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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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 7207285 | Variable hybrid catamaran air cushion ship A vessel (10) designed to operate efficiently as both a catamaran and air cushion vessel can travel at low speed (e.g. Froude number (Fn)=0–0.3) in a catamaran or displacement mode and at high speed (e.g. Froude numbers (Fn)=0.3 or more) in an air cushion o... | 04/24/2007 |
| 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 |
| 7194973 | Air cushioned rotatable platform A fluid cushioned platform adapted to float on a body of liquid. The platform includes a deck having upper and lower surfaces and a lower peripheral member extending around the outer perimeter of the deck. A pump having a pump outlet is supported by the deck. A fill... | 03/27/2007 |
| 7090549 | System to propel an air powered boat Air propulsion system for a boat comprises an internal combustion engine for powering a propeller in a single rotational direction. A pivoting mechanism pivots the propulsion system through a 360 degree arc about a transverse horizontal axis from a first position in... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7032698 | Hovercraft A hovercraft is capable of operation on either a solid surface or a liquid surface. The hovercraft includes a hull on which is mounted at least one thrust-lift fan assembly for providing an air cushion under the hovercraft and for propelling the hovercraft in a forw... | 04/25/2006 |
| 7013826 | Hybrid catamaran air cushion ship A vessel (10) designed to operate efficiently as both a catamaran and air cushion vessel can travel at low speed (e.g. Froude number (Fn)=0-0.3) in a catamaran or displacement mode and at high speed (e.g. Froude numbers (Fn)=0.3 or more) in an air cushion or ... | 03/21/2006 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 4964835 | Air cushion vehicle toy An air cushion vehicle toy has a body formed with an air inlet and levitation air vent holes. An expandable and contractible skirt is attached to a lower part of the body, and a centrifugal levitation air blower is arranged to both expand the skirt and to... | 10/23/1990 |
| 4924958 | Finger skirt for an air cushion vehicle A finger skirt for an air-cushion vehicle wherein the bottom edge of each finger skirt, when it is in the state of inflation by the pressurized air for the levitation of the hull, is shaped so that it extends horizontally at the location where it comes in... | 05/15/1990 |
| 4848501 | Air cushion vehicle A small sized air cushion vehicle includes a hull having a planar bottom surface with an upstanding lower flange disposed and extending upwardly at an angle of between 24° and 30° with respect to the planar bottom surface of the hull. A hollow plenum ex... | 07/18/1989 |
| 4828058 | Hovercraft with improved maneuverability Disclosed is a hovercraft having a pair of air cushions, associated with each air cushion is a rotatable fan which partly produces lifting force and partly propels and maneuvers the craft. The fans are mounted perpendicular to the direction of travel, per... | 05/09/1989 |
| 4724786 | Surface effect, side keel vessel containing perfected buoyancy systems A surface effect vessel of a type comprising a buoyed structure with two side keels (20), a rear seal apparatus (100) and a forward seal apparatus cooperating to delimit a central buoyancy cushion (300). The rear seal contains a horizontal extension enclo... | 02/16/1988 |
| 4702332 | Attachment of skirt pants for surface-effect vehicles To make a skirt part of a surface-effect vehicle readily and reliably retainable to the vehicle while able to be folded to be sent to the position of use, the skirt part has an enlarged bead to be slid into a restricted-mouth channel on the vehicle, the c... | 10/27/1987 |
| 4615407 | Flexible annular jet seal for surface effect vehicles An improved bow and/or stern seal is provided for a surface effect vehicle herein the vehicle has a pair of spaced apart side hulls which are joined by a wet deck, and the bow and stern seals extend between the side hulls so that an air cushion can be form... | 10/07/1986 |
| 4489667 | Surface effect ship seals There is disclosed in a multiple lobe air cushion seal system an auxiliary air inflated bounce damping lobe interfacing the cleft between the lower ends of the two lowermost lobes of the system.... | 12/25/1984 |
| 4488614 | Air-cushion vehicles An air-cushion vehicle comprising a lifted structure, a central cushion, and a peripheral lift arrangement in which each lobe of the outer skirt projects outside the lifted structure and preferably surrounds an inner skirt. Each lobe extending downwardly ... | 12/18/1984 |
| 4470578 | Load transfer device The invention concerns a load transfer device with a platform which is insertable below and movable with a load and equipped with a number of at least in one row below the platform arranged lifting means for elevating and lowering of the platform. For ena... | 09/11/1984 |
| 4455958 | Drillship canopy A canopy system for deployment around the periphery of a vessel floating on a body of water is disclosed primarily for use in connection with drillships in Arctic waters. The disclosed canopy system includes (a) spaced apart structural frames extending ou... | 06/26/1984 |
