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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7426974 | Air bearing base and workstation In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a workstation or other heavy object which is easily moved, yet steady and stable when parked. Underneath this object is attached a multiple air-bearing device having a backplate, a membrane which is selecti... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7398740 | Multi-mission/purpose ground-effect craft derived from a common modular platform A multi-mission/purpose ground-effect craft is provided which is derived from a common modular platform which includes a hull; an inner floor structure adapted to be installed over the hull; a body adapted to be attached to at least one of the top surface of the hul... | 07/15/2008 |
| 7383907 | Air-cushion vehicle A light air-cushion vehicle has a thrust reverser bucket arranged at an output end of an air nozzle, at least one direction rudder having control surfaces at the output end of the air nozzle and at least one direction rudder having control surfaces in a lift contour... | 06/10/2008 |
| 7347154 | Amphibious craft The present invention relates to an improved amphibious craft or vehicle and, in particular, but not exclusively, to a craft or vehicle that may be used for commercial and rescue tasks in a great variety of weather conditions. To achieve this, an amphibious vehicle ... | 03/25/2008 |
| 7316193 | Vessel for water travel A vessel for water travel that has the stability of a heavy weighted vessel when at rest in the water and the performance of a lightweight vessel when in a planed condition. The vessel comprises at least one hull structure for partially submerged flotation in a body... | 01/08/2008 |
| 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 |
| 7306066 | Air cushion vehicle and game The present invention is an air cushion vehicle and a control mechanism for steering and turning the vehicle. The air cushion vehicle includes a frame having a skirt body extending around the perimeter. An air flow generator may be positioned on the frame for provid... | 12/11/2007 |
| 7296526 | Dual stability seal skirt system for air cushion vehicle A marine air cushion vehicle provides a hull having a hull periphery, an inflatable bag connected to the hull at the hull periphery, an inflatable skirt connected to the bag, and a pair of inflatable lateral stability seals, each extending generally perpendicular to... | 11/20/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7288493 | Body armor with improved knife-stab resistance formed from flexible composites Flexible body armor formed from flexible composites which have improved knife-stab resistance. The body armor is formed from composites which include layers of a fabric base, formed from high tenacity fibers, and a rubber layer bonded to the fabric base. A thermopla... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7240947 | Compact truck tailgate and general purpose utility ladder An exemplary embodiment sets forth an apparatus, including a non-collapsible single unit stair comprising: a pair of opposing side rails supporting at least a top step and a bottom step; a coupler adapted to couple the apparatus to an edge of a horizontal surface; a... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7210549 | Air board An air board including a platform upon which an operator of the vehicle can be supported; and a support arrangement for providing an air flow for supporting the platform above a surface, wherein the direction of movement of the air board is at least partially contro... | 05/01/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7101142 | Hitch mounted refuse container lifting system A hitch mountable refuse container transport device has a vertical element supporting a telescoping mount, in an exemplary embodiment, that carries engagement keys on a horizontal bracket. Each key is adapted for engagement with an upper attachment element and a low... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7040572 | Lighter-than-air aircraft with air cushion landing gear means A lighter-than-air aircraft (1) having a gas-filled hull (2) and a pair of spaced apart landing gear units (11, 12) on the underside of the hull arranged on opposite sides of a longitudinally extending central vertical plane of the hull. Each la... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7000546 | Underwater mine countermeasure warfare system An underwater mine warfare countermeasure system is disclosed in which an air cushion vehicle carries a magnetic field generating system capable of generating a magnetic field pattern beneath the vehicle which extends sufficiently far from the vehicle in all directi... | 02/21/2006 |
| 6742616 | Hybrid air boost vehicle and method for making same A hybrid air boost vehicle makes use of the porous panels and suction devices of a vehicle aerodynamic drag reduction system, and makes use of the air consumed by such a system, to provide the energy and air to power a land or water based ground effects vehicle. Ene... | 06/01/2004 |
| 6216599 | Ground effect transport system A transportation system has an air cushion vehicle in a U-shaped or W-shaped channel in the ground. The channel provides support and directional stability for the air cushion vehicle during transit along its length. This system assures high speed overland... | 04/17/2001 |
| 5941331 | Air cushion vehicle control system Control of air cushion vehicles is obtained by controlling the translation of the vehicle independently from control of the rotation (yaw). Lateral translation of the vehicle is controlled by creating side-directed thrusts the direction of which passes th... | 08/24/1999 |
| 5931248 | Durable roll-stabilizing keel system for hovercraft An inflated roll-stabilizing keel system has a first trough-shaped bladder nd a second trough-shaped bladder attached to the underside of a forward portion of the first trough-shaped bladder. Holes pass through from the first trough-shaped bladder to the s... | 08/03/1999 |
