Ground effect machine

Details Ground effect machine Ground effect machine

2000-04-21

2001-11-20

Boehler, Anne Marie (Department: 3618)

Motor vehicles

With powered means for creating fluid force to attract...

C180S116000, C180S125000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06318489

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND
I. Field of the Invention
The aspects of the present invention relate to Ground Effect Machines (GEM) to transport, locate, and intermittently position loads. More specifically, the embodiments of the present invention relate to a novel Ground Effect Machine capable of bearing loads including equipment, goods and materials which are being manufactured and/or transported. When used as a positive pressure device, the GEM generates a cushion of air that floats a load from one point to another. When used as a negative pressure device, the GEM securely fixes a load to a surface by creating and maintaining a vacuum.
II. Description of the Related Art
The problem of transporting devices, equipment, cargo, goods, and materials has been with us for a long time. Various methods of transporting loads and then fixing them at a predetermined position have been devised with varying success.
Wheeled dollies, wheeled cart devices, pallet trucks, and various configurations of industrial lift trucks are in widespread use for transporting loads. However, once the load is brought to its desired location, the load must be removed from the cart or industrial lift truck; with respect to equipment intermittently positioned, such equipment must bolted or otherwise temporarily fixed to a location. This can be a time-consuming and complicated logistical problem.
A well-known system used in storage and transportation is the wooden pallet, which is transported by conventional forklift equipment. A forklift operator moves the fork beneath the pallet, lifts the pallet and then moves the pallet from location to location. Wooden pallets have many disadvantages. First, wooden pallets are subject to breakage, exposing sharp wooden edges and corners. The pallets are relatively heavy. Because of their weight and bulk, the pallets are difficult for an individual person to carry from point to point. One of the biggest disadvantages of using a wooden pallet is the fact that it must be used with a forklift, which is a bulky, cumbersome and expensive piece of equipment. Pallets must frequently be moved from commercial transport vehicles onto loading docks, and vice versa, meaning that at every loading dock a forklift must be present, unless the trucker can carry a forklift on the truck, which itself is an inefficient use of space and fuel.
In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,344, “Low cost planar air pallet material handling system,” issued on Apr. 6, 1976 to Johnson et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,926, “Air pallet and materials moving system,” issued on Mar. 28, 1989 to Chaffee et al., these patents teach the use of air pallets that incorporate an air bearing, film, or cushion between the bottom of the pallet and the floor supporting the pallet. This reduces friction between the pallet and the underlying floor to the point that the pallet, along with its load, can be moved along the floor or other ground surface with relative ease. Some air cushion pallets were relatively bulky and heavy since the means for supplying pressurized air to the pallet was relatively crude and took up a great deal of valuable space on the pallet itself Moreover, air pallets rely on the constant flow of air to reduce the friction between the floor surface and the pallet, thus requiring high airflow to maintain lift. Another problem with air pallets is that the air cushion established by the pressurized air between the bottom surface of the pallet and the underlying support such as the floor may be maintained only where there is continuity in the floor surface itself and the presence of cracks, or irregularities in the floor result in the loss of the air cushion and the elimination of the frictional support.
Various air cushion vehicles have been contemplated for this type of use. As shown in
FIG. 1
, an air cushion vehicle
100
is essentially a high-speed fan or high air pressure source
102
inside a receiver
104
. The air pressure source
102
forces air through multiple holes
106
in the receiver
102
. This air is captured by the air skirt
108
and the subsequent lift provided reduces the friction across the floor. Such transport systems are contemplated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,147, “Vehicles riding on air cushions” issued on Nov. 29, 1977 to Guinne et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,082, “Air cushion vehicles” issued on Aug. 2, 1983 to Herrouin et al. The problem with such systems is that they require relatively high airflow rates attributed to the air skirt
108
, which forms an inadequate air seal with the floor. The escaping air reduces the lift provided by the air, and thus needs replenishment by the air source
102
. Maintaining the high amount of air flow often requires heavy, expensive and often noisy machinery. Air cushion vehicles fail to solve the problem of fixing its load in place, requiring bolting, clamping, or other solution to solve this problem.
Other cargo transport systems limit their usefulness by requiring a large amount of infrastructure. For example, a system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,590 “Ultra high-speed pneumatic transportation system,” issued on Oct. 19, 1993 to Marusak, requires moving people and cargo through a pneumatic tube in vehicles requiring a variable-speed motor using a high-speed air stream generator. This effectively limits this particular solution to situations where the expensive tubing is already present.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention provides a Ground Effect Machines (GEM) for transporting, locating and intermittently positioning a load. It is a novel structural arrangement for a Ground Effect Machine capable of bearing loads including equipment, goods and materials which are being manufactured of transported and to transport and secure manufacturing equipment. Unlike known devices which rely on high airflow or high air pressure, our arrangement relies on minimal airflow at low air pressure. An air bladder prevents escape of air from beneath our GEM. Thus, only a small amount of air pressure is necessary to lift and transport heavy loads. The air bladder serves as an air seal between our GEM and the ground.
Our GEM includes an air platform containing at least one pressure chamber beneath the air platform, connected to an air valve, and an air bladder contacting the edge of the pressure chamber. In some embodiments, an air injector capable of pressurizing or depressurizing the pressure chamber is connected to the pressure chamber. The air injector may be internal or external to the air platform. An example of an external air injector could simply be a portable vacuum cleaner, operating in reverse, attached to an air intake. A manifold within the pressure chamber can control the rate of flow from the air injector into the pressure chamber. To effectively seal the air within the pressure chamber, the air bladder is partially inflated by a gas. To help facilitate the seal, the air bladder may be at least 20% partially filled by a liquid. In some instances, this liquid may be water. The air bladder may be of any shape known the art, including circular or tubular bladders. When constructed of an elastomeric material the air bladder maintains a better air seal with the ground. Air platform may be constructed of metals or non-metallic materials.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention, our GEM comprises an air platform containing at least one pressure chamber beneath the air platform, a circular or tubular air bladder, an air injector, and a manifold. The air bladder lines the edge of the pressure chamber, and is partially filled by a combination of gas and liquid. The liquid partially fills at least 20% of the air bladder, to help maintain the seal between the pressure chamber and the floor. An air injector, capable of pressurizing or depressurizing the pressure chamber, is connected to the pressure chamber. A manifold within the pressure chamber controls the rate of airflow from the air injector. Air platforms may be constructed of metals or non-metallic materials. A second air injector system may create and sustain negative air pressure within

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