Abstract: An animal trap includes a pair of complementary curved jaws rotatably mounted on a frame or base plate, and springs on the frame cooperating with a pair of opposed levers for urging the jaws toward each other from an open position to a closed or animal foot-holding restraining position. A foot pan is located on the frame between the jaws. A trigger release assembly is employed to restrain the jaws in the open position by being engaged between the pan and jaws. When the animal steps on the pan causing it to move axially downward, the trigger-release assembly is activated causing the spring-biased levers to close the jaws about the foot of the animal.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides generally for a system and method for planting flora, fauna, and dispersing various organisms through drone delivery. The system may comprise of a drone with seedling box that may hold and drop the pods containing flora or fauna. The seedling box may hold the pods with the flora or fauna in them and at specific intervals drop the pod with the flora or fauna. The seedling box may also hold various organisms or other materials and drop these organisms or materials when directed. A seedling box may comprise loading mechanism and deploying mechanism to facilitate accurate, timely deployment of the pods containing the seedlings. A pod may comprise a weighted tip with hollow cavity for seedling placement and a vertical rod for securing seedling during deployment. Where the system comprises uneven number of seedlings, seedling box may include counterweights to provide stability in configured flight patterns for duration of seedling deployment.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a supporting bracket component of a support system for temporarily supporting a plant via a fixed a fixed structure of vertical poles which support at least one substantially horizontal support cord, the support system comprising: a substantially vertical alignment wire having a top end and a bottom end; a curve greater than 180° in the top end of the vertical alignment wire forming a hanging hook portion configured to be selectively supported by one of the support cords; at least one supporting bracket coupled to one of the substantially horizontal support cords and capturing the alignment wire and the plant; wherein the alignment wire maintains vertical orientation of the plant substantially above the point at which the plane protrudes from the ground.

Abstract: An aircraft propulsion unit includes a drive unit with a static part and a rotary part which rotates a fan situated downstream from the drive unit, an assembly of fixed blades situated downstream from the fan, and a nacelle in which the fan and the assembly of fixed blades are accommodated. The propulsion unit also includes an assembly of at least two coaxial shafts, wherein a fan shaft connects the fan to the rotary part, and a stator blading shaft connecting the assembly of fixed blades to the static part extends concentrically, and for at least part of its length in the interior of the fan shaft. This rigid and compact configuration limits the variations of distance between the end of the fan blades and a fan housing situated in the inner duct of the nacelle.

Abstract: For oyster aquaculture, oysters are housed in cylindrical containers. The containers have open (e.g. mesh) sides allowing water and nutrient flow. Containers are attached at each end to a horizontal anchoring system, such as a pair of lines running near the water surface. The attachment involves rotatable connection, allowing the containers to roll. The containers include a traction surface, such as a ridged or toothed surface for traction, or another roughened or corrugated surface. This allows the containers to be rolled without disconnection from the anchoring system, for tumbling and transport. A container handling device mounted on a boat includes a ramp descending into the water and an operating area. The operating area includes a de-fouling bath and a surface on which the containers roll, facilitating tumbling. The container handling device travels along a line of containers with the anchor lines running overtop, lifting each container up and through the operating area in turn.

Abstract: A construction of commercial aircraft interior monument employs carbon fiber Spread Tow Fabric (STF) as face sheets (skins) surrounding a paper honeycomb or foam core to produce flat pressed panels of high strength and desirable thickness. Each individual panel is joined with other panels to construct a modular rectangular cubic able to be modularly coupled with additional structures to form the aircraft monument. The use individual STF panels offer a desirable weight and footprint of a fabricated structure as a whole. Also usable in conjunction with other composite reinforcements, the individual STF panels produce hybrid lay-ups for both pressed flat panel and tooled composite moldings offering a high strength to weight ratio of the overall monument.

Abstract: A compound aircraft embodies an array of rotors for vertical flight positioned on support booms and wing elements for cruise flight coupled to a central fuselage housing avionics and a pusher propeller for forward propulsion. The aircraft accommodates a cargo-carrying container with mating of the surfaces between container and fuselage and latching mechanisms for attaching and detaching the container and vehicle.

Abstract: This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for lifting drones to a desired height before launching. In one exemplary embodiment, a drone elevator system includes a looped cable that is engaged to a pair of pulleys. A first pulley of the pair of pulleys is coupled to a lighter-than-air craft and the second pulley is attached to a motor. The lighter-than-air craft moves upwards so as to raise the first pulley skywards and place the looped cable at an angle with respect to the ground. The motor is then operated to rotate the second pulley for moving the looped cable. The cable includes a set of tethers each of which is used to tether a drone. Each tether includes an extension arm that prevents the tethered drone from making contact with the cable when being lifted. Each tethered drone can be launched after being lifted to a desired height.

Abstract: A pet care article is provided which maintains excellent sanitary conditions and is not prone to causing bedsores. This pet care article (1) is provided with an absorbent sheet (2) having liquid retention properties, and a liquid-permeable cushion material (3) arranged on the top surface of the absorbent sheet and having a thickness of greater than or equal to 5 mm. The cushion material (3) comprises a fibrous structure configured from continuous fibers made from a thermoplastic resin and having a fiber diameter of 0.01-3 mm. No ends of the continuous fibers are contained in the top of said fibrous structure, and the continuous fibers are bonded together at intersections between the continuous fibers.

