Abstract: A celestial tracking apparatus (20) has a support (26), a tracking assembly (28) coupled to the support (26) by an azimuth pivot (36), a collector assembly (30) coupled to the tracking assembly (28) by an elevation pivot (38), a wind-speed sensor (172), and a controller (150) coupled to the azimuth and elevation pivots (36,38) and configured to cause the collector assembly (30) to assume a wind-stow position (66) when the sensor (172) detects a wind having a speed greater than a predetermined speed, upon failure of a component of the apparatus (20), or upon receipt of a wind-stow command. The collector assembly (30) has a solar collector (22) with a substantially flat surface (24), a center of gravity (52), and a target axis (54) substantially perpendicular to the substantially flat surface (24) and passing through the center of gravity (52).

Abstract: A celestial tracking apparatus (20) has a support (26), a tracking assembly (28) coupled to the support (26) by an azimuth pivot (36), a collector assembly (30) coupled to the tracking assembly (28) by an elevation pivot (38), a wind-speed sensor (172), and a controller (150) coupled to the azimuth and elevation pivots (36,38) and configured to cause the collector assembly (30) to assume a wind-stow position (66) when the sensor (172) detects a wind having a speed greater than a predetermined speed, upon failure of a component of the apparatus (20), or upon receipt of a wind-stow command. The collector assembly (30) has a solar collector (22) with a substantially flat surface (24), a center of gravity (52), and a target axis (54) substantially perpendicular to the substantially flat surface (24) and passing through the center of gravity (52).

Abstract: A solar collector tracking system that has a solar collection device having multiple lens assemblies mounted on its front surface. An exoskeleton structure is secured to the rear surface of the solar collection device and it is pivotally secured about a horizontal axis to the front end of an azimuth platform assembly. A hydraulic elevation actuator is pivotally mounted in the azimuth platform assembly about a horizontal axis and the front end of its piston rod is pivotally connected to the rear surface of the solar collection device and this allows it to be pivoted approximately 90 degrees between a vertical operating position and a horizontal storage position. The azimuth platform assembly is journaled on the top end of a tower extending up from the ground. A tubular post is rigidly secured to the top end of the post. A drive head extends horizontally from the tubular post and it has a pivot pin that extends upwardly therefrom.

Abstract: A buckle system for release of a crew member's harness from a parachute. The buckle system has a frame which holds the harness. A tang assembly holds the parachute strap and snaps into the frame. The tang assembly is held by a latch which pivots between a closed position and an open position. The latch in turn is held by a lever which includes a cavity which holds the free end of the latch. When the lever is moved to an open position the latch is released. The latch has a spring which urges it into an open position. The result is a buckle system which can be opened with very little force being exerted on the lever. The lever is covered by a spring loaded cover. An automatic release is provided wherein a pyrotechnic charge opens the cover and lever and thereby releases the latch.

Abstract: A conventional webbing-locking inertia reel is modified by integration of a device for the prevention of slap-back lock of the inertia reel upon excessively rapid retraction of the webbing worn by a seat occupant as a safety belt and/or harness. The device also slows the retraction of the webbing enough to prevent a hard collision of the webbing stop at the inertia reel. This is accomplished by interacting the reel shaft with a specially designed damping disk so that both the shaft and the damping disk rotate counter-clockwise when an external force pulls the webbing from its rotatable spool, while simultaneously the shaft also interacts with a conventional housed return spring, causing it to wind and build up a rewinding force, which, when the external force is removed or ceases, causes rotation of the shaft, spool, and damping disk clockwise and rewinds the webbing on the spool.

Abstract: A leg assembly for mounting passenger seats in transport vehicles especially configured to absorb energy, in the event of a survivable crash or other sudden deceleration. The seat legs deform in a controlled manner to prevent loads at its floor attachment points from exceeding the magnitude of allowable floor strength. The leg assembly includes a base member whose forward and rear ends attach to the floor, and a V-leg whose lower vertex pivots about an axis passing through the front of the base member in the event of a forward crash. The V-leg has a vertical member and a diagonal member. A load-limiting strut connects the rear end of the base member to an intermediate area on the diagonal member of the V-leg. A tension link connects the intermediate area of the V-leg and to the upper end of the vertical member of the V-leg.