| 4441571 | Fluid bearing A fluid bearing with a multicomponent membrane which is inflated to form a torus defining a plenum chamber. The preferred three layer membrane has a fluid impermeable inner layer, a middle layer of a dimensionally stable fabric, and an abrasion resistant ... | 04/10/1984 |
| 4428448 | Fluid-cushion supported apparatus Fluid-cushion supported apparatus, which may comprise a sidewall gas-cushion vehicle, is supported by a cushion of pressurized air formed and contained between the vehicle body and the surface. The front or bow end of the cushion is contained by an inflat... | 01/31/1984 |
| 4417639 | Dynamic gas pressured jacking structure with improved load stability and air pallet employing same A pair of relatively rigid planar members overlying each other are coupled about their edges by a flexible film band to form a jacking plenum chamber. The upper planar member functions as the load support, bearing a gas inlet hole adjacent one edge whose ... | 11/29/1983 |
| 4363372 | Gas-cushion vehicles A gas-cushion vehicle is provided with a system for reducing dynamic variations in cushion gas pressure. The system comprises a gas-flow outlet connection between a space occupied by cushion gas and the atmosphere. A flexible wall member of inflatable for... | 12/14/1982 |
| 4326477 | Gas-cushion vehicles A sidewall gas-cushion vehicle is provided with a flexible skirt of hollow inflatable form, which, in operation of the vehicle, depends from the vehicle body so that the bottom of the skirt defines a convex face in close proximity to the surface over whic... | 04/27/1982 |
| 4312690 | Method of making air cushion vehicle flexible skirts An apertured flexible sheet component for an air cushion vehicle flexible skirt, such as an apertured section of a flexible skirt bag member, comprises reinforced flexible sheet material including a reinforcing fabric having substantial spacings between g... | 01/26/1982 |
| 4282946 | Multi-terrain vehicle A multi-terrain vehicle for travelling on or above the ground or the like. The multi-terrain vehicle has a rigid body portion and a series of rigid ribs are rotatably connected on each side of the body portion that are capable of being rotated to their fu... | 08/11/1981 |
| 4279322 | Air cushion vehicle flexible skirt assemblies A device for arresting the growth of a rip in reinforced flexible sheet material, for example elastomeric sheet material reinforced with woven nylon fabric, comprises a flexible sheath member having a flexible core member extending throughout its length a... | 07/21/1981 |
| 4248320 | Air cushion vehicle flexible skirts An apertured flexible sheet component for an air cushion vehicle flexible skirt, such as an apertured section of a flexible skirt bag member, comprises reinforced flexible sheet material including a reinforcing fabric having substantial spacings between g... | 02/03/1981 |
| 4236593 | Air cushion vehicle flexible skirts A bag member for an air cushion vehicle flexible skirt has an apertured portion by which a space enclosed by the bag member and hard structure of a vehicle to which it is attached, is placed in communication with the vehicle cushion area. The apertured po... | 12/02/1980 |
| 4215758 | Spraying apparatus employing a skirt structure In a new spraying apparatus the spray dispensers for liquid or finely divided spray material discharge into an enclosure contained within a flexible skirt attached to a sprayer boom. Air under pressure is injected into the skirt which supports the boom fr... | 08/05/1980 |
| 4175637 | Surface effect vehicles and guideways therefor A ground effect vehicle of the type supported by a cushion of gas and especially adapted for use within specially constructed roadways providing guidance along a plurality of axes. The application describes vehicles having skirts with lower margins adapte... | 11/27/1979 |
| 4133282 | Cushion seals for air cushion vehicles A cushion containing seal particularly suited for use as the bow or stern seal on a large ocean-going sidewall air cushion vehicle or surface effect ship, comprises adjacent elongated stiff members arranged near to one of their ends for attachment to rigi... | 01/09/1979 |
| 4111276 | Skirts for gas cushion vehicles In a two-stage hovercraft skirt comprising an upper loop from which segments depend, operational movements of the skirt are effected by an adjusting tie extending at right angles and connected to generally radially directed ties by which the segments are ... | 09/05/1978 |
| 4096921 | Vehicle supported by an air cushion A vehicle supported by an air cushion extending beneath at least the greater part of the lower surface of the rigid structure of the vehicle. An arrangement of skirts defining the air cushions is described. According to this arrangement, the cushion is bo... | 06/27/1978 |
| 4090459 | Side lubricated seal device for a surface effect ship In a surface effect ship of the type having at least two relatively spaced wall-like stationary structures extending longitudinally beneath the main body of the ship into and below the water line of the ship to partially confine thereunder the ship suppor... | 05/23/1978 |
