Martin Marietta Corporation

William J Gardner

William H Tobey

Donald A Thomas

John V Coyner

A hinge assembly which includes two sleeves, two U-channels, a spring to effect pivotal movement between the sleeves and several links which both transmit drive force from the spring and act as an overcenter latch to lock the hinge assembly in an unfolded configuration. Each U-channel is disposed within one of the sleeves and is pivotally connected to the other U-channel to provide the pivotal connection between the sleeves. The spring and links are contained within the interior of the hinge assembly to provide a smooth, snag resistant exterior.

Hinge assembly with over-center latch

A deployable truss which includes at least one foldable module. Each module includes two fixed frames, two gate assemblies, two base members and diagonal braces which are arranged for folding compactly. Foldable panels can also be attached to the module. The truss can include multiple modules sharing common fixed frames or common gate assemblies.

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Littleton, CO, United States of America

William J Gardner