Vehicles for travelling over land and/or water and equipped with depending side walls

Claim 1

A VEHICLE OF THE TYPE PRIMARILY ADAPTED FOR TRAVELLING OR HOVERING OVER WATER COMPRISING A MAIN BODY HAVING FRONT AND REAR ENDS, SIDES AND A BOTTOM, AND MEANS FOR FORMING AND PERIPHERALLY ENCLOSING A PRESSURIZED CUSHION OF GAS CLOSED AT THE TOP BY THE BOTTOM OF SAID BODY AND AT THE BOTTOM BY THE SURFACE OF THE WATER THEREBENEATH, THE GAS OF SAID CUSHION HAVING A POSITIVE PRESSURE SUFFICIENT TO AT LEAST PARTIALLY SUPPORT THE VEHICLE AT A HEIGHT ABOVE THE WATER WHICH IS SMALL IN RELATION TO THE SIZE OF THE VEHICE, SAID MEANS INCLUDING MEANS FOR FORMING CURTAINS OF FLUID AT THE FRONT AND REAR ENDS OF THE VEHICLE WHICH ISSUE DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY FROM THE VEHICLE BODY AND PARTIALLY ENCLOSE SAID PRESSURISED CUSHION, AND AT LEAST ONE WALL LOCATED ON EACH SIDE OF THE VEHICLE EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO ITS INTENDED DIRECTION OF MOTION AND PROJECTING DOWNWARDLY BELOW THE BOTTOM THEREOF, SAID WALLS COOPERATING WITH SAID CURTAINS OF FLUID TO FORM THE REMAINDER OF THE ENCLOSURE OF SAID PRESSURISED CUSHION.