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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7311057 | Surface effect craft The present invention relates to a surface effect craft comprising a supporting deck structure having two pontoons mounted thereto in catamaran like fashion. A propulsion mechanism is mounted to a rear portion of the deck structure. A lift control member is disposed... | 12/25/2007 |
| 7290631 | Wrapped-cone fingers for skirt systems Wrapped-cone fingers for use in an air-cushion vehicle (ACV) skirt system are described. Wrapped-cone fingers may include an inner cone that is “wrapped” or generally enclosed by an outer finger. The inner cone may include an inner cone opening through which air... | 11/06/2007 |
| 7219854 | Cycloidal hybrid advanced surface effects vehicle A “wing in ground effect” aerial vehicle includes a wing mounted on a fuselage, and two cycloidal propulsion units for providing lift, thrust and longitudinal control. Additional lift is provided by a lighter-than-air gas such as helium contained in the fuselage... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7204672 | Multi-modal forced vortex device A multi-modal forced vortex device is described having a top plate and a side wall creating a partially enclosed volume. The top plate includes one or more adjustable fluid openings to permit, or restrict, fluid flow into and out of the partially enclosed volume. Ro... | 04/17/2007 |
| 7168382 | Beachable high speed marine vehicle Presented is a beachable high speed marine vehicle with air cushioned hull(s) capable of transporting heavy loads at very high speeds to beachheads and then departing the beachhead under its own power. The artificially pressurized air cushions allow the bow of the v... | 01/30/2007 |
| 7051826 | Surface effect skimmer A surface effects skimmer vehicle generates a downward air flow into a tunnel under a main hull to lift the main hull off an adjacent surface, and rearward air flows for thrust. The air flows are generated by ducted fans or jet engines, and directed to the rear and/... | 05/30/2006 |
| 6948439 | Surface effect ship improvements Presented is an improved Surface Effect Ship (SES) that offers the high efficiencies of the pressurized air cushion supported generic flexible bow and stern seal SES but without the generic SES's shortcomings that are due largely to its 80 percent total hull width f... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6938569 | Surface effect ship advancements Presented is an advanced Surface Effect Ship (SES) that offers the high efficiencies of the pressurized air cushion supported generic flexible bow and stern seal SES but without the generic SES's shortcomings that are due largely to its generally about 80 percent to... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6719079 | Ground effect vehicle using a frontal ram air stream and aerodynamic lift A ground effect vehicle apparatus comprising a vehicle body of integral and contiguous construction including a medial portion having an aerodynamic upper surface, and a pair of spaced apart laterally positioned portions separated by the medial portion. Lower extrem... | 04/13/2004 |
| 6695084 | Personal hovercraft with stairway climbing A personal transportation apparatus has a frame defining a surface for supporting a load, and a plurality of air-cushion cells mounted to the frame and depending from a lower side thereof, the air-cushion cells each having a changeable height to accommoda... | 02/24/2004 |
| 6619220 | Hybrid SES/hovercraft with retractable skirt system A hybrid craft can operate as a high speed SES in open water and deploy a retracted flexible skirt to operate as a hovercraft across beaches and overland. A downwardly extending boundary structure on a hull periphery reaches through the surface of water. ... | 09/16/2003 |
| 6487981 | Air assisted landing craft Presented is an advanced non-amphibious landing craft that is partially supported by one or more artificially pressurized air cushions. In the preferred embodiment, the air cushions are bordered on each side by sidehulls, at the bow by a flexible seal, an... | 12/03/2002 |
| 6302229 | Air cushion transport vehicle and method for controlling same The invention concerns a transport vehicle, comprised of a transport unit and a propulsion unit. The propulsion unit comprises a pressure housing with a plurality of radial turbine wheels arranged on a common shaft and rotating in opposite directions from... | 10/16/2001 |
| 6230835 | Ground effect vehicle The invention concerns a ground effect vehicle comprising hydrofoils or hydrofoil outer parts (18) which can pivot about a parallel line relative to the longitudinal axis of the body in order to increase the speed range when flying close the ground. In ad... | 05/15/2001 |
| 6158540 | Ground effect flying craft with simplified air cushion take-off aid A ground effect flying craft utilizing a pressure cavity (10) for low speed support on a static air cushion. The cavity is bounded by a streamlined aft body (18), a fore body (24), and side plates (22) which allow for low drag and high lift at cruise spee... | 12/12/2000 |
| 5836413 | Hovercraft capable of storing energy and air-cushion producing method therefor A hovercraft includes a plurality of energy storing containers for storing a low-temperature, high-pressure gas therein, a heat exchange device for performing heat exchange between the gas from the containers and a high-temperature exhaust from a gas turb... | 11/17/1998 |
| 5746146 | Surface effect planing pontoon seaplane (SEPPS) A zero draft cargo vessel with high speed open sea operational capabilities, a catamaran type design with hovercraft systems capable of lifting the craft slightly out of the water and air lubricating the planing pontoon bottoms for greatly reduced water d... | 05/05/1998 |
| 5727495 | Surface effect vehicle A surface effect vehicle includes a vehicle body having opposed longitudinally extending sides and a longitudinally extending deck having an upper and lower surfaces extending widthwise between the sides. The lower surface together with opposed inner surf... | 03/17/1998 |
| 5454440 | Sidewall air cushion vehicle A sidewall air cushion vehicle or side effect ship (SES) includes a pair of parallel body members which are connected to each other by a rigid structure above the water surface, a flexible bow skirt in the front of the vehicle and a flexible stern skirt i... | 10/03/1995 |
| 5415120 | Multiple hull air ride craft An improved performance marine surface vessel that includes pressurized supporting gas cushions in multiple hulls, normally catamaran-like sidehulls, where such pressurized supporting gas cushions support a majority of boat weight in operation. The prefer... | 05/16/1995 |
