G&h Technology, Inc.

Matthew Dalton

Jui-Yu Wu

Patrick John Laughlin

Andrew J Holt

John D Kisch

An improved spool assembly for non-explosive actuators used in electro-mechanical structural separation devices. The spool assembly includes two spool halves each having external surfaces and a generally flat internal surface, a unitary and integral internal member made of an electrically conductive material and having a link-wire portion and two electrical terminal portions, and an external wrap-wire wound around the two spool halves and having a connecting end connected to the link-wire portion of the unitary and integral internal member such that the wrap-wire tightly binds the two spool halves together to form a spool for retaining an external structural member. When an electrical current of a sufficient magnitude is applied through the electrical terminal portions of the unitary and integral internal member, the link-wire portion of the unitary and integral internal member will be heated, which reduces its tensile strength to a magnitude below a tensile stress exerted thereon by the connecting end of the wrap-wire, causing the link-wire portion of the unitary and integral internal member to be broken, which in turn causes the wrap-wire to be loosened, allowing the two spool halves to separate apart which permits displacement of the external structural member.

Spool assembly with integrated link-wire and electrical terminals for non-explosive actuators used in electro-mechanical structural separation devices

A hold-down and release apparatus for a flight termination system having a terminal portion for holding-down and releasing a structural object which has an arrangement for attaching to the flight termination system. The hold-down and release apparatus includes several movable clamping segments provided on the terminal portion of the flight termination system that are engageable in a complimentary fashion with the attachment arrangement on the structural object for releasably attaching the structural object to the flight termination system. The hold-down and release apparatus also includes springs for biasing the movable clamping segments means in a disengaging direction that causes the clamping segments to disengage from the attachment arrangement on the structural object to release the structural object from the flight termination system. The hold-down and release apparatus further includes a release band attached to the movable clamping segments for preventing the disengaging movement of the movable clamping segments such that they remain engaged to the attachment arrangement of the structural object for releasably attaching the structural object to the flight termination system. The release band is held in position by two non-explosive actuators (NEAs), such that either one or both actuators may initiate the release and loosen the release band which allows the movable clamping segments to move under the urge of the biasing, springs to disengage the complimentary attachment arrangement from the attachment arrangement of the structural object, to release the structural object from the flight termination system.

Growing community of inventors

Moorpark, CA, United States of America

Matthew Dalton