Air film vehicle

Claim 1

IN A MATERIAL HANDLING VEHICLE HAVING A BODY PORTION AND LOAD ENGAGING MEANS SECURED TO THE BODY PORTION, COMBINED SUPPORT AND AIR FILM LUBRICATION MEANS SECURED TO THE BODY PORTION FOR SUPPORTING THE BODY PORTION ON A SUPPORTING SURFACE AND PROVIDING SAID COMBINED SUPPORT AIR FILM LUBRICATION MEANS, SAID COMBINED SUPPORT AND AIR FILM LUBRICATION MEANS, SAID COMBINED SUPPORT AND AIR FILM LUBRICATION MEANS INCLUDING A SOURCE OF PRESSURIZED AIR, A U-SHAPED PLENUM CHAMBER FORMING A PART OF THE BODY PORTION AND CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE OF PRESSURIZED AIR, SAID PLENUM CHAMBER DEFINING A SPACE BETWEEN THE LEGS AND BIGHT PORTION THEREOF, A DIRIGIBLE POWERED WHEEL ASSEMBLY DISPOSED IN SAID SPACE AND CONNECTED TO THE BODY PORTION FOR PROPELLING AND STEERING THE VEHICLE, SAID ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A YOKE, A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICALLY EXTENDING SHAFT SECURED TO SAID YOKE AND PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE BODY PORTION FOR MOVEMENT ABOUT A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL AXIS, A WHEEL ROTATABLY JOURNALED IN SAID YOKE, SPRING MEANS FOR RESILIENTLY BIASING SAID WHEEL INTO CONTACT WITH THE SUPPORTING SURFACE, AIR MOTOR MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID WHEEL, SAID AIR MOTOR MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SOURCE OF PRESSURIZED AIR, AND MEANS FOR CONTROLLING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ASSEMBLY ABOUT SAID VERTICAL AXIS.