Patents Assigned to AMI Industries
  • Patent number: 8770659
    Abstract: A self-stowing jumpseat consists of a seat frame that is deployed by pulling the seat frame out of a pocket formed in the edge of a bulkhead. Once the seat frame has been deployed and locked in position, the seat pan is folded down to enable a user to be seated. The seat pan is spring-loaded to fold up, so that when the user vacates the seat, the seat pan automatically folds up into the closed configuration. As it does so, an interlock lever attached to the seat pan trips the seat frame locks from their locked to their unlocked positions. The seat frame has a retraction mechanism that urges the seat into the pocket. Accordingly, as soon as the seat pan interlock lever releases the seat frame locks, the retraction mechanism causes the folded seat frame to move into the stowed position within the bulkhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ami Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Isherwood, Douglas E. Hoover, Othar P. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 8485471
    Abstract: An ejection seat arm flail injury prevention apparatus comprises a pair of rigid support arms on each side of the ejection seat that deploy outwardly to support a semi-rigid backstop substantially behind the ejection seat occupant. When the ejection seat is propelled out of the aircraft and is subjected to the windblast, the occupant's arms are allowed to flail in a rearward direction in the windblast until the occupant's arms impact the semi-rigid backstop. The backstop is semi-rigid in that it deforms sufficiently to enable the rearward motion of the occupant's arms to be arrested without impact injury, yet is sufficiently rigid to prevent the occupant's arms from rebounding off the backstop or striking the rigid support arms.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott R. Patterson, Bradley Mastrolia
  • Patent number: 8292221
    Abstract: A support for an aircraft seat, table or other piece of equipment has a lower support link that sweeps out a lateral arc. The lower support link cooperates with a conventional linear track to support the piece of equipment. The linear track provides fore/aft movement substantially orthogonal to a line tangent to the center of the lateral arc. A pilot link is operatively attached to the piece of equipment to form a four-bar linkage that maintains the equipment in a predetermined rotational attitude as the lower support link sweeps out its lateral arc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Othar P. Kennedy, Ryan Stuart Porter, Keith Michael Ferguson
  • Publication number: 20120199695
    Abstract: A self-stowing jumpseat consists of a seat frame that is deployed by pulling the seat frame out of a pocket formed in the edge of a bulkhead. Once the seat frame has been deployed and locked in position, the seat pan is folded down to enable a user to be seated. The seat pan is spring-loaded to fold up, so that when the user vacates the seat, the seat pan automatically folds up into the closed configuration. As it does so, an interlock lever attached to the seat pan trips the seat frame locks from their locked to their unlocked positions. The seat frame has a retraction mechanism that urges the seat into the pocket. Accordingly, as soon as the seat pan interlock lever releases the seat frame locks, the retraction mechanism causes the folded seat frame to move into the stowed position within the bulkhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Publication date: August 9, 2012
    Applicant: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Isherwood, Douglas E. Hoover, Othar P. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 8231097
    Abstract: An equipment support for attaching equipment to an aircraft comprises a gripper foot having a T-shaped slot that engages a track mounted to the aircraft floor. The gripper foot is mounted to a trunnion mount that enables the gripper foot to rotate freely about a vertical axis so that the gripper foot can negotiate curves along a non-linear track. The trunnion mount is mounted to the equipment support frame by means of a horizontal pivot. The horizontal pivot is held against rotation below a predetermined load by a torque-resisting element. If the floor track is warped, for example during a crash, the twisting loads transmitted from the floor track to the gripper foot overcome the torque-resisting element, which allows the trunnion mount and gripper foot to rotate with the floor track thereby allowing the gripper foot to remain attached to the track without imparting excessive loads on the track, gripper foot, or equipment support frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2012
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald R. Pinkal
  • Patent number: 8191830
    Abstract: An ejection seat includes a headrest that, upon initiation of the ejection seat, moves forward to support the pilot's head in a tilted-forward position. By holding the crewmember's head in a tilted-forward position, windblast forces are controlled to prevent the helmet from pulling upward and backward on the crewmember's head. The headrest may include a pair of struts that extend forward around the sides of the crewmember's helmet to support the crewmember's head against flailing from the windblast. A flexible panel extending between the struts and the headrest panel may also be included to further support the crewmember's head against windblast flailing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Brad Mastrolia
  • Patent number: 8162259
