Air support vehicle

Claim 2

In an air support vehicle, a body, a unitary self-contained frame mounted within said body, and operating components including lift fan means, pusher fan means, motor means and drive means operatively engaged between the motor means and both fan means, said operating comPonents being operatively mounted on said frame independently of said body, said body enclosing said frame, means securing said body to said frame, said body being formed of a pair of upper and lower shells, said shells joining at approximately mid-height on said craft about said frame, said upper shell including a forward compartment forming section and a rear frame covering section, said rear section having integrally formed inwardly opening air duct means formed therein and in alignment with said lift fan means for enabling an intaking of air thereto, the rear section of the upper shell being formed so as to define a motor well, said frame mounted motor means projecting upwardly therethrough, said pusher fan means projecting vertically above said upper shell rearward of the motor means, and means mounting said pusher fan means for a selective forward folding thereof to an inoperative position.

Claim 3

The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said lift fan means is orientated forward of the motor means on said frame, said pusher fan means being mounted rearward of said motor means, said drive means including shafts on said lift fan means and pusher fan means rotatably mounted on said frame, a single drive shaft extending from said motor means, and endless drive means engaged between said drive shaft and the fan shafts for a common driving thereof from said motor means drive shaft.

Claim 4

The vehicle of claim 1 wherein said frame is generally rectangular in shape, constructed of a plurality of welded tubular bars and including vertically spaced and rigidly connected upper and lower portions.

Claim 5

In an air support vehicle, a body, a unitary self-contained frame mounted within said body, and operating components including lift fan means, pusher fan means, motor means and drive means operatively engaged between the motor means and both fan means, said operating components being operatively mounted on said frame independently of said body, said body enclosing said frame, means securing said body to said frame, said frame being generally rectangular in shape, constructed of a plurality of welded tubular bars and including vertically spaced and rigidly connected upper and lower portions, and a vertically elongated roll bar permanently affixed to the front of said frame and projecting vertically thereabove and vertically therebelow, the lower end of said roll bar having a mounting plate rigidly affixed thereto for engagement with the lower portion of the body.

Claim 6

In an air support vehicle, a body, a unitary self-contained frame mounted within said body, and operating components including lift fan means, pusher fan means, motor means and drive means operatively engaged between the motor means and both fan means, said operating components being operatively mounted on said frame independently of said body, said body enclosing said frame, means securing said body to said frame, said frame being generally rectangular in shape, constructed of a plurality of welded tubular bars and including vertically spaced and rigidly connected upper and lower portions, and a vertically elongated roll bar permanently affixed to the front of said frame and projecting vertically thereabove and vertically therebelow, the lower end of said roll bar having a mounting plate rigidly affixed thereto for engagement with the lower portion of the body.

Claim 7

In an air support vehicle, a body, a unitary self-contained frame mounted within said body, and operating components including lift fan means, pusher fan means, motor means and drive means operatively engaged between the motor means and both fan means, said operating components being operatively mounted on said frame independently of said body, said body enclosing said frame, means securing said body to said frame, said body including a rear section overlying the frame and formed so as to define a motor well, said frame mounted motor means projecting upwardly therethrough, said pusher fan means projecting vertically above the overlying body section rearward of the motor means, and means mounting said pusher fan means for a selective forward folding thereof to an inoperative position.

Claim 8

In an air support vehicle, a body, a unitary self-contained frame mounted within said body, and operating components including lift fan means, pusher fan means, motor means and drive means operatively engaged between the motor means and both fan means, said operating components being operatively mounted on said frame independently of said body, said body enclosing said frame, means securing said body to said frame, said body including a rear section overlying the frame and formed so as to define a motor well, said frame mounted motor means projecting upwardly therethrough, said pusher fan means projecting vertically above the overlying body section rearward of the motor means, and means mounting said pusher fan means for a selective forward folding thereof to an inoperative position.

Claim 9

In an air support vehicle, a body, a unitary self-contained frame mounted within said body, and operating components including lift fan means, pusher fan means, motor means and drive means operatively engaged between the motor means and both fan means, said operating components being operatively mounted on said frame independently of said body, said body enclosing said frame, means securing said body to said frame, said body being formed of a pair of upper and lower shells, said shells joining at approximately mid-height on said craft about said frame, said lower shell including a forward passenger compartment forming section and a rear frame receiving section, said rear section including air passage means opening downwardly therethrough, said Upper shell including a forward passenger compartment forming section and a rear frame covering section, the rear section of the upper shell being formed so as to define inwardly opening intake air duct means, in alignment with the frame mounted lift fan means, the forward sections of the upper and lower shells being configured so as to define, in combination, a recessed walled passenger receiving compartment, the forward sections of the upper and lower shells, generally forward of the passenger compartment, converge toward each other so as to terminate in a thin forward edge and produce an aerodynamic configuration, the rear section of the upper shell being formed so as to define a motor well, said frame mounted motor means projecting upwardly therethrough, said pusher fan means projecting vertically above said upper shell rearward of the motor means, and means mounting said pusher fan means for a selective forward folding thereof to an inoperative position.

Claim 10

In an air support vehicle, a body, a unitary self-contained frame mounted within said body, and operating components including lift fan means, pusher fan means, motor means and drive means operatively engaged between the motor means and both fan means, said operating components being operatively mounted on said frame independently of said body, said body enclosing said frame, means securing said body to said frame, said body being formed of a pair of upper and lower shells, said shells joining at approximately mid-height on said craft about said frame, said lower shell including a forward passenger compartment forming section and a rear frame receiving section, said rear section including air passage means opening downwardly therethrough, said Upper shell including a forward passenger compartment forming section and a rear frame covering section, the rear section of the upper shell being formed so as to define inwardly opening intake air duct means, in alignment with the frame mounted lift fan means, the forward sections of the upper and lower shells being configured so as to define, in combination, a recessed walled passenger receiving compartment, the forward sections of the upper and lower shells, generally forward of the passenger compartment, converge toward each other so as to terminate in a thin forward edge and produce an aerodynamic configuration, the rear section of the upper shell being formed so as to define a motor well, said frame mounted motor means projecting upwardly therethrough, said pusher fan means projecting vertically above said upper shell rearward of the motor means, and means mounting said pusher fan means for a selective forward folding thereof to an inoperative position.

Claim 11

The vehicle of claim 6 wherein said lift fan means is orientated forward of the motor means on said frame, said drive means including shafts on said lift fan means and pusher fan means rotatably mounted on said frame, a single drive shaft extending from said motor means, and endless drive belt means engaged between said drive shaft and the fan shafts for a common driving thereof from said motor means drive shaft.

Claim 12

The vehicle of claim 7 wherein said lift fan means comprises a pair of laterally spaced lift fans simultaneously driven from said motor means drive shaft, and clutch means operatively interposed between the motor means drive shaft and the pusher fan means for a selective engagement and disengagement of the pusher fan means.

Claim 13

The vehicle of claim 8 wherein said frame is generally rectangular in shape, constructed of a plurality of welded tubular bars and including vertically spaced and rigidly connected upper and lower portions.

Claim 14

The vehicle of claim 9 including a vertically elongated roll bar permanently affixed to the front of said frame and projecting vertically thereabove and vertically therebelow, the lower end of said roll bar having a mounting plate rigidly affixed thereto for engagement with the lower body shell.

Claim 15

The vehicle of claim 10 wherein the rear section of the lower shell includes upwardly projecting frame seating and mounting portions formed therein.

Claim 16

The vehicle of claim 11 including an enlarged opening defined centrally through the bottom of the rear section of the lower shell, and controllable closure means associated with said opening for an adjustable closing and opening thereof.