Celebrity Inventors
Magician Harry Houdini patented a "Diver's Suit" enabling the wearer to "quickly divest himself of the suit while being submerged and to safely escape and reach the surface of the water."
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8070096 | Systems and methods for recovering an airship An airship recovery system is disclosed including a first cushion pad configured to create a suction force on an outer portion of the airship to capture the airship during landing. An arm is coupled to the first cushion pad and movable between at least two different... | 12/06/2011 |
| 7391340 | Portable helicopter landing area and use method thereof The invention relates to a portable helicopter landing area and to the use method thereof. The inventive device comprises two cases (1, 2) which can be carried by the person on the ground (X) and which are intended to be disposed on the selected surface or ar... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7344108 | Landing assist apparatus interface bulkhead and method of installation An aircraft landing assist apparatus is designed to be retrofit to existing aircraft having internal constructions that have been modified to support the apparatus. The apparatus is designed so that on rough landings of the aircraft on a ship deck, the apparatus wil... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7275714 | Airship docking mechanism A system and method for docking an airship to a mooring mast includes a thruster that is mounted to the fore end of the airship. When activated, the thruster generates a thrust vector that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the airship and is... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7252266 | Landing assist apparatus eccentric bushing An aircraft landing assist apparatus is designed to be retrofit to existing aircraft having internal constructions that have been modified to support the apparatus. The apparatus is designed so that on rough landings of the aircraft on a ship deck, the apparatus wil... | 08/07/2007 |
| 7219856 | UAV recovery system A UAV capture system is disclosed. In the illustrative embodiment, the UAV capture system is coupled to the deck of a sea-faring vessel. The UAV capture system includes a single arresting line that is supported by a stanchion. In the illustrative embodiment, the sta... | 05/22/2007 |
| 7198226 | Landing assist apparatus retention strap spool An aircraft landing assist apparatus is designed to be retrofit to existing aircraft having internal constructions that have been modified to support the apparatus. The apparatus is designed so that on rough landings of the aircraft on a ship deck, the apparatus wil... | 04/03/2007 |
| 7175135 | Methods and apparatuses for capturing unmanned aircraft and constraining motion of the captured aircraft Methods and apparatuses for capturing and constraining motion of unmanned aircraft and other flight devices or projectiles. In one embodiment, the aircraft can be captured at an extendable boom. The boom can be extended to deploy a recovery line to retrieve the airc... | 02/13/2007 |
| 7121507 | Methods and apparatuses for capturing and storing unmanned aircraft, including methods and apparatuses for securing the aircraft after capture Methods and apparatuses for capturing, recovering, disassembling, and storing unmanned aircraft and other flight devices or projectiles are described. In one embodiment, the boom can be extended to deploy a recovery line to capture the aircraft in flight, a process ... | 10/17/2006 |
| 7114754 | Mobile construction support vehicle A vehicle for use in the construction trade to support steel building fabrication and support issues. In the preferred embodiment, the vehicle comprises a trailer, a mobile type unit containing enough equipment to handle most tasks used on a construction site, parti... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7114681 | Landing assist apparatus with offset landing probe An aircraft landing assist apparatus is designed to be retrofit to existing aircraft having internal constructions that have been modified to support the apparatus. The apparatus is designed so that on rough landings of the aircraft on a ship deck, the apparatus wil... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7097137 | Launch and recovery system for unmanned aerial vehicles A method of launching and retrieving a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) (10). The preferred method of launch involves carrying the UAV (10) up to altitude using a parasail (8) similar to that used to carry tourists aloft. The UAV is dropped and pic... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7066430 | Methods and apparatuses for capturing and recovering unmanned aircraft, including extendable capture devices Methods and apparatuses for capturing and recovering unmanned aircraft and other flight devices or projectiles are described. In one embodiment, the aircraft can be captured at an extendable boom. The boom can be extended to deploy a recovery line to retrieve the ai... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7055778 | Apparatus and method for lighter-than-air aircraft An apparatus and associated method for launching and recovering a lighter-than-air aircraft are provided. The aircraft includes an envelope that is substantially filled before launch with a lift gas and a second gas. The lift gas and second gas are substantially sep... | 06/06/2006 |
