US3774566A

US3774566A - Light-weight, crash-resistant, vehicular structure

Info

Publication number: US3774566A
Application number: US00333153A
Authority: US
Inventors: A Moore
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-05-05
Filing date: 1973-02-16
Publication date: 1973-11-27
Anticipated expiration: 1990-11-27
Also published as: US3716953A

Abstract

A vehicle, usable in water, air, space or on land, having substantially rigid interior structure and exterior, stiffly resilient shock-taking outer-wall structure that is capable of sustaining minor shocks of normal travel without flexing and of yielding under major shocks and then returning to its former shape. The shock-taking structure comprises elongated, inflated tubular members having flat ends and between these ends a plurality of inflated links comprising dense, flexible material capable of flexing a multiplicity of times without fracture. Preferably this material comprises resilient or ductile metal preferably an envelope of fabric, lined with thin lead. The tubular-member links are integrally connected by joints which may be flat and optionally sealed, but preferably are only partly flattened toward the interior structure. The vehicle may be a boat, having: floats that comprise some of the tubular-member links; upper, boat-stabilizing balloons; and an air propeller or propellers. The rigid interior structure may be substantially rectangular or arcuate in cross section, stave-like panels.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Moore [451 Nov. 27, 1973 LIGHT-WEIGHT, CRASH-RESISTANT,

VEHICULAR STRUCTURE [76] Inventor: Alvin Edward Moore, 916 Beach Blvd, Waveland, Miss. 39576 22 Filed: Feb. 16, 1973 21 Appl. No.2 333,153

Related US. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 34,795, May 5,

I970, Pat. No. 3,716,953.

Primary Examiner-Trygve M. Blix 57 7 ABSTRACT A vehicle, usable inwater, air, space or on land, having substantially rigid interior structure and exterior, stiffly resilient shock-taking outer-wall structure that is capable of sustaining minor shocks of normal travel without flexing and of yielding under major shocks and then returning to its former shape. The shocktaking structure comprises elongated, inflated tubular members having flat ends and between these ends a plurality of inflated links comprising dense, flexible material capable of flexing a multiplicity of times without fracture. Preferably this material comprises resilient or ductile metal preferably an envelope of fabric, lined with thin lead. The tubular-member links are integrally connected by joints which may be flat and optionally sealed, but preferably are only partly flattened toward the interior structure. The vehicle may be a boat, having: floats that comprise some of the tubular-member links; upper, boat-stabilizing balloons; and an air propeller or propellers. The rigid interior structure may be substantially rectangular or arcuate in cross section, stave-like panels.

30 Claims, 30 Drawing Figures PMENIEDuuvzv I973 3.774.566

SHEET 1 BF 3 25 ALVIN EDWARD MOORE,

INVENTOR.

ATTOR N EY.

PMENTEDHUYZ? I975 SHEET 2 OF. 3

' ALVIN E. MOORE, mvsmoa ATTORN EY.

PAn-immuvzv I915 3.774.566-

SHEET 3 CF 3 INVENTOR. ALVIN E. MOORE,

ATTO R N EY.

LIGHT-WEIGHT, CRASH-RESISTANT, VEHICULAR STRUCTURE The present application is a continuation-in-part of US. application Ser. No. 34,795, filed on May 5, 1970 (US. Pat. No. 3,716,953), and comprises matter required to be divided from that of the earlier application. FIGS. 1 to 8, 19 to 23, 26 and 27 are substantially the same, respectively, as FIGS. 1 to 8, 9, 14 to l7, l2 and 13 of application Ser. No. 34,795; and FIGS. 24 and 25 are similar to FIGS. and ll of this prior application.

The present invention pertains to a boat, flying boat, seaplane, life raft, car or other vehicle, comprising light-weight, strong, unbreakable, shock-absorbing tubular structures that are easily and hermetically inflatable with lighter-than-air gas, air or other gas. Some of the basic principles of the invention are: (1) if a sealed tube inflated with gas at above-atmospheric pressure has ends free to move (is not endless) it tends to assume and hold a position in which its longitudinal axis is in a straight line. (2) If a sealed tube inflated with gas at above-atmospheric pressure is endless, with gaseous communication throughout its length, it tends to assume and hold an annular (at least roughly circular) shape. (3) A tube flattened throughout its length and sealed at its flat ends may be inflated with helium or non-aerial gas (without wrinkling of the tube material, which may comprise wrinkle-prone metal, and without inefficient use of a vacuum pump, and without intermixture of the gas with air). After inflation the tube has an arcuately curved middle portion, tapering to wider, sealed, substantially flat ends, these ends permitting long-repeated bending of ductile tube material under shocks without permanent wrinking of the material. (4) Certain materials may be thus repeatedly bent a long time without fracturing; among these are resilient, synthetic or natural rubber; dense, flexible or resilient plastic; thin lead or copper (which in this invention may be very thin and therefore relatively light-weight and inexpensive metal sheet or foil); resilient sheet steel; soft iron. (5) An elongated, sealed, flat-ended tube of the above type may be further flattened and bonded by welding, epoxy resin or the like in one or more bands or lines of contact between at-least-partly flattened tube walls at one or more places between the flat tube ends thus forming an elongated tubular member comprising integral inflated links; and these intermediate flattened or partly flattened areas may easily be bent into strong angular joints between adjacent, in-

flated-tube'links that have any desired angle between them, and the constricted bands or areas optionally may serve as: means sealing the adjacent tubular links from gaseous flow between them; or, alternatively, means that allows only limited flow of gas between these links (for example, by seam or spot welding or bolts sealed at bolt holes in the partly flattened tubular portions, bolt means, straddling these portions; optionally attached to a cabin stringer, rib, longeron or other support). (6) A barrel-curved vehicular wall is the strongest kind of form per unit of weight for the loadcontaining cabin of a boat, aircraft, car or other vehicle. (7) The combination of ribs, stringers, bulkheads or longerons with outer tubular structures of the above type in a boat, car, aircraft or the like forms a nearly crashproof vehicle of a type that is badly needed in our present wreck-prone civilization.

tween its flat ends. Another object is to provide such a vehicular structure having wall material or combination of materials that is capable of long-repeated bending'under shock without fracturing. Some other objectives are to provide: a vehicle comprising tubular articles of the above type that are inflated with lighterthan-air or other gas at a pressure well above that of the atmosphere (sufficient to cause the tube not to yield under minor shocks, for example under normal wave or wind action, but to allow the tube safely to yield under major shock, as in a collision, and then to return to its former shape); the combination of such tubular structures, as a shock-taking outer-wall means, with an inner or upper substantially rigid, optionally barrel-curved vehicular cabin wall (for example, mainly made of staves or stave-like panels, held together inside hoops or other looped means and optionally bonded at their contacting edges with epoxy cement (or welding), having a strong,'barrel-curved exterior surface).