| 5267626 | Near surface vehicle A near surface vehicle including a vehicle body including a nose section having a canard with lift and pitch control. The vehicle body including a cockpit or cabin with a main wing mounted adjacent or above the cabin and including ailerons for lift and ro... | 12/07/1993 |
| 5176095 | Multiple hull air ride boat An improved performance marine surface vessel that includes pressurized supporting gas cushions in multiple hulls, normally catamaran-like sidehulls, where such pressurized supporting gas cushions support a majority of boat weight in operation. The prefer... | 01/05/1993 |
| 5158033 | Air cushion vehicles An elongated vehicle body has a forward bow portion, a stern, and a lower portion with the floor and sides runners defining a longitudinal rearwardly opening air channel in the underside thereof. The bow portion has a duct with a driven impeller therein c... | 10/27/1992 |
| 5105898 | Hovercraft ground-effect vehicle A flying hovercraft and ground effect vehicle design. The flat double-wing design for small, medium, and large cargo or military transport vehicles allows travel from very slow to medium to high speeds over water or land. The highly elongated, flat wing o... | 04/21/1992 |
| 5000107 | Extended bow and multiple air cushion air ride boat hull An improved performance marine surface vessel that includes a pressurized gas cavity in its underside that is restrained by hull structure and hull seals supports some 80 to 90 percent of vessel weight which results in much greater hull efficiencies. The ... | 03/19/1991 |
| 4890564 | Extended bow and controllable air cushion air ride boat hull An improved performance and high stability marine surface vessel that is supported at least in part by a pressurized gas cushion where the pressurized gas is supplied to the gas cushion normally by mechanical apparatus such as a powered blower. The pressu... | 01/02/1990 |
| 4834011 | Air cushion vehicle stern seal There is disclosed an improved stern seal construction for air cushion surted operating type marine vessels which consists of an array of inflatable, vertically oriented inverted truncated open-ended cones or fingers. These fingers are individually attac... | 05/30/1989 |
| 4766829 | Catamaran-type marine craft A catamaran-type air cushion craft has two floats (211) arranged spaced apart parallel to one another which are connected together at the top by a connecting structure which carries built-in structures and which is sealed at the bottom by an air-tight tra... | 08/30/1988 |
| 4739719 | Movable bow seal air ride boat hull An improved performance marine surface vessel with a recess in its underside that is pressurized with gas to form a supporting gas cushion that carries a substantial portion of vessel weight. The gas cushion is restrained by catamaran-like sidehulls, a mo... | 04/26/1988 |
| 4714041 | Structure of surface effect ship with side walls The present invention relates to a surface effect ship including a catamaran type supported structure with two side hulls connected by a central box structure, able to operate either as a buoyant displacement vehicle or as an air cushion supported vehicle... | 12/22/1987 |
| 4714443 | Flexible exhaust duct A novel exhaust system for both conducting engine exhaust gases away from and aft of the personnel occupied portion of a marine vessel and protecting the sides of the hull of the vessel from damages thereto during docking or other "working" maneuvers of t... | 12/22/1987 |
| 4708077 | Hull shapes for surface effect ship with side walls and two modes of operation The present invention concerns hull shapes for a surface effect ship, including a catamaran type supported structure with two side walls (100) connected by a center platform (200), able to operate either as a buoyant displacement vehicle, or as an air cus... | 11/24/1987 |
| 4702189 | Multiple-hulled marine craft In a multiple-hulled marine craft an opening (313) which can be closed in air-tight and water-tight manner by pivotable flaps (314) is located in the transverse deck (312) beneath the connection structure between the two floats (311) (FIG. 2).... | 10/27/1987 |
| 4666012 | Pitch controlled ground effect vehicle A vehicle utilizing a pair of counter rotating lift fans (36) driven by an air cooled internal combustion engine (34) provide compressed air into a plenum under a shell (26) moving the vehicle away from the surface upon which it is resting with the gas es... | 05/19/1987 |
| 4660670 | Wing-in-ground effect air cushion vehicle An air-cushion vehicle of the type having a flat rigid platform with rigid longitudinal walls attached to the platform. In such an air-cushion vehicle a plurality of transverse trough-shaped skirts are provided so as to form a space bounded by the skirt a... | 04/28/1987 |
| 4660492 | Catamaran air cushion water vehicle A catamaran air cushion water vehicle has two spaced apart floats (111) which extend parallel to one another in the direction of travel, wherein the cross-sections of the floats become broader from the bottom to the top and wherein the floats are rigidly ... | 04/28/1987 |
| 4658926 | Seal for air cushion vehicle An improved seal is provided for an air cushion vehicle which has side hu and a wet deck therebetween. The improved seal includes a flexible sheet like device which is connected to the wet deck and which extends between the side hulls so as to present a ... | 04/21/1987 |
| 4646866 | Surface effect type, side keel vessel fitted with an improved forward buoyancy cushion seal apparatus This invention concerns a surface effect vessel whose type comprises a buoyed up structure fitted with two side keels (20), an rear seal apparatus rear and a forward seal apparatus (200) both delimiting a central buoyancy cushion (300). According to the i... | 03/03/1987 |
| 4579187 | Multi-terrain stores vehicle with air cushion and integral hardening means An air cushion vehicle including a body, a flexible outer skirt depending downwardly therefrom, a rigid inner skirt within the outer skirt, air moving structure for creating pressure underneath the vehicle for normal driving and for creating a suction wit... | 04/01/1986 |
| 4543901 | Surface effect ship air cushion seal system There is disclosed an improved air cushion seal system of the inflatable lobe type such as for operating between the sidehulls of a surface effect ship (SES), wherein in accordance with the invention at least the lowermost lobe of the system is partially ... | 10/01/1985 |
