Patents by Inventor Thomas A. Darnell

Thomas A. Darnell 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: 9415711
    Abstract: A head and neck support (HANS) device comprises a collar, a left leg unit, a right leg unit, and a leg unit rotation control assembly. The collar may be positioned behind a wearer's neck. The left leg unit may be coupled to a left side of the collar to engage the wearer's left shoulder and chest area. The right leg unit may be coupled to a right side of the collar to engage the wearer's right shoulder and chest area. The leg unit rotation control assembly may include male splines and female splines to allow the leg units to rotate with respect to the collar when the female splines are separated from the male splines and to rigidly fix the position of the leg units with respect to the collar when the female splines are interlocked with the male splines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: SIMPSON PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas A. Darnell
  • Publication number: 20130104295
    Abstract: A head and neck support (HANS) device comprises a collar, a left leg unit, a right leg unit, and a leg unit rotation control assembly. The collar may be positioned behind a wearer's neck. The left leg unit may be coupled to a left side of the collar to engage the wearer's left shoulder and chest area. The right leg unit may be coupled to a right side of the collar to engage the wearer's right shoulder and chest area. The leg unit rotation control assembly may include male splines and female splines to allow the leg units to rotate with respect to the collar when the female splines are separated from the male splines and to rigidly fix the position of the leg units with respect to the collar when the female splines are interlocked with the male splines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2011
    Publication date: May 2, 2013
    Applicant: HUBBARD DOWNING INC
    Inventor: Thomas A. Darnell
  • Publication number: 20090114197
    Abstract: A gas-capped nitrous oxide system configured to supply nitrous oxide to a combustion engine comprises a nitrous bottle with a liquid and vapor mixture of pressurized nitrous oxide, an auxiliary bottle with pressurized capping gas, and a variable-flow regulator that fluidly interconnects the bottles. The auxiliary bottle and regulator cooperatively supply capping gas to keep the liquid portion of the nitrous oxide in the liquid phase as the nitrous oxide evacuates the nitrous bottle. The regulator is configured to supply a substantially constant discharge pressure while varying the capping gas flow rate so that the system provides a substantially constant nitrous oxide flow rate to the engine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2007
    Publication date: May 7, 2009
    Applicant: DARNELL, INC. OF KANSAS
    Inventor: Thomas A. Darnell
  • Patent number: 7416261
    Abstract: The quick-change adjustable track center front hub assembly is secured to a spindle axle of a sprint car by a friction drive bearing system located between the spindle axle and the front hub assembly. The bearings are spaced apart to provide increased side and torsional load carrying capability. In addition, the hub includes a section of external splines for accepting at least one spacer and a wheel center section both having internal splines for mating with the external splines on the hub. A single lug nut connects to the outboard end of the hub for securing the spacers and wheel center sections to the front hub assembly to provide a quick-change arrangement not found before in sprint-type cars. A brake rotor is attached to the hub inboard of the spacers and wheel center section, thus allowing unimpaired accessibility to the wheel center section and spacers for quick-changing and adjusting the track center of the front wheels of the sprint-type cars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Hiper Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas A. Darnell
  • Publication number: 20060220444
    Abstract: The quick-change adjustable track center front hub assembly is secured to a spindle axle of a sprint car by a friction drive bearing system located between the spindle axle and the front hub assembly. The bearings are spaced apart to provide increased side and torsional load carrying capability. In addition, the hub includes a section of external splines for accepting at least one spacer and a wheel center section both having internal splines for mating with the external splines on the hub. A single lug nut connects to the outboard end of the hub for securing the spacers and wheel center sections to the front hub assembly to provide a quick-change arrangement not found before in sprint-type cars. A brake rotor is attached to the hub inboard of the spacers and wheel center section, thus allowing unimpaired accessibility to the wheel center section and spacers for quick-changing and adjusting the track center of the front wheels of the sprint-type cars.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2005
    Publication date: October 5, 2006
    Applicant: Hiper Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas Darnell
  • Publication number: 20030080609
    Abstract: A lightweight, energy-absorbing, flexible vehicle wheel (12) constructed from an injection molded engineered polymer, such as, for example, a toughened nylon reinforced with carbon fibers, glass fibers, or kevlar fibers, wherein the wheel (12) may be embodied in either modular or one-piece construction. In a modular embodiment, the wheel (12) comprises broadly comprises an inboard wheel half (14); an outboard wheel half (16); a center section (18); a bead lock ring (20); and a removable mud plug (22). Stiffening ribs (38,54,55) and varying cross-sectional thicknesses are provided in the inboard and outboard wheel halves (14,16) for controlling stiffness; gaskets (70), O-rings (71), or dynamic u-cup seals (73) are provided for sealing contact surfaces (40,44,64,66); and an interlocking alignment mechanism (62,82) is provided for aligning the bead ring (20) on the outboard wheel half (16).
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Applicant: HIPER TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Thomas A. Darnell
  • Patent number: D493760
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2004
    Assignee: HiPer Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Thomas A. Darnell
  • Patent number: D494118
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2004
    Assignee: Hi-Per Technology
    Inventor: Thomas A. Darnell