Ground effect machine with curtain forming injector means

Claim 1

IN A GROUND EFFECT VEHICLE HAVING AN UNDERSIDE TO EXTEND ABOVE AND SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO A SURFACE OVER WHICH SAID VEHICLE IS TO TRAVEL AND HOVER AND TO DEFINE IN CONJUNCTION WITH SAID SURFACE A CUSHION-LIKE AIR SPACE, MEANS FOR FORMING A GASEOUS FLUID CURTAIN EFFECTIVELY SURROUNDING AN ENCLOSING SAID AIR SPACE COMPRISING MEANS DEFINING AN ANNULAR SLOT-LIKE NOZZLE DISPOSED ALONG THE PERIPHERY OF SAID UNDERSIDE AND FOR DISCHARGING GASEOUS FLUID UNDER PRESSURE IN A DIRECTION GENERALLY DOWNWARDLY TOWARD SAID SURFACE, MEANS TO SUPPLY GASEOUS FLUID UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID SLOT-LIKE NOZZLE, AN ANNULAR DIFFUSER HAVING AN INLET ZONE FOR RECEIVING THE GASEOUS FLUID DISCHARGED UNDER PRESSURE FROM SAID SLOT-LIKE NOZZLE AND A DIVERGENT DISCHARGE ZONE FOR DISCHARGING SAID GASEOUS FLUID IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION TOWARD SAID SURFACE, SAID DIFFUSER COMPRISING TWO DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING RING MEMBERS DISPOSED RADIALLY SPACED AND JOINTLY DEFINING SAID INLET ZONE FOR COMMUNICATION WITH THE ATMOSPHERE AND IN POSITION FOR RECEIVING THE GASEOUS FLUID DISCHARGED FROM SAID SLOTLIKE NOZZLE, SAID RING MEMBERS COMPRISING A FIRST RING DISPOSED CIRCUMFERENTIALLY OF SAID MEANS DEFINING SAID SLOTLIKE NOZZLE AND SPACED OUTWARDLY THEREFROM AND ANOTHER RING SPACED INWARDLY OF SAID MEANS DEFINING SAID SLOTLIKE NOZZLE THEREBY TO PROVIDE SAID INLET ZONE WITH COMMUNICATION TO THE ATMOSPHERE, WHEREBY IN OPERATION ATMOSPHERIC AIR IS INDUCED INTO SAID DIFFUSER INLET ZONE BY THE GASEOUS FLUID DISCHARGED FROM SAID SLOT-LIKE NOZZLE AND FLOWING OUT OF SAID DIVERGENT ZONE OF SAID DIFFUSER.