Transversely supported seal

摘要

A seal structure for an air cushion vessel includes an inflatable bag secured to the hull and a transversely stiffened lobe portion maintained therebeneath. The stiffened lobe portion consists of a membrane with an array of spaced, transverse stiffener members connected thereto. The colinear stiffener members are interconnected in end-to-end relationship. According to one embodiment, the end portions of the stiffener members are connected to support stays which are connected either to the bag structure or to the forward portion of the hull. The support stays may comprise cable elements or membranes which form continuations of the stiffened lobe membrane. Additional support for the stiffened lobe portion is provided in the form of a plurality of rear support elements which set the orientation and configuration of the stiffened lobe portion and limit the downward deflection of the stiffened lobe portion. The rear support elements may comprise cables or membranes, which are supported from elongated bars, catenary cable supports, or cable elements.