Abstract: The invention provides a device for moving an object, such as an entertainment module, between a storage location within a housing location (such as the armrest of a seat) and a user location outside of the housing. The device employs a track with a central slot. A truck assembly is slideably attached to the track. The truck assembly has a load-bearing plate on one side of the track and a backing plate on the reverse side of the track. The load-bearing plate and the backing plate are held to one another by a pair of pins. Around each pin, disposed within the slot, is a bushing, preferably made of polyetheretherketone. It is also preferable that washers be disposed between the track plates and the track to assure smooth movement of the truck along the track. The device is ideally suited for moving an entertainment module, such as a video monitor, in and out of an armrest between two airline seats.

Abstract: Disclosed is a water dispensing system for an aircraft wherein hot and cold water supplied to a faucet disposed above a washbasin in a controlled manner including solenoid valves for both the hot and cold water. Two manually operated switches are employed to energize, respectively, the hot and cold solenoid valves. Two different timing cycles are employed. In one timing cycle, when one switch is actuated and then the other switch is actuated within a predetermined time period, both solenoid valves will be turned on to provide approximately equal volumes of water to the faucet for a predetermined time period. In another timing cycle, when one switch is actuated and the other switch is actuated within a predetermined time period, the solenoid valve means energized by the first switch will be turned off and the second solenoid valve will be turned on for a predetermined time period.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mechanism for closing and locking two doors of the cowling of an aircraft engine. This mechanism includes a bolt which is received in a chamber of a receptacle. The bolt is connected to one door and the receptacle is connected to the other door so that, upon closure of the two doors, the bolt slips into the chamber. A cam attached to a rotary member housed within the chamber enables a single mechanic to close the doors and lock them snugly. This cam engages a finger on the bolt upon rotation of the rotary member which draws the bolt into the chamber by pulling against the finger. The cam moves into an over center position which securely locks the bolt in place without locking bolt travel. A locking device is additionally provided for locking the rotatable member in position when the bolt is locked in place. This locking device has a plunger which provides audible signals when the cam is in the fully opened position and when the mechanism is securely locked.

Abstract: A sink and faucet assembly is disclosed for use in an aircraft environment. The assembly includes a source of hot and cold water that is pressurized to dispense through the faucet and also contains a vent to purge the system when the aircraft is on the ground. The faucet has a control member which regulates the flow of hot and cold water into the faucet through a mixing chamber by rotating, and which initiates the flow of water from the source by actuating a switch to energize a solenoid valve when moved rectilinearly. The solenoid valve is also timed such that it stops the flow of water after a pre-determined time period after having been actuated.

Abstract: An aircraft door latching bolt actuating mechanism in which inside and outside handles are provided to selectively actuate a crank having connections with one or more door latching bolts. The outside handle is supported for movement between a normal, generally flush non-operative position and a non-flush operative position permitting movement of the crank to a bolt releasing position. In one form, the handle is pivoted between its ends for swinging movement between its flush and non-flush positions, and in another form is spring biased for pop-up movement from the flush to non-flush position. The outside handle is normally retained in its flush position by a latch or lock engaged with a releasable keeper which can be manually released from the door exterior to enable use of the outside handle. When utilizing the inside handle, a connected first cam operates to release the keeper to enable movement of the pop-up handle embodiment to its non-flush position.

Abstract: A passive safety belt system has lap and chest belts with a common connector for releasably connecting inner ends of the belts to a safety belt buckle mounted by a floor anchor strap at a position adjacent the inboard hip of a passenger, outer ends of the belts are anchored in vehicle sensitive inertia retractors mounted on the vehicle door and the lap belt is moved automatically on opening of the vehicle door by lap belt lifting means operatively connected between the vehicle door and portions of the lap belt generally adjacent the door and running to the associated door mounted retractor so that the lap belt is lifted relative the vehicle seat when the door is opened, but allowed to move to its normal position on closing of the vehicle door, the lap belt lifting means being biased to a stowed out of the way position generally adjacent the door when the door is closed.

Abstract: A dual spool safety belt retractor having first and second ratchet means on first and second spools, respectively, is provided with an improved dual locking pawl emergency locking means including an action pawl for engaging only the ratchet wheel means of the first spool in response to actuation by inertia sensing means and reaction pawl means separate from the action pawl means for reacting in response to movement of the action pawl on its engagement with the first spool to cause locking of the second spool by the separate reaction pawl. Resilient connecting means are illustrated between the action and reaction pawl means for resiliently urging the reaction pawl into locking engagement with the ratchet wheel of the second spool in a continuing manner to overcome false locking conditions, exemplary embodiments of the resilient connecting means including a flexible linkage, a resilient rubber-like body, a leaf spring, a coil spring and a right angle leaf spring.

Abstract: A pendulum inertia sensor assembly for self-aligning the pendulum weight body in response to forward or rearward tilting of the retractor frame. A pendulum saddle is provided having an annular pendulum hanging surface which is inclined from a horizontal orientation. The pendulum head is cocked on the pendulum neck so that the saddle seating surface on the pendulum head seats entirely on the pendulum hanging surface while the pendulum weight body is suspended vertically below. As the retractor frame and pendulum saddle are tilted forward or rearward, the pendulum head rotates seatingly about the pendulum hanging surface as the pendulum weight is moved to its new vertical position. The saddle contact surface on the pendulum head and pendulum hanging surface on the saddle are made from low friction materials to allow low resistance rotation of the pendulum head during automatic adjustment and realigning of the pendulum body during retractor frame tilting.

Abstract: An emergency locking safety seat belt retractor for restraining passengers in a vehicle has a seat belt wound upon a spool biased toward a fully wound condition, a pawl and ratchet means operable in response to vehicle deceleration to lock the spool against belt unwinding movement and a unitary pawl control means carried by a helically threaded shaft mounted on the retractor frame and rotatably driven by protractive and retractive rotation of the spool to inhibit pawl and ratchet locking of the spool in predetermined manner in response to both the direction of rotation of the spool and the amount of protractive rotation of the spool as the seat belt is placed in use.

Abstract: An inertia switch resettably breaks an electrical contact upon a change in the momentum of the switch body above a predetermined level or upon inversion of the switch body. An inertia sensing pendulum detects momentum changes upon the switch body and upwardly moves an actuator shaft upon a momentum change above a level determined by a biasing mechanism. The actuator shaft is coupled to an electric contact mechanism, which resettably interrupts an electrical connection upon the upward movement of the actuator shaft. A moveable mass in a cylindrical cavity is coupled to the contact mechanism and causes the electrical connection to be broken in response to an inversion of the body. A reset mechanism coupled to the contact mechanism, reestablishes the interrupted electrical connection when manual force is applied to the reset means.