Abstract: An aircraft drainmast assembly including a drainmast for ejection of waste water from an aircraft and a grounding plate for protection against lightning strike currents. The grounding plate is made of an electrically conductive material and is attached to the metallic drain tube in such manner (e.g., welding) that a conductive path is established between the grounding plate and the drain tube. The grounding plate is placed in contact with the aircraft fuselage during installation of the drainmast whereby an electrically conductive path is formed thereby allowing lightning strike currents to travel from the drain tube to the grounding plate to the aircraft fuselage. The grounding plate may be pressed against the outside surface of the fuselage by an elastomeric gasket installed between the grounding plate and a flange of the drainmast's fairing thereby allowing for a simple lightning protection installation from the outside of the aircraft.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an apparatus and method for extracting a sample from a strip of material. The apparatus comprises a roller having a periphery surface, a cutting wheel having a cutting die extending from its periphery, and wherein the material strip advances between the roller and the cutting wheel. During advancement of the material strip, the cutting wheel rotates in coordinated relation and into a position wherein the cutting die engages the material strip and rotates through engagement with the periphery surface of the roller, thereby extracting a sample from the material strip.

Abstract: An aircraft drainmast assembly including a drainmast for ejection of waste water from an aircraft and a grounding plate for protection against lightning strike currents. The grounding plate is made of an electrically conductive material and is attached to the metallic drain tube in such manner (e.g., welding) that a conductive path is established between the grounding plate and the drain tube. The grounding plate is placed in contact with the aircraft fuselage during installation of the drainmast whereby an electrically conductive path is formed thereby allowing lightning strike currents to travel from the drain tube to the grounding plate to the aircraft fuselage. The grounding plate may be pressed against the outside surface of the fuselage by an elastomeric gasket installed between the grounding plate and a flange of the drainmast's fairing thereby allowing for a simple lightning protection installation from the outside of the aircraft.