Patents by Inventor Ronald E. Waclawik

Ronald E. Waclawik 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: 5551364
    Abstract: There is presented an assembly comprising an underwater vehicle and a comation directional control and cable interconnect device therefor. The underwater vehicle remains underwater during travel of the vehicle through water. The directional control and cable interconnect device comprises a single arm extendible from one side of the underwater of vehicle. The arm includes a multiplicity of fins in a compact array for contact with the water through which the vehicle moves, each of the fins having an uncambered, neutral lift cross-section matching the hydrodynamic streamline flow thereabout at predetermined vehicle speed below the cavitation threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Cipolla, Ronald E. Waclawik
  • Patent number: 5551365
    Abstract: There is presented in combination, a water vehicle and a directional cont means therefor. The water vehicle includes at least a portion thereof which is underwater during travel of the vehicle through water. The directional control means comprises a plurality of symmetrically disposed arms extendible from sides of the underwater portion of the vehicle. The arms each include a multiplicity of fins in a compact array for contact with the water through which the vehicle portion moves, each of the fins having an uncambered, neutral lift cross-section matching the hydrodynamic streamline flow thereabout at predetermined vehicle speed below the cavitation threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Cipolla, Ronald E. Waclawik, Charles L. Elste
  • Patent number: 5551363
    Abstract: There is presented an assembly comprising an underwater vehicle and a comation directional control and cable interconnect means therefor. The underwater vehicle remains underwater during travel of the vehicle through water. The directional control and cable interconnect means comprise arms extendible from sides of the underwater vehicle. Each of the arms includes a multiplicity of fins in a compact array for contact with the water through which the vehicle moves, each of the fins having an uncambered, neutral lift cross-section matching hydrodynamic streamline flow thereabout at predetermined vehicle speed below the cavitation threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: September 3, 1996
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Cipolla, Ronald E. Waclawik, Charles L. Elste
  • Patent number: 5549065
    Abstract: There is presented in combination, a water vehicle and a directional cont device therefor. The water vehicle includes at least a portion thereof which is underwater during travel of the vehicle through water. The directional control device comprises a single arm extendible from one side of the underwater portion of the vehicle. The arm includes a multiplicity of fins in a compact array for contact with the water through which the vehicle portion moves, each of the fins having an uncambered, neutral lift cross-section matching the hydrodynamic streamline flow thereabout at predetermined vehicle speed below the cavitation threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: August 27, 1996
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Jeffrey L. Cipolla, Ronald E. Waclawik
  • Patent number: 5410978
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing a pressurized liquid to a launch tube for launng projectiles into a liquid medium. The device comprises an elastomeric bladder disposed inside a cylindrical bypass tube. The bypass tube is hollow with a sealing ring disposed on the inner surface of the tube. One end of the bypass tube is open to the liquid medium, and the other end of the tube is hydraulically connected to the launch tube. The elastomeric bladder is of generally cylindrical shape with an annular thinned portion. The open end of the bladder is hydraulically connected to a valve which controls charging of the bladder, storage of liquid within the bladder and discharge of the bladder. The bladder expands when it is filled with pressurized seawater thereby causing the thinned portion of the bladder to contact the sealing ring and seal the bypass tube to prevent the external liquid medium from communicating with the launch tube through the bypass tube.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 2, 1995
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Ronald E. Waclawik, Scott D. Boyd
  • Patent number: 5377165
    Abstract: Submarines are provided with underwater self-propelled vehicles that are nched from the submarines and guided by trailing fiber optic cables. Each underwater vehicle has a hull that is separable, and that defines a socket for mating with one end of the separable forward hull portion of another identical vehicle. The separable hull portions of one vehicle, when separated remain connected by a fiber optic line so that a homing device on this line can be used to link up with the transponder aboard the other vehicle. Wings on the latter vehicle guide the line toward a socket that accepts or mates with the end of the one vehicle hull portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 1994
    Date of Patent: December 27, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Kenneth M. LaPointe, Ronald E. Waclawik, Robert C. Thibodeau
  • Patent number: 5339762
    Abstract: An apparatus for ejecting a tethered underwater device, such as a communiions instrument package, from a naval vessel such a submarine is taught. The system incorporates a relatively long hydraulically operated launch tube thereby permitting slow acceleration of the device to achieve the desired muzzle velocity resulting in a reduced acoustic pressure wave upon launch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1993
    Date of Patent: August 23, 1994
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Ronald E. Waclawik, George M. Duarte, Louis P. Dinola
  • Patent number: 5220731
    Abstract: A spring force loaded contact wheel mounted in a stationary position relae to a reciprocating shaft is disclosed. The apparatus of the present invention includes a tensioning assembly for maintaining absolute contact between the contact wheel and the reciprocating shaft wherein the tensioning assembly urges the contact wheel against the shaft to maintain contact therebetween so that the wheel turns as the shaft is linearly displaced. A rotary encoding device is coupled to the wheel for translating the angular and rotational movement thereof into an electronic signal for providing linear displacement information and derivative data with respect to displacement of the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 1991
    Date of Patent: June 22, 1993
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Ronald E. Waclawik, James L. Cayer, Kenneth M. LaPointe
  • Patent number: H1101
    Abstract: At the output end of a piping system, components subject to vibration and ock are isolated from components at the input end of the system. The isolation is achieved by a clamping arrangement in which a plurality of deformable isolation material components are inserted between the two ends. The system operates under a high fluid pressure and is arranged to enable the high pressure to act upon the isolation material to assist in forming a seal within the flow path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 1989
    Date of Patent: September 1, 1992
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Ronald E. Waclawik