The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 29, 2021
Filed:
Jul. 09, 2018
Victor D. Trotter, Fort Worth, TX (US);
Victor D. Trotter, Fort Worth, TX (US);
Other;
Abstract
A gatebox system for delivering fire retardant fluid from a firefighting aircraft. A first and second gate opening are formed through a lower portion of a gatebox. The gates are hingedly connected along edges of the openings. A drive shaft in the gatebox is rotatable in gates-closing and gates-opening directions. Crank arms are fixed to the drive shaft and coupled to the gates by connecting links, which define an over-center geometry while the gates are at a closed position, such that weight of the fluid on the first gate induces torque on the drive shaft in the gates-closing direction. Rotation of the drive shaft in the gates-opening direction enables control of the fluid flow from the hopper according to an angular position of the drive shaft.