Abstract: A valve mountable to a bottom of a container around an opening, such as an aerial firefighting bucket, and has a hub and telescoping arms extending radially from the hub. The telescoping arms are connected to the hub and to the bottom of the container. Hence, they radiate from the hub to a periphery around the opening. The hub may be raised and lowered with respect to the opening. When raised the telescoping arms extend and when lowered the telescoping arms contract. A valve flap is connected to the telescoping arms and covers the opening when the hub is lowered to inhibit liquid flow out of the opening and exposes part of the opening as the hub is raised to allow liquid to flow past the valve flap.

Abstract: An aerial firefighting bucket assembly supported by a harness and includes an open bucket body with a bottom having an opening. A flexible tubular dump valve extends from the opening and has a free end defining a discharge port with a sealing lip defining two opposite lip portions. Pulleys or other roller mechanisms are mounted on one or the other of the lip portions, and end stops are mounted to the opposite lip portion such that each pulley faces an end stop. Flexible support lines from a control mechanism each pass through one pulley and terminate on the corresponding end stop. The lines when tensioned are drawn through the pulley and draw the corresponding end stop towards the pulley to bring the lip portions into sealing contact. The lines when slackened allow the lip portions to be forced apart for dumping water from the bucket.

Abstract: A frame assembly for a collapsible firefighting bucket for helicopters and being operable to open a rim of the bucket for filling with water and to collapse the rim for storage of the bucket, the frame assembly comprising a hub, a plurality of spokes radiating from the hub and being connected to the rim, each spoke having an inner end near the hub that is pivotably connected to the hub and an outer end near the rim that is pivotably connected to the rim, and a stop positioned below each pivotable connection of the inner end and the hub to limit the downward pivoting of the spoke relative to the hub. A collapsible firefighting bucket for helicopters having such frame assembly.

Abstract: A suspendible bucket apparatus is for use with an aircraft to permit dumping of two or more separate loads of water from a single filling of the bucket. The apparatus has an outer bucket with an outer dump valve and an inner bucket with an inner dump valve, inner bucket being located within the outer bucket. At least a portion of the inner bucket is spaced inwardly from the outer bucket to provide clearance therebetween for filling the outer bucket. The dump valves are flexible sleeve valves which are operable independently of each other and in sequence so that the outer dump valve is opened before the inner dump valve.

Abstract: Applicator for applying transverse traction sections to an automobile tire having a toothed cog mounted on the outer surface of the hub at each of the openings between the hub and rim, which are connected in driving engagement with a manually operated worm-gear drive unit, the lead of the worm being such as to lock the cog against rotation of its own accord. A perforated steel ribbon slidably extends out of one end of a sheath secured diametrically across the wheel hub, and passes over and in meshing engagement with the cog and extends through a channel secured to the rim at the opening. The steel ribbon is so arranged so that when the cog is operated to extend the steel ribbon out of the sheath, the lead end of the ribbon will curl around the tire from the inside to the outside so as to enable one end of a traction section to be secured thereto and then drawn over the tire by retracting the ribbon into the sheath.