Abstract: An aircraft inertial webbing reel is mounted in a housing and has a ratchet wheel. A dog is mounted for spring-biased movement into engagement with the ratchet wheel teeth to lock the reel. A spring-biased blocking cam normally blocks movement of the dog. An inertia mass movable within a chamber has opposed end mounting surfaces with conical fittings which define an axis. A linkage comprising a pair of interconnected levers each having a distal end having a conical fitting. The fittings each confine a ball to mount the mass on the lever distal ends. A sliding and pivotal fitting interconnects the lever proximal ends and provides an overcenter mechanism normally biasing the lever distal ends toward each other and against the mounting surfaces to clamp the balls within the conical fittings. A predetermined acceleration of the aircraft in any direction causes the mass to shift the balls and move the lever distal ends away from each other.

Abstract: A parachute canopy strap connecting device comprises a male strap connector having a locking tang including a locking notch, a female strap connector having a housing including a slot for receiving the tang for insertion to a locking position, and a locking lever having a handle mounted on the housing and including a lock shoulder movable into and out of the slot as the locking lever is moved between extreme lock and unlock positions. A spring are provided to bias the locking lever to lock position, and a cover lever is mounted on the housing for movement between positions covering and uncovering the locking lever handle. A second spring biases the cover lever to covering position, and a blocking pawl is mounted on the housing for movement between a normal biased position, blocking movement of the locking lever from unlock to lock positions, and an unblocking position forced by engagement of a contact surface by the locking tang, upon its insertion to locking position.

Abstract: A seat belt webbing adjuster having a base frame provided with a moveable elongated load bar of unique shape having a substantially planar transverse surface and having multiple transverse rounded edges displaced therefrom and about which seat belt webbing is wrapped, the load bar being adapted to pinch the webbing against the body frame at the planar surface and to frictionally engage the webbing at the rounded edges. Inasmuch as said webbing is pinched only along the planar surface of the load bar, jamming of the webbing as it is adjusted is avoided and the webbing adjuster assembly can be made to loose tolerances, thus decreasing the manufacturing costs.

Abstract: A leg assembly with special floor attachment fittings for mounting passenger seats in transport aircraft is disclosed as being especially configured to absorb energy resulting from a survivable crash or other cause of sudden deceleration, for increased passenger safety. The leg assembly includes a special base member having improved load distribution characteristics and legs which are attached to the base member and the seat in a way which allows the seat and legs to move to a forwardly stroked position in the event of inertial loading in excess of the value required to operate an energy absorbing mechanism that is provided on the leg assembly. The special floor attachment fittings are configured to absorb forces applied in various directions to minimize fitting failures and the changes of the seat being torn loose from the floor.

Abstract: A bottom cushion for use in a seat of the type used in situations where an occupant could be subjected to spine damaging injury resulting from rapid vertical acceleration or deceleration. The seat cushion includes a frame mounted above the rigid seat pan of the seat with an air-permeable, flexible membrane suspendingly carried in the frame. The seat cushion is provided with a membrane adjusting mechanism by which an occupant applies tension to the membrane to lift his or her posterior above the seat pan for comfort reasons, and has a vertical displacement limiting mechanism which for safety reasons prevents the occupant from lifting the membrane and his or her posterior an excessive distance above the set pan.

Abstract: An inversion tube energy absorber, that absorbs energy by inverting a tube, is made to be capable of infinitely variable loading within a prescribed range by addition of a constricting device surrounding the inverted tube where it emerges from its housing. In this device, spherical balls in contact with the tube can be forced inwardly in radial directions by incline surfaces inside a rotatable ring surrounding the balls. This ring can be rotated as desired by turning a dial that is connected to the ring by a flexible shaft via gear systems.The invention also includes the method for making a variable-load energy absorber by addition of a device that creates additional force through plastic deformation in a selective manner in the basic device.

Abstract: A function generator is provided which establishes an output signal according to a functional relationship determined by the preformed contour of an easily precut cam member. The function generator includes a variable gain controller section coupled to a proximity sensing motion balance servomechanism which varies the gain of the controller according to the sensed proximity of the servomechanism to the edge of the cam member without physical contact therewith. The cam member's position is in turn determined by an input signal which may be related to the controller input signals or may be an independent signal from a remote source. The gain and consequently the output of the controller is varied according to the functional relationship determined by the precut contour of the cam member.