Air cushion vehicle

Claim 2

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 the body and adapted to produce a flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, c. front steering means comprising respective upwardly-extending forward sets of vanes rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle and spaced progressively rearwardly and inwardly in the air flow from said propelling means, d. rear steering means mounted toward the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof, e. means for orienting said forward sets of vanes approximately fore and aft for forward propulsion with at least a portion of the air from said propelling means directed to said rear steering means on each side of the vehicle, f. and steering control means for turning predetermined vanes of either of said forward sets of vanes outward to direct a portion of the air from said propelling means to the ambient air at lateral angles on either side of the vehicle.

Claim 3

A vehicle in accordance with claim 1 including means for turning both said forward sets of vanes to orientations substantially reducing flow of air thereby in the rearward direction of the vehicle.

Claim 4

A vehicle in accordance with claim 1 in which said steering control means for turning predetermined vanes of either of said forward sets of vanes outward includes means for turning predetermined vanes of the other forward set of vanes inward to reduce air flow therethrough.

Claim 5

A vehicle in accordance with claim 3 including means for directing air from said front steering means to the rear steering means on the outside of a turn for at least smaller turning angles within the steering range.

Claim 6

A vehicle in accordance with claim 3 including means for turning both said forward sets of vanes inward to substantially reduce air flow therethrough toward the rear of the vehicle.

Claim 7

A vehicle in accordance with claim 3 including a pair of laterally spaced air channels positioned between rearward vanes of said forward sets of vanes and the rear steering means on respective sides of the vehicle, said steering control means turning said rearward vanes outward on the outside of a turn and inward on the inside of a turn, said channels and the turning of the rearward vanes being designed and adapted to change the air flow to said rear steering means on the outside of a turn from smaller or larger amounts as the turning angle increases and to reduce air flow to the rear steering means on the inside of a turn.

Claim 8

A vehicle in accordance with claim 3 including means for maintaining the orientation of at least one rearward vane of the forward set of vanes on the outside of a turn to direct air to the rear steering means on the outside of a turn for at least a major portion of the steering range.

Claim 9

A vehicle in accordance with claim 7 including means for turning the corresponding rearward vane of the forward set of vanes on the inside of a turn to reduce the rearward flow of air thereby for at least larger turning angles within the steering range. 9. A vehicle in accordance with claim 8 including a pair of laterally spaced air channels positioned respectively between said at least one rearward vane of each forward set of vanes and the reaR steering means on the respective side of the vehicle for directing air flow therethrough to the rear steering means under the control of said rearward vanes.

Claim 10

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 the body and adapted to produce a flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, c. front steering means comprising respective forward sets of upwardly-extending vanes rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle and spaced progressively rearwardly and inwardly in the air flow from said propelling means, d. rear steering means mounted toward the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof, e. means for orienting said forward sets of vanes approximately fore and aft for forward propulsion with at least a portion of the air from said propelling means directed to said rear steering means on each side of the vehicle, f. and steering control means for turning predetermined vanes of either of said forward sets of vanes relative to the other set to change the proportion of rearward flow of air thereby.

Claim 11

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 the body and adapted to produce a flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, c. front steering means comprising respective forward sets of upwardly-extending vanes rotatably mounted on opposite sides of the vehicle and spaced progressively rearwardly and inwardly in the air flow from said propelling means, d. rear steering means mounted toward the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof, e. means for orienting said forward sets of vanes approximately fore and aft for forward propulsion with at least a portion of the air from said propelling means directed to said rear steering means on each side of the vehicle, f. and steering control means for turning predetermined vanes of either of said forward sets of vanes relative to the other set to change the proportion of rearward flow of air thereby.

Claim 12

A vehicle in accordance with claim 10 in which one of said forward sets of vanes is turned inward to reduce the rearward flow of air thereby.

