a degree of stiffness in the material of which the sheet is made in order to prevent total flattening of the ribs when the cushions 4 are set under pressure.
  • Use may be made of elastic compressible elements such as beads l7, made of rubber or cellular material for example (see FIG. 4), in order to ensure protrusion of the ribs 6, thereby to assure a partitioning of the individual cushions 4 that is permanent and exists before the cushions 4 are set under pressure.
  • the height of the beads 17 could be made smaller than that of the protrusions in order not to hamper the flexibility of the latter.
  • the supply to cushions 4 could be made from the ribs 6, as shown in FIG. 5, in which case the cell bottoms 7 would be secured by solid screws 18 instead of by hollow rivets.
  • a suspension effect may be achieved by an elastic mounting of each platelet 8, to impart the faculty of inclination, by meansof a connection using a rod 19 and spring 20 and an interposed layer 21 of a deformable material such as neoprene, thereby allowing the system to adapt to large irregularities on the surface 3.
  • the cushions or cells 4 and the ribs 6 are supplied either directly or indirectly but invariably from a common pressurized delivery conduit 11.
  • FIGS. 7 and 8 Such an arrangement is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, in which the general layout is reversed platform 1 is beneath the surface 3.
  • the delivery conduit 11a which has port in the cells 4 via the hollow rivets 10 is connected at 120 to a positive or negative pressure source, whereas the delivery conduit 11b which has port in the ribs 6 via the holes 13 is connected at 12b to an inflating source.
  • the platform 1 is stationary and constitutes a fluidized area, i.e. an area delivering fluid under pressure and over which travels the surface 3, which may be a conveyor belt, a sheet of metal, or the like.
  • the surface 3 could be the ceiling of a room or the underface of a suspended track along which the platform 1 travels and is supported through the agency of layers of a fluid at a pressure below atmospheric pressure, as described in Faure U.S. Pat. No. 3,515,073.
  • the platform 1 includes means (not shown) for supporting the load to be transported.
  • FIGS. 9 and 10 may alternatively be associated to provide the one illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, in which the platform 1 is positioned between two substantially parallel surfaces 3--3.
  • the waffled sheet 5 may extend continuously over both faces of platform 1.
  • the surface 3 may be a surface of revolution, reference numerals l designating the bearing proper and 3 the surface of the shaft rotating therein.
  • Application of the ground effect for devising a fluid bearing is already known through Bertin U.S. Pat. No. 3,140,753 and it is accordingly unnecessary to give a detailed description of the manner of operation thereof.
  • the ribs 6 have invariably been indicated as being supplied under pressure for their inflation. This is by no means essential, however, and it would be equally feasible to resort to ribs possessing the desired shape by design, whether hollow as shown at 6a in FIG. 13 or solid as shown at 6b in FIG. 14.
  • FIGS. 15 and 16 for a showing of a ground-effect machine 1 travelling opposite a surface 3, which may be a vertical surface of a low wall or of a central extension, with interposed fluid cushions in accordance with a now classic arrangement described in Bertin et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,190,235, 3,330,384, 3,332,36l and 3,347,170.
  • a surface 3 which may be a vertical surface of a low wall or of a central extension
  • central cushions 4a which are supplied with pressure-fluid directly and which are surrounded by peripheral cushions 4b supplied with the leakage fluid from the central cushions, in accordance with a likewise known arrangement.
  • peripheral cushions 4b it would be possible alternatively to supply the peripheral cushions 4b with fluid pressure directly from the conduit 11a or from an independant source at a possibly different pressure.
  • the flexible sheet 5 could be fixed in different manner to pressure-plate 9, an example being by bonding of the bottoms 7 and the periphery 14.
  • the hollow rivets 10 serve to supply pressure-fluid to the cushions 40 from a distributor conduit 11a connected to a delivery union 12a. Passages or holes 13 communicating with a further distributing conduit 11b are likewise provided through pressure-plate 9 in registry with the network of ribs 6 on sheet 5.
