VEHICLE OF AEROSTATIC SUPPORTS Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: transport engineering; air cushion vehicles designed for carriage of loads along weak boggy grounds and in tundra. SUBSTANCE: vehicle has load platform with aerostatic supports. These supports have closed flexible diaphragms installed on inner surfaces of lower runs of closed drive belts. Vehicle is furnished with friction drive. Arms of each diaphragm are arranged parallel to each other along drive belts. Arms are made in form of curvilinear supports on ends of running gear. Drive mentioned above is arranged on upper runs of drive belts. Proposed vehicle can move along weak grounds with heavy irregularities and slopes owing to maximum increase in area of aerostatic supports, provision of transmission of normal and tangential loads to belt at minimum friction and possibility of following ground irregularities by belts without considerable changing of thickness of aerostatic support lubricating layer. EFFECT: enlarged operating capabilities. 2 dwg