Abstract: A collapsible fire fighting bucket for being suspended from a helicopter having an open bucket body of pliable material with an open rim and an opening in the bottom, an annular base member of pliable material that is attached to the bottom adjacent to the opening, a tubular extension (i.e. dump valve) made of pliable material and having a base portion at one end and a free end at the other end with a discharge port, and a heavy duty watertight zipper releasably connecting the base portion of the tubular extension to the annular base member on the bucket body. The zipper enables the dump valve to be easily removed from, and reattached to, the bucket thereby providing an efficient mechanism for replacing a worn out dump valves.

Abstract: An improved step reinforcement system is disclosed for use in inflatable or pneumatic aircraft floats such as are employed in waterborne and amphibious aircraft. The float itself comprises a continuous tubular shell having spaced apart upper and lower walls interconnected by spaced apart first and second side walls to define an interior space within the float. The lower wall further includes a step extending continuously and transversely between vertically spaced fore and aft portions thereof. According to the improvement of the present invention, at least one inflatable bladder is disposed within the interior space of the float so as to be adjacent to the step and abut at least the lower wall of the float. The bladder has an internal pressure sufficiently greater than the internal pressure of the float so as to reinforce the step. An elongate stiffening element abuts the fore portion of the lower wall of the float forward from the step.

Abstract: Rescue apparatus for rescuing a person in water has a body with inflatable pontoons interconnected by an upwardly bowed upper connector and a downwardly bowed lower connector to provide an opening between the pontoons to receive the person. Thrusters cooperate with the lower connector below the surface, and receive power and control signals to control movement of the apparatus on the surface. A net enclosure encloses the pontoons and connectors and has an opening adjacent one end to receive the person. The upper portion of the apparatus is lighter than the lower portion, to provide a low center of gravity for self-righting if the apparatus becomes inadvertantly inverted. Self-righting can be assisted by providing inflatable flotation cooperating with the upper connector. The connectors are shaped to fit closely adjacent each other to reduce storage volume of the collapsed apparatus when the pontoons are deflated.

Abstract: Inflatable or pneumatic float assembly has tough outer fabric tubular shell with an upper wall having a first elongated sleeve extending therealong to receive an elongated stiffening member. A lower wall of the float is stiffener by stiffeners to provide a step having an essentially upright transversely extending step wall. The float has a plurality of internal baffles which form inflatable compartments within the float, preferable to receive air filled bladders. The elongated stiffening member extending through the first sleeve has exposed portions to provide access for attachment means which cooperate with the exposed portions to permit the stiffening member to cooperate with an aircraft undercarriage. Wheels can be provided to permit the aircraft to be amphibious for landing on land as well as water, with various structures to permit changing relative positions of the wheels and the floats.

Abstract: Rescue apparatus for rescuing a person in water has a body with inflatable pontoons interconnected by upper and lower frames to provide an opening between the pontoons to receive the person. Thrusters cooperate with the lower frame below the surface, and receive power and control signals to control movement of the apparatus on the surface. A net enclosure encloses the pontoons and frames and has an opening adjacent one end to receive the person. The upper portion of the apparatus is lighter than the lower portion, preferably by having the upper frames inflatable, to provide a low center of gravity for self-righting if the apparatus becomes inadvertently inverted. The lower frame can include two generally U-shaped frame members which are shaped to fit one within the other to reduce storage volume of the collapsed apparatus when the pontoons are deflated.

Abstract: A collapsible liquid container apparatus, particularly for use with helicopters for carrying and storing fuel, has a bladder-like tank having closable ports to admit and discharge fuel. The apparatus has a frame to support the tank, and a harness cooperating with the tank and the frame to suspend the tank from the frame. Preferably, the frame has three legs and the tank is suspended between the three legs, and is restrained against excessive lateral movement relative to the frame. The harness includes a plurality of flexible tension links which extend from peripherally spaced locations on the tank. The locations are within a generally horizontal plane positioned approximately mid-way between uppermost and lowermost portions of the tank when filled to permit an upper portion of the tank to collapse inside a lower portion of the tank as the tank empties.

Abstract: A collapsible fire fighting bucket to be suspended from an aircraft and to be filled from an open body of water. The bucket has two means for adjusting the capacity thereof to accomodate load carrying capacity of the aircraft. One means includes sidewall stiffening means in the bucket sidewall which bulge outwardly under load. The second means includes an adjusting means around the side wall for adjustably restricting the circumference thereof and thereby reducing the capacity of the bucket. A bucket assembly comprising a main bucket and a booster bucket is used for filling from shallow water. The booster bucket empties into the main bucket on lifting to give the main bucket a better fill.

Abstract: Collapsible fire fighting bucket is suspended from helicopter and filled from a lake. The bucket has a tubular extension with a discharge port extending from its bottom for dumping water onto the fire. The extension can be released from and withdrawn into the bucket by remote control, and a lip seal around the discharge port closes automatically to minimize leakage from the full bucket. Stiffeners in the side wall of the bucket adapt the bucket to the desired capacity without the use of conventional spill ports.

Abstract: A destructive device for automobile radio equipment in which the radio equipment and an over-load power source connected in circuit to the radio equipment are enclosed in an open-front box closable by a removable face plate normally locked over the box by a key-operated lock, the circuit having two switches in series, one of them being actuated to a closed position when the face plate is removed and the other being normally closed when the lock is closed and opened when the lock is opened so that the circuit is closed to destroy the radio equipment when an attempt is made to remove the face plate without first operating the lock to an open position.