Abstract: A method of creating an air barrier on both sides of an innerliner splice on the inside surface of a green tire when a bladder release lubricant is being applied thereto to prevent contamination of the splice. High pressure air is directed through air nozzles on both sides of the innerliner splice just prior to and during the application of the lubricant. A pressure sensor detects high or low air pressure during the creation of the air barriers to stop the spray of lubricant should either situation be detected.

Abstract: An identification device modified to fit into a lug nut hole of a rim of a wheel assembly to supply information to a remote interrogator pertaining to the tire, rim, and valve stem prior to mounting the wheel assembly on the vehicle. The device includes a conical body molded of a plastic material and has a coded chip embedded in the plastic material. The chip is provided with either a passive or an active electronic circuit for relaying identifying information to a remote interrogator. A spring device is mounted on the body to removably retain the device within the lug hole until the wheel assembly is mounted on a vehicle.

Abstract: An identification device (6) modified to fit into a lug nut hole (20). The device (6) includes a conical body molded of plastic material and has an embedded codded chip.

Abstract: A method of producing an antenna coupler for placement on an antenna under test (AUT) having an aperture. This method includes the steps of constructing a probe from a section of RF hard-line stock having a center conductor and an outer conductor. The outer conductor is removed to expose a portion of the center conductor having a length equal to or less than ¼ wavelength of the AUT. The probe is embedded within a fiberglass shell and has an exposed RF connector for connection to equipment for performing tests on the AUT. The probe is then positioned across the aperture of the Antenna Under Test (AUT).

Abstract: A method of creating an air barrier on both sides of an innerliner splice on the inside surface of a green tire when a bladder release lubricant is being applied thereto to prevent contamination of the splice. High pressure air is directed through air nozzles on both sides of the innerliner splice just prior to and during the application of the lubricant. A pressure sensor detects high or low air pressure during the creation of the air barriers to stop the spray of lubricant should either situation be detected.

Abstract: An apparatus for measuring coupled aerodynamic stability and damping derivatives of an object, such as a missile, towed decoy, etc. in a wind tunnel. The object is mounted on a bearing in the wind tunnel and contains an instrumentation package which provides a plurality of signals for determining coupled moment derivatives. The package includes three rate sensors, three accelerometers, and two thermal detectors for measuring the time rate of change of the full six degree of freedom state vector for aerodynamic derivatives.

Abstract: A vehicle air spring assembly having a pair of spaced end members which sealingly engage a flexible bladder to form an internal air chamber having an internal volume. One of the end members is a bead plate which has an annular outer end portion which is crimped to the bladder to provide an air tight seal therebetween. The end plate has a recessed portion located between the outer end portion which projects into the air chamber to reduce the volume of the air chamber to change the spring characteristic of the air spring. A plurality of reinforcing gussets extend between the recessed portion of the bead plate and a surrounding upstanding wall which extends between the outer end portion and recessed portion to enable the bead plate to be clamped by fasteners against an adjacent vehicle component and resist deformation when subjected to internal pressure.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has an aggressive tread pattern for use on both on-road and off-road vehicles having at least a pair of intermediate ribs and a pair of shoulder ribs providing the ground engaging tread lugs. A plurality of circumferentially extending lug groups are formed on and extend outwardly from and along the sidewalls of the tire. Each lug group preferably includes three separate lugs, each lug having a substantially flat outer surface lying in a different plane than the outer surfaces of the other two lugs. Two of the lugs are radially aligned with each other along the sidewall of the tire with the third lug lying intermediate spaced pairs of these aligned lugs. The lugs are formed with sharp corners offset from each other which extend outwardly from the sidewall to different levels.

Abstract: A pneumatic tire has a tread portion, a pair of axially spaced bead areas and a pair of sidewalls. A body ply carcass extends axially between the bead areas and contains three body ply layers which turn-up about the bead areas from inside to outside. Two of the body ply layers are of equal axial lengths with the third body ply layer being considerably less or greater than the other two layers. The highest turn-up end of at least one of the body ply layers has a height of between 42% and 55% of the tire section height.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for controlling the deployment of a towline connecting a mooring craft to an ejected object comprising the steps of monitoring velocity to determine when a point for optimum braking has been achieved and then engaging a brake system to retard deployment of the towline, a DC motor augments and controls the brake system. The DC motor further controls the retrieval of the object. A cutter mechanism uses a first blade to grip the towing cable to maintain tension thereon as a second blade cuts the cable. A spring biased boom in combination with spring biased fins on the ejected object rapidly deploys the object from its storage housing. A locking mechanism secures the deployment mechanism in a stable locked position upon the object reaching its fully extended position.

Abstract: In a road vehicle tire, a two-part layer (2) of elastomeric material is preassembled by co-extruding a first and a second strip (19, 16) through a preforming plate die (26), through which extends at least one pair (27) of tapered flow channels (25a, 25b) having offset, side by side inlets (28, 29) with respective superimposed adjacent lateral portions (30, 32), and substantially coplanar outlets (33, 34) with respective adjacent lateral portions (35, 38) interconnected to define, between the two strips (19, 16), an L-shaped joint (20) wherein a lateral portion (21) of the second strip (16) has an edge (17) substantially contacting a lateral shoulder (22) of the first strip (19), and is superimposed on a thin annular appendix (23) projecting from the shoulder (22) of the first strip (19).

Abstract: A system and apparatus for deployment of a decoy from a moving object, such as an aircraft, to protect the aircraft from an enemy missile. The decoy is stored in a housing mounted on the aircraft and is connected by a cable containing fiber optics and high voltage conductors. The cable is stored on a spool which is reciprocally moveable along a rotating shaft provided with a double helix and which is located coaxially within an outer rotatable de-bailer. The cable is drawn through a passage formed in an outer cylindrical side wall and end wall of the de-bailer as the decoy is deployed from the aircraft. The cable causes the de-bailer to rotate about the spool which reciprocates back and forth along the double helix shaft. The spool is connected to the helix of the shaft by a pawl and a brake mechanism controls the rotational speed of the shaft, and thus the payout speed of the cable.

Abstract: An air spring has first and second axially spaced end members with a flexible bellows sealingly clamped to the end members and extending therebetween and forming an intervening air chamber. A flexible elastomeric sleeve having at least one convolution resiliently mounts a rigid restraining cylinder to one of the end members. The cylinder extends co-axially along and outside of the bellows. The flexible sleeve is bonded or snap-fitted to the cylinder.

Abstract: A heavy-duty tire, wherein each bead portion (2) is defined by a metal bead bundle (3), about which are turned up a body ply (8), a reinforcing strip (9), and an outer cover layer (10). The outer cover layer is defined by an innerliner (11), an abrasion gum strip (12) which is connected to the innerliner (11) by a splice (14) and is located beneath the innerliner (11), and a sidewall (13). Between the reinforcing strip and the outer cover strip (10), there is inserted a damping strip (21) directly contacting the abrasion gum strip (12) and defined by a mix impermeable to air.