Patents by Inventor Benjamin T. Updike, deceased

Benjamin T. Updike, deceased has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 4823976
    Abstract: A quick actuating closure for a pressure vessel 80 in which a wedge ring 30 with a conical outer surface 31 is moved forward to force shear blocks 40, with conical inner surfaces 41, radially outward to lock an end closure plug 70 within an opening 81 in the pressure vessel 80. A seal ring 60 and a preload ramp 50 sit between the shear blocks 40 and the end closure plug 70 to provide a backup sealing capability. Conical surfaces 44 and 55 of the preload ramp 50 and the shear blocks 40 interact to force the seal ring 60 into shoulders 73 and 85 in the end closure plug 70 and opening 81 to form a tight seal. The end closure plug 70 is unlocked by moving the wedge ring 30 rearward, which causes "T"-bars 32 of the wedge ring 30 riding within "T" -slots 42 of the shear blocks 40 to force them radially inward. The end closure plug 70 is then removed, allowing access to the interior of the pressure vessel 80.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 25, 1989
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
    Inventors: Dorsey E. White, III, Benjamin T. Updike, deceased, Johnny W. Allred