    Abstract: An aircraft ejection seat includes a passive limb retention system. The limb retention system comprises a primary lanyard that forms a loop around the crewmember's footwell and a secondary lanyard that is releasably attached to a medial portion of the loop in the primary lanyard. Upon initiation, as the ejection seat is propelled out of the aircraft, the primary and secondary lanyards simultaneously close the lanyard loop around the crewmember's leg from both ends until the lanyard loop contacts the crewmember's leg. Once the lanyard loop is closed around the crewmember's leg, the secondary lanyard releases, allowing the primary lanyard to continue to tighten around the crewmember's leg until the shear fastener shears and the ejection seat exits the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey John Benjamin
  • Patent number: 8146999
    Abstract: An aircraft seat has an adjustable armrest in which the armrest platform is supported by a hinged attachment to an armrest support member. The hinged attachment between the armrest platform and the arm support member is located at the wrist-end of the arm support member near the aircraft control stick. The armrest platform and the armrest support are locked into position by means of telescoping struts that are controlled at the wrist-end of the arm platform member. The telescoping struts can be selectively locked to create triangular and/or quadrilateral trusses that lock the armrest firmly into position and may include springs or other elements to bias the armrest platform up and forward so that the armrest “floats” when the telescoping struts re released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: AMI Industries. Inc
    Inventors: Keith Michael Ferguson, Donald R. Pinkal
  • Publication number: 20110114790
    Abstract: An ejection seat arm flail injury prevention apparatus comprises a pair of rigid support arms on each side of the ejection seat that deploy outwardly to support a semi-rigid backstop substantially behind the ejection seat occupant. When the ejection seat is propelled out of the aircraft and is subjected to the windblast, the occupant's arms are allowed to flail in a rearward direction in the windblast until the occupant's arms impact the semi-rigid backstop. The backstop is semi-rigid in that it deforms sufficiently to enable the rearward motion of the occupant's arms to be arrested without impact injury, yet is sufficiently rigid to prevent the occupant's arms from rebounding off the backstop or striking the rigid support arms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott R. PATTERSON, Bradley MASTROLIA
  • Publication number: 20110084167
    Abstract: An ejection seat includes a headrest that, upon initiation of the ejection seat, moves forward to support the pilot's head in a tilted-forward position. By holding the crewmember's head in a tilted-forward position, windblast forces are controlled to prevent the helmet from pulling upward and backward on the crewmember's head. The headrest may include a pair of struts that extend forward around the sides of the crewmember's helmet to support the crewmember's head against flailing from the windblast. A flexible panel extending between the struts and the headrest panel may also be included to further support the crewmember's head against windblast flailing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Applicant: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Brad MASTROLIA
  • Publication number: 20110068229
    Abstract: An aircraft ejection seat includes a passive limb retention system. The limb retention system comprises a primary lanyard that forms a loop around the crewmember's footwell and a secondary lanyard that is releasably attached to a medial portion of the loop in the primary lanyard. Upon initiation, as the ejection seat is propelled out of the aircraft, the primary and secondary lanyards simultaneously close the lanyard loop around the crewmember's leg from both ends until the lanyard loop contacts the crewmember's leg. Once the lanyard loop is closed around the crewmember's leg, the secondary lanyard releases, allowing the primary lanyard to continue to tighten around the crewmember's leg until the shear fastener shears and the ejection seat exits the aircraft.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey John Benjamin
  • Publication number: 20110062286
    Abstract: An equipment support for attaching equipment to an aircraft comprises a gripper foot having a T-shaped slot that engages a track mounted to the aircraft floor. The gripper foot is mounted to a trunnion mount that enables the gripper foot to rotate freely about a vertical axis so that the gripper foot can negotiate curves along a non-linear track. The trunnion mount is mounted to the equipment support frame by means of a horizontal pivot. The horizontal pivot is held against rotation below a predetermined load by a torque-resisting element. If the floor track is warped, for example during a crash, the twisting loads transmitted from the floor track to the gripper foot overcome the torque-resisting element, which allows the trunnion mount and gripper foot to rotate with the floor track thereby allowing the gripper foot to remain attached to the track without imparting excessive loads on the track, gripper foot, or equipment support frame.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald R. PINKAL
  • Patent number: 7905450
    Abstract: A support for aircraft seats and other equipment has a lower support link that sweeps out a lateral arc. The lower support link supports a platform that may have a conventional linear track. The linear track provides fore/aft movement substantially orthogonal to a line tangent to the center of the lateral arc. A pilot link is attached to the platform to form a parallelogram linkage that maintains the equipment platform in a rotationally fixed attitude as the lower support link sweeps out its lateral arc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Othar P. Kennedy, Ryan Stuart Porter, Keith Michael Ferguson
