Patents by Inventor Michael Longman
Michael Longman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 10331143Abstract: A suspension system for a marine vessel, the marine vessel including a body portion at least partially supported relative to at least a left hull and a right hull by the suspension system, the left and right hulls being moveable relative to each other and the body, the suspension system including resilient supports between the body portion and the left and right hulls. The suspension system providing at least a roll stiffness being arranged to provide a roll moment distribution (RMD) of the suspension system wherein roll forces effectively act at a position disposed within a longitudinal distance along the marine vessel from a steady state position of the resultant pressure forces acting on the left and right hulls when the marine vessel is operating in a planing or semi-planing mode. The longitudinal distance can be 20% or less of a waterline length of one of the at least a left and a right hull at design load in displacement mode.Type: GrantFiled: June 3, 2015Date of Patent: June 25, 2019Assignee: Nauti-Craft Pty LtdInventors: Richard Monk, Michael Longman, Anthony Christopher Livanos
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Patent number: 10286980Abstract: A vessel is disclosed having a body portion that is at least partially suspended above at least one left moveable hull and at least one right moveable hull, each hull being moveable with respect to the body portion. At least one sensor is arranged to sense at least one operational parameter of the vessel. The roll attitude of the body portion is adjustable and controlled during operation in response to the at least one operational parameter to ensure that the sum of the gravitational force and the centrifugal force acting on the vessel during a turn has a line of action that is substantially perpendicular to a deck of the vessel, i.e. that the vessel executes a coordinated turn.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2015Date of Patent: May 14, 2019Assignee: Nauti-Craft Pty LtdInventors: Richard Monk, Michael Longman, Anthony Christopher Livanos
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Patent number: 9731798Abstract: A vessel having at least one hull, a body and a suspension system for supporting at least a portion of the body above the at least one hull is described. The suspension system includes at least one support means, and the vessel further includes at least one gyroscopic stabilizer for attenuating rotation of the body about at least one stabilizing axis.Type: GrantFiled: March 25, 2014Date of Patent: August 15, 2017Assignee: NAUTI-CRAFT PTY LTDInventors: Christopher Brian Heyring, Richard Monk, Michael Longman
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Publication number: 20170123436Abstract: A suspension system for a marine vessel, the marine vessel including a body portion at least partially supported relative to at least a left hull and a right hull by the suspension system, the left and right hulls being moveable relative to each other and the body, the suspension system including resilient supports between the body portion and the left and right hulls. The suspension system providing at least a roll stiffness being arranged to provide a roll moment distribution (RMD) of the suspension system wherein roll forces effectively act at a position disposed within a longitudinal distance along the marine vessel from a steady state position of the resultant pressure forces acting on the left and right hulls when the marine vessel is operating in a planing or semi-planing mode. The longitudinal distance can be 20% or less of a waterline length of one of the at least a left and a right hull at design load in displacement mode.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 3, 2015Publication date: May 4, 2017Inventors: Richard Monk, Michael Longman, Anthony Christopher Livanos
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Publication number: 20170088235Abstract: A vessel is disclosed having a body portion that is at least partially suspended above at least one left moveable hull and at least one right moveable hull, each hull being moveable with respect to the body portion. At least one sensor is arranged to sense at least one operational parameter of the vessel. The roll attitude of the body portion is adjustable and controlled during operation in response to the at least one operational parameter to ensure that the sum of the gravitational force and the centrifugal force acting on the vessel during a turn has a line of action that is substantially perpendicular to a deck of the vessel, i.e. that the vessel executes a coordinated turn.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2015Publication date: March 30, 2017Applicant: NAUTI-CRAFT PTY LTDInventors: Richard Monk, Michael Longman, Anthony Christopher Livanos
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Publication number: 20160039500Abstract: A vessel having at least one hull, a body and a suspension system for supporting at least a portion of the body above the at least one hull is described. The suspension system includes at least one support means, and the vessel further includes at least one gyroscopic stabiliser for attenuating rotation of the body about at least one stabilising axis.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 25, 2014Publication date: February 11, 2016Inventors: Christopher Brian Heyring, Richard Monk, Michael Longman
