Air cushion borne vehicles with hollow inflatable skirts

Claim 1

AN AIR CUSHION VEHICLE INCLUDING A VEHICLE BODY ARRANGED FOR RECEIVING SUPPORT FROM AN AIR CUSHION WHEN FORMED IN A SPACE BENEATH THE VEHICLE BODY, A FLEXIBLE SKIRT ATTACHED TO AND DEPENDING FROM THE VEHICLE BODY IN A POSITION TO MINIMIZE LEAKAGE OF AIR LATERALLY FROM SAID SPACE AFTER THE AIR CUSHION IS FORMED, THE SKIRT BEING OF THE HOLLOW INFLATABLE TYPE ABD, WHEN INFLATED, PROJECTS LATERALLY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE VEHICLE TO FORM A FENDER; WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES SAID SKIRT INCLUDING A WALL OF FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AND THEN DOWNWARDLY FROM AT LEAST ONE POSITION OF ATTACHMENT TO THE VEHICLE GODY WHEN THE SKIRT IS INFLATED, THE BOTTOM OF THE WALL, WHEN THE SKIRT IS FULLY EXTENDED AND LOWERED, TERMINATING AT A LOWERMOST POSITION WHICH IS BELOW THE VEHICLE BODY, A TENSION MEANS CONNECTING THE BOTTOM OF SAID HOLLOW SKIRT TO THE VEHICLE BODY AT A SECE OND POSITION OF ATTACHMENT BELOW SAID FIRST POSITION OF ATTACHMENT WHEREBY THE BOTTOM OF THE SKIRT ROTATES ABOUT THE POSITION OF ATTACHMENT OF THE TENSION MEANS TO THE VEHICLE BODY WHEN THE SKIRT IS RAISED OR LOWERED, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING AIR TO SAID SPACE FOR FORMING THE AIR CUSHION, AND MEANS FOR EFFECTING THE RETRACTION AND LOWERING RESPECTIVELY OF THE SKIRT SO THAT TTHE BOTTOM OF THE SKIRT IS RAISED AND LOWERED RESPECTIVELY RELATIVE TO THE VEHICLE BODY.