Abstract: An escape slide and life raft assembly for evacuating personnel from an aircraft, with the slide having side tubes and cross tubes along with a slide panel that extends the full length of the slide. The slide has a head end and a toe end with one of the cross tubes located at the head end defining a head end tube. A girt, secured to the aircraft, has a quick release connection to the escape slide that is actuated by a lanyard, which lanyard is also connected to a plurality of releasable straps which provide support to the slide while it is being inflated. Such releasable straps are located at the head end of the slide and interconnect the head end tube and the side tubes to the girt.

Abstract: An inflatable escape slide that includes a plurality of inflatable tubes that are held in a folded condition and elastic strap members at the site of the fold of the folded tubes that puckers up the material at the fold site to maintain an unobstructed passageway at the fold to provide communication throughout the inflatable tubes.

Abstract: An aircraft slide assembly used for evacuating personnel from an aircraft or other elevated structure having a longitudinally extending inflatable escape slide and a stabilizing support tube assembly attached to the underneath portion thereof closely adjacent the head end or upper end of the escape slide. The support tube has a first chamber and a second chamber with an orifice therebetween that allows inflation of the second chamber from the first chamber and thence allows the end wall of the first chamber to retract.

Abstract: An inflation system for use in inflating an inflatable foldable escape slide or foldable container for use in evacuating personnel from an aircraft, platform or other device in cases of emergencies. The slide has a gas source such as a bottle member having pressurized fluids therein or as a solid fuel propellant which upon actuation directs pressurized fluids to a turbocharger fastened onto the escape slide or foldable container. The turbocharger has a turbine at one end of a shaft driven by the pressurized fluids to drive such shaft that has a plurality of centrifugal compressors mounted on the other end of the shaft whereby the exhaust fluids from the turbine and the pressurized gas resulting from the driving of the compressors unite to inflate the escape slides or foldable container.

Abstract: A deployment control for an inflatable escape slide for use in a structure such as an aircraft is disclosed wherein the escape slide has an inboard end and an toe end. The inboard end of the slide is suitably attached to an egress on the structure for deployment and extension of the slide by inflation means whereby the slide extends from an elevated egress to a ground support. The slide has inflatable tubes with a slide surface. The inflation means is operative upon actuation to provide pressurized fluids to the tubes which will inflate and distend the tubes into a longitudinally extending escape slide under the control of a restraining control device (or devices). Such device is operative upon pressurization of the tubes to deploy an outboard portion of the slide to which one end of the device is connected to move relative to the inboard end of the slide to which the other end of the device is connected at a controlled rate for a predetermined length of the slide.

Abstract: A can crusher device that has a base member with an upper surface connected by linkages to a moveable plate member with a lower planar surface wherein the linkages includes levers that interconnect the forward portions of the base and plate members as well as the rearward portions of the base and plate members in a parallelogram type of linkage so that on movement of the levers the lower surface of the plate member is maintained in a parallel relationship to the upper surface of the base member during the crushing action on the can. The force exerted on the can is an endwise downward force along the full longitudinal length of the can.

Abstract: An aircraft brake assembly with stators and interleaved rotors with a piston support and cylinders mounted thereon for cooperative action by pistons slidably mounted therein for brake actuation wherein each piston has a piston head with a honeycomb insulator structure composed of cells made of longitudinally extending thin strips of deformed thin strips with non-coplaner surfaces that are parallel to the central axis with a thin cap on one of the end edges and a backup disc contacting the other end edges and to the method of making such honeycomb structure.

Abstract: An aircraft brake assembly with stators and interleaved rotors with a piston support and cylinders mounted thereon for cooperative action by pistons slidably mounted therein for brake actuation wherein each piston has a piston head with a honeycomb insulator structure composed of cells made of longitudinally extending thin strips of deformed thin strips with non-coplaner surfaces that are parallel to the central axis with a thin cap on one of the end edges and a backup disc contacting the other end edges and to the method of making such honeycomb structure.

Abstract: An aircraft wheel for a pneumatic tire that has a generally cylindrical wheel section with an annular inboard rim flange and an annular outboard rim flange which seat the respective beads of the tire, The respective rim flanges have curvilinear configurations that extend radially outwardly from each other with the curvilinear portion of the inboard rim flange having a radius of curvature that is based on a single radius of curvature while the curvilinear portion of the outboard rim flange has a compound radius defining an outboard rim flange that has a greater radial dimension than the inboard rim flange.

Abstract: An aircraft life raft escape slide assembly for evacuating passengers from an aircraft and thereafter for providing a floating support when the evacuation is over water. Such assembly has an inflatable slide structure releasably connected to an inflatable boarding slide structure to define an integral unit but each structure being independently inflatable. The slide structure is inflated and deployed to operate as a slide and upon release of the inflatable slide structure from the aircraft and upon deployment of the boarding slide as a chute or slide, the inflatable slide structure operates as a raft.

Abstract: An extrusion head for a blow molding machine wherein a movable plunger is slidably mounted in a distributor head which receives a melt at an inlet end of its channel and directs it along such channel to the terminal end of the channel while simultaneously directing portions of it along spiral radial paths to the lower circumferential edge of the distributor head to fill an accumulator chamber which also causes the plunger to recede facilitating the filling of the accumulator chamber. The channel as defined by the adjacent circumferential wall and the curvilinear contour on the distributor head defines a smooth integral flow channel that is curvilinear in cross section.

