Ground effect machine

Claim 1

A GROUND EFFECT VEHICLE COMPRISING A BODY HAVING AN UNDERSURFACE THE MAJOR PORTION OF WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY AIRTIGHT; MEANS MOUNTED TO SAID BODY FOR CREATING BETWEEN SAID BODY AND THE EARTH A CUSHION OF AIR UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO RAISE SAID VEHICLE TO A STABLE ELEVATION ABOVE THE EARTH; MEANS MOUNTED TO SAID BODY FOR PROPELLING THE SAME FORWARDLY WHEN AT SAID STABLE ELEVATION; MOVABLE ANTIFRICTION MEANS MOUNTED TO SAID BODY BENEATH SAID UNDERSURFACE AND SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE LATTER FOR PREVENTING CONTACT BETWEEN ANY RIGID PARTS OF SAID BODY AND AN OBSTACLE WHEN SAID VEHICLE RIDES THEREOVER, SAID ANTIFRICTION MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE ENDLESS BELT TRAINED OVER A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY-SPACED TRANSVERSE ROLLERS, THE LOWER FLIGHT OF SAID BELT BEING DISPOSED BELOW THE RIGID PARTS OF SAID BODY; AND FORWARDLY AND UPWARDLY INCLINED MOVABLE ANTIFRICTION MEANS MOUNTED TO SAID BODY AT THE FRONT THEREOF AND SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE WIDTH OF SAID VEHICLE FOR FACILITATING MOVEMENT OF SAID VEHICLE OVER AN OBSTACLE HIGHER THAN SAID STABLE ELEVATION.