Patents Assigned to Sandia Corp.
  • Patent number: 6418936
    Abstract: A tobacco pipe (10) having a hollow stem (12) threaded to a manifold (20) on top of which a turret (30) is rotatably mounted. Turret (30) is of greater weight than that of manifold (20), so that any one of a plurality of turret magazines (33) remains stationary over a chamber (24) in the manifold (20) in their relative rotation, so that smoking tobacco in the aligned magazine (33) with such chamber (24) takes place through the hollow stem (12). A screen (28) seats in a recess 27 of a port (25) of manifold (20) at a sufficient distance from the turret's chamber (24), preventing scorching of screen (28) by a source of flame at/in chamber (24) in the aligned magazine (33).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2002
    Assignee: Sandia Corp.
    Inventor: Jake Lee
  • Patent number: 5533755
    Abstract: An apparatus and method for making a low cost, self-venting, inflatable protective cushion of simple and structurally efficient design with a shape and construction that optimizes the cushion's ability to withstand inflation pressures and impact when deployed which includes a sheet defined by at least one fold line and a plurality of flap portions, each flap portion having a base edge corresponding to a fold line and at least two side edges each extending outwardly from a base edge and ultimately converging to meet each other, the flap portions being folded at the fold line(s) and being Joined at corresponding side edges to define an inflatable chamber. The inflatable protective cushion and method for making same may further include a lightweight, low permeability, fabric that optimizes the cushion's ability to withstand inflation pressures and impact when deployed and minimizes the packed volume of the cushion when stored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1994
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1996
    Assignee: Sandia Corp./Precision Fabrics Grp., Inc.
    Inventors: James M. Nelsen, Larry D. Whinery, Kenneth W. Gwinn, Donald D. McBride, Daniel A. Luna, Joseph P. Holder, Richard J. Bliton