Other objects of the invention will be apparent in the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a view in section from a plane containing the longitudinal axis of a bent, flat-ended, inflated tubular form.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tubular structure of FIG. 1, illustrating it in three inflated links, with the intermediate tube-ivall constrictions between links shown as not bent.

FIG. 3 is a plan (or side) view of the tubular member of FIG. 2, bent into a triangular vehicular structure (for example, one of the inflated ribs or frame members of a float, engine-andpropeller support or cabin structure), having bracting elements at its three corners.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a vehicular cabin, body or other vehicular structure, comprising flat-ended tubular members of four inflated links, joined and fastened to braces and skin means in a device which may be the cabin or body of a life raft, other boat, aircraft, car or other vehicle, shown as having its top skin broken away at part of one end to expose portions of the vehiclecushioning means, and as having at its other end its cushioning means and skin means broken away to expose the tubular wall constriction.

FIG. 5 is a detail sectional view from the plane indicated by the arrowsS-S of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the body of a boat, car or other vehicle, having walls comprising the invented type of tubular members.

FIG. 7 is a detail, sectional view from the plane 7-7 I of FIG. 6. FIG. 8 isa detail plan view of one of the top (or alternatively bottom) tubular elements of the cushioning part of the vehicle's top (or bottom wall); when considered as showing one of the top or bottom framing elements of the body of FIG. 6, it is designed to extend between such areas as are indicated by the arrows A and B.

FIG. 9 is a detail plan view, similar to FIG. 1B, of an uninflated tubular member, illustrating seam welding at a constriction.

FIG. 10 is a detail, sectional view, indicating an uninflated tubular member of metal or plastic, sheathed in a fabric envelope.

FIGS. 11 and 12, similar to FIGS. 1 and 2, illustrate optional types of tubular-member constrictions.

FIG. 13 is a detail, sectional view of a curved portion of a vehicular wall.

FIG. 14 is a detail, sectional view of a straight wall portion, fastened to a rib.

FIG. 15 is a detail sectional view of a curved wall portion, fastened to a hollow rib or the like.

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view of one form of a boat, hovercraft or the like, having structures comprising the invented tubular members.

FIG. 17 is a horizontally sectional view, partly broken away, of the bow (or stem) portion of a vehicle of the type of FIG. 16 or FIG. 6.

FIG. 18 is a vertically sectional view of the bottom portion of a float for a vehicle of the type of FIGS. 16 and 28, FIG. 24 or FIG. 6.

FIG. 19 is a side, elevational view, partly broken away, of a surface-traversing vehicle and/or aircraft, comprising a barrel-curved cabin and tubular shockabsorbing means.

FIG. 20, showing an optional form of the stave-like body panels, is a reduced-scale, sectional, detail view from a plane across the longitudinal axis of a barrelcurved body that it at one of its larger cross-sectional areas.

FIG. 21 is a similar view from a plane that is spaced from that of FIG. 14, toward one end of the bodys load-carrying space.

FIG. 22 is a sectional, detail view from a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of a barrel-curved body, showing an optional form of the barrel-curved, stavelike panels.

FIG. 23 is a detail, cross-sectional view of another optional type of the barrel-curved, stave-like panels.

FIG. 24 is an end elevational view of the vehicle of FIG. 19, with its left-hand part broken away to sectionally illustrate details of the body and float means.

FIG. 25 is an enlarged, detail, sectional view of a junction of the vehicular body and a tubular-member portion comprising a gas-flow-permitting constriction.

FIG. 26 is a plan view of a stave-like panel of the barrel-curved body.

FIG. 27 is a side elevational view of the panel of FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view, partly broken away, of a boat, flying boat or the like, having walls comprising flat-ended, shock-absorbing tubular members.

The basic tubular structure of the vehicle of this invention is illustrated inFIGS. 1, 1A, 1B and 2. It comprises a plurality of links, of which only one complete link 1, is here shown, and a second link, partly broken away is indicated at 2. The wall material of the tubular member is capable of flexing a multiplicity of times without fracture. In FIG. 1 it is illustrated as of metal. In FIG. 1 and in each of the other illustrated forms of the invention this material optionally may be: metal (resilient in some constructions, ductile in others), optionally backed by flexibly bonded mesh or other fabric or as metal that impregnates fabric; dense, flexible, substantially impermeable-to-gas plastic (optionally reinforced by fibers), backed by mesh or other fabric, or as plastic that impregnates fabric; or two or more plies of fabric and resilient rubber or other plastic (like the material of rubber hose or like a light-weight modification of rubber tire casings). Currently, thin lead or cop per or highly ductile, nearly pure aluminum, continuously and tubularly lining an exterior, dectile-metalreinforcing envelope of strength-providing mesh or other fabric, is preferred. The metal or plastic may be in an extruded tube, or a tube made by welding or otherwise bonding adjoined side edges of sheet material.

Lead has three important advantages in these tubular members: (I it is substantially impermeable to gas; (2) an inner tube easily may be made of thin lead sheet or foil, the joints permanently sealed by simple application of heat, and a fabric envelope glued or otherwise held on its exterior surface; and (3) critically important in metallic, impact-cushioning vehicular tubes the wall of a somewhat thin tube of lead may be bent thousands of times without fracture, and after each impact resume its shape, because of the resilience of the pressurized gaseous material it contains.

When, as is preferred, the tubular members comprise metal it is thin but has a thickness of at least two mils and preferably of over 3 mils.

The elongated tubular structure has a pair of flat en parts (3 in FIGS. 1 and 1B; 3 and 4 in FIG. 2) and one or a plurality of intermediate flat or partly flattened bands or constrictions, 5. The flat ends optionally may have holes 6, for aid in fastening the ends together and- /or to vehicular ribs, stringers or other bracing or supporting means that supports the tubular member or group of members.

