Raven Industries, Inc.

Aerostar International, Inc.

Michael William Zimmerman

Michael Scott Smith

Mary Jane Palmer

Derek Lee Bohannon

A system for forming a tendon sleeve on an atmospheric balloon is described herein, the system comprising a coupling assembly including a seam coupling mechanism that forms a seam joint between a first gore panel and a second gore panel, the seam joint is spaced from respective first and second lateral edges of the first and second gore panels to form first and second edge flanges, and an edge coupling mechanism that forms an edge joint between the first and second edge flanges and closes a tendon sleeve, the edge joint spaced from the seam joint, the tendon sleeve includes a tendon sleeve passage between the seam joint and the edge joint and between the first and second edge flanges. The system also includes a tendon positioning mechanism that positions a tendon within the tendon sleeve passage. A tendon sleeve formed by this system is also described herein.

Tendon sleeve for high-altitude balloon and system for making the same

An atmospheric balloon includes an upper apex and a lower apex and a balloon membrane. The balloon membrane includes a plurality of balloon gores. The balloon gores extend between the upper and lower apexes. One or more of the balloon gores includes upper straight line gore edges and lower straight line gore edges. The upper and lower straight line gore edges are coupled along one or more corresponding upper and lower straight line gore edges of adjacent balloon gores of the plurality of balloon gores. The one or more balloon gores are formed with cutting the gore material along a straight line cutting edge to form the upper and lower straight line gore edges.

Growing community of inventors

Greenville, TX, United States of America

Michael William Zimmerman