GB1234939A - Improvements relating to terminals for gas-cushion vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

1,234,939. Air cushion vehicle terminal. HOVERCRAFT DEVELOPMENT Ltd. 12 July, 1968 [13 July, 1967], No. 32348/67. Heading B7K. A terminal for side wall gas cushion vehicles comprises a pair of spaced channels 5 in or on the ground 1. Attached to the two facing sides of each channel are two walls preferably comprising independently deflectable contiguous flexible wall members of the type disclosed in Specification 1,043,351, which wall members depend limply from the channel faces. When a vehicle approaches the channels so that its side walls 6 enter the channels, the vehicle supporting cushion inflates the wall members at 7 so as to effect a seal between the wall members 7 and the side walls 6 ; the wall members not adjacent the side walls 6 are inflated against one another so as to seal the remainder of each channel, the wall members being sufficiently flexible to allow easy passage of the side walls along the channels. As the vehicle enters the channels there is initially a drop in cushion pressure which may cause the sidewalls 6 to ground in the channels; to minimize this danger the channels may be made short so as to be of small volume, or may be made deep. Alternatively the channels may have an air supply separate from the vehicle, Fig. 4 (not shown), which method has the additional advantage of permitting the channels 5 to be extended beneath the water level, the extended channels having buoys and guide wires to allow accurate entrance of the vehicle. The channels may be made movable to accommodate vehicles of various sizes, and to permit their use in tidal waters. The channels may be at least part filled with water. An air curtain, Fig. 7 (not shown), may be used in place of the wall members to seal the channels.