When the tubular member comprises an extrusion it may be made in accordance with the following method: (I) the extruded tube is flattened into a planar rectangle throughout its length. (2) Means for inflating the tubular structure is fixed to at least one link of the rectangular article. This means (7, 8) optionally may be either a gas-inflation valve (nearly always used if the structure (for example of rubber) is to be repeatedly inflated) or a small gas-inlet tube (optionally usable and permanently scalable when the structure is of dense, practically impermeable material, such as metal). (3) The two flat planar folds are held in contact or near each other by fastening means, for example by bonding material (welding, brazing, vulcanin'ng material or epoxy resin and/or bolts or clevis-like tubeclamping elements) in intermediate constrictions or bands 5, indicated as between

lines

9 and 10; and the tubular member is hermetically bonded at its

ends

3 and 4. In some uses of the structure the sealing-and bonding material at one (or each) of these ends is restricted to the band between

lines

11 and 12; and the end portions between

lines

12 and 14 then are bifurcated, with the upper and lower parts capable of being temporarily spread apart, for aid in welding or otherwise fastening the two ends of the structure together and/or to braces or other supports. In an optional form of the structure the bonding material (for example seam or spot welding) along and optionally between

lines

9 and 10 is not an hermetic, continuous weld or other bond, but instead has gaps between portions of it that allow seepage or gaseous-flow communication between the adjoining pair of tubular links. In this event:

as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 12, only one gas-inlet means (7) is sufficient for inflating the links; and if the tubular structure is bent (as in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 6) each pair of the inflated links is held in angular relation by a brace or angle iron or the like. But when the bonding material of the constrictions 5 hermetically seals the links from gaseous-flow communication a gas-inlet means (7 or 8) is necessary for each link, at least before the structure is inflated. Whether the gas-inlet means comprises a simple, small tube or such a tube with a valve in it, the small tube is preferably permanently sealed after inflation when the tubular wall material is of metal or dense plastic that is substantially impermeable to gas. This permanent sealing is by bonding material which may be epoxy glue, but if the structure is of metal it preferably is accomplished by welding, fusion, brazing or soldering.

An optional type of fastening means which holds together wider, somewhat flattened areas of the constrictions between links is shown in FIG. 1A. This comprises rivets or bolts thru constriction holes and bonding material, I5, sealing over the rivets orbolts and holes, permitting limited flow of gas between inflated links.

An optional method of making the uninflated tubular member comprises the following steps: (1) cutting or otherwise forming two equal, rectangular, elongated strips of the tubular-structure material; (2) fixing to one of these sheets gas-inlet means in the abovedescribed manner: (3) placing the strips or layers in contact, one above the other; (4) hermetically bonding (with fusing, welding, brazing soldering, vulcanizing or epoxy bonding material) each adjoining (aligned) pair of the side and end-edge portions of the two layers; and (5) forming the intermediate constrictions 5 in the above-described manner.

After the uninflated structure is made by one of the above-described methods, it is inflated with gas. This may be air, but preferably is lighter-than-air gas (preferably helium; or nitrogen; or hydrogen, which may be mixed with gas that inhibits combustion). The originally flat nature of the structure efliciently provides for its inflation with non-aerial gas, without the troublesome use of a vacuum pump, because little or no air is present between the contacting flat sides of the structure in its uninflated condition.

When-the tubular-structure material comprises metal or other substantially impermeable-to-gas material, the tubular member is initially inflated with gas at a pressure well above that of the atmosphere forexample in the range of 5 to 30 pounds per square inch; and the gas-inlet means then is preferably permanently sealed. But when the material is stretchable (for example resilient rubber, not reinforced with fabric) it is first only moderately inflated (for example at a pressure of one to two pounds) and then incased in a restricting outer sheath or envelope and inflated at a pressure well above that of the atmosphere. This envelope may bei densely woven fabric; or a sheath of molded, stiffly resilient material such as semi-rigid foamed plastic, within a strength-providing vehicular skin means (for example woven or metallic fabric, plywood, sheet metal, or dense-plastic sheet).

FIGS. 3, 4 and 6 show devices of several of the numerous configurations possible with theangularly bent constrictions 5. In FIG. 3, the triangularly arranged tubular member has its ends joined by overlapping the

end portions

3 and 4 and fastening them together. The

joint 16 may be made detachable by using bolts in the holes 6; but preferably it is permanent, with theuse of rivets, bolts, glue and the bracing element 18. This bracing element preferably has its outer surface shaped to conform to the inside surface of the inner bent-end flange. This structure of FIG. 3 may be one of the ribs or frame members of a vehicular float, of a support for a propeller or a motor and propeller, or of a cabin part.

In FIG. 4, illustrating the body of a vehicle, the joint between the ends of the tubular member comprises bonding material (20) of one of the above-described optional types. The body of this figure comprises upright braces or posts, 22, of wood or metallic pipe, which preferably are shaped to approximately conform to the bent curve of the constrictions 5 and of the joined ends of the tubular structure. These posts (braces) are strength-providing elements of the vehicular body, to which are bolted (for example by tubemember-straddling U-bolts or clevises), screwed, riveted or bonded the bent curves of the constricted junctions between links. Three posts also serve for attachment of material of the top, bottom and optional interior skins or wall elements of the cabin, these elements being similar to the sheet 23 of FIG. 7, which may be of fabric-reinforced plastic, preferably rigid or semirigid, or of plywood, or metal.

The top and bottom are attached to the posts in a similar manner. A sheet 24 (FIG. 5) of plywood or metal (like 25 or 26 in FIG. 7), for example of aluminum alloy, thin steel, plywood, or dense, strong plastic (preferably reinforced with fabric), is fixed (for instance with screws 28 and/or bonding material of the above-described type) to an end of each of the posts. Optionally each junction may be strengthened by a flanged, metallic element, 30, having holes 32 for attachment of bolts or rivets.

The top and bottom of the vehicular body (outside the interior skin elements 25 and 26) mostly comprise cushioning, shock-taking, stiffly resilient tubular structures. Each of these structures, 34, is similar to the tubular structures 52 of FIG. 7, and the like 52 is fastened at its ends to the bars 38 (similar to bars 40 of FIG. 7). These bars are fixed to upper and lower ends of the posts by the screws 28 and cement, welding or other bonding material; and to the bars the flat, wider ends of the tubular members are fastened by such bonding means and bolts or the like, 42.

The outer part of the vehicular body has an exterior skin means. This comprises yieldable sheet material 44,

which is preferably metallic or fibrous mesh or other fabric impregnated and coated with stiffly resilient rubber or other stiffly resilient plastic.

' The vehicular body of FIGS. 6 and 7 is generally similar in construction-to the cabin of FIG. 4, but has a different, more streamlined outer configuration. Its cushioning, stiffly resilient side walls comprise inflated, vertically stacked tubular structures (46, 48, 50), of the above-described type, whose wider, constricted parts (preferably only partly flattened and permitting flow of inflation gas between links) are bent bent around and fastened in the above described manner, or by U-bolts, or by bolted or screwed pipe strap as indicated in FIGS. 13 to 15, to six upright posts, 53. The shorter links 48 form the main, shock-taking part of the bow of the vehicle; and the somewhat longer links 50, integral with 48, form framework of the streamlined stern. The shock-taking side-wall links 46 are preferably longer than the

structures

48 or 50. Due to the number of these links (exceeding four) and the fact that their constricted portions are conductive to curving and conforming to the curved sidewall skin or skins, the exterior, sidewall skin means and the cabin are substantially streamlined. The bars 40, to which the skin means is attached, are preferably curved or angled to confrom to and be closely juxtapositioned with the sidewall skin. Each of the elongated, single-link tubular elements 52 of the top and bottom cushions has a sealed flat portion that is curved (as at 54) to fit a curved or angled portion of one of the forward bars 40, and an after sealed flat portion that is curved or angled (as at 56 in FIG. 8) to similarly fit a curved or angled portion of an after bar.