| 7040247 | Stabilizing surface for flight deck or other uses A mechanism for maintaining a surface such as a landing pad in a desired orientation with respect to a supporting surface includes a pair of columns that rotate with respect to each other. The angle at which the columns engage, or the angle at which the columns enga... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7028949 | Landing assist probe mounting system An aircraft landing assist apparatus is designed to be retrofit to existing aircraft having internal constructions that have been modified to support the apparatus. The apparatus is designed so that on rough landings of the aircraft on a ship deck, the apparatus wil... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7025304 | Helicopter messenger cable illumination An apparatus for illuminating the messenger cable of a helicopter includes a helicopter having a floor and including a RAST system; the RAST system comprising a messenger cable with a connector attached to one end for lowering to a landing deck of a ship, the RAST s... | 04/11/2006 |
| 6989769 | Safety index A method and system is utilized to produce an output corresponding to a safety level, particularly in relation to an activity on a moving body. The method involving producing an output corresponding to the ability to perform an operation within a safe limit on a mov... | 01/24/2006 |
| 6957716 | Emergency stairway escape apparatus for wheelchairs An emergency stairway escape apparatus permitting wheelchairs to egress a multi-story building via a stairway comprises a ramp platform of sufficient width to cover at least half of each stair tread and of sufficient length to span from an upper landing to a lower l... | 10/25/2005 |
| 6805321 | Device for mooring an aircraft A mooring device adapted particularly for an aircraft, includes at least one line (18) or the like ensuring connection between an anchoring point (20) on the aircraft and the ground, elements (26) for dynamically controlling the tension of the l... | 10/19/2004 |
| 6527226 | Flight deck handling system for landed aircraft A remotely controlled movably powered shuttle frame has foundation pads attached thereto at all four corner portions for separating skid pads of a helicopter from the flight deck of a marine vessel, wherein both the skid pads and the fight deck are outfit... | 03/04/2003 |
| 6394391 | Landing truck for an aircraft in a forced landing A landing truck for receiving an aircraft in a forced landing constituted with a wheeled vehicle independently driven by front and rear engines and steered synchronously via front and rear steering compartments, a landing frame controllably operative in c... | 05/28/2002 |
| 6264140 | Method for retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft without a runway A method and apparatus for retrieving an aircraft in a confined space involves hanging a cable, for example from a kite or mast, across the aircraft's flight path. The aircraft approaches the cable in steady forward flight, and may strike the cable at any... | 07/24/2001 |
| 6231007 | Method for the precise setting down or picking up of cargo from airships A method for the exact setting down or taking up of cargo from aircraft is disclosed. When setting down persons or cargo from aircraft which has not landed, the problem arises of an exact setting down not being possible, or only with great difficulty, in ... | 05/15/2001 |
| 6176671 | Apparatus for gripping, raising, orienting and transporting helicopters, in particular on decks of ships Apparatus for gripping, raising, orienting and transporting helicopters (102) in particular on decks (101a) of ships (101) provided with longitudinal rails (2) for guiding and constraining the apparatus, which comprises a cross-beam (1) movable in engagem... | 01/23/2001 |
| 6102331 | Operation of airports The present invention provides an airport and a method of operating an airport in which, when an aircraft lands on a runway of the airport, the aircraft drives onto or otherwise boards a vehicle and is transported on the vehicle to a disembarking/embarkin... | 08/15/2000 |