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Patent number: 7314014Abstract: A water craft (77) is disclosed which includes a chassis portion (78), at least four water engaging means (30, 34, 38, 42) and interconnecting means (94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130, 132). Each water engaging means is connected to the chassis portion (78) and is moveable in a substantially vertical direction relative to the chassis portion (78), and the interconnection means is arranged to functionally link the at least four water engaging means (30, 34, 38, 42) such that during use the chassis portion is encouraged to maintain an orientation which is substantially constant relative to the average plane of the water surface, even when the water surface is undulating and the water engaging means (30, 34, 38, 42) are not all disposed in the same plane.Type: GrantFiled: August 14, 2003Date of Patent: January 1, 2008Assignee: Heyring Technologies Pty Ltd.Inventors: Christopher Brian Heyring, Michael Longman
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Publication number: 20060144311Abstract: A water craft (77) is disclosed which includes a chassis portion (78), at least four water engaging means (30, 34, 38, 42) and interconnecting means (94, 96, 98, 100, 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118, 120, 122, 124, 126, 128, 130, 132). Each water engaging means is connected to the chassis portion (78) and is moveable in a substantially vertical direction relative to the chassis portion (78), and the interconnection means is arranged to functionally link the at least four water engaging means (30, 34, 38, 42) such that during use the chassis portion is encouraged to maintain an orientation which is substantially constant relative to the average plane of the water surface, even when the water surface is undulating and the water engaging means (30, 34, 38, 42) are not all disposed in the same plane.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 14, 2003Publication date: July 6, 2006Inventors: Christopher Heyring, Michael Longman
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Publication number: 20050001401Abstract: A roll control system for a vehicle suspension system and a method for controlling the control system is disclosed. The vehicle has at least one pair of laterally spaced front wheel assemblies and at least one pair of laterally spaced rear wheel assemblies. Each wheel assembly includes a wheel and a wheel mounting permitting wheel movement in a generally vertical direction relative to the vehicle body, and vehicle support means for providing at least substantially a major portion of the support for the vehicle. The roll control system includes: wheel cylinders respectively locatable between each wheel mounting and the vehicle body. Each wheel cylinder includes an inner volume separated into first and second chambers by a piston supported within, and first and second fluid circuits respectively providing fluid connection between the wheel cylinders by fluid conduits.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 13, 2004Publication date: January 6, 2005Inventors: Christopher Heyring, Michael Longman
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Patent number: 6669208Abstract: A hydraulic system for a vehicle suspension, the hydraulic system being a portion of a roll control component of the vehicle suspension, the hydraulic system including a front hydraulic ram, a rear hydraulic ram, a first hydraulic volume extending, in use, between a first chamber of the front hydraulic ram and a first chamber of the rear hydraulic ram, a second hydraulic volume extending, in use, between a second chamber of the front hydraulic ram and a second chamber of the rear hydraulic ram, at least one accumulator in fluid communication with at least one hydraulic volume, and a fluid flow restrictor adapted to restrict the rate of fluid flow between the at least one accumulator and the corresponding at least one hydraulic volume during cornering of the vehicle.Type: GrantFiled: July 10, 2002Date of Patent: December 30, 2003Assignee: Kinetic Pty., Ltd.Inventors: Richard Monk, John Carrico, Michael Longman
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Patent number: 6338014Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle suspension system for a vehicle body supported by a plurality of spaced apart wheels arranged in at least generally diagonally opposite pairs, the vehicle suspension system including an adjustment system for adjusting the position of each of the wheel rams relative to the vehicle body, sensors adapted to generate a signal indicative of the position of each of the wheels, an electronic control unit arranged to receive the signals, wherein the required position for each wheel ram is determined as a function of the diagonal average of the positions of each pair of diagonally opposite wheels, the position of each wheel being adjusted on the basis of the diagonal averages.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 1998Date of Patent: January 8, 2002Assignee: Kinetic LimitedInventors: Christopher B. Heyring, Ray Heslewood, Michael Longman
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Publication number: 20010018629Abstract: A method of controlling a vehicle suspension system for a vehicle body supported by a plurality of spaced apart support means arranged in at least generally diagonally opposite pairs, the vehicle suspension system including adjustment means for adjusting the position of each of the support means relative to the vehicle body, sensor means adapted to generate a signal indicative of the position of each of the support means, and control means arranged to receive said signals, wherein the required position for each support means is determined as a function of the diagonal average of the positions of each pair of diagonally opposite support means, the position of each support means being adjusted on the basis of the said diagonal averages. A method includes determining the difference between the diagonal average of the positions of each pair of diagonally opposite support means of the vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 1998Publication date: August 30, 2001Inventors: CHRISTOPHER BRIAN HEYRING, RAY HESLEWOOD, MICHAEL LONGMAN