Claim 13

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 the body and adapted to produce a flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, c. a body section behind said air propelling means and spaced therefrom with lateral openings to the ambient air on each side of the vehicle, d. respective forward sets of upwardly-extending steering vanes mounted in said lateral openings and spaced progressively rearwardly and inwardly of the vehicle, e. upwardly-extending rear steering vanes mounted near the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof, f. steering control means for orienting said forward sets of vanes approximately fore and aft for forward direction of travel and for turning predetermined vanes of either set outward to direct a portion of the air from said air propelling means to the ambient air on the respective side of the vehicle and predetermined vanes of the other set inward to reduce air flow therethrough, g. at least a portion of the air flow from said propelling means with said forward sets of vanes in their orientation for forward travel being directed to said rear steering vanes on respective sides of the vehicle, and means for maintaining air flow from said propelling means to the rear steering vanes on the outside of a turn during at least small angles within the steering range.

Claim 14

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 the body and adapted to produce a flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, c. a body section behind said air propelling means and spaced therefrom with lateral openings to the ambient air on each side of the vehicle, d. respective forward sets of upwardly-extending steering vanes mounted in said lateral openings and spaced progressively rearwardly and inwardly of the vehicle, e. upwardly-extending rear steering vanes mounted near the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof, f. steering control means for orienting said forward sets of vanes approximately fore and aft for forward direction of travel and for turning predetermined vanes of either set outward to direct a portion of the air from said air propelling means to the ambient air on the respective side of the vehicle and predetermined vanes of the other set inward to reduce air flow therethrough, g. at least a portion of the air flow from said propelling means with said forward sets of vanes in their orientation for forward travel being directed to said rear steering vanes on respective sides of the vehicle, and means for maintaining air flow from said propelling means to the rear steering vanes on the outside of a turn during at least small angles within the steering range.

Claim 15

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 12 in which said means for maintaining air flow to the rear steering vanes includes air channeling means on respective sides of the vehicle between said forward and rear steering vanes.

Claim 16

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 13 in which said air channeling means includes a pair of laterally spaced air channels positioned for control of air flow therethrough by at least one rearward vane of each of said forward sets of vanes respectively, and said steering control means includes means for controlling the orientation of the said rearward vanes of the forward sets to maintain air flow through the air channel on the outside of a turn for at least a major portion of the steering range and reduce air flow through the air channel on the inside of a turn for at least larger turning angles within the steering range.

Claim 17

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 14 in which said air channels and the turning of said rearward vanes are designed and adapted to change the air flow to the rear steering vanes on the outside of a turn from smaller to larger amounts as the turning angle increases.

Claim 18

An air cushion vehicle in accordancE with claim 12 including thrust spoiling means for turning both said forward sets of vanes inward to substantially reduce air flow therethrough toward the rear of the vehicle.

Claim 19

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 12 including a transverse set of upwardly-extending vanes mounted in front of said body section between said forward sets of vanes and spaced transversely of the vehicle, said steering control means including means for orienting predetermined vanes of said transverse set on opposite sides of the vehicle outwardly and rearwardly for forward direction of travel and for turning the vanes on the inside of a turn toward the lateral opening on the outside of the turn during at least large angles within the steering range.

Claim 20

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 17 including thrust spoiling means for turning both said forward sets of vanes inward to substantially reduce arir flow therethrough and for turning the vanes of said transverse set inwardly from their orientations for forward direction of travel.

Claim 21

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 12 in which said means for maintaining air flow to the rear steering vanes on the outside of a turn includes means for turning predetermined forward vanes of said forward sets of vanes outward at greater angles than at least one rearward vane thereof during at least the smaller angle portion of the steering range.

Claim 22

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 19 including separate links connecting predetermined forward vanes and at least one rearward vane of each forward set of steering vanes, and means for producing relative movement between the links of each set to produce larger turning angles of the forward vanes than the turning angles of at least one rearward vane on the outside of a turn during at least the smaller angle portion of the steering range.

Claim 23

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 20 including thrust spoiling means for turning both said forward sets of vanes inward to substantially reduce air flow therethrough toward the rear of the vehicle.

