Did You Know...
...Chester Carlson was a patent agent who tired of having to make multiple copies of patent applications using the only duplication method available at the time: carbon paper. In 1959 he came up with a new copying system and took it to IBM for evaluation. The "experts" at IBM determined potential sales to be only 5,000 units because people wouldn't want to use a bulky machine when they had carbon paper. Carlson's invention was the xerography process, the company founded on the system is Xerox.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7984876 | Aircraft walkway An aircraft 1 comprises a walkway 11 moveable between a stowed position and a deployed position. The aircraft may be arranged such that the walkway, in the deployed position, defines a path, at least a portion of which extends from the fuselage at an a... | 07/26/2011 |
| 6986485 | Overhead space access stowable staircase An overhead area access staircase system (10) for an aircraft (12) includes an aircraft overhead module (20) and multiple stair segments (40). The stair segments (40) are actuated relative to each other when deployed and are config... | 01/17/2006 |
| 6942233 | Retractable vehicle step A retractable step for use with a vehicle comprises a stepping member having a stepping deck, a first arm, a second arm, a motor and a stop. The first arm has a first end pivotally attached to the vehicle, and a second end pivotally attached to the stepping member. ... | 09/13/2005 |
| 6938909 | Retractable vehicle step A retractable step for use with a vehicle comprises a stepping member having a stepping deck, a first arm, a second arm, a motor and a stop. The first arm has a first end pivotally attached to the vehicle, and a second end pivotally attached to the stepping member. ... | 09/06/2005 |
| 6616098 | Mid-level deck for passenger aircraft A mid-level deck is provided as part of a main passenger cabin of a commercial aircraft and includes an elevated platform between the cabin floor and ceiling to provide additional storage space and areas for use by crew members. The mid-level deck also fa... | 09/09/2003 |
| 6450450 | Low cost structural fabrication that resists catastrophic failure under rapid thermal loading Provided is a fabrication that is simple to make and cost effective in optimizing performance for moderately extended high velocity missions of high performance airborne vehicles. To counter rapid thermal loading while providing a relatively low cost stru... | 09/17/2002 |
| 6382562 | AFT egress and control device for an aircraft An aircraft having a cabin within a wing of the aircraft includes an access opening in an aft end of the cabin adjacent a trailing edge of the wing, and a trailing edge portion of the wing juxtaposed with the access opening and including at least one pivo... | 05/07/2002 |
| 5806627 | Helicopter stairs A stair construction for a vehicle is attached to the vehicle at a position below a vehicle door and supports the weight of users entering and exiting the vehicle. In the event of forces that tend to bend or push the stairs upward into interference with t... | 09/15/1998 |
| 5803404 | Door actuation system having a variable damping device The damper is comprised of a set of core rotor magnets arranged in an opposing north/south configuration. A conducting material cylindrically encircles the rotor magnets. A set of stator magnets laterally encircle the conducting material and are arranged ... | 09/08/1998 |
| 5692706 | Inflatable float step-reinforcement system An improved step reinforcement system is disclosed for use in inflatable or pneumatic aircraft floats such as are employed in waterborne and amphibious aircraft. The float itself comprises a continuous tubular shell having spaced apart upper and lower wal... | 12/02/1997 |
| 5395075 | Stair and stairwell construction for connecting two decks in an aircraft A stair and stairwell construction for interconnecting two different decks, especially in an aircraft, includes stair treads, stringers, and a stairwell enclosure or housing. At least one of the just enumerated components is constructed to be positionable... | 03/07/1995 |
| 5335880 | Cargo compartment door for an aircraft A cargo compartment door for a passenger aircraft having about 80 to 150 seats, wherein the cargo compartment is located underneath the cabin floor, closes a loading opening (6) that extends from approximately a connection area (3, 4) between the cabin fl... | 08/09/1994 |
| 5143324 | Aircraft cabin stairs Aircraft cabin stairs to connect the aircraft fuselage to a parking area surface gave a frame comprising at least two telescoping segments as well as steps located in the region of the frame. An end segment forms part of the frame by means of side stringe... | 09/01/1992 |
| 5093677 | Apparatus for mounting a remote controlled, gyro-stabilized camera externally on a helicopter A truss-type structure for supporting a relatively large, heavy gyro-stabilized camera pod in a position forward of a helicopter nose, is connected to the brackets normally used for mounting the helicopter's steps. A counter-weight is internally mounted i... | 03/03/1992 |
| 4669574 | Foldable staircases for vehicles The present invention has as an object a foldable staircase for vehicles, for examples in airplane, which, once folded, is housed in a compartment provided in the fuselage. This staircase comprises: a carriage (4) slidably mounted in the compartment (1) which ... | 06/02/1987 |
| 4639032 | Tail gate step This invention is a retractable step which can be either retrofitted to a standard pickup truck type tail gate or can be made into the tail gate during manufacture. In this latter case, the step is of the disappearing type and would not be visible except ... | 01/27/1987 |
| 4482113 | Integrated paratroop door A deployable platform for use in conjunction with an outwardly opening hinged door on the body structure of a vehicle is described which comprises a hydraulically or pneumatically actuated platform pivotally mounted to the vehicle at the doorway opening a... | 11/13/1984 |
| 4453684 | Step operated locking mechanism for aircraft lower door Upper and lower sectional doors of rectangular configuration are mounted within an aircraft fuselage door frame and hinged for pivoting about horizontal axes at the upper and lower horizontal edges of respective door sections. A step is mounted to the int... | 06/12/1984 |
| 4440364 | Retractable aircraft step A retractable aircraft step module comprises a streamlined fairing having a recess for receiving a retractable step member which is connected to the fairing by spaced apart pivot links which together with the step member and the body member form a four ba... | 04/03/1984 |
| 4175495 | Entrance step arrangement for a short distance transport vehicle An entrance step arrangement particularly for short distance vehicles, especially rail vehicles, which has at least one intermediate step, a cover for covering up the step or steps, a foldable guard plate, and transmission elements interposed between a dr... | 11/27/1979 |
| 4039163 | Aircraft cargo ramp A cargo ramp stowable within the cargo compartment of an aircraft and deployable between the sill region of the aircraft cargo opening and the surface of the ground is disclosed. The cargo ramp, which is arranged for ease of deployment and stowage, includ... | 08/02/1977 |
| 4014486 | Door activated airborne stair structure An air stair-door combination for an aircraft is described in which interference between the door and the stairway in opening and closing thereof is eliminated by delayed motion of the stairway until the door is moved through a significant portion of its ... | 03/29/1977 |
| 3941337 | Airplane stairway A stairway for aircraft which will fold into a compact package. The stairway is mounted on suitable tracks within the aircraft for alternate positioning, either in alignment with a door thereof for extension therethrough or for movement as a compact packa... | 03/02/1976 |
