Insitu, Inc.

Other

The Insitu Group, Inc.

Clifford Jackson

Brian Theodore McGeer

Peter J Kunz

Craig Aram Thomasian

Andreas Hubertus Von Flotow

Brian D Dennis

Cory Roeseler

Brian T Mcgeer

Capture devices for unmanned aerial vehicles, including track borne capture lines, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. An example system includes a support having an upright portion and a boom portion. The example system further includes a capture line carried by and extending downwardly relative to the boom portion. The capture line has an engagement portion positioned to engage an unmanned aircraft. The example system further includes a flexible landing device positioned to receive the unmanned aircraft in response to the unmanned aircraft engaging the engagement portion.

Capture devices for unmanned aerial vehicles, including track-borne capture lines, and associated systems and methods

Capture devices for unmanned aerial vehicles, including track borne capture lines, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A representative system includes at least one support having an upright portion and at least one boom portion, a carriage track carried by the at least one boom portion, and a carriage carried by, and movable along, the carriage track. The system can further include a capture line carried by and extending downwardly from the at least one boom portion, or the carriage, or both the at least one boom portion and the carriage.

Capture devices for unmanned aerial, vehicles, including track-borne capture lines, and associated systems and methods

Adjustable servomechanism assemblies and associated systems and methods. An unmanned aircraft system in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure includes a movable mechanism and a servomechanism assembly operably coupled to the movable mechanism. The system also includes an interface assembly operably coupled to an output shaft of the servo and the movable mechanism. The interface assembly includes an adapter portion carried by the output shaft and an output arm releasably engaged with the adapter portion. The adapter portion includes a first aperture having a non-round surface mated with a non-round surface of the output shaft, and a non-splined, engagement surface. The output arm includes a second aperture sized to receive at least a portion of the outer surface of the adapter portion. The second aperture includes a generally smooth inner surface in contact with and rotatable through 360 degrees relative to the engagement surface of the adapter portion.

Adjustable servomechanism assemblies and associated systems and methods

Adjustable servomechanism assemblies and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. An unmanned aircraft system in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure includes a movable mechanism and a servomechanism assembly operably coupled to the movable mechanism. The system also includes an interface assembly operably coupled to an output shaft of the servo and the movable mechanism. The interface assembly includes an adapter portion carried by the output shaft and an output arm releasably engaged with the adapter portion. The adapter portion includes a first aperture having a non-round surface mated with a non-round surface of the output shaft, and a generally smooth, non-splined, engagement surface. The output arm includes a second aperture sized to receive at least a portion of the outer surface of the adapter portion. The second aperture includes generally smooth inner surface in contact with and rotatable through 360 degrees relative to the engagement surface of the adapter portion.

Systems and methods for capturing and controlling post-recovery motion of an unmanned aircraft are disclosed herein. An aircraft system in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, for example, can include a line capture assembly carried by an unmanned aircraft having a fuselage and a lifting surface. The line capture assembly can include a flexible support line having a first portion attached to an attachment point on the fuselage and a second portion extending from the attachment point spanwise along the lifting surface of the aircraft. The line capture assembly can also include an engagement device coupled to the second portion of the support line. The engagement device is releasably secured to the lifting surface.

Systems and methods for capturing and controlling post-recovery motion of unmanned aircraft

Methods and apparatuses for supporting aircraft components, including actuators are disclosed. An apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes an actuator housing having an actuator receptacle that securely yet releasably receives an actuator. The actuator receptacle can include conformal walls that conform at least in part to the shape of the actuator and can accordingly squeeze the actuator and properly align the actuator. At least one of the actuator walls can further include a projection that is releasably received in a corresponding recess of the actuator. One of both of these features can releasably secure the actuator relative to the aircraft, reducing and/or eliminating the likelihood that the actuator will be misaligned and/or mispositioned relative to the aircraft during installation and/or replacement.

Method and apparatus for supporting aircraft components, including actuators

Methods and apparatuses for capturing, recovering, disassembling, and storing unmanned aircraft and other flight devices or projectiles are described. In one embodiment, the boom can be extended to deploy a recovery line to capture the aircraft in flight, a process that can be aided by a line capture device having retainers in accordance with further aspects of the invention. The aircraft can then be returned to its launch platform, disassembled, and stored, again with little or no direct manual contact between the operator and the aircraft, for example, by capturing a first wing of the aircraft and securing a second wing before releasing the first.

Methods and apparatuses for capturing and storing unmanned aircraft, including methods and apparatuses for securing the aircraft after capture

Methods and apparatuses for capturing and recovering unmanned aircraft and other flight devices or projectiles are described. In one embodiment, the aircraft can be captured at an extendable boom. The boom can be extended to deploy a recovery line to retrieve the aircraft in flight. The boom can be retracted when not in use to reduce the volume it occupies. A tension device coupled to the recovery line can absorb forces associated with the impact of the aircraft and the recovery line.

Methods and apparatuses for capturing and recovering unmanned aircraft, including extendable capture devices

A method and apparatus for retrieving an aircraft in a confined space involves hanging a cable, for example from a kite or mast, across the aircraft's flight path. The aircraft approaches the cable in steady forward flight, and may strike the cable at any point on the wing, fuselage, or other leading surface. The cable then slides along the airframe as the aircraft moves forward, until it is intercepted by a hook attached to the wing tip or other convenient location. The hook captures the cable, and prevents further sliding; the cable then pulls the aircraft to a stop. Compliance of the cable, optionally combined with compliance of the cable suspension, provides acceptably gradual deceleration. The aircraft is left suspended in mid-air, and is then winched or slid to the base of the cable or other convenient retrieval point. The cable suspension and other fixed objects can be kept well clear of the flight path, so that the aircraft can continue safely in the event that it misses the cable, and make another approach.

Method for retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft without a runway

A fiber-free cutting device for use in hydraulic conveyance vegetable cutting machines is disclosed. The cutting device utilizes cantilevered knife baldes which are attached at one end to a base support around a central open area such that the knife blades project at an angle away from the base support into an area downstream from the central open area. The cantilevered blades have a free end which overlaps the free end of an opposed knife blade such that fibers which may usually obstruct a blade are free to move along the blade to be discharged at the free end of the blade. Opposed blades are aligned so that a vegetable entering the fiber-free cutting device sees an apparent continuous cutting edge.

Fiber-free knife for hydraulic vegetable cutting system

A gem faceting kit is disclosed which includes a portable carrying case that may be opened to a use position in which it constitutes a utility rack from which other items of the kit may be retrieved and conveniently used. The gem faceting kit includes a gem faceting machine that has a storage and a use position. Also included in the kit are various lap wheels, grinding compounds, a rinse dispenser, a catch basin, a lamp, a visor, and various other tools, chemicals, and compounds used in gem faceting. The entire kit is lightweight and portable.

Growing community of inventors

White Salmon, WA, United States of America

Clifford Jackson