FIG. 10, sectionally illustrating an uninflated tubular member of the type illustrated in FIGS. 18 and 9, indicates a flat inner tube of ductile material, sheathed and reinforced by an outer tube of strong fabric. The inner tube, comprising juxtaposed, tube-flattened portions,

57, optionally of plastic or thin, resilient steel, is preferably of very thin lead, copper or soft aluminum. The fabric 58 is preferably of nylon, other plastic, asbestos, or waterproofed jute, linen or cotton; but optionally it may be ductile or resilient metallic mesh. This fabric optionally may be epoxy-bonded to the inner tube; or it may be impregnated by metal or plastic of the inner tube. When it is impregnated by molten metal (for example by molten lead) it is preferably of iron or asbestos.

FIGS. 9, 11 and 12 illustrate optional types of the wider constrictions of the inflated tubular members. In FIGS. 9 and 12, illustrating a metallic tubular member: lengths of seam or spot welding are indicated at 59; a band of bonding material (welding, brazing, solder, epoxy glue, or the like) is shown at 60 (having a hole 6 for bolts or screws for attaching the tubular member to a rib or stringer), and a U-bolt or clevis-like fastener is illustrated at 61. The device 61 comprises a U-shaped piece of metal rod or bar, the vehicularly outer portion of which is shown at 62. The two rod-like side parts 63 (which optionally may be rectangular in cross section) extend toward the inside of the vehicle and have their ends fastened together by an inside element that is on the interior side of the tubular member, not shown in FIG. 12. This element, which clamps portions of the tubular wall to a desired amount against inflationary resilience, may be: a cross bar having holes thru which screwthreaded ends of 63 project and against which nuts on these ends bear; or a clevis pin projecting thru holes in the ends of bars 63; or a bar-like part of a ve hicular rib, stringer or longeron, as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 15. In FIG. 13, the element 64 may be a horizontal stringer or longeron, but preferably it is a vertical portion of a transverse cabin rib 65. Thru parallel holes in this portion the bolt ends 66 extend; and on these parallel ends the nuts 67 are screwed, clamping opposite portions of the tubular walls 68 toward each other by a desired amount, which is exampled in FIG. 13 as being sufficient to substantially place these opposite portions in contact, but preferably having sufficient clearance for flow of inflation gas between the links, thus avoiding necessity of providing two valves or gasinlet tubes 7 for each pair of inflated links. As exampled, the bolt ends 66 are parts of two separate bolts having heads that bear against an elongated apertured strip 69 of metal or fiber-reinforced plastic, having a pair of holes at each tubular-member joint, thru which the pair of bolts for that joint extend. Optionally, this apertured strip may be commercially obtainable pipe strap of the type shown in FIG. 14. In any event, it is preferably flexible or resilient; and preferably the bolts and nuts are not fixed to the member 64-65; so that the strip, bolts and nuts may move inwardly under impact of collision at the joint. This joint is completed by the smooth fairing 70, which preferably is resilient and optionally may be of molded plastic, glued in place, or troweled stucco of epoxy putty, epoxy glue mixed with small fibers, or rubber cement (for example, Pliobond) mixed with small fibers. The outer, flexible, waterproof, vehicular skin 71, streamlinedly sheathing the tubular members and joints of the vehicular body, optionally may be of sheet plastic or trowelled stucco of the above-described type or of calcareous cement mixed with fine aggregate.

Each of the quadrilateral or endlessly curved, vehicle-strengthening ribs, ribs, stringers or

longerons

65, 72 and 73 of FIGS. 13 to 15 may be of metal as-indicated in FIG. 13, of wood as exampled in FIG. 14, or of angled tubular elements as indicated in FIG. 15. In FIG. 14 two flexible apertured strips 74 and 75 are shown, these strips being clamped toward each other by the bolts 76, which extend thru the elements 77 of the ribs or stringers 72, and the bolts 78, having nuts that bear against the inner strip 75. Preferably, the element 77 is one of an opposite pair of upright, connected rib elements, which are the upright portions of a rib that encompasses the load-containing space (comprising rigidly connected horizontal rib portions 72H and the upright rib portion 77); and preferably the tubular members comprise integral, angularly joined tubular elements of the general nature of the upright and horizontal tubular elements of FIGS. 24 and 28. These tubular members of FIG. 14 comprise tubular-joint parts 79 which are non-circular (oblong) in cross section and are sufficiently clamped by the

strips

74 and 75 and the bolts to have their side portions 80 sufliciently spaced inward from the upright plane of the annular tubular-member portions 81 for shock-absorbing material (exampled as flexible or semi-rigid foamed plastic 82) to shock-absorbingly sheathe the bolt heads in a resilient foamed-plastic layer between these heads and the preferably streamlined skin 71. Each of the

apertured strips

74 and 75 may be a metal band that, like 74, is apertured only at the bolts; but preferably both strips, like 75, are of pipe strap, havingthe illustrated multiplicity of holes. And preferably the bolts 75 are slidably mounted in the uprights 77.

In FIG. 15 the illustrated tubular-member supporting element is preferably an upright portion of one of a plurality of spaced, four-part, angled ribs 73 which are similar to the ribs 72 but are tubular. This tubular member is exampled as being trapezoidal (or triangular) in cross section and comprising a channel 83. The element 84 may be of pipe strap, but preferably is part of a U-bolt or else is a short bar that has holes at its ends thru which bolts 85 extend. These bolts are at the sides of the oblong portions of each of the preferably horizontal, uprightly stacked tubular members. They slidably extend thru holes in the channel 83, have nuts that bearagainst the channel, and sufficiently clamp the tubular members to provide space for a shockvabsorbing layer of the foamed plastic 81 (or a fairing of the above-described type) to sheathe over the bolt heads.

After all the bolts 85 are in place the strength-providing bar or band 86 is welded or otherwise secured to the channel 83. And then an optional internal skin means 87, like the above-described

skin

23 or 71, may be bonded or otherwise fastened to 86. Such an interior skin also may be provided for the cabins of FIGS. 6, 13 to 17, 19 and 28.

