Vehicles

Claim 1

A GROUND EFFECT MACHINE COMPRISING: A RIGID BASE STRUCTURE, MEANS FORMING A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED DUCT EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY AROUND THE PERIPHERY OF SAID RIGID BASE STRUCTURE, A FLEXIBLE SKIRT-LIKE MEMBER OF FLUID IMPERVIOUS MATERIAL DEPENDING FROM SAID RIGID BASE STRUCTURE, SAID SKIRT-LIKE MEMBER HAVING SPACED INNER AND OUTER WALLS FORMING A DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING CONTINUATION OF SAID PERIPHERAL DUCT, AND MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID INNER AND OUTER WALLS TO SAID RIGID BASE STRUCTURE, SAID ATTACHMENT MEANS FOR AT LEAST ONE OF SAID WALLS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF FIRST ELEMENTS CONNECTED TO SAID RIGID BASE STRUCTURE IN ALIGNED BUT SPACED RELATIONSHIP AND HAVING PASSAGES FORMED THEREIN, THE PASSAGES IN ADJACENT FIRST ELEMENTS BEING IN SUBSTANTIAL ALIGNMENT FOR RECEIVING A RODLIKE RETAINING MEMBER, A PLURALITY OF SPACED SECOND ELEMENTS ATTACHED TO AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID ONE WALL BETWEEN AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH ADJACENT ONES OF SAID FIRST ELEMENTS, SAID SECOND ELEMENTS BEING FORMED OF A RIGID MATERIAL AND BEING CONNECTED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID ONE WALL IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP SO AS TO PERMIT SAID WALL TO FLEX IN THE SPACES BETWEEN ADJACENT SECOND ELEMENTS, SAID SECOND ELEMENTS HAVING PASSAGES FORMED THEREIN IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE PASSAGES IN ADJACENT ONES OF SAID FIRST ELEMENTS, AND A PLURALITY OF REMOVABLE ROD-LIKE RETAINING MEMBERS EACH SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN THE ALTERNATING PASSAGES IN A GROUP OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND ELEMENTS, WHEREBY SAID ONE WALL IS FREE TO PIVOT ABOUT SAID RETAINING MEMBER WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL FLEXING IN THE VICINITY OF THE CONNECTION TO THE RIGID BASE STRUCTURE.