Sectional air cushion cargo floor

Claim 1

AN ANTI-FRICTION FLOORING REDUCING THE SLIDING-FRICTION OF OBJECTS, SUCH AS LOADED PALLETS, MOVED THEREON, COMPRISING: A FRAMEWORK CONSTITUTING SUPPORTING MEANS; A SOURCE OF PRESSURIZED AIR; A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY HOLLOW, SLIDABLE-LOADS, OR PALLETS; LOAD-SUPPORTING PANELS, SAID PANELS BEING DISPOSED ON SAID FRAMEWORK IN MUTUAL COPLANARITY AND IN MUTUALLY EDGEWISE-ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP; EACH OF SAID PANELS BEING DISENGAGEABLY ENGAGED TO SAID FRAMEWORK; FOR REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF PANELS AND FOR REARRANGEMENT THEREOF; MEANS COMMUNICATING THE HOLLOW INTERIOR OF EACH PANEL WITH SAID AIR SOURCE; THE UPPER, OR LOAD-CONTACTING, FACE OF EACH PANEL INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PRESSURE-AIR OUTLETS THEREIN; MOVABLE AIREXIT MEANS IN EACH OUTLET NORMALLY CLOSING EACH OUTLET, SAID MOVABLE MEANS BEING LOAD-MOVABLE TO RELEASE PRESSURIZED AIR BETWEEN THE LOWER SURFACE OF A LOAD OR PALLET AND THE UPPER SURFACE OF EACH PANEL, SO AS TO REDUCE THE SLIDING FRICTION AND LUBRICATE THE SLIDING LOAD; THE MEANS THAT COMMUNICATE THE INTERIORS OF THE PANELS WITH SAID AIR SOURCE INCLUDING A CONDUIT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY ADJACENT THE PANELS; A SLIDE-VALVE MEANS DISPOSED IN SAID CONDUIT LATERALLY ADJACENT EACH PANEL, SAID SLIDE-VALVE MEANS BEING ARRANGED AND CONSTRUCTED TO BE OPERATED SO AS TO SUPPLY, AND TO TERMINATE SUPPLY, OF AIR INTO EACH ADJACENT PANEL; PINNING MEANS; AND MEANS CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED WITH SUCH A SPATIAL AND GEOMETRICAL RELATION RESPECTING SAID SLIDE VALVE, SAID PANEL AND THE SLIDABLELOAD OR PALLETS AS TO ENABLE SAID PIN MEMBER TO BE INSERTED VERTICALLY THROUGH A PORTION OF SAID PALLET AND A PORTION OF SAID SLIDE VALVE SO AS TO THEREBY CONCURRENTLY CLOSE SAID SLIDE VALVE AND LOCK THE CONCERNED PALLET IN POSITION; REMOVAL OF THE AFORESAID INSERTED PINNING MEANS CONCURRENTLY OPENING THE SLIDE VALVE AND UNLOCKING THE PALLET.