FIG. 16 illustrates a boat, flying boat, hovercraft, or other vehicle, having framework of the flat-ended, inflated tubular members, preferably having a substantially streamlined bow and stem, an upper, aerodynamic propeller 88 and motor 89, a lifeline 90, and float means that preferably comprises a laterally spaced pair of floats, each float having a lower surface 91 that slopes downward from its nose to its stern, providing fluid-dynamic lift on the craft. Preferably the float means is constructed and arranged to lift the vehicle, when traversing water, above the water level, while the floats are still sufficiently immersed in the water to have a keel-like, direction-stabilizing effect. Rudders at the stern of the floats may be provided, but preferably the craft has airplane-type controls of the kind illustrated in FIG. 19.

The preferred structure of the streamlined bow and stem of this vehicle is indicated in sectional FIG. 17, which is from a plane comparable to that indicated at 17-l7 of FIG. 16 or FIG. 28. The

elements

92 and 93 may be stringers, but preferably they are parts of winterior, load-holding box or container, comprising an inner wall of optionally arcuate sheets of plywood or metal and optional, inner-wall-reinforcing metal or waterproof, fiber-reinforced plastic, epoxy-glued to 92 and 93. At each of the six rounded corners of the box these sheets are fastened together by the boxreinforcing elongated angles 94, and are further reinforced by metal or fiber-and-plastic extrusions 95 and by the elongated wooden or metallic filler piece 96. The comer-joint portion of the tubular member 97 is exampled as substantially flat, comprising welding of the type shown at 59 or 60; but optionally this joint may comprise tubular-member portions of the type shown in FIG. 15. The horizontal tubular members 97 are flanked-and braced by the upright tubular members 98, shown in FIGS. 17 and 28. These tubular members have lower extensions 98 (FIG. 28), forming part of the framework of the pair of floats; and between the floats each of the members 98 integrally extend around both sides 93 and the top 99 of the load-containing box. The inflated resilient framework of the float means further comprises, in each float, a plurality of juxtaposed downward jutting links, 100', of the tubular members 100, which brace the lower deck 101 and the floats. As indicated in FIG. 18, the flat-ended bottom parts of the extensions 98' and the links 100' are stairstepped downward from the forward float edge to the rearward edge, conforming to the inclined plane of the float bottom 91. Preferably, a molded, tough-rubber element 102 is epoxy-glued to the sides and bottoms of the ta- These links are integral parts of a tubular member which in the uninflated condition of FIG. 9 is rectangular, but after its inflation the central part of the link 106 is horizontally wider and has less depth than each of the longer links and 107. The reason for this difference is the invariable nature of flat-ended, inflated tubular elements. The length of each curvingly tapered end portion of such an element is always proportional to the potential diameter of its middle portion. The proportion of the tapered parts length to the diameter may be mathematically and exactly. calculated; but the present inventor has empirically determined that it is between two and three times the potential diameter. If, as at 106, the tubular element is less than twice the length of each tapered end the tube is nowhere circular in cross section, but instead is oblong.

The motor 89, which is preferably an hydraulic or electrical motor, preferably is connected to a source of power on the lower deck such as is indicated at 108 in FIG. 24. The vehicle of FIGS. 16 and 28 is completed by epoxy-gluing the extrusions 109 to and between tapered portions of the

elements

98 and 105 and 98 and 107, epoxy-bonding in place the upper and outer skin (71), injecting or pouring foam-plastic liquids between the inner and outer skins to form the foamed plastic (81, 103) and securely strapping and bonding the motor 89 to 106, 105 and 107.

FIGS. 19, 24 and 25 illustrate a vehicle having shockabsorbing, vehicle-cushioning outer structure, comprising inflated tubular members of the above-described type, in combination with a barrel-curved, rigid (or nearly rigid) vehicular body. This cabin includes: streamlined exterior skin means, 110, of flexible or resilient metal or any of the other, above-described skin materials; and, within this skin means and the cushion-' ing structure, numerous stave-like panels, 111. These panels optionally may be barrel-curved wooden staves, as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, or stave-like panels of the below-described general type that is shown in FIGS. 20 to 23. They are surrounded and held with their side edges in tight juxtaposition by looped means, 112,

which may be bent, round-in-cross-section rods, or the barrel-like metal or reinforced plastic hoops or rings 1 13 shown in FIG. 19 (nailed and or epoxy-glued to the stave-like panels) or, alternatively and'optionally, a spirally woundstrip of thin steel or wire mesh tightly wound around and preferably nailed and epoxy-glued to the panels.

The panels have planar sides, 114, lying in planes that contain and converge at a line within the barrel-curved body. Each juxtaposed pair of these sides or side edges are waterproofedly united with bonding material of one of the above-described types, preferably epoxy resin. This is applied to the planar sides (which are edges in the case of wooden panels) just before the panels are clamped into tight contact by the panel-holding looped means. The currently preferred form of this looped means comprises a thin steel, pipe strap or aluminumalloy hoop (ring or band). Each is of a size to fit the approximate curvature of the barrel-curved wall where it is to be fastened, and it is hammered or otherwise forced upward on the barrel-shaped curve, jamming the glued planar sides of the panels into tight, clamped contact. After all the hoops are in place, optionally and preferably other looped means, comprising a metallic or strong nylon mesh (preferably of aluminum alloy or steel wire or expanded metal) is stretched tautly over and bonded to the curved wall and hoops, and this mesh is impregnated and coated with epoxy putty, other plastic, stucco, or the like. Thus the panels are preferably strongly held together to form the barrellike exterior curve by four holding means: epoxy resin; thin metal hoops; metallic or nylon mesh; and the coating material.

Optionally, the barrel-like cabin may be made without use of narrow, stave-like panels. Also it may be of relatively wide, curved staves (panels or gores) of aluminum alloy, thin iron, steel or spring steel by dieforming them with shallow flanges at their edges, bonding the flanges together with welding, brazing, solder or epoxy-resin glue, and stretching and bonding a strength-providing looped means (preferably mesh of the above type) over the whole. Or the barrel-curved wall may be of laminated plywood of built-up, staggered layers of relatively wide, barrel-curved plywood gores, epoxy-glued together, on a temporarily placed, removable, barrel-shaped, inflatable bag. This moldcore bag optionally may be of slightly stretchable fabric impregnated with teflon or resilient rubber.

Although each of the stave-like panels may be pointed at one end, to form the pointed, streamlined stern portion, 115, preferably this portion comprises expanded metal (optionally integral with the preferred metallic mesh) that covers the stave-like panels or else separate mesh, nailed, bolted or riveted to after ends of the panels, and preferably bonded to these ends by selected bonding material of one of the abovedescribed types. The mesh is impregnated and coated with epoxy or other plastic or stucco.

