Halkey-roberts Corporation

Other

Harry L Zimmerly

This invention relates to a manually operated inflator for inflatable articles such as life vests and the like. Such inflator, which is typically employed with an inflatable life vest, is operated by pulling on a lanyard attached to a lever which has integrally attached thereto a cam which forces a piercing pin against the seal of the CO.sub.2 capsule. In accordance with the invention the hole in the cam which was formerly employed to receive a pivot pin in the prior construction of the inflator has been replaced by a notch which is so disposed angularly with respect to the active surface of the cam that the root of the notch provides for a positive thrusting engagement between it and the pivot pin throughout the angle of rotation of the cam which is necessary to effect the piercing of the seal of the capsule, but provides for the ready escape of the lever end cam from the body of the inflator once the capsule seal has been pierced. The invention makes it impossible for a downed aviator, for example, to pull on the lanyard and thus on the body of the inflator with such undue force as to produce a leak in the life vest, as by rupturing the seal between the manifold and the wall of the vest, or to cause a malfunction of the inflator itself.

Break-away inflator

Lubricator for bores in members, the lubricator being particularly useful for the lubrication of bores of small diameter with a lubricant of high viscosity. The lubricator has an applicator in the form of an elongated composite plunger having an outer tubular part and inner rod-like part disposed within the tubular part and reciprocable relative thereto. The inner part has an enlarged head thereon disposed axially outwardly of the confronting outer end of the outer tubular part, the head and the confronting end of the outer tubular part in the initial stage of operation of the lubricator defining a toroidal gap which receives and retains lubricant which it picks up as the outer end of the composite plunger travels through a reservoir for lubricant and thence into the bore of the member. The outer and inner parts of the plunger are then reciprocated relative to each other to narrow or close the gap, following which the plunger is withdrawn from the bore, distributing the lubricant therealong as it is retracted from the bore.

Bore lubricator

Dual firing inflator for an inflatable article. A first gas containing capsule is pierced by energy supplied either manually or by a compressed spring of the like and the gas from the pierced first capsule powers a second piercing pin which pierces a second gas containing capsule. This reduces the amount of externally applied energy which is necessary to operate the inflator while supplying the inflatable article with an amount of gas which is twice that contained in capsules which are normally used with inflators of the same general type.

Multiple firing inflator

A guard to prevent the inadvertent operation of an inflator for use with an inflatable article, the inflator having a piercing pin which is operated by a manually operated lever. The guard of the invention, which is used instead of the formerly used headed frangible pin which extended through the lever and the body of the inflator on both sides thereof, is of U-shape and is mounted on the body of the inflator so that the broad main part of the guard straddles the lever when the latter is in retracted position, and the legs of the guard tightly pinch the opposite sides of the inflator body between them. The guard is simple and economical to make, can be quickly applied to the inflator body, is reusable, and can readily be applied in the field, in contrast to the formerly employed frangible pin which required the use of special heading equipment in order fully to apply it to the inflator body.

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Largo, FL, United States of America

Harry L Zimmerly