Air cushion vehicle

Claim 2

An air cushion vehicle including a body, and means for propelling and supporting said body on an air cushion including air propelling means mounted toward the forward end of said body and adapted to produce a downstream flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, in which the improvement comprises a. front steering means for changing the direction of said downstream flow of air to lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, b. rear steering means positioned toward the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof and adapted to divert downstream flow of air supplied thereto to lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, c. and air-channeling means spaced downstream of said front steering means for receiving portions of said downstream flow of air under the control of said front steering means and directing the flow of air therethrough to said rear steering means.

Claim 3

A vehicle in accordance with claim 1 in which the outer lateral boundaries of said air-channeling means and the spacing thereof downstream of said front steering means are predetermined so that for at least larger lateral angles within the range of the front steering means a substantial portion of the downstream flow of air is directed laterally outside the air-channeling means.

Claim 4

An air cushion vehicle which comprises a body platform, b. means for producing an air cushion support for said body platform, c. air propeller means mounted on said body platform toward the forward end thereof for producing a propelling downstream flow of air in the rearward direction thereof, d. upwardly extending front steering vanes mounted in the downstream flow of air near said propeller means, e. upwardly extending rear steering vanes mounted near the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof, f. steering means for turning said front and rear steering vanes to change the direction of airflow therefrom to respective lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, g. and air-channeling means mounted on said body platform between said front and rear steering vanes having upwardly and rearwardly extending inner laterally spaced walls with a front joining section, and upwardly and rearwardly extending outer walls laterally spaced from respective inner walls, said walls forming respective open-ended laterally spaced channels for receiving portions of said downstream flow of air under the control of the front steering vanes and directing the flow of air therethrough to the rear steering vanes on the respective sides of the vehicle.

Claim 5

An air cushion vehicle which comprises a body platform, b. means for producing an air cushion support for said body platform, c. air propeller means mounted on said body platform toward the forward end thereof for producing a propelling downstream flow of air in the rearward direction thereof, d. upwardly extending front steering vanes mounted in the downstream flow of air near said propeller means, e. upwardly extending rear steering vanes mounted near the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof, f. steering means for turning said front and rear steering vanes to change the direction of airflow therefrom to respective lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, g. and air-channeling means mounted on said body platform between said front and rear steering vanes having upwardly and rearwardly extending inner laterally spaced walls with a front joining section, and upwardly and rearwardly extending outer walls laterally spaced from respective inner walls, said walls forming respective open-ended laterally spaced channels for receiving portions of said downstream flow of air under the control of the front steering vanes and directing the flow of air therethrough to the rear steering vanes on the respective sides of the vehicle.

Claim 6

A vehicle in accordance with claim 3 in which the spacing between said front steering vanes and the outer walls of said channels and the lateral spacing of the outer walls are predetermined so that for at least larger lateral angles within the turning range of the front steering vanes a substantial portion of the downstream flow of air is directed outside the channel which is on the side of the vehicle toward which the air is diverted.

Claim 7

A vehicle in accordance with claim 4 including a shroud over at least the upper portion of said propeller means, and top members extending over said channels between respective inner and outer walls thereof, said top members extending to said shroud, whereby downstream flow of aid from said propeller Means above said top members is substantially prevented.

Claim 8

A vehicle in accordance with claim 5 in which said top members are inclined downward from front to rear and said air propeller means is inclined backward to produce a downstream flow of air to the rear steering vanes which is inclined downward from the horizontal, and the height of the upper ends of the rear steering vanes is substantially less than the height of the upper ends of the front steering vanes.

Claim 9

A vehicle in accordance with claim 6 in which said steering means includes joint control means for simultaneously turning said front and rear steering vanes in opposite direction, and including variable ratio means coupling said joint control means to said front and rear steering vanes for changing the ratio between the turning angles of the rear and front vanes from smaller values at small turning angles to larger values at large turning angles within the turning range, and means for changing the relative angles of the front and rear steering vanes controlled by said joint control means.

Claim 10

A vehicle in accordance with claim 7 in which said means for producing the air cushion includes an opening in said body platform behind the lower portion of said air propeller means for directing air from said lower portion to the space beneath said body platform, and vane means in said opening for directing a portion of the air flowing therethrough to the forward part of said space.

Claim 11

A vehicle in accordance with claim 8 including a peripheral wall adhered to said body platform to form a unitary structure therewith and extending outwardly and downwardly thereof, said body platform being formed primarily of a foamed, closed-cell, rigid plastic and said peripheral wall being formed primarily of a foamed, closed-cell, semirigid plastic.

Claim 12

A vehicle in accordance with claim 3 including a shroud over at least the upper portion of said propeller means, and top members extending over said channels between respective inner and outer walls thereof, said top members extending to said shroud, whereby downstream flow of air from said propeller means above said top members is substantially prevented.

Claim 13

A vehicle in accordance with claim 10 including an operator position located behind said front joining section of the air-channeling means and laterally between the laterally spaced channels provided thereby, whereby air flowing through said channels to the rear steering vanes on respective sides of the vehicle provides air curtains on either side of an operator in said operator position.

Claim 14

A vehicle in accordance with claim 10 in which said top members are inclined downward from front to rear thereof to produce a downstream flow of air to the rear steering vanes which is inclined downward from the horizontal.

Claim 15

A vehicle in accordance with claim 12 in which the height of the upper ends of the rear steering vanes is substantially less than the height of the upper ends of the front steering vanes.

Claim 16

A vehicle in accordance with claim 12 in which said air propeller means is inclined backward from the vertical to produce a downstream flow of air approximately parallel to said top members.