The general shape of the panels is indicated in FIGS. 26, 27 and to 22. From the cabin s barrel-like bulge of largest diameter the vehicular body and each of its barrel-curved panels slopes, with decreasing radii of curvature of the curved surfaces, to at least one of the ends of each stave-like panel; and preferably, as illus trated in FIGS. 26 and 27, the greatest-diameter bulge is in the middle part of the cabin, and the cabins barrel curved surfaces slope, with decreasing radii of curvature to both ends of each panel. This lessening of radii is illustrated in FIGS. 20 to 22. FIG. 20 (or FIG. 22) is a sectional detail view across the axis of the cabin at one of its larger-diameter portions, and FIG. 21 is a similar view from a plane spaced from this larger portion, toward one end of the load-carrying space. The radii of the exterior panel arcs (or covering) 116 (and the radii of the circumference of the skin 117 (of the skin means around the panels) progressively decrease from the cabins largest diameter to at least one of its ends; and in a similar manner the smaller radii of the interior arcs 118 of the panels and the arcs 119 of the inner skin decrease toward the same end (or ends) of the cabin.

These decreasing radii are also indicated in the panel of solid material (wood or metal) shown in FIGS. 26 and 27. The area of the cabins largest diameter is indicated at 120; and from this area the radii or curvature of the panel decrease to each of its ends. The outer and inner curved lines of the planar sides are respectively indicated at 121 and 122.

FIGS. 20 and 22 illustrate, at 123 and 124, two optional, hollow fonns of the stave-like panels. In FIG. 20 they may be of die-formed wire mesh, impregnated and coated in a mold with dense plastic, mortar or glass; but preferably each panel of FIG. 20 comprises an elongated exteriorly open channel, having planar sides 1 14 and an inner curved wall portion having the interior arc 118. Optionally, the panel also may comprise a narrow outer curved wall portion 116, but preferably the element 116 is endless and surrounds all the channels or stave-like panels. It may be of sheet metal, or wire or nylon mesh that is impregnated and coated with plastic or stucco. This sheet metal or mesh may be in the form of united gores or of elongated, edge-lapped strips spirally wrapped around the stave-like panels. In FIG. 22 the stave-like panels are separately formed gascontaining, hollow elements, comprising wire or other strong fabric mesh, imbedded in plastic, or glass. They may be formed on a removable flexible-bag core within the mesh in a mold, or may be extruded from plastic or glass and later wrapped with the mesh, and glue, plastic or stucco then applied to the mesh. The plastic or the like is not shown in small-scale FIG. 22, but plastic of the type that optionally may be used is indicated in FIG. 23.

In FIG. 23 an alternative and optional type of interior surface of the stave-like panels is shown. Here the internal surface, 125, has a straight line in each cross section normal to the major axis of the panel, but as in FIGS. 20 to 22, this internal surface is arched for extra strength in a fore-and-aft plane containing the longitudinal axis of the panel; but it is not curved in crosssectional planes that are perpendicular to this fore-andaft plane. Its planar sides 114, like those of the other forms of panels, interiorly slant toward each other, and their planes converge within the cabin, thus adding to the vehicle the strength of wedging tendencies of these preferably glue-bonded planar sides when the panels are subjected to external force.

The numeral 126 optionally may indicate a hollow space in a molded or extruded panel, or a sealed tubular element of one of the above-described tubular materials, optionally inflated with air or lighter-than-air gas at a pressure well above that of the atmosphere; and optionally it comprises a flat-ended tubular structure of the above-described type, having one or more inflated links. The hollow spaces of FIGS. 20 to 22 likewise optionally may be filled with pressurized gas.

The device of FIG. 4 or FIG. 6 may be used as a very light-weight but strong life raft or lifeboat, propelled by a paddle or oars; or it may be equipped with a motor and propeller. Any known type of such propulsion assembly may be used with the vehicular body of FIGS. 4, 6, 19, 24 or 28. A pair of marine propellers may be installed in spaces (not shown) in the V-shaped lower floats of FIG. 24; but preferably the aerial propeller, 88, and an engine or other motor, 89, are utilized, together with the airplane-type vertical and

horizontal stabilizers

127 and 128, elevator 129 and rudder 130. The vehicle in each of its disclosed fonns comprises window and door means(13l and 131D).

The motor 89 optionally may be an electric motor; but preferably it is an hydraulic motor, receiving fluid from a pump, 132, driven by the engine 108, located at a middle portion of the lower deck. If this motor 89 is an engine or electric motor the element 132 may be an electric generator. In any event, the engine 108 drives a generator; and the major portion of the weight of these parts, the air-conditioning unit 133, the batteries 134, and the rest of the equipment and other load is located below the center of buoyancy of the vehicle. The element 135 is a storage chamber, having a hinged top.

The location of the center of gravity below the center of buoyancy helpsstabilize the craft. Also optional and preferable balloons in the upper part of the vehicular body (136 in FIGS. 7, 24 and 28) provide lift, aiding in stabilization and reduction of water or aerial friction on the floats or on the landing gear which may be attached to the bottom of the vehicular body of FIGS. 4, 6, 19, 24 or 28. When, as is preferable, the floats 137, comprising aligned, connected, stiffly resilient, tubular member links, 138, do not house motors, they preferably comprise helium balloons, 139 (for example of thin rubber or glass), imbedded in stiffly-resilient foamed plastic. This foamed plastic preferably sheathes all the tubular members of FIGS. 4 to 7, 19, 24 and 28.

In FIG. 24, each of the float tubular members at the door and window elements consists of only four tubular links, 138; and the upper flat ends of these members are fixed to the bottoms of the door and window frames. At all other locations the four float links are integrally continued upward, past the door and window levels as indicated at 141, and they integrally join the links 142 an 143 of the upper deck, thus forming stiffly resilient, endless tubular members that encompass the vehicular body. The motor-supporting means comprises: a plurality of juxtaposed tubular members, each having two integral links 144, joined by their wider tube portions at the motor casing; and upright, singlelink tubular elements 145, epoxy-bonded to 144 at 146 and to the

links

142 and 143 at 147.From the area of greatest bulge of the barrel-curved cabin, toward both ends of the vehicle, the float tubular links become successively shorter, conforming to the barrel-curved surface, and the

links

144 and 145 of the enginesupporting means become successively larger, holding the motor level. The motor-supporting tubular members are limitedto the area between the lines '148 and 149 of FIG. 19, and the float-and-body members to the area between the

lines

150 and 151.. Toward and in the neighborhood of these

lines

150 and 151 the float-andbody members optionally may become successively of smaller diameter, reducing their heightandfriction at their projections at these lines.