| 6064924 | Method and system for predicting ship motion or the like to assist in helicopter landing A method for a short-term prediction of future ship motion in open water to furnish visual cueing information that can be remotely presented to a pilot during an aircraft landing is described. Two sets of samples of the sea surface geometry along a radial... | 05/16/2000 |
| 6019314 | Aircraft handling apparatus Apparatus is disclosed for moving an aircraft across a deck surface from a landing position to a stowed position. The apparatus comprises a pair of control beams (26, 28). The control beams are propelled along longitudinal (6, 8) and transverse rails (22,... | 02/01/2000 |
| 5988564 | Aircraft turnaround apparatus A long arm for an aircraft turnaround apparatus mounted at one end to the floor of an aircraft hanger for swinging about a vertical axis causing a nose-wheel carriage at the free end of the arm to follow a semicircular path. The nose-wheel of an incoming ... | 11/23/1999 |
| 5850989 | Method and system for rapidly assembling a launch vehicle A method and a system of assembling a launch vehicle vertically on an aboveground platform are presented in the present invention. The method of the present invention enables a rapid assembly of the launch vehicle; thus substantially reducing the final co... | 12/22/1998 |
| 5806795 | Apparatus for manoeuvring helicopters in specially prepared areas of zones, provided with a movable frame on a cross-piece Apparatus for gripping, raising, orienting and transporting helicopters (2) in specially prepared areas or zones in particular on decks (1a) of ships (1), comprising a cross-piece (6) movable in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis (X--X) of the ... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5757157 | Sensor mount apparatus A sensor mount apparatus includes a loop for carrying a sensor payload. An upper portion of the loop includes at least one upper attachment point for receiving at least one upper tether line. A lower portion of the loop includes at least one lower attachm... | 05/26/1998 |
| 5687930 | System and components useful in landing airborne craft An improved system is provided suitable for use in landing an aircraft (for example, helicopter, RPV, VTOL) on shipboard comprising a support, base, platform or housing, reciprocal from remote a landing area on the deck of a ship to a position proximate t... | 11/18/1997 |
| 5664743 | Device for gripping, guiding and transporting wheeled helicopters particularly for ship's decks A device for gripping, guiding and moving wheeled-type helicopters, particularly on board ships, platforms and the like, comprising a pair of crossmembers (6) located parallel to longitudinal axis (X--X) of the vessel and capable of moving transversally t... | 09/09/1997 |
| 5570858 | Aircraft restraining system An aircraft restraining system is utilised for securing and handling an aircraft on the deck of a ship. The system includes two elongate restraining beams which ere transversely movable from respective storage positions for engaging at least two spaced po... | 11/05/1996 |
| 5527000 | Duplex complementary carrier A duplex complementary carrier includes a flight vehicle floating above the ground, a control system moving on the ground for controlling movement of the flight vehicle, and a connecting system connecting between the control system and the flight vehicle.... | 06/18/1996 |
| 5497962 | Mooring tower assembly for a lighter-than-air vehicle The invention is a mooring tower for a for a lighter-than-vehicle. In detail the invention includes a vertical tower having a vertical and lateral axis. A first support member is mounted on the top of said tower, which is rotatable in a horizontal plane a... | 03/12/1996 |
| 5470033 | Method for controlling a carrier which is used to carry a flight vehicle A method is provided for controlling a carrier which is used to carry a flight vehicle, the method including (a) providing a carrier and a control system mounted on a lower side thereof; (b) sending a signal to a flight vehicle to decrease a velocity ther... | 11/28/1995 |
| 5431359 | Docking system for a lighter-than-air vehicle The invention is a combination docking and cargo handling system for a lighter-than-air vehicle. In detail, the invention includes a cargo carrying structure mounted to the bottom of the vehicle extending along at least a portion of the longitudinal axis ... | 07/11/1995 |
| 5294078 | Integrated system and method for assembling, and then transporting and supporting a launch vehicle The system includes an assembly building of sufficient dimension to permit a launch vehicle to be vertically integrated within the building, and to simultaneously receive a combination launch pedestal-lift and transport unit within the building. The launc... | 03/15/1994 |
