Abstract: A nitrogen-generating composition useful for inflating air bags to protection for occupants of motor vehicles is disclosed which is composed of a stable nitride resistant to high temperatures and an inorganic oxidizing agent.

Abstract: A nitrogen-generating composition useful for inflating air bags as protection for occupants of motor vehicles is disclosed which is composed of an alkali and alkaline earth metal azide, an oxidizing agent which is an alkali or alkaline earth metal salt and an nitride, and optionally silicon dioxide. The nitride or combination of nitride and silicon dioxide are present in an amount effective to bind all of the alkali and alkaline earth metal as slag.

Abstract: A take-up mechanism for safety belts in vehicles comprises an automatic belt winding assembly which is connected to a windup assembly which includes a motor having a piston which rotates relative to an associated cylinder to drive the belt winding assembly in a direction to tighten the belt, for example when an emergency arises such as a potential accident. The drive motor includes a piston having a vane portion rotatably mounted in a cylinder so that either the piston or the cylinder is rotatable for a short rotation period upon the ignition of a pyrotechnical drive charge which when ignited provides a propellent for driving the motor. The construction of the mechanism is such that kinetic energy stored in the rotating masses of a clutch are used to effect a positive coupling of the take-up mechanism with the shaft carrying the wound up seat belt. The drive motor thus has a limited rotational path which is shorter than the length of the belt portion to be retracted.

Abstract: A winding attachment for passenger seat belts for use with a windable takeup roller over which the seat belt is wound and which includes a takeup roller shaft and a rotatable clutch disc which is connected to the shaft when the disc is rotated in a shaft tightening direction comprises a rotatable cylinder with a hollow cylindrical piston shaft relatively rotatable within the cylinder. The cylinder has a cylinder wing which is rotatable therewith and which is located within the cylinder and the piston shaft has a wing connected to it which rotates within the cylinder in a path which intersects the path of rotation of the cylinder wing. Propellant contained within the hollow cylinder is ignited and it produces propellant gases which expand in the cylinder against the cylinder wing in the piston shaft wing to produce relative rotation of the cylinder and piston shaft for a period of time until the wings meet causing the stopping of the rotation.

Abstract: A winding attachment for passenger safety belts in vehicles comprises an automatic takeup roller over which the belt is entrained having a roller shaft and a clutch disc connected to the shaft which is rotatable in one direction to drive the shaft in a direction to cause the roller to retighten the belt. At least one cylinder having a closed end and an opposite opened end has a piston therein which is movable after ignition of a propellant charge which is contained in the cylinder and which generates a propellant gas which moves the piston in the cylinder toward the open end. A tension member has one end connected to the piston and is engaged adjacent its opposite end around the clutch disc so that when the piston is moved by the ignition of the propellant charge, the tension member causes the clutch disc to drive the takeup reel so as to tighten the seat belt.

Abstract: A take-up mechanism for the seat belt of a vehicle comprises an automatic belt winding assembly having a reel with a reel shaft for dispensing and rewinding the belt. A pull-up assembly for rewinding a belt of the winding assembly includes a rotary piston motor drivable by pressurized gas, usually generated from a pyrotechnic charge, and a ring which is co-rotatably connected to a rotary vane of the motor. The ring is coupleable to the reel shaft of the automatic winding assembly by engagement of a blocking element with a notched wheel co-rotatably mounted to the reel shaft. A sensor element is engageable with the notched wheel upon abrupt movement of the vehicle to block rotation of the reel in the dispensing direction. A control disc is rotatable with respect to the notched wheel and is engaged with the blocking element for moving the blocking element to engage the notched wheel upon the occurrence of either an abrupt vehicle motion or when the belt is moved in the dispensing direction abruptly.

Abstract: A pyrochemical gas generator, comprises a cylindrical receptacle which includes a hollow cylindrical bottom portion having an interior bottom wall with a plurality of individual cylindrical recesses for receiving individual charges defined directly on the bottom wall. The bottom wall also includes annular grooves which interconnect the recesses and provide a gas passage after ignition of the charges. The bottom includes a central upstanding hub portion and a firing plate which has an apertured hub portion is disposed over the bottom and its hub portion is spaced from that of the bottom to define a primer charge chamber therebetween in which a primer charge is positioned. An intermediate housing which has a lower cylindrical portion is engaged over the firing plate and around the periphery of the bottom portion and it has a dividing wall with a plurality of upstanding partition walls.