Abstract: A convertible cargo handling assembly may comprise a mat, a fitting, and a removable cargo handling component. The fitting may include a fixed component and a coupling component. The fixed component may be located in an opening defined by the mat. The removable cargo handling component may be located over the mat and removably coupled to the fixed portion of the fitting via a coupling between the coupling component and the fixed component.

Abstract: An aircraft including a fuselage, an aircraft fuselage end cargo door, and a fuselage end cargo door mechanism. The aircraft fuselage end cargo door couples to the fuselage at a major joint line. The fuselage end cargo door mechanism including a hinge rotatably coupling an aircraft fuselage end cargo door to a fuselage, the hinge being coupled to both the aircraft fuselage end cargo door and the fuselage so that an axis of rotation of the aircraft fuselage end cargo door, defined by the hinge, relative to the fuselage is located forward of a major joint line between the aircraft fuselage end cargo door and the fuselage, wherein an uppermost portion of the major joint line comprises a joint line radius where a portion of the joint line radius formed by the aircraft fuselage end cargo door pivots within another portion of the joint line radius formed by the fuselage.

Abstract: An aircraft comprises a fuselage and an aft wall of a lavatory monument within the fuselage and extending radially inwardly relative to the fuselage. The aft wall is removably connected to an outboard wall, a ceiling, and a floor of the lavatory monument.

Abstract: A vented leading-edge assembly is provided, the assembly including: a slat having a bay and a top skin delimiting a portion of the bay; a spar being arranged in the slat, the spar dividing the bay in a front bay and an aft bay; and a plurality of channel sidewalls being arranged between the top skin and the spar, the plurality of channel sidewalls defining a plurality of channels between the front bay and the aft bay, wherein at least a portion of the spar defines lower channel walls for the plurality of channels.

Abstract: Provided herein is a system to sense angling events and make angling recommendations associated with a user's use of a fishing rod, reel and line. The system includes an angling event sensing device, a processor, a mobile device in communication with the processor or the angling event sensing device, and a recreation monitoring platform to receive the angling event and data and make a recommendation based on an angling event of input from the user.

Abstract: A conveyor system (4, 5) moves vertical poles (2) in an agricultural facility between a growing area (20) and a workstation (W). Each pole carries plant growing containers (3) at multiple levels (H1-H9). An irrigation reservoir (30) may be mounted atop each pole. Irrigation lines (31-33) from the reservoir may be individually metered (35) at each level to compensate for differing water pressure with height. Sensors (40) in the reservoir and at each level of the poles may provide a controller (36) with data input. The controller may impose different growing conditions in different areas of the facility, including vertically different grow areas (20A, 20B), and controls pole movements and locations selectively to provide a sequence of poles at the workstation ready to harvest on a demand schedule. The workstation may have multiple heights (W1, W2, W3) for tall poles that increase plant density per facility footprint.

Abstract: A tank support assembly for a vehicle includes a vehicle structure and a storage tank assembly. The storage tank assembly is held in place relative to the vehicle structure via a magnetic support system. The magnetic support system includes tank magnets affixed to the storage tank assembly and structure magnets affixed to the vehicle structure. The tank magnets interact with the structure magnets to passively provide repulsive magnetic forces that constrain movement of the storage tank assembly relative to the vehicle structure without the tank magnets mechanically engaging the structure magnets.

Abstract: A system for automatic unlocking of a door of an aircraft in the event of impact of the aircraft includes a door opening, a door articulated on the aircraft in the door opening, and a locking arrangement designed to lock the door to the aircraft when the door is in a closed, use state. The locking arrangement has a load-transmission device which is designed, and coupled to an impact region of the aircraft, such that, in the event of impact of the aircraft in the impact region, the load-transmission device transmits a deformation load, caused by inward deformation of the impact region, to the locking arrangement and thus unlocks the door.

Abstract: A pen for an animal, such as a dog, includes a plurality of walls and a frame. The plurality of walls can extend substantially vertically. The walls can include one or more wall panels. The wall panels can be transparent or highly translucent. The panels can be held in place at least in part by the frame, which can include a plurality of frame members and a plurality of connectors. The pen can include a door. A top frame member at the door can be movable to allow a person to freely enter and exit the space enclosed by the pen. The pen can provide confinement for an animal in a safe and aesthetically-pleasing manner. The pen can maximize an owner's ability to see his or her pet. The pen can provide the animal with clear visibility of its surroundings or owner, creating a lower stress environment for the pet.

Abstract: Trailing edge assemblies, couplers and methods for deploying a trailing edge flap of an aircraft wing are disclosed. An exemplary method disclosed herein comprises guiding an aft portion of the trailing edge flap (28) along an elongated track member (36C) as the trailing edge flap (28) moves toward the deployed position; guiding a forward portion of the trailing edge flap (28) along the elongated track member (36C) as the trailing edge flap (28) moves toward the deployed position; and accommodating transverse movement of the forward portion of the trailing edge flap (28) relative to the elongated track member (36C).

Abstract: The disclosed technology includes systems, methods, and mechanism configurations related to satellite solar panels, including stowing arrangements, deployment sequences, special purpose hinges, hold down and release mechanisms, and associated components for controlled deployment of the satellite solar panels.