The Boeing Company

Eldon C Rogers

Timothy Leroy Williams

Dennis Yee

Daniel Joseph Perron

Darrell M Storvick

D'Arcy R Chadwick

William John Sweet

Charles G Bloch

A method for fabrication of a non-pneumatic tire and wheel assembly incorporates a tire tread and a conventional vehicle wheel with an elastomer tire body element formed by introducing elastomer into mold elements with a center plug and releasably carried chamber forms to provide integral wall elements extending radially inward from the tire body element for sealing engagement with the wheel. The tire body element includes multiple concentric layers with alternating spokes formed with strut and aperture dimensions in the mold elements and mating rubber cast blocks adapted for the desired spoke design. After curing, the tire assembly is mounted on the conventional wheel with conventional mounting tools to deform the integral side walls and a pneumatic chamber formed by the side walls is inflated.

Method for fabrication of a non-pneumatic survivable tire and wheel assembly

A non-pneumatic tire and wheel assembly is fabricated by forming inner and outer mold elements having apertures to receive casting blocks. A tread having an inner wall is prepared for casting and fill apertures are machined in a rim of a metal wheel. The tread, the outer mold element, the wheel, the inner mold element and the rubber casting blocks are assembled and an elastomer is introduced into the mold assembly through fill tubes inserted in the fill apertures of the wheel. The elastomer is allowed to cure at room temperature to form a tire body element and the rubber casting blocks and inner and outer mold elements are disassembled. A post-cure of the disassembled tire body element is accomplished at a high temperature.

Systems and methods described herein provide for the protection of personnel within vehicles and structures from handheld grenades and other threats. According to one aspect of the disclosure provided herein, a countermeasure system includes an expandable countermeasure having a flexible body with a number of weighted projectiles attached around a perimeter of the body. A threat detection and launch control system detects incoming threats and, in response, triggers a launch of the expandable countermeasure from the launcher to intercept and neutralize the threat.

Expanding countermeasure and launcher system

A non-pneumatic tire and wheel assembly incorporates a tire tread and a conventional vehicle wheel with an elastomer tire body element and integral wall elements extending radially inward from the tire body element for sealing engagement with the wheel. The tire body element includes multiple concentric layers with alternating spokes. A bonded multilayer cover may be employed which is received within a recess in an outer surface of the tire body element from the tire tread. An attachment plate is engaged to the cover and attached to the wheel.

Non-pneumatic survivable tire mounting system for conventional wheels

A non-pneumatic tire and wheel assembly incorporates a tire tread and a conventional vehicle wheel with an elastomer tire body element molded for engagement intermediate the tread and wheel. The tire body element includes multiple concentric layers with alternating spokes. A bonded multilayer cover may be employed which is received within a recess in an outer surface of the tire body element from the tire tread. A mounting plate is engaged to the cover and attached to the wheel.

Non-pneumatic survivable tire, cover and fabrication processes

A calibration system for an infrared imaging system includes an infrared sensor having a sensor model for imaging a target having a target spectral signature. The infrared imaging system includes an atmospheric model having atmospheric spectral values. The calibration system comprises a blackbody calibration source having a calibration source spectral signature and a computer for receiving the sensor model, the target spectral signature, the calibration source spectral signature and the atmospheric spectral values. The computer predicts a target spectral signature propagation at the infrared sensor and matches the target spectral signature propagation with the calibration source spectral signature propagation to determine a blackbody calibration source temperature for radiometric calibration of the infrared sensor.

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Auburn, WA, United States of America

Eldon C Rogers