Patents by Inventor Thomas W. Bennett

Thomas W. Bennett 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: 9354769
    Abstract: A technique electronically controls commitment of a change to stored information. The technique involves accessing a reviewer database to ascertain a set of reviewers assigned to review proposed changes to the stored information. The technique further involves electronically notifying the set of reviewers to review a particular proposed change to the stored information after the set of reviewers is ascertained. Each reviewer is able to electronically approve or reject the particular proposed change to the stored information. The technique further involves (i) electronically preventing commitment of the particular proposed change to the stored information while less than a predefined number of electronic approvals has been received from the set of reviewers and (ii) electronically enabling commitment of the particular proposed change to the stored information upon receipt of the predefined number of electronic approvals from the set of reviewers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2016
    Assignee: EMC Corporation
    Inventors: Santhosh V. Kudva, Michael E. Bappe, Helen S. Raizen, Thomas W. Bennett
  • Patent number: 7578480
    Abstract: A reefing apparatus for controlling inflation of a gliding wing parachute which has a generally rectangular or trapezoidal canopy with four outer corners. The reefing mechanism includes a primary reefing loop with four supplemental reefing loops movably secured thereto by loops and connected through mounting rings to the four corners of the canopy to retain it in a general cloverleaf shape during initial stages of deployment and responsive to cutting of the primary reefing loop for release thereof for allowing full deployment or deployment into another reefed stage of the gliding wing canopy. The suspension lines are divided into four groups primarily defined by the corner closest to the point of attachment between the suspension line and the canopy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignees: Pioneer Aerospace Corporation, The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Thomas W. Bennett, Roy L. Fox, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20080258012
    Abstract: A reefing apparatus for controlling inflation of a gliding wing parachute which has a generally rectangular or trapezoidal canopy with four outer corners. The reefing mechanism includes a primary reefing loop with four supplemental reefing loops movably secured thereto by loops and connected through mounting rings to the four corners of the canopy to retain it in a general cloverleaf shape during initial stages of deployment and responsive to cutting of the primary reefing loop for release thereof for allowing full deployment or deployment into another reefed stage of the gliding wing canopy. The suspension lines are divided into four groups primarily defined by the corner closest to the point of attachment between the suspension line and the canopy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2007
    Publication date: October 23, 2008
    Inventors: Thomas W. Bennett, Roy L. Fox
  • Patent number: 6220547
    Abstract: A large scale parafoil apparatus which makes use of an energy attenuator positioned between the initially deployed drogue parachute and the parafoil for controlling the initial stages of deployment thereof and significantly reducing rebound to enhance the deployment of the parafoil canopy in an orderly manner with the suspension lines thereof extending from the canopy to the load retained therebelow being maintained under continual tension during canopy deployment for enhancing rapid and full deployment thereof. The energy attenuating device is a ripstitch modulator having preferably multiple ripstitch sections for gradually decreasing the force resistant to separating the drogue from the parafoil and ultimately completely separating to allow full deployment of the parafoil canopy. The parafoil canopy defines a plurality of air cells with one main air cell being deployed in the lateral central location thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2001
    Assignee: Pioneer Aerospace Corporation
    Inventors: John J. Smith, Thomas W. Bennett, Roy L. Fox, Jr.