USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Chris Doyle

Felipe A Garcia

Robert Woodall

Steven F Naud

Greg Reitmeyer

Scott Chandler

A torque nut assembly includes a multiple-piece nut body and a ring-shaped compression assembly. The compression assembly circumferentially engages the nut body to capture its multiple pieces therein. The compression assembly can position the nut body to define a threaded axial passage or to allow radial expansion of the multiple pieces such that the threaded axial passage is segmented in correspondence with the nut body's multiple pieces. At least one structure is provided to lock the compression assembly when the threaded axial passage is defined.

Torque nut assembly

A lightweight combat helmet has a rigid helmet shell with first and second flexible and fluid impermeable receptacles nested within the helmet shell. The first receptacle is filled with structures and substances that alter a trajectory of an incoming projectile. When filled, the second receptacle conforms to a wearer's head.

Lightweight combat helmet

A tow-bar adapter for towing a loaded trailer behind a combat vehicle permits opening of a rear ramp door on the vehicle and supporting the open door on the adapter as the vehicle proceeds forward. Longitudinal legs each have first ends provided with a lateral bore axially aligned with each other. Pins extend through each lateral bore and through bosses mounted on the vehicle, allowing rotational movement of the legs about the pins. Cross members extend between and are connected to the legs and a caster assembly is connected to the cross members to provide vertical support for the tow-bar adapter and any carried load. A towing pintle on a cross member connects to a trailer, and the caster assembly rotates about a vertical axis to allow the tow-bar adapter to slew and follow along behind the vehicle as it turns.

Frame tow-bar adapter

A system and method for imaging underbodies of moving vehicles have a stationary source of radiation to radiate energy upwardly on underbodies of moving vehicles. A stationary video camera adjacent the radiation source on a roadway has an upwardly facing field of view for creating image signals representative of sequential portions of each underbody as each moving vehicle passes overhead. A control station activates the camera and radiation source to create the image signals and creates mosaic signals of all of each underbody from the image signals. A display screen provides a mosaic image of each underbody from its mosaic signals. A virtually real-time inspection or a comparison can be made with previously taken underbody images of the same moving vehicle or with vehicle manufacturers' data for the same vehicular models. Moving cars, trucks, marine vessels, aircraft, can be quickly imaged for inspection and/or comparison by fewer security personnel.

Vehicle underbody imaging system

A tandem track system and method provides for safe withdrawal of a tracked vehicle if either of the main tracks becomes separated. The tracked vehicle has a main track longitudinally extending in a closed endless main loop on opposite sides and engaging a separate main drive sprocket assembly, extending under roadwheels to a main drive idler wheel, and back to the main drive-sprocket assembly in the main loop. The tandem drive system has a secondary track engaging each main drive-sprocket assembly and extending forward along the track vehicle from each main drive-sprocket assembly under only an aft-most fractional portion of the roadwheels. The secondary track is configured as a closed endless secondary loop inside of the main loop of each main track whereby each secondary track can transfer rotary power to move the tracked vehicle to safety.

Tandem drive for tracked vehicles

A fuel depot and method autonomously and clandestinely provide fuel for transiting ships. An elongate streamlined flexible bladder member has flexible hull walls and divider walls separated by uniform spaces to form fuel compartments having a fuel valve and fuel pump. The bladder member can transit submerged to a remote destination. A fuel and water tight composition in and along the spaces prevent fuel and water leaks to ambient water and between the compartments. A submersible propulsion system has propulsive machinery and steering gear for towing the bladder member. A command/control system on the submersible propulsion system generated and couples driving signals to the propulsion system to tow and steer the bladder member to the remote destination using the preprogrammed computer, inertial navigation system (INS), global positioning system (GPS), and RF transceiver of the command/control system.

Instride inflatable autonomous fuel depot

A safety and arming device has first and second portions of an explosive train fixably supported in a housing. A third portion of the explosive train is fixable in a first position such that the first and second portions remain operably separated from one another, and is further movable to a second position such that the first and second portions are operably coupled to one another via the third portion. An integrated water sensor/actuator is coupled to the third portion to provide the motive force that moves the third portion to its second position. The water sensor/actuator is based on a fibrous cellulosic material having anisotropic moisture-absorbing properties such that dried-in strain of the cellulosic material is greatest along one axis thereof. In the invention, a plug of the dry and compressed fibrous cellulosic material has a powder material coated thereon and mixed therewith. The plug is compressed along its axis of greatest dried-in strain and is fitted in a portion of a water-permeable housing adjacent one end thereof. The powder material initiates a chemical reaction when exposed to water to insure the plug's expansion and corresponding movement of the piston which, in turn, moves the third portion to the second position.

Safety and arming device using cellulose-based sensor/actuator

Munitions are dropped from military aircraft to quickly combat large area fires within vast threatened regions. Each munition has a shell-shaped case having a chamber containing an air-bag power module and fire retardant. A lid closes one end of the chamber, and switches on the case provide signals for the air-bag power module to suddenly forcefully displace the lid from the chamber by the air-bag module and suddenly forcefully eject the fire retardant from the chamber and out of the case by the air-bag module. Munitions containing fire retardant can be targeted accurately at single hot spots, isolated structures, and along fire lines or can be quickly and accurately dropped to create a protected zone behind an area that has been made not to burn by munitions to protect fire fighters trapped in the path of runaway fires. Munitions are deployed from aircraft by military crewmen without requiring additional training.

Growing community of inventors

Panama City Beach, FL, United States of America

Chris Doyle