Abstract: In a marine vessel having a drive shaft that extend rearwardly from its hull, wherein the drive shaft has a coupling and a bearing assembly along its length that are supported by struts, which struts are also secured to the hull of the vessel. A coupling cover encompasses the coupling and is mounted adjacent to a bearing assembly. A fairwater encompasses the coupling cover and is attached to the bearing assembly or the strut associated therewith to define a chamber and a clearance space between the fairwater and the coupling cover for directing fluids therethrough and through the bearing assembly to lubricate such bearing assembly. Vanes are located on the coupling cover or on a separate support located within such chamber to enhance the fluid flow through the bearing assembly.

Abstract: Impact resistant and flame retardant polymer composition, slab-like rectangular solid made of said composition, and composite laminate article having at least one layer of said composition. The polymer composition comprises a maximum of 86 volume percent of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), a minimum of 4.40 volume percent of a flame retardant additive or mixture thereof, and a minimum of 6 volume percent of chopped reinforcing fibers, all volumes referring to the densified (molded) state. In addition the bulk volume of the chopped reinforcing fibers, as measured by a tapped density test, must be a minimum of 27 percent of the final molded volume of the composition. The maximum volume % loading of the additives is limited by the requirement that the notched Izod impact strength is a minimum of 7 ft.-lb per inch width.

Abstract: An extrusion head for a blow molding machine wherein a movable plunger is slidably mounted in a distributor head which receives a melt at an inlet end of its channel and directs it along such channel to the terminal end of the channel while simultaneously directing portions of it along spiral radial paths to the lower circumferential edge of the distributor head to fill an accumulator chamber which also causes the plunger to recede facilitating the filling of the accumulator chamber. The channel as defined by the adjacent circumferential wall and the curvilinear contour on the distributor head defines a smooth integral flow channel that is curvilinear in cross section.

Abstract: An aircraft wheel and brake assembly having an axle with a circular flange in abutting contact with an annular viscoelastic vibration dampening plate which in turn abuts an annular flange of a torque tube. The flanges are rigidly secured to the dampening plate which is solid. The torque tube supports for axial movement a Plurality of stator discs which are interleaved with a plurality of rotor discs, such rotor discs being axially slidable but connected to the rotatable wheel and wheel support which is journaled for rotation on the axle. Variations of the location of such dampening plate include locating such plate between the torque tube and the motive drive piston which actuates the frictional engagement of the rotor and stator discs to effect a braking action.

Abstract: An actuator mechanism for a braking system employing multiple disc brakes to insure an air gap between the pressure plate of the brake stack and the piston head of a piston. The piston is mounted in a cylindrical housing with an end wall to which a rod is secured. The rod extends into the piston and has a hardened ball on its end for engagement by a deformable sleeve. The deformable sleeve is connected to an outer cylindrical tube for movement therewith. Such outer tube has a flange on one end that slidably engages the cylindrical wall of the piston and a ring on the other end that is adapted to engage an annular spring retainer member slidably mounted on the outer tube. The piston has an inwardly extending annular abutment that engages the retainer member with a coil spring encircling the outer tube having one end engaging the flange and the other end engaging the retainer member to provide widely spaced footprints for the spring.

Abstract: A fluid connector consisting of a longitudinally extending tubular member having a central passageway extending therethrough with the one end of such central passageway being threaded. An annular flange on the intermediate exterior portion divides the tubular member into an upper portion and a lower portion, which lower portion has a thin walled portion that extends from the flange to the one threaded end portion. The upper exterior portion of the tubular member is threaded to facilitate connection to a threaded conduit. The thin walled lower portion is subject to being upset for cooperation with the flange to secure the tubular connector to a fluid line. Such flange is subjected to a bending to complement the exterior contour of the conduit receiving such connector.

Abstract: An aircraft multiple disc and brake assembly having an axle with a cylindrical wheel member journaled thereon. The inner peripheral portion of the wheel member has a plurality of circumferentially spaced splines to support axially spaced rotor discs which are interleaved with stator discs which are splined to axially extending ribs mounted on a torque tube which in turn is connected to the axle. A piston support member is secured to the axle via a hub member and has a plurality of circumferentially spaced cylinders with a piston slidably mounted therein. One end of each piston cooperates with the receiving cylinder to define a piston chamber that permits pressurization to actuate the braking action. The other end of the piston has a pair of discs with mating spherical contoured surfaces to permit a tilting therebetween to eliminate side loading and provide even wear.

Abstract: A heat shield installation on a tire supporting wheel and brake assembly having a rim member with an inner surface that surrounds a heat sink composed of stator and rotor brake discs. A plurality of circumferentially spaced drive keys are located between the heat sink and the inner surface of the rim member with such keys slidably mounting the rotor discs. A heat shield is located between the inner surface and the drive keys with a plurality of circumferentially spaced spacers secured thereto. Fastener members interconnect the drive keys to the rim members through the spacers while securely locking the heat shield radially and axially relative to the rim member of the tire supporting wheel.

Abstract: A system for controlling the inflation and deflation of deicer members for breaking up ice formation thereon. A non-regulated pressure source is connected to a controller valve and an ejector valve, wherein the ejector valve supplies a vacuum source to the controller valve as needed to keep the deicer members deflated. The controller valve is operative upon actuation to direct pressurized fluids to the inflatable deicer members and upon a predetermined build-up of pressure interrupts the flow of fluids from the pressure source while locking the inflatable deicer members in their inflated condition until the controller valve is de-actuated so it places the deicer units in communication with a vacuum.