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US 5,469,801 AGranted
Advanced marine vehicles for operation at high speed in or above rough water
AssigneeDynafoils, Inc.
InventorPeter R. Payne
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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AssigneeDynafoils, Inc.
InventorPeter R. Payne
Estimating the term…
A hydrofoil craft has a hull supported above a water surface by a foil connected to the hull by means of a support arm. In accordance with one form of the invention, the support arm enables the foil to move up and down with respect to the hull in concert with upgusts and downgusts of water surrounding the foil so as to maintain the hull at an approximately constant elevation. In accordance with another form of the invention, the support arm is supported by the hull for pivoting about a longitudinal axis extending in substantially the fore and aft direction of the hull. When rolling forces act on the foil, the support arm can pivot about the axis from a vertical position in response to the rolling forces while enabling the hull to remain substantially level.
A hydrofoil craft comprising:
A hydrofoil craft comprising:
A hydrofoil craft comprising:
A hydrofoil craft comprising:
A hydrofoil craft comprising:
A hydrofoil craft comprising:
A hydrofoil craft comprising:
A method of operating a hydrofoil craft comprising:
A method of operating a hydrofoil craft comprising:
A hydrofoil craft comprising:
A hydrofoil craft comprising:
A method of operating a hydrofoil craft comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.
Drawings are temporarily unavailable. Open the PDF at USPTO
With movable hydrofoils: changing the angle of attack or the lift of the foil
Of hydrofoil type: mounting, suspension of the foils
Ships or other waterborne vessels
Term ended 28 Nov 2012 (estimated)
USPTO file history isn’t available for this patent, so only indexed dates are shown.
The present invention relates generally to advanced marine vehicles ("AMV") and, specifically, to hydrofoil craft and wing in ground effect ("WIG") aircraft which are capable of being operated at high speeds in or above rough water.
Dynamically supported AMVs cannot be operated comfortably at high speeds in or above rough water. Examples of such AMVs include air cushion vehicles, surface effect ships, wing in ground effect ("WIG") aircraft, and hydrofoil craft.
Hydrofoil craft are boats which typically possess a more or less conventional planing boat hull and which have one or more vertical struts extending from beneath the hull into the water. Each vertical strut typically carries at least one foil. When the hydrofoil craft has accelerated to a sufficient velocity through the water, the lift created by the foils raises the hull above the water's surface, thus eliminating the hull's resistance.
FIG. 1 is a side elevational, partially schematic view showing the unique hydrofoil craft of the present invention with means for allowing the foils to move in concert with the upgusts and downgusts of water velocity around the foils.
FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view showing the unique hydrofoil craft of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating the way in which support arms which extend angularly downward from the hull of the hydrofoil craft move in concert with the upgusts and downgusts of water velocity around the foils.
FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically illustrate a unique hydrofoil craft 10 according to the present invention which is capable of operating at high speeds in rough water. The hydrofoil craft 10 has at least one hull 12 of a desired configuration. Preferably, the hull 12 possesses a configuration which enables the hull 12 to cut through the higher waves of a rough sea without experiencing large accelerations. An example of such a hull configuration is disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,763,810, incorporated herein by reference. The hull's slender configuration reduces the dynamic lift of the hull 12 when in contact with the water. Accordingly, the reduced plan area of the forward sections of the hull 12 minimizes dynamic lift forces during wave impacts, thus reducing both drag and vertical acceleration. A transom 14 can be incorporated in the bow of the hull 12. The bow transom 14 helps to prevent complete bow submergence during severe wave impacts as taught in my prior patent.
In the present invention, at least one support arm 16 is attached to the hull 12, preferably at or near the bottom. The support arms 16 are attached so that they extend downward from the plane of the bottom of the hull 12 into the water. Preferably, the support arms 16 extend angularly downward from the hull 12 into the water, as is shown in FIG. 3. However, the support arms 16 can also extend vertically downward from the hull 12 into the water, as is shown in FIG. 4, the vertical motion being obtained by a telescoping mechanism. Preferably, at least two support arms 16 are attached to the hull 12, with one support arm 16 located toward the rear of the hull 12 and another support arm 16 located toward the forward portion of the hull 12.
Each support arm 16 is attached at or near the bottom of the hull 12 at an attachment or connection 18. Attachment of each support arm 16 at or near the bottom of the hull 12 can be either pivotal or rigid. Where the attachment or connection 18 is rigid, each support arm 16 can be at least partially flexible. That is, each support arm 16 can be either uniformly flexible so that the support arm 16 bends throughout its entire length or only partially flexible (e.g., the support arm 16 can be rigid except near the attachment or connection 18 where the support arms 16 are thinner so as to allow the support arm 16 to bend only at this thin section), as is shown in FIG. 5. These flexible support arms can be made of any resilient material, such as fiberglass or steel.