Other

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Hdt Expeditionary Systems, Inc.

Vertigo, Inc.

Pacific Aeromotive Corporation

Glen J Brown

Garrett C Sharpless

Richard John Benney

John Curlett

Roy Haggard

A reinforced inflatable structure includes an inflatable member having a longitudinal axis. The member includes a bladder and a braided restraint layer mounted to the bladder. A plurality of spaced supports is mounted on the member and extends outwardly therefrom. A plurality of spaced bracing cables are connected at each end to a respective one of the plurality of supports. The cables are oriented generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the member and are held at a generally fixed distance from the member by the supports. The inflatable member tensions the bracing cables rendering them capable of resisting bending.

Externally braced inflatable structures

An inflatable structure is augmented with transverse frames and bracing cables to make a truss-like structure. This feature is adaptable for adding strength to a plain inflatable structure and to an inflatable structure forming a structural arch. It can also be incorporated into an inflatable wing.

A soft landing assembly for a parachute includes an altitude sensor mounted on the parachute and a control assembly mounted on the parachute for activating parachute landing velocity affectors at preselected altitudes detected by the altitude sensor. A first of the parachute landing velocity affectors is an automatic riser slip actuator for providing a riser slip, and thereby horizontal velocity reduction at an optimum time and in an optimum direction. A second of the parachute landing velocity affectors is an automatic pneumatic muscle retraction actuator for providing vertical retraction of a parachutist, and thereby vertical velocity reduction of the parachutist, at an optimum time prior to impact with ground.

Soft landing assembly for a parachute

A parachute assembly includes a canopy central panel of square configuration, a rectangular canopy outboard arm fixed to each side edge of the canopy central panel and extendible outwardly therefrom to form a cross configuration, each of the canopy outboard arms having two outboard corners. A suspension line is fixed to each of the outboard corners, the suspension lines being of equal length for initial deployment of the parachute assembly. A first suspension line fixed to a canopy first outboard arm at a corner thereof is extendible to cause a spinning motion and increased rate of descent of the parachute. A second suspension line fixed to a canopy second outboard arm at a corner thereof closer to the first suspension line is extendible to influence the spinning motion, rate of descent, and horizontal velocity and direction.

Parachute assembly

A parachute has its suspension lines divided into groups, each group connected to the load through a linear actuator. During descent of the parachute, foreshortening of an actuator or of any group of adjacent actuators causes the parachute trajectory to move in the direction of the foreshortened actuator. Multiple parachutes connected to a single load, with each parachute being connected to the load through an actuator, can similarly have their trajectory controlled. The trajectory of the parachute can also be changed by a system of normally foreshortened actuators which lengthen by actuation. Simultaneous, rapid shortening of all actuators just before ground impact can be used to reduce the descent velocity at ground impact.

Parachute trajectory control

An air beam made up of a cylindrical braid and lined with a gas-retaining bladder is improved in its resistance to wrinkling or buckling by incorporating linear bundles of fibers extending parallel to the axis of the cylindrical braid within the cylindrical weave and spaced around the circumference of the cylindrical weave. Another implementation is used when the required strength of the axial bundles implies that they will not fit within the braid, in which case, the bundles are made up into external straps retention means is a coating applied to the braided fibers.

Braided airbeam structure

An inflated tube for use as a structual element has the distinction of using spiralling, high strength ribbons mounted on a fabric skin containing a bladder. Ribbons are also mounted on the outside of the skin parallel to the axis of the tube to reinforce the tube against bending forces. The use of ribbons provides a less expensive structural element than that made of woven fibers. The application is for only moderate loads and moderate spans compared to the those made of woven fibers.

Reinforced fabric inflatable tube

This invention pertains to the maintenance of pressure within a vehicle wheel tire to a pre-set level with the air supply being produced by a pump which is driven by centrifugal force, i.e., the wheel rotation creates a centrifugal force which activates a weight to move a piston which pumps the tire inlet air. The pump can be mounted outside or inside the tire volume. Another pump uses the impetus from bumps encountered by the wheel to drive the pump.

Wheel-mounted tire inflator

A curved, inflated, tubular beam consists of braided fibers and axial fibers on an elastomeric barrier. The construction can be accomplished on a short, straight mandrel. The curvature along the beam can be varied to suit the design needs. The angle of the braid in the bias fibers determines the inflated curvature when axial fibers situated within the braid along the inside of the curvature constrain the elongation on the inside of the curvature. The curved shape can be reinforced by having tape cemented to the outside of the inflated tube. While very small and very large tubes can be perfected for a range of inflation pressures and beam strengths, the preferred embodiment is a 12 3/4-inch diameter tube, 60 feet long forming an arch for a tent 30 feet wide and 24 feet high.

Curved, inflated, tubular beam

A paraglider having ram-air inflated left and right wings and supported above a pilot by suspension lines, the wings consisting of foldable and flexible sheet material and defining front openings to receive ram-air to inflate the wings in flight, the combination comprising; fluid inflated spar tube means extending spanwise in stiffening relation to the wings, to assist in supporting and shaping the wings in flight; spar tube means extending in such proximity to the front openings as to resist tuck under and collapse of the wings, at low angles of attack; spar tube means consisting of material which is flexible and foldable when the spar tube means is not inflated.

Inflatable structure paraglider

A parafoil includes upper and lower panels, connector panels, load strands, and tapes attached to the connector panels to form cusps, and catenaries between the cusps.

Load distributing curved tapes on parafoil panels

A pannier bag (10, 10') for bicycles, and the like, comprises a frame (22) shaped to be streamlined in a forward direction of travel of an associated bicycle. A cover (12) arranged on the frame (22) retains same in the desired streamline shape. A three-point mounting arrangement (16) is associated with the frame (22) and cover (12) for mounting them on an associated bicycle in a rigid manner, while a top front to bottom rear zipper (72) provided with a pair of slides (74, 76) permits access to any part of the interior of the bag. A strip (14) of reflective fabric preferably is provided on the outer surface of the cover (12) of the bag so as to run from the front to the rear thereof in order to increase the visibility of the bag, and hence, an associated bicycle, during darkness.

Bicycle saddle bags

A practice putting green which is contourable relative to a reference surface to more closely approximate the actual surface of a putting green. The supporting surface, located beneath a resilient green-like covering, is divided up into plurality of planar sections fastened together by pieces of band steel attached to the undersides of the planar members, and spanning their abutting edges so as to allow the sections to move moderately relative to one another in a vertical direction. This surface in turn is supported by the reference surface and remote control elements are provided so that a wedge under the planar members may be moved in order to contour and decontour the surface.

Growing community of inventors

Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America

Glen J Brown