US3900079A - Ground effect machine pressure fluid cushion confining walls - Google Patents

Ground effect machine pressure fluid cushion confining walls Download PDF

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Publication number
US3900079A
US3900079A US394056A US39405673A US3900079A US 3900079 A US3900079 A US 3900079A US 394056 A US394056 A US 394056A US 39405673 A US39405673 A US 39405673A US 3900079 A US3900079 A US 3900079A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
skirt
skirts
frame
machine
bearing surface
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
US394056A
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English (en)
Inventor
Jean Henri Bertin
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
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Bertin et Cie SA filed Critical Bertin et Cie SA
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3900079A publication Critical patent/US3900079A/en
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
    • B60V—AIR-CUSHION VEHICLES
    • B60V1/00—Air-cushion
    • B60V1/16—Flexible skirts

Definitions

  • the tension of the skirts which ensures their stability of shape de spite the slight difference between their fixing section and their opening section, is obtained by means of a permeable wall fixed towards the bottom of the skirt and formed with fluid passages the sum of the sections of which is less than the section of the skirt supply conduit so as to maintain a fluid pressure in the top part of the skirt.
  • the permeable wall is designed and adapted to inflate under the effect of said tension and have a curved profile with its convexity directed towards the contact surface which the machine cooperates.
  • Ground effect machines which have a platform or other structural part and which move with respect to a bearing surface with the interposition of a pressure fluid cushion system making use of one or, preferably, more flexible bodies secured to the said structure from which they project in the direction of the said bearing surface as far as a free end adjacent the latter.
  • each flexible body being formed on the one hand by an endless fluidtight wall forming a skirt and, on the other hand, a transverse partition which is permeable to the said fluid and connected peripherally to the said endless side wall near the said free end so as to define a first space directly fed with pressure fluid and extending from the said structure to the said transverse partition. and a second space fed by the fluid after it has passed through the said partition and extending from the latter to the said bearing surface.
  • This procedure which comprises tensioning or stressing the fluid cushion confining walls by a means specifically introduced for that purpose, is particularly suitable for cases in which the confining means comprises flexible tubular skirts individually receiving the fluid which takes part in lifting the machine.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a system of contiguous individual skirts disposed consecutively along the entire periphery of the machine structure in order to confine therein an inner pressure fluid cushion.
  • skirts having a evolutive shape i.e., a shape developing from a square or polygonal section at their end fixed to the structure of the machine, to a substantially circular or round section at the opposite free end adjacent the bearing surface (see Bertin US. Pat. Nos. 3,369,623 and 3,414,075).
  • the perimeter by which skirts of this kind are fixed on the machine structure is characterised in that it comprises two substantially rectilinear and opposite elements so that two adjacent skirts are in mutual contact engagement over their height along a substantially plane wall portion.
  • the remainder of the fixing perimeter between these two opposite rectilinear elements may comprise two connecting rectilinear elements so that the perimeter forms a square or like geometric figure.
  • the invention is particularly advantageous with skirts of this kind because, since two adjacent skirts must touch along a substantially plane wall, these skirts cannot be given a marked tapered shape and so the pressure of the fluid contained in the skirt has practically no effectiveness to keep the skirt inflated and extended as is the case with conical skirts whose opening area may be much smaller than that of their fixation end (see Bertin, US. Pat. No. 3,388,766).
  • skirts of this no-or small-taper kind are provided with a transverse partition causing a pressure loss, and bulging towards the bearing surface, then the internal action of the pressure and tension in the downward direction as exerted on these skirts results very satisfactorily in inflation of the skirts and good reciprocal application of the adjacent skirts together with good resistance to crushing and effective damping of the impact of the waves in case of a water going vehicle.
  • FIG. I is a diagrammatic cross-section on the line II in FIG. 2 showing a skirt provided with the improvement according to this invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of this skirt on line 11-" in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic bottom plan view of a ground effect machine provided with contiguous individual skirts confining an inner cushion.
  • FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section on the line IV-IV in FIG. 3.
  • FIG. 5 is a partial longitudinal section to an enlarged scale, similar to that in FIG. 2, of the system of skirts shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
  • FIG. 6 is a cross-section of the line VIVI in FIG. 5.
  • FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section of a alternative embodiment according to this invention.
  • FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view on the line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7.
  • FIGS. 9 and 10 are diagrammatic longitudinal sections of two other alternative embodiments.
  • a skirt 1 is fixed at 2 beneath a ground effect machine 3 and receives pressure fluid from a supply conduit 5 via an orifice 4 formed in the machine.
  • the skirt 1 comprises a main tubular body 6 which extends towards the bearing surface 7 and the cloth of which is tensioned mainly by a permeable transverse partition 8 which produces appreciable pressure loss and is fixed peripherally towards the end of the main body 6 remote from the machine structure 3. Passages of calibrated section 8d are formed in the partition 8, the sum of the sections of the said passages being less than the section of the supply conduit 4.
  • the main body 6 is extended in the direction of the latter by a flexible tapering end 9.
  • the skirt is of evolutive configuration which is sometimes known as a square-round skirt" of the type described in Bertin, US. Pat. No. 3,369,623 and suitable for juxtaposition with like skirts to constitute a system of contiguous skirts.
  • it has a polygonal, for example square, shape at its end 2 connected to the machine structure 3, and a substantially circular shape at its free end adjacent the bearing surface 7.
  • the perimeter of its end 2 fixed to the machine structure has two opposite sides a b and c d which are substantially rectilinear and parallelto one another.
  • laterally it has a substantially plane portion 11 of a general trapezoidal shape bearing on'one of the rectilinear side-a b and c d, which affords efficient contact engagement with the corresponding adjacent plane portion of a contiguous skirt.
  • the diameter of circle 10 may be substantially equal to, or alternatively slightly greater than, the side of the square 2.
  • the contiguous skirts have larger wall areas in mutual contact engagement, and this improves sealing-tightness and the efficiency of the peripheral confining assembly.
  • the cushion fluid wetted area on the bearing surface 7 and hence the stability of the machine is increased.
  • each skirt is provided with a pressure loss entailing permeable partition 8 formed by a flexible web which, under the effect of the pressure, inflates to have a profile with its convexity facing the bearing surface 7.
  • the web 8 is required to exert on the skirt 1 a force directed substantially along the wall of the said skirt, the effect of this being not only to stretch the skirt towards the bearing surface 7 but also to increase its resistance to transverse crushing.
  • the convex permeable web 8 can, as a result of its flexibility, undergo deformation under the effect of an impact directed towards the machine structure 3, for example that of a strong wave. In this way it forms a means of damping such an impact, and this provides effective protection, particularly of the supply means.
  • the web 8 is connected to the machine 3 at a single fixing point 14.
  • the permeable partition 8 is made in three parts:
  • a rigid or relatively non-deformable ring 8a connected to the machine structure 3 by tie-rods 13a.
  • peripheral permeable flexible web 80 fixed on the one hand to the ring 8a and on the other hand to skirt I, said peripheral portion having a part toric shape.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a square-round skirt provided with such a pressure-loss entailing permeable partition 8.
  • the area of the square 2 may be greater than that of the circle 10 although the diameter of the latter is slightly greater than the sides of the square.
  • FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views of an assembly of contiguous square-round individual skirts of the kind shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, which bound an inner cushion 12.
  • FIGS. 5 and 6 are views of this confining assembly to an enlarged scale. The skirts are pressed against one another.
  • a ground effect machine having a rigid frame movable along a bearing surface with the interposition of pressure fluid cushions, comprising:
  • each of said skirts having two opposite smooth side wall portions which are substantially planar and which extend from said frame over a substantial fraction of the overall extension of the skirt towards said bearing surface, said skirts being fitted so that the adjacent planar smooth wall portions of contiguous skirts tightly apply against each other in areal contact engagement, and
  • a fluid permeable flexible partition extending transversely across each skirt between those ends of the two opposite planar smooth wall portions thereof which are remote from said frame, said fluid permeable flexible partition being designed for offering some resistance to fluid flow therethrough from the inside of the skirt towards said bearing surface thereby causing a pressure drop upon traverse by said fluid flow and bulging towards said bearing surface to develop a force which extends the skirt away from said frame and stretches likewise both the planar smooth wall portions thereof.
  • said fluid permeable flexible partition comprises an incorporated rigid ring inwardly spaced from the skirt wall portion andbraced to said frame, whereby said flexible partition presents a multi-cusp outline with an inner bulging section surrounded by said rigid ring and an outer bulging section intermediate said ring and said skirt wall portion.
  • Machine as claimed in claim 2 comprising a plurality of ties bracing said rigid ring to said frame and connected to spaced points distributed peripherally along said ring.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
  • Transportation (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Air Bags (AREA)
  • Magnetic Bearings And Hydrostatic Bearings (AREA)
US394056A 1972-09-05 1973-09-04 Ground effect machine pressure fluid cushion confining walls Expired - Lifetime US3900079A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR7231401A FR2197757B2 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1972-09-05 1972-09-05

