Ground effect machine with fluid curtain forming and maintaining means

Claim 1

A VEHICLE FOR TRAVELLING OVER LAND AND/OR WATER COMPRISING MEANS FOR CAUSING A FLUID TO ISSUE FROM THE LOWER PART OF THE VEHICLE IN AN INWARD DIRECTION RELATIVE TO THE PERIPHERY OF THE VEHICLE AND TO FORM AT LEAST ONE CURTAIN OF MOVING FLUID WHICH TRAVELS ACROSS THE GAP THAT IN OPERATION EXISTS BETWEEN THE SURFACE OVER WHICH THE VEHICLE IS TO HOVER OR TRAVEL AND THE STRUCTURE OF THE VEHICLE SO THAT A GASEOUS PRESSURISED CUSHION IS ENCLOSED BY THE SAID STRUCTURE AND SURFACE AND BY THE CURTAIN, THE VEHICLE BEING MAINLY SUPPORTED BY THE SAID CUSHION, AND MEANS FOR INDUCING FLUID TO FLOW OUTWARDS TO ANY REGION OF THE SAID CUSHION ADJACENT TO BUT JUST INBOARD OF THE POINT OF ISSUE FROM THE VEHICLE OF THE INWARDLY DIRECTED CURTAIN FORMING THE OUTER BOUNDARY OF THAT CUSHION AT WHICH THE PRESSURE IS BELOW THE MEAN PRESSURE OF THAT CUSHION, WHEREBY THE PRESSURE AT THE SAID REGION IS INCREASED, SAID LAST NAMED MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE PORT POSITIONED WITHIN THE CUSHION AND SO CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED AS TO DISCHARGE FLUID IN AN OUTWARD DIRECTION INTO SAID REGION, AND MEANS FOR SUPPLYING TO SAID PORT FLUID HAVING A PRESSURE HIGHER THAN THAT EXISTING IN SAID REGION.