Patents Represented by Attorney Thomas W. Hennen
  • Patent number: 4090509
    Abstract: A garment providing an emergency source of breathing gas is disclosed which utilizes small diameter tubing to form a reservoir for storage of high-pressure gas. A mask and pressure regulator attached to the reservoir enable a user to tap the stored gas. The tubing reservoir may be incorporated in the fabric of the garment, or retained between layers of the garment. A lightweight shielding layer protects the user against injury caused by accidental rupture of the high-pressure reservoir.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 23, 1978
    Inventor: Ronald E. Smith
  • Patent number: 4088240
    Abstract: A self-sealing fuel tank which utilizes elongated nonself-adhering polymer ibers attached to the inner surface of the tank wall and interwoven to form a carpet-like liner for efficiently sealing large tears and cored holes. After penetration of the tank wall by a large or tumbling projectile, escaping fluid causes nearby elongated fibers to be swept into the hole, thereby choking the escaping fluid flow. Conventional small caliber self-sealant incorporated in the tank wall then flows into the hole choked by fibers and completes the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 9, 1978
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Anthony San Miguel
  • Patent number: 4087061
    Abstract: A wide angle seeker for missile guidance systems and the like which utili a dual motion mirror in an optical transfer system to allow a missile sensor to be mounted in a stationary position in the missile body remote from the seeker.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1972
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1978
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Warren T. Burt
  • Patent number: 4047795
    Abstract: A rapid laser scanning system utilizing an optical grating coupler (OGC) reby the angle at which an incident laser beam is outputted therefrom may be varied by the imposition of an electric field on a thin film underlying the coupler at right angles to the path of the laser beam through the thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 1974
    Date of Patent: September 13, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Richard Swart Hughes, Howard A. Wilcox
  • Patent number: 4046076
    Abstract: An impulsive safety-arming device provides handling safety in a rocket mo. Prior to arming, a piston is blocked in position to contain a squib, thereby preventing inadvertent ignition. After arming, the piston block is removed allowing high temperature, high pressure gas from the squib to force the piston past vent ports and to escape and ignite the motor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1975
    Date of Patent: September 6, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Thomas W. Hampton
  • Patent number: 4041869
    Abstract: A layer of high temperature resistant polymer material such as polysulfone r polyimide is bonded between the liner and energetic material in a solid fuel rocket motor, warhead, or other ordnance item. This layer prevents or delays ignition of the energetic material when the ordnance item is exposed to a high temperature environment. The layer does this by forming an impervious barrier between oxygen trapped or chemically contained within the energetic material, and gaseous fuel resulting from chemical degradation of the liner. Combustion of this gaseous fuel and resulting ignition of the energetic material is thus avoided or delayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Anthony San Miguel
  • Patent number: 4042449
    Abstract: A method of producing an optical reticle and the reticle produced thereby. thin layer of aluminum is deposited on the face of a sapphire substrate and a reticle pattern is chemically etched therein. The system is then exposed to air at an elevated temperature for approximately one hour to oxidize the remaining aluminum layer. A film of titanium is next placed over the rough aluminum oxide as by sputtering, for example, and the excess titanium is etched away by the same pattern to produce the finished reticle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Robert E. Hunt, Kenneth L. Moore
  • Patent number: 4042892
    Abstract: A hypersonic gas laser to produce coherent infra-red electromagnetic radiation for use in communication, illumination, energy transmission or weather control. The lasing device uses an interaction area consisting of a grid of fine wires or the like to convert the kinetic energy of hypersonic velocity gases to vibrationally excited nitrogen from which the laser energy is extracted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 1976
    Date of Patent: August 16, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: David B. Fenneman
  • Patent number: 4027945
