Larry S Ingram

US Patent:

58297847, Nov 3, 1998

Filed:

Feb 13, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/800189

Inventors:

Steven Joseph Brown - Pittsfield MA
Larry Stefan Ingram - Lawrenceville NJ
Neale Arthur Messina - Philadelphia PA
Fedor Olszanskyj - Richmond MA
William Hugo Reitz - Lawrenceville NJ

Assignee:

General Dynamics Armament Systems, Inc. - Falls Church VA

International Classification:

B60R 2126

US Classification:

280737

Abstract:

To achieve a reduced inflation rate of an airbag in a vehicle occupant restraint apparatus, an airbag inflator is provided with a seal ring acting, in response to initial pressurization by a pyrotechnic initiator, to open injection ports, such that liquid propellant may be regeneratively pumped by a piston from a reservoir into a combustion chamber for combustion. The resulting combustion gases flow through a series of swirl chambers to increase residence time and through a plenum chamber where the combustion gases are cooled. The combustion gases exit the plenum chamber as an airbag inflation gas.

US Patent:

56391170, Jun 17, 1997

Filed:

Jun 5, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/658436

Inventors:

John Mandzy - Pittsfield MA
Steven Joseph Brown - Pittsfield MA
Neale Arthur Messina - Philadelphia PA
Larry Stefan Ingram - Lawrenceville NJ

Assignee:

Lockheed Martin Corporation - Bethesda MD

International Classification:

B60R 2126

US Classification:

280741

Abstract:

To achieve programmed inflation of an airbag in a vehicle occupant restraint apparatus, movement of a piston, that separates a combustion chamber from a liquid propellant reservoir, is utilized to vary the opening size of an injection port through which liquid propellant is regeneratively pumped from the reservoir into the combustion chamber for combustion, such that the rate at which the bag inflation gas is generated during an inflation period may be controlled.

US Patent:

57135967, Feb 3, 1998

Filed:

Jul 1, 1996

Appl. No.:

8/674063

Inventors:

Neale Arthur Messina - Philadelphia PA
Larry Stephan Ingram - Lawrenceville NJ

Assignee:

Lockheed Martin Corporation - Bethesda MD

International Classification:

B60R 2126

US Classification:

280737

Abstract:

An apparatus for deploying an inflatable member, such as a safety bag in a motor vehicle, includes a hydraulic actuator for amplifying the fluid pressure in a combustion chamber, initially generated by a pyrotechnic initiator, and applying the amplified fluid pressure to continuously pressurize a liquid propellant reservoir to magnitudes exceeding the combustion chamber fluid pressure. All of the liquid propellant in the reservoir is then rapidly injected as a continuous stream into the combustion chamber for ignition and sustained combustion, thereby generating the volume of combustion gases necessary to fully inflate the safety bag.

US Patent:

6036226, Mar 14, 2000

Filed:

Dec 19, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/995419

Inventors:

Steven Joseph Brown - Pittsfield MA
Larry Stefan Ingram - Lawrenceville NJ
Neale Arthur Messina - Philadelphia PA
Marek Tarczynski - Princeton NJ

Assignee:

General Dynamics Armament Systems, Inc. - Falls Church VA

International Classification:

B60R 2126

US Classification:

280736

Abstract:

In an occupant restraint apparatus for installation in a vehicle, a smart airbag inflator is provided with a piston for regeneratively pumping liquid propellant from a reservoir into a combustion chamber for ignition and combustion to generate airbag inflation gases. To control the airbag inflation rate, the piston includes a piston head slidingly received in a damping chamber filled with a magneto-rheological fluid that is pumped through an orifice during the regenerative pumping stroke of the piston. An electromagnet is selectively energized to produce a varying magnetic field to adjust the viscosity of the magneto-rheological fluid flowing through the orifice and thus vary a damping force exerted on the piston stroke, thereby modulating the rate of liquid propellant combustion. Electromagnet current excitation is controlled in response to a particular accident scenario.

US Patent:

44346557, Mar 6, 1984

Filed:

Mar 8, 1982

Appl. No.:

6/355816

Inventors:

Martin Summerfield - Princeton NJ
Neale A. Messina - Pennington NJ
Larry S. Ingram - Cranbury NJ

Assignee:

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army - Washington DC

International Classification:

G01L 514

US Classification:

73167

Abstract:

A black powder flamespread tester is disclosed in which powder to be qualed is packed in a sample tube provided with a plurality of sight holes. Light sensors are disposed adjacent each sight hole and emit signals upon flame front passage of the sight hole. The sample tube is removably secured to an ignition head which contains an electrically actuated pyrotechnic squib. The squib discharges gases into a transition chamber from which the gases pass through orifices in an orifice plate, through a void volume into the black powder bed, which ignites the black powder. The ignition head is removably secured to a tester chamber in which the sample holder is received. Light sensors are housed in a separate fin which is removably received in an aperture in the tester chamber wall. After the squib gas ignites the powder bed, the output signal of each light sensor increases to saturation as the flame front passes its respective sight hole. The output signal from each light sensor is conditioned and summed to form one output signal.