Publications (1)

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US3900079A true US3900079A (en) 1975-08-19

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US394056A Expired - Lifetime US3900079A (en) 1972-09-05 1973-09-04 Ground effect machine pressure fluid cushion confining walls

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US (1) US3900079A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
FR (1) FR2197757B2 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
GB (1) GB1435978A (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
IT (1) IT993158B (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2526383A1 (fr) * 1982-05-04 1983-11-10 Spinoza Andre Jupe pour vehicule a effet de sol

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3267882A (en) * 1963-07-31 1966-08-23 Hovercraft Dev Ltd Load carrying unit
US3272275A (en) * 1963-04-29 1966-09-13 Bertin & Cie Movable platform resting on an air cushion enclosed inside at least one yielding prefrably circular skirt
US3369623A (en) * 1964-04-20 1968-02-20 Bertin & Cie Flexible skirts for surface effect devices
US3414075A (en) * 1961-06-30 1968-12-03 Bertin & Cie Flexible skirting system for surface effect machines
US3631938A (en) * 1968-05-01 1972-01-04 Aerojet General Co Fluid cushion cells for fluid cushion vehicles

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2024504A1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) * 1968-11-29 1970-08-28 Bertelsen William
FR2073224A1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) * 1969-07-17 1971-10-01 Aerojet General Co

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3414075A (en) * 1961-06-30 1968-12-03 Bertin & Cie Flexible skirting system for surface effect machines
US3272275A (en) * 1963-04-29 1966-09-13 Bertin & Cie Movable platform resting on an air cushion enclosed inside at least one yielding prefrably circular skirt
US3267882A (en) * 1963-07-31 1966-08-23 Hovercraft Dev Ltd Load carrying unit
US3369623A (en) * 1964-04-20 1968-02-20 Bertin & Cie Flexible skirts for surface effect devices
US3631938A (en) * 1968-05-01 1972-01-04 Aerojet General Co Fluid cushion cells for fluid cushion vehicles

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR2197757B2 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1977-07-29
GB1435978A (en) 1976-05-19
FR2197757A2 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1974-03-29
IT993158B (it) 1975-09-30

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