FIG. 17 illustrates the manner in which tubular elements of FIG. 16 or FIG. 28 optionally and preferablyare continued from the plane 150 to the bow and from the plane 151 to the stern of the vehicle, thus arcuately and smoothly streamlining the cabins lower deckand top from end to end. At each cabin-end portion the tubular elements 152 are single, flat-ended tubes of the general type of FIG. 8, epoxy-bonded to the load+ holding central box. From the foremost and rearmost ones of the structural parts 98' and 100' these deck and vehicle-top elements 152 are successively shortened toward an end of the cabin, and their flattened ends 152 are successively nearer to the vertical center plane of the vehicle. And, as indicated in FIG. 17, the cabins sidewalls also are streamlined in their bow and stem portions, with termination of the outer tubular members 98 at each of the rounded corners, and continuation of the streamlining tubular members 97 to each end portion of the vehicle.

Within the scope of the invention various changes of the disclosed specific structure may be made. For example, wheel supports may replace part or all the plastic of the part 102 and wheels connected to these supports, with optional shortening of the tubular-member parts 81 and In summation: the vehicular-body in each of the forms illustrated inFIGS. 4 to 7 and 19 to 28 preferably comprises: strong wall-bracing means (53 and/or 23 to 26in FIG. 4; 111, 113, 124 or 126 in FIGS. 19 to 25; 92 and 93 to 96 in FIGS. 16, 17 and 28); and elongated, inflated tubular members on the outside of the wallbracing means, most of these tubular members comprising, in each member, tubular links that are integrally joined by wider, at-leastin-part tube-flattened portions; and means at wider, flatter portions of each tubular member for attaching it to the wall-bracing means.

In the claims, unless otherwise qualified: the term gaseous material signifies: any gas, gaseous mixture,

cross section; looped means: barrel-like hoops,

wires, rings or bands or wire fabric; barrel-curved": exteriorly curved both in planes thru the longitudinal axis of the structure referred to and in planes perpendicular to that axis; stave-like panels: exteriorly barrel-curved-staves or stave-like elements, relatively narrow, like barrel staves, or in relatively wide gores; and the word .boat signifies a vehicle that traverses water and/or flies in the air.

I claim: 1. A vehicle, having a load-holding body that comprises:

internal, vehicle-strength-providing, loadsupporting structure; shock-taking cabin-wall structure on the outside of and connected to said load-supporting structure;

and flexible, waterproof skin means covering said shocktaking and load-supporting structures; the said shock-taking structure including a plurality of juxtaposed, elongated, inflated, bendable tubular members, comprising metal, and gaseous mate rial in each of said tubular members'under a .pressure above that of the atmosphere; each of the said members comprising a pair of sealed, substantially flat ends and between said ends a plurality of inflated,,curved, end-joined, integral links; each adjacent pair of said links including: two inflated, arcuate-imcross-section mid-linkportions, comprising thinsolid metal thathas a thickness of at least two mils and is impermeable to gas; a joint between the mid-link portions of said pair,

having a cross-sectional area less than the maximum cross-sectional area of each of said mid-link portions and a width that is greater than any linear cross-sectional dimension of said mid-link portions, comprising solid metal that has a thickness of at least two mils and is integral with metal of said midlink portions; and means holdingsaid joint against inflationary expansion of its saidcross-secu'onal area.

2. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which the said metal of the tubular members is ductile, capable of a multiplicity of bendings without fracture.

3. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, in which each of said tubular members comprises a memberstrengthening casing of fabric and an inner hermetically sealed lining of said casing comprising said ductile metal.

4. A vehicle as set forth in claim 3, in which pressure of inflation of the gaseous material is at least pounds per square inch.

5. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, in which said ductile metal is lead.

6. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, in which said ductile metal is copper.

7. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, in which said ductile metal is substantially pure aluminum.

8. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said metal of the tubular members is thin, resilient steel.

9. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which: said gaseous material comprises fluent gas; and the said joint has passage thru it from one of said mid-link portions to the other mid-link portion of each of said adjacent pairs of links, permitting communication of gas between said links.

10. A vehicle as set forth in claim 9, in which the said means holding said joint against inflationary expansion comprises rod-like means, forcibly holding opposite portions of the tubular-member material of said joint toward each other against outward force of said gaseous material.

11. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said load-supporting structure comprises a plurality of ribs.

12. A vehicle as set forth in claim 11, in which each of said ribs comprises four tubular parts, rigidly connected to each other.

13. A vehicle as set forth in claim 11, in which the said means holding each said joint against inflationary expansion comprises bolted means, fastening said joint to one of said ribs, and forcibly holding a vehicularly outer portion of the tubular material of said joint toward the rib.

14. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which the said means holding each said joint against inflationary expansion includes welding of the said metal of the joint.

15. A vehicle as set forth in claim 14, in which: said gaseous material comprises fluent gas; and said welding comprises at least three linear bits of seam welding, with spaces between them, permitting flow of gas between mid-link portions.

16. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which: the said vehicle is a boat; the said load-supporting structure comprises a container; said tubular members sheathe a major portion of said container; said boat includes float means; and said tubular members comprise some links that are juxtaposedto said container and other links that form strength-providing parts of said float means.

17. A boat as set forth in claim 16, further comprising: motor-supporting means above said container, the said motor-supporting means including some of said links; a motor force-transmittingly connected to said motor-supporting means; and propulsive means operated by said motor.

18. A boat as set forth in claim 16, comprising balloon means in an upper portion of said container, facilitating stabilizing of the boat against rolling and pitching motions.

19. A vehicle, having a load-holding body that comprises:

internal, vehicle-strength-providing, load-supporting structure;

shock-taking cabin-wall structure exterior of and connected to said load-supporting structure; and

flexible, waterproof skin means covering said shocktaking and load-supporting structures;

the said shock-taking structure including a plurality of juxtaposed, elongated, bendable tubular members, comprising dense, flexible material that is substantially impermeable to gas and may be flexed a multiplicity of times without fracture, and has a thickness of at least two mils, and gaseous material under a pressure above that of the atmosphere; each of the said members comprising a pair of sealed, substantially flat ends and between said ends a plurality of inflated, curved, end-joined, integral links; each adjacent pair of said links includmg:

two inflated, arcuate-in-cross-section mid-link portions, comprising mid-link parts of said dense material;

a joint between the mid-link portions of said pair,

having a cross-sectional area less than the maximum cross-sectional area of each of said mid-link portions and a width that is greater than any linear cross-sectional dimension of said mid-link portions, including a joint part of said dense material; and

means holding said joint against inflationary expansion of said cross-sectional area, including tubecompressing means, comprising at least one rodlike element that extends inward from an outer portion of said joint toward the interior of the vehicle, for holding said outer portion inward toward an inner portion of the joint.