  • the ribs 6 are accordin'gly inflated and caused to project toward the surface 3 to laterally confine the individual cushions 4 after the fashion of square skirts, there being a small terminal clearance with the surface 3 whereby to provide a leakage gap for the fluid from cushions 4 supplied through hollow rivets 10.
  • the ribs 6 can be inflated at different pressures.
  • the pressure in the peripheral ribs may be lower than the pressure in the ribs boundingthe central cushions.
  • the latter could be set under negative pressure by connecting 12a to a source of pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, in which case the platform of machine 1 would act like a suction device.
  • the system hereinbcfore described could function with respect to a substantially horizontal surface 3, either above the latter in which case an overpressure supply could be used, or beneath it in which case an underpressure supply would be used.
  • FIG. 17 illustrates a system of juxtaposed rectangular cells arranged in a plurality of rows and staggered from one row to the next.
  • the result of this stagger is that the crest lines of the inflated ribs 6 meet in threes instead of in fours if there were no stagger, thereby making it easier to negotiate possible obstacles.
  • the cells 40 are square and arranged in staggered formation, additional ribs 60 being provided to interconnect these cells and to confine additional cells 4b having an octogonal shape in plan view.
  • the cells 4b may be supplied with fluid from the leaks out of the cushions 4a, or from orifices 26 connected to a suitable fluid source.
  • the central cushions 4a are again rectangular and surrounded by a peripheral labyrinth 6 whilst being at the same time separated by labyrinth partitions 6'.
  • the present invention further provides for a subdivision into a plurality of subsystems in the various arrangements hereinbefore described.
  • FIGS. 20 and 21 show two such subdivisions separated by an intermediate passage 25 communicating with the atmosphere. These two subsystems are supplied independently of each other.
  • a ground-effect type bearing device having a structure with a rigid pressure plate integral therewith, movable relatively to a body with the interposition of a space between said structure and said body, said device comprising:
  • a flange extending along the periphery of said structure and designed for clamping said flexible sheet to said rigid pressure plate
  • a plurality of platelets positioned inside said peripheral flange and designed for further clamping said flexible sheet to said rigid pressure plate, the sides of said platelets being spaced from and substantially parallel to the sides of each other and to the sides of said flange, said flexible sheet forming in the intervals between said spaced sides protrusions bulging towards said body-and in free communication with each other, said protrusions partitioning said space into a plurality of contiguous chambers in generally chessboard pattern, first source of fluid under pressure and a second source of fluid at a pressure different from ambient pressure, both positioned on the side of said pressure plate opposite to said flexible sheet and platelets,
  • said flexible sheet and said platelets for communicating at least some of said chambers with said second source, whereby to maintain said space at a pressure different from ambient pressure for the development of a ground effect relationship between said structure and said body.
  • Device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a layer of deformable material sandwiched between said pressure plate and the clamped portions of said flexible sheet, and a rod-and spring system extending between said platelets, and said pressure plate and across said flexible sheet and said layer, for resiliently urging said platelets towards said pressure plate, thereby compressing said layer.
  • chambers are further alined along further substantially parallel straight rows at an anglewith said first-mentioned rows, and are further staggered from one of said further rows to the next adjacent one of said further rows.
  • Device as claimed in claim 9 further comprising additional chambers of substantially octogonal shape staggered between said square chambers.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Invalid Beds And Related Equipment (AREA)
US00117891A 1970-03-27 1971-02-23 Device for partitioning a space between two bodies in relative motion to each other Expired - Lifetime US3754617A (en)

