US PATENT SUBCLASS 180 / 116
SURFACE EFFECT VEHICLES (I.E., GROUND EFFECT MACHINES)

Current as of: June, 1999
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180 /   HD   MOTOR VEHICLES

116SURFACE EFFECT VEHICLES (I.E., GROUND EFFECT MACHINES) {7}
117  DF  .~> Having propulsion or control means {3}
123  DF  .~> Spray deflector
124  DF  .~> Expansible chamber
125  DF  .~> Fluid bearing or fluid pad
126  DF  .~> Rigid side walls
127  DF  .~> Flexible skirt {1}
129  DF  .~> Dynamic seal or fluid curtain {1}

DEFINITION

Classification: 180/116

(under the class definition) Vehicles comprising means maintaining a working fluid mass, i.e., a cushion or film of fluid, between a surface of the vehicle and a reaction supporting surface, to cause a force to act on the vehicle to repel the vehicle from the supporting surface so as to sustain the vehicle in lift above, but in close proximity to, the supporting surface, the said fluid issuing from the vehicle.

(1) Note. This definition is intended to cover an art collection of surface effect vehicles and no motor propulsion means need be disclosed or intended to be used. The vehicle may be a broadly recited art device and no specific vehicle structure need be claimed. The fluid cushion may be identified as merely a support, it being assumed for purposes of this definition, that a fluid cushion support is intended and is inherently capable of use in moving any device or load over a surface in the manner of a vehicle. A subcombination of the vehicle comprising the surface effect producing means is classifiable under this definition.

(2) Note. Subject matter under this definition includes a vehicle having wheels or wheel substitutes and a separate or auxiliary surface effect producing means.

(3) Note. The "reaction supporting surface" in the definition may be any surface (e.g., water, etc.) other than one which is a part (e.g., a track, etc.) of the vehicle.

SEE OR SEARCH THIS CLASS, SUBCLASS:

164, for a motor vehicle having powered means for creating a fluid force to attract the vehicle to a surface on which it may travel, and see the reference to this subclass (116) in (2) Note thereof.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS 56, Harvesters,

10.1, for air cushion supported rotary cutting lawn mowers.

104, Railways, appropriate subclasses for railways having

track guided surface effect vehicles.

105, Railway Rolling Stock, appropriate subclasses for transportation equipment for railways having a surface effect means.

114, Ships, appropriate subclasses, especially

67, for surface effect marine vehicles having propulsion means extending in and acting against the water, as well as devices peculiar to water borne vehicles.

244, Aeronautics,

12.1+, and 23 for fluid sustained aircraft operating in both ground effect and free flight conditions. Class 180 takes ground effect machines which utilize the action of a working fluid mass against a reaction surface to effect a limited lifting of the vehicle, but do not provide sufficient vertical thrust that would enable such to attain a free flight condition, i.e., where the earth's surface has no effect on the vehicle, the latter being provided for by Class 244.

305, Wheel Substitutes for Land Vehicles, appropriate subclasses for wheel substitutes, per se, with the exception of the fluid supported surface effect devices provided for by this subclass.

414, Material or Article Handling,

676, for an article supported by one or more columns of air issuing from a surface beneath the article and wherein the article is moved laterally relative to the surface by mechanical or manual means. 434, Education and Demonstration,

30+, for aircraft operation teaching devices using fluid supported training apparatus to simulate "in space" conditions.