Thiokol Corporation

Cordant Technologies Inc.

George A Berkley

Mark J Warner

James R Thurston

This pressurized-gas storage assembly includes a pressure vessel having a gas storage chamber and access opening, a polar boss extending through the access opening, a plastic liner lining the gas storage chamber, and a fitting body. The plastic liner includes a nipple portion that extends into the polar boss, terminates at an annular rim, and has a screw-threaded radially inner surface region. The fitting body includes a head portion, an extension longitudinally extending from an end of the head portion and having a screw-threaded radially outer surface region, and an annular shoulder. The annular shoulder has an annular recess formed therein, with a compressible O-ring being accommodated within the annular recess. By inserting the extension through the access opening and positioning the screw-threaded radially outer surface region of the extension into mechanical engagement with the screw-threaded radially inner surface region of the nipple portion, the O-ring is compressed between the annular shoulder of the fitting body and the annular rim of the liner. As a consequence, the O-ring is compressed and a hermetic seal is established between the inner liner and the fitting body, thereby preventing escape of stored compressed gas through the access opening.

Closure assembly for lined tanks, and vehicles equipped with the same

A manually rotatable cylindrical valve member forms a physical barrier in a 'safe' position between a firing pin-primer charge and pyrotechnic flare ignition material. The valving member has a passage through it that, in the 'armed' position, is in alignment with the firing pin-primer charge and the flare ignition material. An axial force on the valving member along with a rotational force is required for adjustment between the safe and armed positions and vice versa. Gas venting of the primer, upon accidental or inadvertent firing of the primer, prevents flare ignition when the valving member is in the safe position.

Flare manual safety device

The lanyard that is pulled by a parachute to ignite a flare is cut and a safety coupling inserted. One end of the lanyard is fastened to a small housing that holds a shear pin and a much heavier, acceleration-actuated pin. The other end of the lanyard forms a loop that encompasses both pins. If the lanyard is pulled at low accelerations, the shear pin is broken and the lanyard separates. At high accelerations, however, the acceleration-actuated pin is inserted into the lanyard loop, by force of the acceleration, and prevents separation of the lanyard.

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Brigham City, UT, United States of America

George A Berkley