Air cushion vehicle

Claim 2

An air-cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body structure including a rigid platform, b. a shock absorber section of semi-rigid self-supporting resilient material fixedly attached to said rigid platform around at least a major portion of the periphery thereof and extending outwardly therefrom with the lower surface of the shock absorber section extending outwardly and downwardly substantially below the rigid platform, c. said shock absorber section on the sides of the vehicle extending beneath said rigid platform in overlapping relationship for a substantial portion of the width of the section with the overlapping surfaces joined together, d. a thin skirt of tough flexible material united with said shock absorber section and extending downwardly from the peripheral region thereof, e. said rigid platform, shock absorber section and skirt comprising a plenum chamber, f. and means for supplying air pressure to said plenum chamber to produce an air cushion for the vehicle.

Claim 3

An air-cushion vehicle according to claim 1 in which said overlapping surfaces of the rigid platform and shock absorber section at the sides of the vehicle are inclined outwardly and upwardly from the horizontal.

Claim 4

An air-cushion vehicle according to claim 1 in which said thin skirt has mounting sheet members integral therewith which are united respectively with the outer peripheral surface and the lower surface of said shock absorber section.

Claim 5

An air-cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body structure including a rigid platform, b. a shock absorber section primarily of a foamed semi-rigid resilient plastic fixedly attached to said rigid platform around at least a major portion of the periphery thereof and extending outwardly therefrom with the lower surface of the shock absorber section extending outwardly and downwardly substantially below the rigid platform, c. said shock absorber section on the sides and rear of the vehicle extending beneath said rigid platform in overlapping relationship for a substantial portion of the width of the section with the overlapping surfaces joined together, d. a thin skirt of tough flexible material extending downwardly from the peripheral region of said shock absorber section and having mounting sheet members integral therewith which are united respectively with the outer peripheral surface and the lower surface of the shock absorber section, e. said rigid platform, shock absorber section and skirt comprising a plenum chamber, f. and means for supplying air pressure to said plenum chamber to produce an air cushion for the vehicle.

Claim 6

An air-cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body structure including a rigid platform, b. a shock absorber section primarily of a foamed semi-rigid resilient plastic fixedly attached to said rigid platform around at least a major portion of the periphery thereof and extending outwardly therefrom with the lower surface of the shock absorber section extending outwardly and downwardly substantially below the rigid platform, c. said shock absorber section on the sides and rear of the vehicle extending beneath said rigid platform in overlapping relationship for a substantial portion of the width of the section with the overlapping surfaces joined together, d. a thin skirt of tough flexible material extending downwardly from the peripheral region of said shock absorber section and having mounting sheet members integral therewith which are united respectively with the outer peripheral surface and the lower surface of the shock absorber section, e. said rigid platform, shock absorber section and skirt comprising a plenum chamber, f. and means for supplying air pressure to said plenum chamber to produce an air cushion for the vehicle.

Claim 7

An air-cushion vehicle according to claim 4 in which said overlapping surfaces of the rigid platform and shock absorber section at the sides and rear of the vehicle are inclined outwardly and upwardly from the horizontal.

Claim 8

An air-cushion vehicle according to claim 4 in which said foamed semi-rigid resilient plastic is of the closed-cell type.

Claim 9

An air-cushion vehicle according to claim 4 in which said skirt at the front and sides of the vehicle extends downwardly and inwardly.

Claim 10

An air-cushion vehicle according to claim 4 in which at least the lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of said shock absorber section at the front of the vehicle slopes upwardly and forwardly generally midway between horizontal and vertical angles, and said skirt at the front of the vehicle extends downwardly and inwardly.

Claim 11

An air-cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body structure including a rigid platform, b. a shock absorber section of semi-rigid self-supporting resilient material fixedly attached to said rigid platform around at least a major portion of the periphery thereof and extending outwardly therefrom, c. a thin skirt of tough flexible material extending downwardly from the peripheral region of said shock absorber section and having mounting sheet members integral therewith which are united respectively with the outer peripheral surface and the lower surface of the shock absorber section, d. said rigid platform, shock absorber section and skirt comprising a plenum chamber, e. and means for supplying air pressure to said plenum chamber to produce an air cushion for the vehicle.