Claim 17

A vehicle in accordance with claim 14 in which said means for producing the air cushion includes an opening in said body platform behind the lower portion of said air propeller means for directing air from said lower portion to the space beneath said body platform, and vane means in said opening for directing a portion of the air flowing therethrough to the forward part of said space.

Claim 18

A vehicle in accordance with claim 3 including a peripheral wall adhered to said body platform to form a unitary structure therewith and extending outwardly and downwardly thereof, said body platform being formed primarily of a foamed, closed-cell, rigid plastic and said peripheral wall being formed primarily of a foamed, closed-cell, semirigid plastic.

Claim 19

A vehicle in accordance with claim 16 in which said rigid plastic is polyurethane with a tough skin formed thereover, and said semirigid plastic is polyethylene.

Claim 20

A vehicle in accordance with claim 3 in which said steering means includes joint control means for simultaneously turning said front and rear steering vanes in opposite directions, and means for changing the relative angles of the front and rear steering vanes controlled by said joint control means.

Claim 21

A vehicle in accordance with claim 3 in which said steering means includes joint control means for simultaneously turning said front and rear steering vanes in opposite directions, and variable ratio means coupling said joint control means to said front and rear steering vanes for changing the ratio between the turning angles of the rear and front vanes from smaller values at small turning angles to larger values at large turning angles within the turning range.

Claim 22

A vehicle in accordance with claim 3 in which said means for producing the air cushion includes means for directing a portion of the air from said air propeller means to the space beneath said body platform.

Claim 23

An air cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body, b. means for propelling and supporting said body on an air cushion including air propelling means mounted toward the forward end of said body and adapted to produce a downstream flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, c. front steering means for changing the direction of said downstream flow of air to lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, d. rear steering means positioned toward the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof and adapted to divert downstream flow of air supplied thereto to lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, e. a pair of laterally spaced air channels positioned rearwards of said front steering means for receiving portions of said downstream flow of air under the control of said front steering means and directing the flow of air therethrough to said rear steering means, f. the space between said front steering means and said air channels opening laterally to the ambient air, g. the rearward position and lateral spacing of said air channels being predetermined so that, over a substantial portion of the steering range of the front steering means, an increasing lateral angle of the downstream flow of air from the front steering means on either side of the vehicle produces an increasing airflow laterally outside the air channel on the respective side and a decreasing airflow to the air channel on the other side while maintaining airflow to the air channel on said respective side.

Claim 24

An air cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body, b. means for propelling and supporting said body on an air cushion including air propelling means mounted toward the forward end of said body and adapted to produce a downstream flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, c. front steering means for changing the direction of said downstream flow of air to lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, d. rear steering means positioned toward the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof and adapted to divert downstream flow of air supplied thereto to lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, e. a pair of laterally spaced air channels positioned rearwards of said front steering means for receiving portions of said downstream flow of air under the control of said front steering means and directing the flow of air therethrough to said rear steering means, f. the space between said front steering means and said air channels opening laterally to the ambient air, g. the rearward position and lateral spacing of said air channels being predetermined so that, over a substantial portion of the steering range of the front steering means, an increasing lateral angle of the downstream flow of air from the front steering means on either side of the vehicle produces an increasing airflow laterally outside the air channel on the respective side and a decreasing airflow to the air channel on the other side while maintaining airflow to the air channel on said respective side.

Claim 25

An air cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body, b. means for propelling and supporting said body on an air cushion including air propeller means mounted toward the forward end of said body and adapted to produce a downstream flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, c. upwardly extending front steering vanes mounted in the downstream flow of air near said propeller means for changing the flow of air to lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, d. upwardly extending rear steering vanes mounted near the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof for diverting downstream flow of air supplied thereto to lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, and e. a pair of laterally spaced air channels positioned rearwards of said front steering vanes for receiving portions of said downstream flow of air under the control of said front steering vanes and directing the flow of air therethrough to the rear steering vanes on respective sides of the vehicle, f. the space between said front steering vanes and said air channels opening laterally to the ambient air, g. the rearward position and lateral spacing of said air channels being predetermined so that, over a substantial portion of the steering range of the front steering vanes, an increasing lateral angle of the downstream flow of air from the front steering vanes on either side of the vehicle pRoduces an increasing airflow laterally outside the air channel on the respective side and a decreasing airflow to the air channel on the other side while maintaining airflow to the air channel on said respective side.

Claim 26

An air cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body, b. means for propelling and supporting said body on an air cushion including air propeller means mounted toward the forward end of said body and adapted to produce a downstream flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, c. upwardly extending front steering vanes mounted in the downstream flow of air near said propeller means for changing the flow of air to lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, d. upwardly extending rear steering vanes mounted near the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof for diverting downstream flow of air supplied thereto to lateral angles on either side of the vehicle, and e. a pair of laterally spaced air channels positioned rearwards of said front steering vanes for receiving portions of said downstream flow of air under the control of said front steering vanes and directing the flow of air therethrough to the rear steering vanes on respective sides of the vehicle, f. the space between said front steering vanes and said air channels opening laterally to the ambient air, g. the rearward position and lateral spacing of said air channels being predetermined so that, over a substantial portion of the steering range of the front steering vanes, an increasing lateral angle of the downstream flow of air from the front steering vanes on either side of the vehicle pRoduces an increasing airflow laterally outside the air channel on the respective side and a decreasing airflow to the air channel on the other side while maintaining airflow to the air channel on said respective side.