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Air assisted landing craft

a technology of air propellers and landing craft, which is applied in the field of air assisted landing craft, can solve the problems of noisy and somewhat inefficient air propellers of hovercraft, and the inability to use simple stem ramp concepts with standard equipmen

Inactive Publication Date: 2003-01-02
BURG PAULETTE RENEE
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] The primary object of the instant invention is to provide a superior landing craft for transporting vehicles and other cargo to beachheads and unloading them safely and easily on said beachheads.
[0010] It is an object of the invention that it can utilize sidehulls to insure transverse or roll stability as well as help seal in the pressurized air cushion(s).
[0011] Yet a further object of the invention is that an air or gas cushion stem seal can be a simple part of the hull structure.

Problems solved by technology

Further, the hovercraft requires air propellers that are noisy and somewhat inefficient at speeds in the 30-60 knot area.
This simple stem ramp concept is not possible with standard hovercraft landing craft since they have flexible seals at their stem.

Method used

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Examples

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Embodiment Construction

[0034] FIG. 1 presents a profile view of the instant invention AALC 30 that shows a hull 48, sidehull 46, keel 43, pilothouse 47, tank cargo 32, and propulsor 35.

[0035] FIG. 2 is a topside view of the AALC 30 showing deployable bow ramp 37 that is moveable in relation to the hull 48. A fixed structure bow ramp 39 and a fixed structure stem ramp 40 are used in the preferred arrangement of the instant invention since they cut down on length and complications of a bow moveable ramp 37 and stem moveable ramp 41. Shown also in FIG. 2 are the main deck 44, blower inlet 45, and airflow arrows 33 that show air going into the blower inlets 45.

[0036] FIG. 3 presents a stem view of the instant invention AALC 30. IN this instance the stem ramp 41 is up, as it is in FIG. 2, so that the AALC is secure for high-speed transit.

[0037] FIG. 4 is a bow view of the AALC 30 with its bow ramp 37 up, as it is in FIG. 2, to allow high-speed transit. Note that the moveable, in relation to the hull 48, bow se...

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PUM

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Abstract

Presented is an advanced non-amphibious landing craft that is partially supported by one or more artificially pressurized air cushions. In the preferred embodiment, the air cushions are bordered on each side by sidehulls, at the bow by a flexible seal, and at the stern by a fixed angled to horizontal air cushion aft seal member. The forward flexible seal element is attached to the underside of a bow ramp so that, during beaching and unloading of cargo such as vehicles, the forward flexible seal element simply folds underneath the moveable bow ramp as the ramp is lowered. Other features of the instant invention include built in fore and aft angled ramps and a moveable stern ramp. The aft angled ramp nests downward into the fixed air cushion aft seal.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001] This invention relates to the field of marine vehicles that are at least partially supported by one or more artificially pressurized air cushions. The air cushion(s) provides a supporting layer of air between the vehicle's hull and a water surface thereby reducing wetted area friction and hence improving efficiency. There are further benefits when this technology is applied to landing craft since, by regulating the pressurized air supply to the air cushion(s), the draft of the landing craft can be controlled when at a beachhead or when loading vehicles and / or cargo from a supply ship. There are unique advantages to the instant invention related to the method of utilizing loading and unloading ramps that differ from prior art landing craft concepts.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002] The need for shallow draft high-speed landing craft for military applications is becoming more apparent. The U.S. Navy has developed an amphibious hovercraft called the LCAC (L...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): B60V1/04B60V1/18B60V3/06
CPCB60V1/04B60V1/18B60V3/06B63B2035/001
Inventor BURG, DONALD E.
Owner BURG PAULETTE RENEE