Claim 12

An air-cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body structure including a rigid platform, b. a shock absorber section of semi-rigid self-supporting resilient material fixedly attached to said rigid platform around at least a major portion of the periphery thereof and extending outwardly therefrom, c. a thin skirt of tough flexible material extending downwardly from the peripheral region of said shock absorber section and having mounting sheet members integral therewith which are united respectively with the outer peripheral surface and the lower surface of the shock absorber section, d. said rigid platform, shock absorber section and skirt comprising a plenum chamber, e. and means for supplying air pressure to said plenum chamber to produce an air cushion for the vehicle.

Claim 13

An air-cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body structure including a rigid platform, b. said rigid platform being formed primarily of a foamed closed-cell rigid plastic with a tough adherent skin, c. a shock absorber section primarily of a foamed closed-cell semi-rigid resilient plastic fixedly attached to said rigid platform around substantially the entire periphery thereof and extending outwardly therefrom with the lower surface of the shock absorber section sloping downwardly and outwardly substantially below the rigid platform, d. said shock absorber section on the sides and rear of the vehicle extending beneath said rigid platform in overlapping relationship for a substantial portion of the width of the section with the overlapping surfaces joined together, e. at least the lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of said shock absorber section at the front of the vehicle sloping upwardly and forwardly generally midway between horizontal and vertical angles, f. a thin skirt of tough flexible mAterial extending downwardly from the peripheral region of said shock absorber section and having mounting sheet members integral therewith which are united respectively with the outer peripheral surface and the lower surface of the shock absorber section, g. said skirt at the front and sides of the vehicle extending downwardly and inwardly, h. said rigid platform, shock absorber section and skirt comprising a plenum chamber, i. and means for supplying air pressure to said plenum chamber to produce an air cushion for the vehicle.

Claim 14

An air-cushion vehicle which comprises a. a body structure including a rigid platform, b. said rigid platform being formed primarily of a foamed closed-cell rigid plastic with a tough adherent skin, c. a shock absorber section primarily of a foamed closed-cell semi-rigid resilient plastic fixedly attached to said rigid platform around substantially the entire periphery thereof and extending outwardly therefrom with the lower surface of the shock absorber section sloping downwardly and outwardly substantially below the rigid platform, d. said shock absorber section on the sides and rear of the vehicle extending beneath said rigid platform in overlapping relationship for a substantial portion of the width of the section with the overlapping surfaces joined together, e. at least the lower portion of the outer peripheral surface of said shock absorber section at the front of the vehicle sloping upwardly and forwardly generally midway between horizontal and vertical angles, f. a thin skirt of tough flexible mAterial extending downwardly from the peripheral region of said shock absorber section and having mounting sheet members integral therewith which are united respectively with the outer peripheral surface and the lower surface of the shock absorber section, g. said skirt at the front and sides of the vehicle extending downwardly and inwardly, h. said rigid platform, shock absorber section and skirt comprising a plenum chamber, i. and means for supplying air pressure to said plenum chamber to produce an air cushion for the vehicle.

Claim 15

An air-cushion vehicle according to claim 10 in which said overlapping surfaces of the rigid platform and shock absorber section at the sides and rear of the vehicle are inclined outwardly and upwardly from the horizontal.

Claim 16

An air-cushion vehicle according to claim 11 in which said shock absorber section at the front of the vehicle extends beneath said rigid platform in overlapping relationship for a substantial portion of the width of the section with the overlapping surfaces inclined forwardly and upwardly from the horizontal and joined together.

Claim 17

An air-cushion vehicle according to claim 10 in which the lower edge of the skirt at the rear of the vehicle is substantially above the adjacent lower edges of the skirt on the sides of the vehicle.

Claim 18

An air-cushion vehicle according to claim 12 in which said rigid plastic is polyurethane, said semi-rigid plastic is polyethylene and said skirt is ethylene vinyl acetate.