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FR707011215A FR2081287B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1970-03-27 1970-03-27

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CA (1) CA940488A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2081287B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3857456A (en) * 1973-04-30 1974-12-31 Little Syst Inc Air cushion craft air supply
US4126093A (en) * 1975-07-23 1978-11-21 Rolair Systems, Inc. Air supply track for air bearing transporter and the like
US4399885A (en) * 1979-06-13 1983-08-23 American Industrial Research Flexible film air pallet for material movement
WO1996008400A1 (fr) * 1994-09-13 1996-03-21 Aktsionernoe Obschestvo Otkrytogo Tipa Conteneur convertible en un support sur coussin d'air
US5560443A (en) * 1994-09-26 1996-10-01 Dubose; Ralph K. Hovercraft having segmented skirt which reduces plowing
US10722993B2 (en) * 2012-10-30 2020-07-28 The Boeing Company Dual function movement component for automated assembly systems

Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3200898A (en) * 1963-07-29 1965-08-17 Clark Equipment Co Load supporting device
US3245487A (en) * 1963-11-21 1966-04-12 Gen Motors Corp Air bearing support with automatic air flow regulation
US3246711A (en) * 1964-01-27 1966-04-19 Gen Motors Corp Reversible air bearing support
US3251431A (en) * 1962-05-21 1966-05-17 Gen Motors Corp Labyrinth air caster and method of manufacture thereof
US3295621A (en) * 1963-04-25 1967-01-03 Dentists Supply Co Supporting base for chair and the like for gliding on a film of air
US3313367A (en) * 1965-04-23 1967-04-11 Gen Motors Corp Air cushion device with series resonator chamber
US3318406A (en) * 1965-05-11 1967-05-09 Gen Motors Corp Load compensating air cushion support
US3375893A (en) * 1965-02-08 1968-04-02 Gen Motors Corp Self-modulating flexible choke air bearing
US3385390A (en) * 1964-01-21 1968-05-28 Bertin & Cie Pressure fluid cushion sealing system for tracked ground effect machines
US3513934A (en) * 1967-04-19 1970-05-26 Boeing Co Air bearing devices

Patent Citations (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3251431A (en) * 1962-05-21 1966-05-17 Gen Motors Corp Labyrinth air caster and method of manufacture thereof
US3295621A (en) * 1963-04-25 1967-01-03 Dentists Supply Co Supporting base for chair and the like for gliding on a film of air
US3200898A (en) * 1963-07-29 1965-08-17 Clark Equipment Co Load supporting device
US3245487A (en) * 1963-11-21 1966-04-12 Gen Motors Corp Air bearing support with automatic air flow regulation
US3385390A (en) * 1964-01-21 1968-05-28 Bertin & Cie Pressure fluid cushion sealing system for tracked ground effect machines
US3246711A (en) * 1964-01-27 1966-04-19 Gen Motors Corp Reversible air bearing support
US3375893A (en) * 1965-02-08 1968-04-02 Gen Motors Corp Self-modulating flexible choke air bearing
US3313367A (en) * 1965-04-23 1967-04-11 Gen Motors Corp Air cushion device with series resonator chamber
US3318406A (en) * 1965-05-11 1967-05-09 Gen Motors Corp Load compensating air cushion support
US3513934A (en) * 1967-04-19 1970-05-26 Boeing Co Air bearing devices

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3857456A (en) * 1973-04-30 1974-12-31 Little Syst Inc Air cushion craft air supply
US4126093A (en) * 1975-07-23 1978-11-21 Rolair Systems, Inc. Air supply track for air bearing transporter and the like
US4399885A (en) * 1979-06-13 1983-08-23 American Industrial Research Flexible film air pallet for material movement
WO1996008400A1 (fr) * 1994-09-13 1996-03-21 Aktsionernoe Obschestvo Otkrytogo Tipa Conteneur convertible en un support sur coussin d'air
US5823283A (en) * 1994-09-13 1998-10-20 Aktsionernoe Obscnestvo Otkrytogo Tipa Proizvodstenno-Torgovaya Avtor Container convertible into air cushion support
US5560443A (en) * 1994-09-26 1996-10-01 Dubose; Ralph K. Hovercraft having segmented skirt which reduces plowing
US10722993B2 (en) * 2012-10-30 2020-07-28 The Boeing Company Dual function movement component for automated assembly systems

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Publication number Publication date
FR2081287B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-07-12
CA940488A (en) 1974-01-22
FR2081287A2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-12-03

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