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A wind-powered, fluid cushioned platform adapted to float on a body of liquid. The platform includes a deck having upper and lower surfaces and a lower peripheral member extending around the outer perimeter of the deck. A pump having a pump outlet is supported by the deck. A fill pipe has a first en

A wind-powered, fluid cushioned platform adapted to float on a body of liquid. The platform includes a deck having upper and lower surfaces and a lower peripheral member extending around the outer perimeter of the deck. A pump having a pump outlet is supported by the deck. A fill pipe has a first end connected to the pump outlet and a second end in communication with the lower surface of the deck. The pump is adapted to pump a fluid through the fill pipe to a blow tank formed beneath the deck between the surface of the liquid and the deck within the area circumscribed by the lower peripheral member. A plurality of vanes and/or sails are preferably coupled to the deck to catch the wind and use the power of the wind to rotate the floating platform. In one embodiment, apparatus is provided for the purpose of generating electricity as the platform rotates.

대표청구항 ▼

I claim: 1. A wind-powered, air cushioned, rotatable platform for floating on a body of liquid, the platform comprising: a deck having an upper surface, a lower surface and a rigid lower hull extending around an outer perimeter of said deck and below said lower surface, said rigid lower hull compri

I claim: 1. A wind-powered, air cushioned, rotatable platform for floating on a body of liquid, the platform comprising: a deck having an upper surface, a lower surface and a rigid lower hull extending around an outer perimeter of said deck and below said lower surface, said rigid lower hull comprising a watertight buoyant chamber and defining a hull footprint circumscribing a circular area, a blow tank being defined by a space between said deck lower surface and said circular area circumscribed by said hull footprint at the surface of the body of liquid, wherein a substantial portion of said blow tank is spaced laterally from said watertight buoyant chamber; an air pump supported by said deck and having a pump outlet; a fill pipe having a first end connected to said pump outlet and a second end in communication with said lower surface of said deck; wherein said air pump is adapted to pump air through said fill pipe to said blow tank; and a plurality of vanes coupled to said deck designed and arranged to catch the wind and harness the power of the wind to rotate the floating platform. 2. The platform of claim 1, wherein said fill pipe is the only passageway for air to pass through said deck. 3. The platform of claim 1, wherein said fill pipe is the only passageway through said deck from said deck upper surface to said blow tank. 4. The platform of claim 3, wherein said blow tank has a volume which is adapted to vary with changes in air pressure within said blow tank. 5. The platform of claim 1, wherein said deck is circular and said blow tank has a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of said circular deck. 6. A wind-powered, fluid cushioned, rotatable platform for floating on a body of liquid, the platform comprising: a deck having a continuous upper surface defining a circle having a center point and a radius, a lower surface and a rigid lower peripheral member extending around an outer perimeter of said deck, said rigid lower peripheral member defining a buoyant chamber providing positive buoyancy to said deck, said rigid lower peripheral member forming a circular footprint in the body of liquid to minimize the drag force when rotating the rotatable platform; a pump supported by said deck and having a pump outlet; a fill pipe having a first end connected to said pump outlet and a second end in communication with said lower surface of said deck; wherein said pump is adapted to pump a fluid through said fill pipe to a blow tank formed beneath said deck between the surface of the liquid and said deck lower surface within the area circumscribed by said rigid lower peripheral member, a substantial portion of said blow tank being spaced laterally from said buoyant chamber; a plurality of sail and mast assemblies coupled to the deck designed and arranged to catch the wind and harness the power of the wind to rotate the floating platform. 7. The platform of claim 6, wherein said fill pipe is the only passageway through said deck from said deck upper surface to said blow tank. 8. The platform of claim 7, wherein said blow tank has a volume which is adapted to vary with changes in fluid pressure within said blow tank. 9. The platform of claim 6, wherein said blow tank has a radius substantially the same as said radius of said circular deck. 10. A method of rotating a floating platform on a body of liquid, the floating platform having a generally horizontal, circular deck having a continuous upper surface defining a circle having a center point and a radius, a deck lower surface and a downwardly extending peripheral rigid, buoyant hull member extending below the deck lower surface, the method comprising the steps of: floating the platform on the downwardly extending peripheral rigid, buoyant hull member in a first buoyant platform position in the body of liquid, the first buoyant platform position having a first wetted hull surface area; forming a blow tank beneath the deck between the surface of the liquid and the deck lower surface within a circular hull footprint defined by the area circumscribed by the peripheral rigid, buoyant hull member, a substantial portion of said blow tank being spaced laterally from said buoyant hull member, said circular hull footprint facilitating rotation of the floating platform; pumping a fluid into the blow tank to manipulate the floating platform to a second buoyant platform position, the second buoyant platform position having a second wetted hull surface area that is less than the first wetted hull surface area; providing a plurality of wind-catching assemblies on the deck; and harnessing the wind via the wind-catching assemblies to effectuate rotation of the floating platform. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the blow tank has a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the circular deck. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein said fluid pumping step increases the buoyancy of the floating platform. 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of rotating the floating platform while in the second buoyant platform position, with the second wetted hull surface area and the circular hull footprint of the rigid, buoyant hull member producing minimal resistance to rotation.