Ground effect machine equipped with auxiliary selectively adjustable ground engaging ropelling mechanisms

Claim 1

A MOBILE VEHICLE FOR TRAVEL OVER GENERALLY LEVEL AND INCLINED GROUND SURFACE AREAS COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, SELECTIVELY OPERABLE MOBILE APPARATUS TO SUPPORT AND PROVIDE THE MEANS TO PROPEL THE VEHICLE OVER THE GROUND AREAS, ONE PORTION OF SAID APPARATUS TO COMPRISING AN AIR PRESSURE SYSTEM WITH AIR DISCHARGE MEANS TO ESTABLISH A SUPPORTING CUSHION OF AIR BENEATH THE VEHICLE TO SUSTAIN SAID VEHICLE FOR MOTION IN A GIVEN RAISED POSITION ABOVE THE GROUND, ANOTHER PORTION OF SAID APPARTUS COMPRISING MECHANICAL DRIVE MECHANISMS FOR GROUND ENGAGEMENT MOUNTED UPON THE VEHICLE AND INCLUDING ACTUATION MEANS TO BODILY DISPLACE SUCH DRIVE MECHANISMS BETWEEN ELEVATED INOPERATIVE LOCATIONS SITUATED ABOVE THE LOWER STRUCTURAL LIMITS OF THE VEHICLE AND LOWERED GROUNG CONTACTING LOCATIONS WITH THE DRIVE MECHANISMS OCCUPYING MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE POSITIONS SPACED BELOW THE LOWER STRUCTURE LIMITS OF THE VEHICLE FOR THE PHYSICAL OFF THE GROUND SUPPORT OF SAID VEHICLE STRUCTURE, SAID ONE AIR PRESSURE PORTION OF SAID APPARATUS BEING USED FOR NORMAL TRAVEL OVER GENERALLY LEVEL GROUND AREAS AND SAID OTHER DRIVE MECHANISM PORTIONS OF SAID APPARATUS BEING EMPLOYED FOR TRAVEL OVER INCLINED GROUND AREAS, SAID ONE AIR APPARATUS FURTHER PROVIDING AN APPROPRIATE AIR CUSHION TO MAINTAIN SAID VEHICLE AT A GIVEN ELEVATED POSITION WITH RESPECT TO THE LOWER STRUCTURAL LIMITS THEREOF WITH THE VEHICLE RAISED SUFFICIENTLY TO PERMIT THE ACTUATING MEANS FOR SAID DRIVE MECHANISMS TO FREELY AND BODILY SWING SUCH MECHANISMS BETWEEN THE AFORESAID RAISED INOPERATIVE AND LOWERED GROUND CONTACTING POSITIONS THAT ARE BELOW THE LEVEL OF THE LOWER LIMITS OF THE VEHICLE STRUCTURE; SUCH DRIVE MECHANISMS, WHEN LOWERED, PROVIDING A SUBSTITUTE MECHANICAL MANEUVERABLE MEANS FOR THE AIR CUSHION MANEUVERABLE MEANS OF THE VEHICLE AT SUCH TIMES WHEN THE LATTER ENCOUNTERS INCLINED GROUND TERRAIN OF A NATURE PRESENTING TOPOGRAPHY TO IMPEDE THE PROGRESS OF THE VEHICLE WHEN AIRBORNE, SAID MECHANICAL DRIVE MECHANISMS EACH INCLUDING POWER DRIVEN GROUND SUPPORTED TRACK ASSEMBLIES EACH HAVING AIR ENTRAPPING SURFACE PORTIONS SUBJECTED TO AIR PRESSURE TO ENHANCE THE EFFECTIVE OPERATION OF THE TRACKS, SAID ONE AIR APPARATUS PORTION PROVIDING THE OPERATIVE MEANS WHEREBY TO SUPPLY AIR UNDER PRESSURE TO THE AIR ENTRAPPING PORTIONS OF THE TRACK ASSEMBLIES.