Patents Assigned to Johnson Research and Development Company, Inc.
  • Patent number: 5878734
    Abstract: An air compressed gun (210) is provided having a stock (211), multiple barrels (212), a trigger (213) and a manual air pump (214). A pressure chamber (216) and release valve (217) is coupled to each barrel which is controlled by the trigger.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Johnson Research & Development Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lonnie G. Johnson, John T. Applewhite, Jeffrey Shane Matthews
  • Patent number: 5878735
    Abstract: An air compressed gun (10) is provided having a stock (11), a barrel (12), a trigger (13) and a manual air pump (14). The gun also has a mounting tube (201) configured to be received within the tail bore (203) of a projectile (P) and a barrel (200) in which the projectile is positioned for launching. The mounting tube has a tapered air exit end (210), a safety bar (211) and safety vents (220). The barrel has an elongated slot (217) for venting compressed air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 9, 1999
    Assignee: Johnson Research & Development Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Lonnie G. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5850941
    Abstract: A water gun (10) is provided having a pressure tank (19) in fluid communication with a coupler (20) adapted to be received upon a conventional water faucet, and a pump (42) for conveying additional air to the pressure tank. The flow of water from the water faucet draws ambient air which is compressed within the pressure tank to pressurize the water therein. The pressurized liquid is released through a nozzle (21) coupled to the pressure tank by actuation of a trigger (17).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 1997
    Date of Patent: December 22, 1998
    Assignee: Johnson Research & Development Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lonnie G. Johnson, Shane Matthews
  • Patent number: 5838240
    Abstract: A wet diaper detector comprises an elongated strip of material sized to be positioned in a diaper with a portion of the strip residing in a region of the diaper subject to wetness and an end of the strip protruding from the diaper at the upper rear or front portion thereof. The strip carries a pair of spaced conductors that extend along the length of the strip and terminate at the protruding end thereof. A detector and alarm assembly is adapted to be releasably coupled to the protruding end of the elongated strip and is configured to monitor the electrical resistance between the spaced conductors of the strip. When the diaper is wet by its wearer, the resistance between the spaced conductors of the strips falls below a pre-established value whereupon the detector activates the alarm to alert an attendant to change the diaper. In one embodiment, wetness is detected capacitively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 17, 1998
    Assignee: Johnson Research & Development Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Lonnie G. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5819717
    Abstract: A launching chamber (20) with an exhaust orifice (32) covered by an obstruction member (34, 36) is in fluid-pressure dependent mechanical communication with an equilibrium chamber (40) such that when the two chambers are in fluid pressure equilibrium and fluid pressure in the equilibrium chamber is decreased to a predetermined amount less than the fluid pressure in the launching chamber the obstruction member uncovers the exhaust orifice. The equilibrium chamber (40) is vented through a turbine tube (70) which drives a turbine wheel (72).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1997
    Date of Patent: October 13, 1998
    Assignee: Johnson Research and Development Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lonnie G. Johnson, John T. Applewhite
  • Patent number: 5724955
    Abstract: An air compressed gun (10) is provided having a stock (11), a barrel (12), a trigger (13) and a manual air pump (14). The gun also has a magazine (18) having a series of barrels (26) for holding several projectiles (P). An actuator (50) indexes the magazine with each shot of the gun. The triggering of the gun is controlled by a voice activated triggering system (215) which includes a microphone (216), a control circuit (220) and a control valve (219).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Johnson Research & Development Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lonnie G. Johnson, John T. Applewhite
  • Patent number: 5701879
    Abstract: An air compressed gun (10) is provided having a stock (11), a barrel (12), a pressure chamber (16), a pressure actuatable release valve (18) and a manual air pump (14). The pump has an elongated cylinder (25) having a port (38) in fluid communication with the release valve, and a plunger (26) telescopically mounted for reciprocal movement within the cylinder. The plunger has an O-ring type seal (31). The forward movement of the plunger seal towards the port pressurizes air within the cylinder which is transferred to the release valve and pressure chamber. The continued movement of the plunger seal past the port causes a portion of the pressurized air to be released so as to actuate the pressure actuatable release valve to release the pressurized air within the pressure chamber into the barrel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Johnson Research & Development Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lonnie G. Johnson, John Applewhite
  • Patent number: 5699781
    Abstract: An air compressed gun (159) is provided having a stock (11), a barrel (12), a trigger (13) and a manual air pump (14). The gun also has a magazine (18) having a series of barrels (26) for holding several projectiles (P). An actuator (161) indexes the magazine with each shot of the gun and automatically controls bursts of pressurized air. The actuator has a manifold (162) having an inlet opening (163), an outlet opening (164) and a firing opening (166), and a piston (168) mounted within the manifold which directs the flow of air therethrough for sequential firing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 23, 1997
    Assignee: Johnson Research & Development Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lonnie G. Johnson, John T. Applewhite
  • Patent number: 5586688
    Abstract: A water gun 10 having a storage tank (18), a pressure tank (19) and an electric pump (28) for conveying liquid from the storage tank to the pressure tank. The conveyance of liquid into the pressure tank causes the liquid to be pressurized by air compressed within the pressure tank. A safety switch (42) limits the pressurization of the liquid. The pressurized liquid is released through a nozzle (21) coupled to the pressure tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Johnson Research & Development Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lonnie G. Johnson, John Applewhite
  • Patent number: 5549497
    Abstract: A rocket (100) is disclosed having a body (101) with a bay (102) therein and a hatch (109) which is movable between a bay opened position and a bay closed position by a spring biased hinge (110). The hatch is pivotally coupled to a nose section (104) by a spring biased hinge (11). The hatch is configured to be engaged and disengaged with a catch (118) mounted to the rocket body. With the initial forward movement of the launched rocket the inertia and/or the force of the wind upon the nose section causes the disengagement of the catch whereby the continued movement of the rocket creates a wind upon the nose section which maintains the hatch in its bay closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: Johnson Research Development Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lonnie G. Johnson, John Applewhite
  • Patent number: 5499940
    Abstract: A system (10) simultaneously directs compressed fluid to a turbine while compressing fluid to disengage a locking mechanism that restrains movement of the toy vehicle (11). A primary tube (20), attached to the toy vehicle body (12), forms a primary chamber (22) which receives a plug in the form of a secondary tube (30) that seals the primary chamber (22). A fluid may be compressed into the primary chamber (22) through the inserted plug (30). The interior of the inserted tube (30) forms a secondary chamber (32) which encases a hollow piston (40). Fluid is compressed into the primary chamber (22) and secondary chamber (32) through the hollow piston (40). The hollow piston (40) also forms a part of a locking mechanism which maintains a latch (60), the primary tube (20) and the secondary tube (30) in contact with one another until pressurized fluid in the primary chamber (22) forces the piston (40) away from the latch (60).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 1994
    Date of Patent: March 19, 1996
    Assignee: Johnson Research and Development Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Lonnie G. Johnson, John T. Applewhite