Claim 24

An air cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body, b. means for propelling and supporting said body on an air cushion including an air propeller mounted toward the forward end of said body and adapted to produce a flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, c. a body section behind said air propeller and spaced therefrom with lateral openings to the ambient air on each side of the vehicle, d. respective forward sets of upwardly-extending steering vanes mounted in said lateral openings and spaced progressively rearwardly and inwardly of the vehicle, e. upwardly-extending rear steering vanes mounted near the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof, f. steering control means for orienting said forward sets of vanes approximately fore and aft for forward direction of travel and for turning predetermined forward vanes of either set outward to direct a portion of the air from said propeller to the ambient air at lateral angles on the respective side of the vehicle and predetermined forward vanes of the other set inward to reduce air flow therethrough, g. a pair of laterally spaced air channels positioned respectively between at least one rearward vane of each forward set of vanes and the rear steering vanes on the respective side of the vehicle for directing air flow to the rear steering vanes under the control of said rearward vanes, h. said steering control means including means for controlling the orientation of said rearward vanes to maintain air flow through the air channel on the outside of a turn for at least a major portion of the steering range and reduce air flow through the air channel on the inside of a turn for at least larger turning angles within the steering range, and i. said steering control means including means for turning both said forward sets of steering vanes inward to substantially reduce air flow therethrough toward the rear oF the vehicle.

Claim 25

An air cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body, b. means for propelling and supporting said body on an air cushion including an air propeller mounted toward the forward end of said body and adapted to produce a flow of air in the rearward direction of the vehicle, c. a body section behind said air propeller and spaced therefrom with lateral openings to the ambient air on each side of the vehicle, d. respective forward sets of upwardly-extending steering vanes mounted in said lateral openings and spaced progressively rearwardly and inwardly of the vehicle, e. upwardly-extending rear steering vanes mounted near the rear of the vehicle on each side thereof, f. steering control means for orienting said forward sets of vanes approximately fore and aft for forward direction of travel and for turning predetermined forward vanes of either set outward to direct a portion of the air from said propeller to the ambient air at lateral angles on the respective side of the vehicle and predetermined forward vanes of the other set inward to reduce air flow therethrough, g. a pair of laterally spaced air channels positioned respectively between at least one rearward vane of each forward set of vanes and the rear steering vanes on the respective side of the vehicle for directing air flow to the rear steering vanes under the control of said rearward vanes, h. said steering control means including means for controlling the orientation of said rearward vanes to maintain air flow through the air channel on the outside of a turn for at least a major portion of the steering range and reduce air flow through the air channel on the inside of a turn for at least larger turning angles within the steering range, and i. said steering control means including means for turning both said forward sets of steering vanes inward to substantially reduce air flow therethrough toward the rear oF the vehicle.

Claim 26

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 22 in which said air channels and the turning of said rearward vanes are designed and adapted to change the air flow to the rear steering vanes on the outside of a turn from smaller to larger amounts as the turning angle increases.

Claim 27

An air cushion vehicle according to claim 22 in which said steering control means maintains the orientation of at least one rearward vane of the forward set of vanes on the outside of a turn substantially unchanged for at least a major portion of the steering range.

Claim 28

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 22 including a transverse set of upwardly-extending vanes mounted in front of said body section between said forward sets of vanes and spaced transversely of the vehicle, said steering control means including means for orienting predetermined vanes of said transverse set on opposite sides of the vehicle outwardly and rearwardly for forward direction of travel and for turning the vanes on the inside of a turn to direct air flow toward the forward set of vanes on the outside of a turn over at least the larger angle portion of the steering range.

Claim 29

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 22 in which said steering control means includes a pair of links connecting predetermined forward vanes of said forward sets of vanes respectively, a turnable steering column having a control member attached thereto, control bars pivotally attached to said control member on opposite sides of the turning axis thereof and connected to said pair of links respectively, stop means positioned to prevent substantial turning of at least one rearward vane of each of said forward sets of vanes outward from their normal orientation for forward travel, and resiliently biased coupling means connecting said control bars with said rearward vanes respectively for turning the vanes inward.

Claim 30

An air cushion vehicle in accordance with claim 22 in which said steering control means includes a pair of links connecting predetermined forward vanes of said forward sets of vanes respectively, a turnable steering column having a control member attached thereto toward the top thereof and mounted for movement of the top of the column to forward and rearward positions, control bars pivotally attached to said control member on opposite sides of the turning axis thereof and connected to said pair of links respectively, said column in one position thereof allowing normal steering and in the other position turning said forward sets of vanes inward in the straight ahead orientation of the column to substantially reduce air flow toward the rear of the vehicle.