  • Publication number: 20110049960
    Abstract: An aircraft seat has an adjustable armrest in which the armrest platform is supported by a hinged attachment to an armrest support member. The hinged attachment between the armrest platform and the arm support member is located at the wrist-end of the arm support member near the aircraft control stick. The armrest platform and the armrest support are locked into position by means of telescoping struts that are controlled at the wrist-end of the arm platform member. The telescoping struts can be selectively locked to create triangular and/or quadrilateral trusses that lock the armrest firmly into position and may include springs or other elements to bias the armrest platform up and forward so that the armrest “floats” when the telescoping struts re released.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 2, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Michael FERGUSON, Donald R. Pinkal
  • Patent number: 7887020
    Abstract: An apparatus for adjusting the position of a seat comprises a rack and a clock nut that grips the rack. The rack comprises a threaded rod, while the clock nut comprises a short cylindrical body that is drilled and threaded along its diameter with internal threads corresponding to the thread diameter and pitch of the rack. Circumferential reliefs are then formed in the threaded bore to enable the clock nut to be “clocked” from a position in which the threads of the clock nut engage the threads of the rack to a second position in which the threads of the clock nut disengage the threads of the rack. A pair of linkages are provided to rotate the clock nut between the engaged and disengaged positions and to transmit loads from the clock nut.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2011
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Keith Michael Ferguson, Othar P. Kennedy
  • Patent number: 7878452
    Abstract: An ejection seat includes a headrest that, upon initiation of the ejection seat, moves forward to support the pilot's head in a tilted-forward position. By holding the crewmember's head in a tilted-forward position, windblast forces are controlled to prevent the helmet from pulling upward and backward on the crewmember's head. The headrest may include a pair of struts that extend forward around the sides of the crewmember's helmet to support the crewmember's head against flailing from the windblast. A flexible panel extending between the struts and the headrest panel may also be included to further support the crewmember's head against windblast flailing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Brad Mastrolia
  • Patent number: 7862116
    Abstract: A seat cushion for an aircraft seat includes a plurality of rear edge securing straps attached to the lower surface of the seat cushion. The rear edge securing straps each have a free end that includes a pull-the-dot fastener that engages a corresponding pull-the-dot fastener at the rear edge of the seat pan. The length of the rear edge securing straps is selected so that when the seat cushion is installed, the rear edge securing straps are pulled substantially flat so that the seat cushion is firmly held in place. The seat cushion is easily removable because the pull-the-dot fasteners are at the ends of the rear edge securing straps rather than affixed directly to the bottom of the seat cushion. Therefore, when the front edge of the seat cushion is released, the seat cushion can be lifted up enough to allow the cushion to be released without pulling at the bottom of the seat cushion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Steve Bredl
  • Publication number: 20100155535
    Abstract: An ejection seat includes a headrest that, upon initiation of the ejection seat, moves forward to support the pilot's head in a tilted-forward position. By holding the crewmember's head in a tilted-forward position, windblast forces are controlled to prevent the helmet from pulling upward and backward on the crewmember's head. The headrest may include a pair of struts that extend forward around the sides of the crewmember's helmet to support the crewmember's head against flailing from the windblast. A flexible panel extending between the struts and the headrest panel may also be included to further support the crewmember's head against windblast flailing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2010
    Publication date: June 24, 2010
    Applicant: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Brad MASTROLIA
  • Publication number: 20100148552
    Abstract: A seat cushion for an aircraft seat includes a plurality of rear edge securing straps attached to the lower surface of the seat cushion. The rear edge securing straps each have a free end that includes a pull-the-dot fastener that engages a corresponding pull-the-dot fastener at the rear edge of the seat pan. The length of the rear edge securing straps is selected so that when the seat cushion is installed, the rear edge securing straps are pulled substantially flat so that the seat cushion is firmly held in place. The seat cushion is easily removable because the pull-the-dot fasteners are at the ends of the rear edge securing straps rather than affixed directly to the bottom of the seat cushion. Therefore, when the front edge of the seat cushion is released, the seat cushion can be lifted up enough to allow the cushion to be released without pulling at the bottom of the seat cushion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2009
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Steve Bredl
  • Patent number: D713162
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: AMI Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan Fenton, Anthony Harcup