| 5909857 | Filimonov hybrid dirigible craft The hybrid dirigible craft belongs to the category of flying vehicles which use an air cushion and take off and land at any type of airfield. The air of the invention is to design an improved dirigible craft capable of taking off from and landing on water... | 06/08/1999 |
| 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 |
| 5566775 | Skirted surface effect vehicle A surface effect vehicle for traversing a water or ground surface is provided. The surface effect vehicle comprises an elongate body and forward and rear scoops, preferably having a large angle of attack inducing stall conditions on the scoops. Each scoop... | 10/22/1996 |
| 5560443 | Hovercraft having segmented skirt which reduces plowing A self-propelled hovercraft having a body or hull around the periphery of which is a segmented skirt. The segmented skirt of the hovercraft comprises a plurality of bags, one adjacent to another, completely encircling the hovercraft body. Each of the bags... | 10/01/1996 |
| 5542366 | Air cushion vehicle with high stability skirt system An air cushion vehicle having a low drag, high stability non-scooping skirt system including closed loop finger sleeves. An enlarged bag combines to provide a more responsive skirt profile. The sleeves of this invention are trimmed at an angle to the supp... | 08/06/1996 |
| 5520261 | Static trimmer for a hovercraft A static trimmer for a hovercraft is provided for shifting the center of buoyancy of an air-cushion of the hovercraft in relation to the center of gravity. The static trimmer includes a peripheral elastic skirt (2) having a plurality of skirt segments (5)... | 05/28/1996 |
| 5501291 | Skirt for an air cushion vehicle and filament member thereto The air cushion chambers of an air cushion vehicle are horizontally delimited by a skirt. The skirt comprises brushes with elongated downwards extended filaments (9), which have downwards diminishing cross-sectional area thereby providing the brushes with... | 03/26/1996 |
| 5377775 | Hovercraft motorcycle In a preferred embodiment, a hovercraft motorcycle for travel over a ground surface, comprising: a body portion having a front end, a rear end, a longitudinal centerline extending from the rear end to the front end, and a lower surface spaced above the gr... | 01/03/1995 |
| 5370197 | Air cushion vehicle A small-sized air cushion vehicle includes a hull having a planar bottom surface with an upstanding lower flange disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the bottom surface. A plurality of apertures are formed in the peripheral flange. An upper h... | 12/06/1994 |
| 5279379 | Compact, coupled propulsion and lift unit for hovercraft A combined propulsion and lift unit for an air-cushion vehicle is provided comprising an elongate shaft mounted for rotation about its central longitudinal axis, bearings for rotatably supporting the shaft, an axial wheel with two or more blades mounted o... | 01/18/1994 |
| 5119897 | Means for mounting a skirt on an air cushion vehicle The present invention relates to a method of mounting a skirt on an air cushion vehicle body in an air cushion vehicle (trade name, Hovercraft) to easily mount or dismount the skirt on the air cushion vehicle body and having the step of respectively mount... | 06/09/1992 |
| 5014803 | Device capable of suction-adhering to a wall surface and moving therealong A device comprising a main body, a motor and drive wheels mounted on the main body, a partitioning member mounted on the main body and defining a pressure reduction space in cooperation with the main body and a wall surface, and a vacuum pump for reducing... | 05/14/1991 |
| 4951770 | Structure to form a load-bearing air cushion for a vehicle In an air cushion load transport vehicle, an annular sealing assembly comprising an annular inflatable hanger on the underside of a load-bearing base and an annular sealing means on the underside of the hanger confines a load-supporting air cushion that i... | 08/28/1990 |
| 4926957 | Device capable of suction-adhering to a wall surface and moving therealong A device comprising a main body, a motor and drive wheels mounted on the main body, a partitioning member mounted on the main body and defining a pressure reduction space in cooperation with the main body and a wall surface, and a vacuum pump for reducing... | 05/22/1990 |
| 4905781 | Water skate A fluid-cushion-supported pallet or water skate in which the cushion-fluid is generally defined by a multi-part or segmental, flexible skirt, in which the contiguous skirt members have their downwardly and inwardly extending lateral portions flanked by ti... | 03/06/1990 |
| 4896610 | Fluid cushion device Fluid cushion equipment comprising a floor having valves supplied by a matrix of fluid supply lines and a fluid cushion platform. Positioning of the platform on or above the valves actively causes them to open to supply fluid beneath the platform which is... | 01/30/1990 |
| 4862984 | Amphibious air cushion vehicle An amphibious air cushion vehicle includes a body defining an air containment wall, and an inflatable tube is attached to the body and defines a rearward opening. A fan is positioned within the body to force pressurized air into the compartment, and a gat... | 09/05/1989 |
| 4843991 | Surface effect transport vehicle including improved lift means A surface effect transport vehicle is provided having a structure supported by a cushion of pressurized air generated from a blower. The propulsive source of the vehicle is independent from the power source of the blower. The propulsion source includes at... | 07/04/1989 |
| 4821829 | Air cushion vehicle An air cushion vehicle capable of operation over land or water, which includes a hull carrying at least one air supply unit, an outer inflatable member connected to and extending around the entire perimeter of the hull, which supports a flexible skirt sys... | 04/18/1989 |
| 4718501 | Self-trailering hovercraft A self-trailering hovercraft is disclosed, having wheels such that the wheels can remain in the same position when the hovercraft is trailering or in the hover mode, or retracted for additional ground clearance while in hover mode if desired. A trailer hi... | 01/12/1988 |
