Air cushion vehicles having increased roll stiffness

Claim 2

A gas cushion vehicle comprising a body, at least one pair of load-bearing pads, means resiliently supporting the pads from the body for movement towards and away therefrom, means for forming, in operation, a gas cushion between each load-bearing pad and a surface along which the vehicle is to travel, the pads being so disposed that, in the event that the vehicle rolls, one pad of the said pair of pads tends to be moved nearer to the vehicle body than the other, and means operatively interconnecting the pads so that movement of one pad towards the body results in a corresponding movement of the other pad towards the body to produce a righting moment.

Claim 3

A vehicle according to claim 1 and in which the means interconnecting the said pair of pads comprises a pair of arms, one pivoted to each pad and each connected by a pivotal connection to the vehicle body, the two arms carrying intermeshing toothed quadrants.

Claim 4

A vehicle according to claim 1 and in which the means interconnecting the said pair of pads comprises a beam to the opposite ends of which the pads are pivotally connected and a parallel linkage interconnecting the beam to the vehicle body arranged to constrain movement of the beam towards and away from the vehicle body such that movement of one end of the beam towards the body produces an equal movement of the other end of the beam towards the body.

Claim 5

A vehicle according to claim 1 and in which the means interconnecting the said pair of pads comprises a pair of cross links, one pivotally secured to each pad and each pivotally secured to the vehicle body, the links being interconnected where they cross by means which allow relative sliding movement between the links but prevent relative movement between the centers of the cross links in a direction towards or away from the vehicle body, so that movement of one pad towards the vehicle body causes the other pad to be moved an equal amount towards the body.

Claim 6

A vehicle according to claim 4 and in which the means interconnecting the cross links is a pin and slot mechanism.

Claim 7

A vehicle according to claim 1 and in which the means interconnecting the said pair of pads comprises a torsion bar journaled to the vehicle body, to the opposite ends of which torsion bar the pads are connected by levers.

Claim 8

A vehicle according to claim 1 and in which each of the said pair of pads is supported from the vehicle body by a double acting cylinder and piston fluid ram, and the means interconnecting the said pair of pads comprises a fluid interconnection of the cylinders of the rams, operative in the event of retraction of one ram to cause a corresponding retraction of the other ram.

Claim 9

A vehicle according to claim 7 and in which the pads are supported by the pistons of said rams, each piston supporting one pad and each cylinder containing pneumatic or hydraulic fluid.

Claim 10

A vehicle according to claim 8 and in which the portion of one cylinder below the piston is connected to the portion of the other cylinder aBove its piston, the remaining portions of the two cylinders also being cross connected so that if one piston is forced towards the vehicle body by the roll of the vehicle the other piston would also be forced towards the vehicle body, producing a force compensating the roll.

Claim 11

A gas cushion vehicle for operation along a prepared track adapted to be supported and guided by cushions of fluid under pressure, the vehicle comprising a body and at least one pair of load-bearing pads adapted to guide the vehicle along the track, means resiliently connecting the said pair of pads to the vehicle body for movement towards and away from said body and the surface of the track with which, in operation, they cooperate, means for forming, in operation, a gas cushion between each of the said load-bearing pads and the said surface, the pads being so disposed that, in the event that the vehicle rolls, one pad tends to be moved nearer to the vehicle body than the other, and means operatively interconnecting the said pair of pads so that movement of one pad towards the body results in a corresponding movement of the other pad towards the body to produce a righting moment.

Claim 12

A gas cushion vehicle for operation along a prepared track adapted to be supported and guided by cushions of fluid under pressure, the vehicle comprising a body and at least one pair of load-bearing pads adapted to guide the vehicle along the track, means resiliently connecting the said pair of pads to the vehicle body for movement towards and away from said body and the surface of the track with which, in operation, they cooperate, means for forming, in operation, a gas cushion between each of the said load-bearing pads and the said surface, the pads being so disposed that, in the event that the vehicle rolls, one pad tends to be moved nearer to the vehicle body than the other, and means operatively interconnecting the said pair of pads so that movement of one pad towards the body results in a corresponding movement of the other pad towards the body to produce a righting moment.