Abstract: An apertured flexible sheet component for an air cushion vehicle flexible skirt, such as an apertured section of a flexible skirt bag member, comprises reinforced flexible sheet material including a reinforcing fabric having substantial spacings between groups of cords from which the fabric is formed. The reinforcing fabric is coated with elastomeric material and apertures are formed in the elastomeric material within the spacings between the groups of cords in the reinforcing fabric so that no broken cords are caused by formation of the apertures.

Abstract: An apertured flexible sheet component for an air cushion vehicle flexible skirt, such as an apertured section of a flexible skirt bag member, comprises reinforced flexible sheet material including a reinforcing fabric having substantial spacings between groups of cords from which the fabric is formed. The reinforcing fabric is coated with elastomeric material and apertures are formed in the elastomeric material within the spacings between the groups of cords in the reinforcing fabric so that no broken cords are caused by formation of the apertures.

Abstract: A device for arresting the growth of a rip in reinforced flexible sheet material, for example elastomeric sheet material reinforced with woven nylon fabric, comprises a flexible sheath member having a flexible core member extending throughout its length and chemically bonded thereto. The sheath member includes tensile load path discontinuities at intervals along the length of the core member and at least in regions of the sheath member remote from the core member. The tensile load path discontinuities prevent tensile loads being transmitted along the length of those regions of the sheath member which are not bonded to the core member, such loads being diffused into the core member because of the bond between the sheath member and the core member. A number of these devices may be attached to an air cushion vehicle flexible skirt assembly manufactured from sheet rubber reinforced with woven nylon fabric so as to arrest the growth of rips which may propagate during operation of the vehicle.

Abstract: An apertured flexible sheet component for an air cushion vehicle flexible skirt, such as an apertured section of a flexible skirt bag member, comprises reinforced flexible sheet material including a reinforcing fabric having substantial spacings between groups of cords from which the fabric is formed. The reinforcing fabric is coated with elastomeric material and apertures are formed in the elastomeric material within the spacings between the groups of cords in the reinforcing fabric so that no broken cords are caused by formation of the apertures.

Abstract: A bag member for an air cushion vehicle flexible skirt has an apertured portion by which a space enclosed by the bag member and hard structure of a vehicle to which it is attached, is placed in communication with the vehicle cushion area. The apertured portion comprises a plurality of strips of flexible material laid across each other so as to form apertures therebetween. The apertured portion may be formed by a plurality of apertured panels comprising the aperture-forming strips of flexible material joined to strips of flexible material defining side edges of each panel.

Abstract: Cushion sealing at the rear of an air cushion vehicle comprises a flexible skirt that is attached to rigid body structure of the vehicle so as to extend downwardly therefrom and define a plurality of inter-communicating inflatable compartments positioned one above the other. These inflatable skirt compartments communicate by way of a first duct with a source of pressurized air on the vehicle, and by way of a second duct with cushion space at the underside of the vehicle. The second duct offers low impedance to the transfer of air between the skirt compartments and the cushion space, whereby in operation, when the skirt is deflected, air transfers from the skirt compartments to the cushion without any substantial rise in the skirt inflation pressure, which would tend to increase the stiffness of the skirt.

Abstract: An air cushion vehicle is provided with cushion-containing means at least partly constituted by a flexible skirt which comprises an inflatable bag member and individual flexible skirt elements depending downwardly from attachment both to the bag member and the vehicle hard structure.

Abstract: An improved rewind shaft of a web slitting machine has a long shaft portion supporting cores which are held in exact positions and against movement along the shaft by a retaining sleeve held against longitudinal movement relative to the rewind shaft by an expansible air shaft segment forming a detachable end portion of the rewind shaft.