Lockheed Martin Corporation

International Business Machines Corporation

Lockhead Martin Corp.

Patrick J Fitzgibbons

Robert J Felice

John T Swider

Bruce H Hanson

Eugene C Stradley

Douglas A Slocum

Louis B Taylor

Edward S Engarto

Glenn L Kehley

Michael A Wisniewski

William C Craig

Michael W Finney

Drew D Havholm

John Hoover

Mary B Wilcoxen

Ho Chong Lee

Wayne Blackwell

Lawrence A Stone

Shane F Mills

Michael D Senger

Michael E Caporali

Christopher J Tatar

William J Woods

Eric Beach

Benjamin A Sternberg

Gerald R Mertson

Paul C Van Note

A blast energy mitigation structure may employ a V-shaped hull to decrease the pressure wave imparted to a vehicle during a blast event, and/or an energy absorbing structure to absorb a portion of the blast force, thereby minimizing the forces and accelerations experienced by passengers in the vehicle and consequently reducing their injuries and increasing their survivability during a blast event. An exemplary blast energy mitigation structure may have a V-shaped hull and an energy absorbing structure incorporated into the chassis of a vehicle such as a Tactical Wheeled Vehicle, the energy absorbing structure comprising a truss-like structure including I-beams.

V-hull geometry for blast mitigation

A system and method for vehicle mobility traction/ride control. The system includes a mode controller configured to output control signals to a variety of vehicle control subsystems in response to operator mode selection input.

Mobility traction control system and method

A publicly accessible drop box for isolating items deposited therein, includes a securable enclosure, a depository port, a closeable container having an opening and located within the securable enclosure, and a closure device for closing the opening prior to removal of the container. The depository port may include a housing forming a reception chamber having an entrance, wherein the housing is rotatably mounted within the drop box. The drop box may include a view port to allow viewing of the opening of the closeable container. The drop box may include a manipulation device extending into the securable enclosure to enable manipulation of the closure device or to enable movement of any items in proximity to the opening of the container.

Public drop box for isolating received items

A system and method are provided for sorting a plurality of items into a predetermined sorted sequence. Items are initially located on initial sorting regions of a sorting apparatus. The items are then sorted into at least one intermediary sorted set and then sorted, from the intermediary sorted sets, into the final sorted sequence. A computer may be used to track the position of the items on the sorting apparatus and to control the movement of the items into the sorted sequence.

Sorting system

Disclosed is a redundant braking system for a vehicle. A controller may monitor a status of a hydraulic braking system, and during vehicle travel, automatically switch to a modulated electric braking system which is separate from the hydraulic braking system when the hydraulic braking system fails. The modulated electric braking system may utilize a brake acting on a drive shaft of the vehicle, and an operator-actuated switch may set a mode of the modulated electric braking system to a non-modulated parking brake mode.

Redundant braking system

Braking system

A mail box configured to contain and reduce exposure to hazardous particulates, which includes a container having a deposit port at an upper end and a collection chamber at a lower end. There is at least one door at the upper end for mail to be placed into the deposit port. A normally open sealable bag is located in the collection chamber for receiving mail and for being sealed when the mail is to be removed from the container. There is a bag holder constructed and arranged to hold a bag in place and normally open so that in a first position, mail placed into the deposit port falls downwardly through the bag holder and into a bag in the collection chamber and which bag may be preliminarily sealed while in this position, and in a second position, the bag may be more securely sealed and removed from the bag holder. The bag holder is movable from its first position in which the bag is within the collection chamber to the second position in which the bag is outside of the collection chamber and includes two open frames hinged together for removably holding the top of a bag. The bag holder has an upper frame and a lower frame which are arranged so that the top of an open bag may be clamped between the upper and lower frames to hold an open bag in place in the collection chamber.

Method and apparatus for containing mail articles deposited in a mail drop box

A mail depository apparatus includes a rigid housing forming a channel adapted for directing deposited mail items and an interface member adapted to attach a flexible container to the housing for receiving deposited mail items from the channel, wherein the interface member is adapted to seal the flexible container to the housing to substantially prevent escape of air from the flexible container and the housing at the interface member.

Apparatus and method for isolating deposited items

A closeable mail receptacle for use inside of a drop box, includes a rectangular tub having an open top, and a top cover adapted to engage the open top and close the tub either prior to or during removal of the tub from the drop box. The top cover may include a peripheral frame adapted to engage the open top. The rectangular tub may be a standard mail flat tub and further include a non-permeable liner located within the common mail flat tub. The rectangular tub may include a peripheral flange extending horizontally outwardly from around the open top.

Mail receptacle for isolating received items in public drop boxes

A mail tub in the form of a substantially rigid container and a removable lid which seals the container. The container includes an air inlet port and an air outlet port for sampling air in the mail tub for possible biological contamination, such as anthrax. The container includes structure along the bottom and walls to prevent mail from contacting the walls and bottom. Such structure, in one embodiment, may include raised standoffs along the bottom of the container and channels along the walls to facilitate airflow efficiency through the mail tub when the lid is attached and an air pressure source is applied to the one of the ports. Air samples of the sealed container air are collected for contamination analysis.

Mail tub with air ports

A mail box configured to contain and reduce exposure to hazardous particulates, which includes a container having a deposit port at an upper end and a collection chamber at a lower end. There is at least one door at the upper end for mail to be placed into the deposit port. A normally open sealable bag is located in the collection chamber for receiving mail and for being sealed when the mail is to be removed from the container There is a bag holder constructed and arranged to hold a bag in place and normally open so that in a first position, mail placed into the deposit port falls downwardly through the bag holder and into a bag in the collection chamber and which bag may be preliminarily sealed while in this position, and in a second position, the bag may be more securely sealed and removed from the bag holder. The bag holder is movable from its first position in which the bag is within the collection chamber to the second position in which the bag is outside of the collection chamber, and includes two open frames hinged together for removably holding the top of a bag. The bag holder has an upper frame and a lower frame which are arranged so that the top of an open bag may be clamped between the upper and lower frames to hold an open bag in place in the collection chamber.

A mail drop box for isolating mail deposited therein having a closable, removable container inside the box for receiving mail and has an opening in the top. A plurality of mail transmitting chutes each having a deposit port at its upper end and an exit port at its lower end to receive mail through the deposit port and direct such mail into the container. The opening in the removable container is closed when desired to isolate mail from the ambient atmosphere and permit removal of the container without exposing the ambient atmosphere to hazardous particles which may be on or in such mail. A removal door permits removal of the container. A transparent door is adjacent to, but inside of, the removal door for allowing viewing of the opening of the container when the removal door is open.

Drop box for isolating received items

A drop pocket system and method reorients flat articles in a serial stream, by horizontally receiving a horizontally moving, serial input stream of substantially vertically oriented flat articles, sensing reception of each flat article, engaging each sensed flat article, accelerating each engaged flat article into substantially downward movement, and conveying each flat article with the downward movement into a substantially horizontal orientation and movement.

Growing community of inventors

Newark Valley, NY, United States of America

Patrick J Fitzgibbons