USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

James Sovel

Jacob Cornman

Meir Gershenson

Darryl G Updegrove

Garrett W Leavitt

John E Ducote

Hal Rhea

A ramp restraint apparatus for a vehicle includes an elongate, rigid restraint bar having one end rotatably attached to the ramp and a free end having a notch and a roller at its tip. The restraint bar travels over a bar support on a lock/release assembly mounted to a vehicle bulkhead. The bar support is shaped at one end to receive the notch of the bar and hold the bar in place when the ramp is fully deployed. A release arm has a cam follower that pushes up on and releases the restraint bar when the release arm is rotated, allowing the ramp to close. When the ramp is fully closed, a storage bracket receives and holds the inboard end of the restraint bar.

Vehicle ramp resistant apparatus

A clearance-measuring break-away pintle hitch includes a mount having a first end for coupling to a vehicle. A pintle body has a portion thereof aligned with and coupled to a second end of the mount by a shear pin. Gauge members are pivotally coupled along a common axis of rotation to the pintle body. Each gauge member is rigid and has a unique length measured from the common axis of rotation. Each gauge member is independently rotatable about the common axis of rotation.

Clearance-measuring break-away pintle hitch

A corrosion resistant termination connector for connecting to a steel wire rope and a modular fitting for use on a magnetic influence minesweeping cable is provided. The connector body is made of a high strength composite material, and has a common channel. The body has three sections: A ribbed annular stem, an abutment band with uniform edges for forming sealing occlusions, and an externally threaded spelter socket with a conical channel. Strands of the wire rope are splayed and adhesively joined with a mixture of thermosetting resins forming a conical wedge that secures the rope within the conical channel. The modular fitting is screwed on the elongate socket section, and includes a pin with a thimble. A molded insular cover seals the steel wire rope and the ribbed stem.

Corrosion resistant termination connector for steel wire rope/minesweeping cable

A swaged-on fitting, for anchoring exterior wires to a cable, includes an outer ring and a split inner ring. The inner ring has an inside grooved pattern, which is substantially an angled cross-hatching of shallow grooves. The two grooved halves of the inner ring are placed under the bare ends of the wires and pressed on either side of the cable jacket such that the pattern contacts the jacket. The outer ring is slid over the wires, so it overlaps the inner halves. The fitting is swaged-on, locking in the wires between the rings and embossing the jacket with the cross-hatching pattern of the inner ring, without puncturing the jacket. The grooves on the inner ring thus grip the cable jacket, preventing rotational and translational movement of the wires on the jacket while maintaining the structural integrity of the jacket.

Swaged-on, external electrode anchoring connection

A connector anchors as outer conductor onto a cable and connects the outer conductor to the cable's inner conductor without exposing the inner conductor to the ambient environment. The connector includes a longitudinally split cylinder having a thicker center wall and a pair of flanking walls that wrap around a notched section of the cable and contact the inner conductor. An inner ring with multiple recessed interior circumferential grooves wraps around and overlaps the split cylinder so that the grooves will emboss and grip the cable's jacket without piercing the jacket when swaged. The outer conductor is placed over the inner ring. An outer ring anchors the outer conductor to the inner ring when swaged.

Corrosion resistant, environmentally sealing, electrically conducting, cable connector

A corrosion resistant, environmentally sealing, swaged-on conductive fitting for a coaxial cable is provided. The cable has inner and external conductors. A stepped intermediate ring is fitted over exposed lengths of trimmed layers of the inner conductor and abuts a trimmed end of a jacket that covers the inner conductor. An inner ring having a socket with interior recessed circumferential grooves is placed over and swaged against the intermediate ring so that the grooves overlap the cable's jacket and are embossed into and anchor the inner ring to the jacket. The external conductor is anchored between the inner ring and an outer ring when the outer ring is swaged. An electrically conductive path is provided from said external conductor through the inner and intermediate rings to the inner conductor without exposing the inner conductor to a corrosive environment.

Electrically conducting, environmentally sealing, load transferring cable termination fitting

A line retrieve-release system is provided for mounting on the hull of a boat. First and second jaw mechanisms coupled to the hull face substantially forward and aft, respectively, relative to the boat's bow. Each jaw mechanism is capable of movement between a partially open position and a fully open position. First and second latches are coupled to the first and second jaw mechanisms, respectively. Each latch is biased to cooperate with its respective jaw mechanism in the partially open position thereof to thereby define a corresponding enclosed region. Each latch permits one-way entry to its associated enclosed region when a force is applied thereto from outside of the enclosed region. Each jaw mechanisms' partially open position defines a 'ready-to-retrieve' and 'line capture' position of the system, while each jaw mechanisms' fully open position defines a &#x201c;line release&#x201d; position of the system. Additional mechanism(s) are provide to (i) move each of the jaw mechanisms to their respective fully open position to thereby open the associated enclosed regions to facilitate the release of a captured line, and (ii) reset the retrieve-release system to its &#x201c;ready-to-retrieve&#x201d; and &#x201c;line capture&#x201d; position.

Hull-mounted line retrieval and release system

A slewing crane is assembled and installed at the end of a shipping and stowage container having block-shaped corner fittings. Left and right rotatable mounts engage top corner fittings on the container, and a cross piece section engages the rotatable mounts. A boom section has upper and lower hinges rotatably mounting it on the cross piece section via the hinges' axially aligned pins to extend outwardly from the cross piece section. A hoist on the boom section lifts and moves loads, and first and second displacement mechanisms connected to the boom section linearly displace the hoist and angularly displace the hoist and boom section in a slewing motion around the axis of the axially aligned pins. An element connected between the cross piece section and a corner fitting is tensioned by a turnbuckle to securely engage both rotatable mounts and hold the slewing crane on the container.

Removable externally mounted slewing crane for shipping containers

A line retrieve-release system is provided for mounting on the hull of a boat. Jaws are coupled to the hull of the boat and face substantially aft relative to the boat's bow. The jaws are capable of movement between a partially open position defining the system's 'line retrieve' position and a fully open position defining the system's 'line release' position. A latch coupled to the jaws is biased to cooperate therewith in the partially open position to thereby define a first enclosed region bounded by the jaws and latch. The latch permits one-way entry into the first enclosed region when a force is applied to the latch from outside of the first enclosed region. Line catch means are coupled to the hull of the boat aft of the jaws. The line catch means combines with the jaws in their partially open position to define a second enclosed region adjacent to the first enclosed region. The line catch means permits one-way entry to the second enclosed region when a force is applied thereto from outside of the second enclosed region. Actuator element(s) are coupled to the jaws to move them to their fully open position to thereby open both the first and second enclosed regions. The actuator elements also allow the retrieve-release system to reset to its &#x201c;line retrieve&#x201d; position.

An X-Y bridge crane can be assembled and erected by workmen to lift and move loads at the end of a shipping and stowage container having block-shaped corner fittings at top corners and bottom corners. Rotatable top securing brackets engage the top block-shaped corner fittings and rotatable bottom securing brackets engage the bottom block-shaped corner fittings. Inner end portions of brace members are rotatably connected to the rotatable bottom securing brackets. A framework having inner extensions, outer projecting parts and a laterally extending hoist-traveling beam has inner extensions connected to the top securing brackets and outer projecting parts connected to the outer end portions of the brace members. A hoist is mounted on the hoist-traveling beam to lift and move loads on the framework, and first and second chainfalls connected to the hoist linearly displace the hoist in orthogonal directions.

Growing community of inventors

Panama City Beach, FL, United States of America

James Sovel