    Abstract: Optical slip rings are disclosed which permit signals to be transferred f a rotating body to a non-rotating body without any physical contact. Fiber optic bundles are utilized to conduct light signals on one body to separate fiber optic bundles on the other body. Light is projected across a small gap from the rotating bundle to the non-rotating bundle. Other variations use multiple channels, wave guides, derotating prisms and concentric annular mirrors to achieve signal transfer. The optical slip rings can transfer any signal which may be converted to a light signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Myren L. Iverson
  • Patent number: 4026160
    Abstract: A non-tumbling limit stop for limiting the relative motion between a strure and a gyroscope pivotably mounted thereon. The limit stop employs frictional contact forces to cause the gyroscope to precess away from the stop rather than tangent to it, and thus preventing tumbling of the gyroscope while enabling high slew rates of the gyroscope spin axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 1976
    Date of Patent: May 31, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Hughes M. Zenor, John C. Weaver
  • Patent number: 4016796
    Abstract: A break-away retention device for restraining a missile against launching rust until a predetermined thrust level has been attained is disclosed which employs a preweakened tensile link within a compression barrel. The barrel supplies flexural rigidity and physical protection to the preloaded portion of the tensile link. Tensile preload is adjustable to any predetermined level less than the ultimate strength of the tensile link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1976
    Date of Patent: April 12, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Jack D. Brannan
  • Patent number: 4004764
    Abstract: A drogue parachute deployment system for an ejection seat comprises a dro parachute mounted in a bag on the seat, a rocket motor, and a tow line attached between the parachute and the rocket motor. Upon firing of the rocket motor, the bag is caused to rip and the parachute is deployed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 1974
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1977
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Vernon D. Burklund, W. James Stone, Joseph A. Schmidt
  • Patent number: 3999301
    Abstract: A method of producing an optical reticle and the reticle produced thereby. thin layer of aluminum is deposited on the face of a sapphire substrate and a reticle pattern is chemically etched therein. The system is then exposed to air at an elevated temperature for approximately one hour to oxidize the remaining aluminum layer. A film of titanium is next placed over the rough aluminum oxide as by sputtering, for example, and the excess titanium is etched away by the same pattern to produce the finished reticle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1975
    Date of Patent: December 28, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Robert E. Hunt, Kenneth L. Moore
  • Patent number: 3979089
    Abstract: A rocket powered escape vehicle is equipped with an electrostatic attitude ensing system which commands a rocket motor mounted in gimbals on the bottom of the vehicle to provide a vertically upward seeking escape from an aircraft independent of aircraft attitude.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 1975
    Date of Patent: September 7, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Ray A. Miller, Robert B. Dillinger, W. James Stone, Vernon D. Burklund
  • Patent number: 3974985
    Abstract: A two axis, three gimbal tracker for use with a missile or the like. The cker utilizes a lens barrel which has unlimited angular freedom in one axis, and more than 50.degree. of angular freedom in the other axis, and is mounted to the side of the carrying vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 1972
    Date of Patent: August 17, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: John M. Campbell, James W. Oestreich
  • Patent number: 3968748
    Abstract: A target discriminating antipersonnel/antimaterial cluster weapon capable distinguishing between hard and soft targets. Upon striking a hard target such as armor or concrete, shear rivets are defeated causing a striker to plunge a firing pin into a stab detonator which through an explosive transfer train causes immediate detonation of the bomblet. Upon hitting a soft target such as sandy soil, the shear rivets will not be sheared, however, an inertia firing weight plunges a firing pin assembly into a stab primer which leads to a propellant charge causing the bomblet to pop back up into the air. The bomblet then is detonated through a pyrotechnic delay in the air. The bomblet is armed during its descent via a flutter plate giving oscillatory motion which is transferred into rotary motion. The rotary motion is employed to align the primer and detonator with the firing pins.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 1973
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1976
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Milton K. Burford, Joseph F. Mattis, Peter D. Gratton, William J. Donahue, Michael A. Halling, Ken Pinkerton, Thomas A. Cammack, Rodney A. Bernardin, Lee Johnson, Art Lohmann, Ed Abt