20. A vehicle as set forth in claim 19, including a barlike inner piece of strength-providing material, bearing against said inner joint portion, in which said tubecompressing means includes: a pair of rod-like elements that flank the sides of said joint; and means fastening end portions of said rod-like elements to said bar-like piece.

21. A vehicle as set forth in claim 20, inwhich the said tube-compressing means includes a U-shaped member, comprising said rod-like elements and a barlike outer piece of strength-providing material that is integral with the rod-like elements and bears against said outer joint portion. 1

22. A vehicle as set forth in claim 20, in which said bar-like inner piece includes: a. band of strengthproviding material, having a plurality of apertures; and each pair of said rod-like elements extend thru two of said apertures.

23. A vehicle as set forth in claim 20, in which: said tube-compressing means includes a bar-like outer piece of strength-providing material; said outer and inner bar-like pieces are substantially parallel and have a plurality of substantially aligned holes; and each of said rod-like elements extends thru an aligned pair of said holes. I

24. A vehicle as set forth in claim 23, in which said outer and inner bar-like pieces include metallic bands.

25. A vehicle as set forth in claim 19, in which said internal load-supporting structure includes a container, comprising an inner-wall part and inner-wallreinforcing means of strength-providing material.

26. A vehicle as set forth in claim 25, in which said inner-wall-reinforcing means includes sheathing of means, tightly holding each adjacent pair of said sides against each other.

29. A vehicle as set forth in claim 28, in which said looped means includes metallic barrel-hoop-like bands.

30. A device as set forth in claim 28, in which said vehicle is a boat and has float means including stiffly resilient links of said tubular members and gaseous material in said stiffly resilient links under a pressure of at least 5 pounds per square inch.

Claims

1. A vehicle, having a load-holding body that comprises: internal, vehicle-strength-providing, load-supporting structure; shock-taking cabin-wall structure on the outside of and connected to said load-supporting structure; and flexible, waterproof skin means covering said shock-taking and load-supporting structures; the said shock-taking structure including a plurality of juxtaposed, elongated, inflated, bendable tubular members, comprising metal, and gaseous material in each of said tubular members under a pressure above that of the atmosphere; each of the said members comprising a pair of sealed, substantially flat ends and between said ends a plurality of inflated, curved, end-joined, integral links; each adjacent pair of said links including: two inflated, arcuate-in-cross-section mid-link portions, comprising thin solid metal that has a thickness of at least two mils and is impermeable to gas; a joint between the mid-link portions of said pair, having a cross-sectional area less than the maximum cross-sectional area of each of said mid-link portions and a width that is greater than any linear cross-sectional dimension of said mid-link portions, comprising solid metal that has a thickness of at least two mils and is integral with metal of said mid-link portions; and means holding said joint against inflationary expansion of its said cross-sectional area.

3. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, in which each of said tubular members comprises a member-strengthening casing of fabric and an inner hermetically sealed lining of said casing comprising said ductile metal.

4. A vehicle as set forth in claim 3, in which pressure of inflation of the gaseous material is at least 5 pounds per square inch.

5. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, in which said ductile metal is lead.

6. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, in which said ductile metal is copper.

16. A device as set forth in claim 1, in which: the said vehicle is a boat; the said load-supporting structure comprises a container; said tubular members sheathe a major portion of said container; said boat includes float means; and said tubular members comprise some links that are juxtaposed to said container and other links that form strength-providing parts of said float means.

19. A vehicle, having a load-holding body that comprises: internal, vehicle-strength-providing, load-supporting structure; shock-taking cabin-wall structure exterior of and connected to said load-supporting structure; and flexible, waterproof skin means covering said shock-taking and load-supporting structures; the said shock-taking structure including a plurality of juxtaposed, elongated, bendable tubular members, comprising dense, flexible material that is substantially impermeable to gas and may be flexed a multiplicity of times without fracture, and has a thickness of at least two mils, and gaseous material under a pressure above that of the atmosphere; each of the said members comprising a pair of sealed, substantially flat ends and between said ends a plurality of inflated, curved, end-joined, integral links; each adjacent pair of said links including: two inflated, arcuate-in-cross-section mid-link portions, comprising mid-link parts of said dense material; a joint between the mid-link portions of said pair, having a cross-sectional area less than the maximum cross-sectional area of each of said mid-link portions and a width that is greater than any linear cross-sectional dimension of said mid-link portions, including a joint part of said dense material; and means holding said joint against inflationary expansion of said cross-sectional area, including tube-compressing means, comprising at least one rod-like element that extends inward from an outer portion of said joint toward the interior of the vehicle, for holding said outer portion inward toward an inner portion of the joint.

20. A vehicle as set forth in claim 19, including a bar-like inner piece of strength-providing material, bearing against said inner joint portion, in which said tube-compressing means includes: a pair of rod-like elements that flank the sides of said joint; and means fastening end portions of said rod-like elements to said bar-like piece.

21. A vehicle as set forth in claim 20, inwhich the said tube-compressing means includes a U-shaped member, comprising said rod-like elementS and a bar-like outer piece of strength-providing material that is integral with the rod-like elements and bears against said outer joint portion.

22. A vehicle as set forth in claim 20, in which said bar-like inner piece includes: a band of strength-providing material, having a plurality of apertures; and each pair of said rod-like elements extend thru two of said apertures.

23. A vehicle as set forth in claim 20, in which: said tube-compressing means includes a bar-like outer piece of strength-providing material; said outer and inner bar-like pieces are substantially parallel and have a plurality of substantially aligned holes; and each of said rod-like elements extends thru an aligned pair of said holes.

25. A vehicle as set forth in claim 19, in which said internal load-supporting structure includes a container, comprising an inner-wall part and inner-wall-reinforcing means of strength-providing material.

26. A vehicle as set forth in claim 25, in which said inner-wall-reinforcing means includes sheathing of strength-providing material and bonding material between said sheathing and inner-wall part.

27. A vehicle as set forth in claim 25, in which said inner-wall part is barrel-curved and comprises barrel-curved, stave-like panels, each having an exteriorly arcuate surface and substantially planar sides that slant toward each other from said exterior surface toward the interior of said container.

28. A vehicle as set forth in claim 27, in which said inner-wall-reinforcing means comprises arcuate looped means, tightly holding each adjacent pair of said sides against each other.