SMART THREAD
James helped me develop my patented “Smart Thread” security fastener system from a set of basic drawings and samples to something that is now quite innovative. James has a great eye for detail and produced comprehensive strength design calculations that can now be used to design a whole range of sizes and variants on my original concept. James also verified the calcs and the designs using FEA.
PROP SHAFT
James helped us out with light-weighting of our aerospace Wankel rotary engines. We picked out an aluminium prop shaft, identified as suitable to be made from a composite. James was very thorough in designing from first principles a CFRP tube ply layup that gave the exact strength and stiffness characteristics we needed, whilst being extremely light. He also designed terminals and a bonding system to hold it all together. His help and attention to detail has enabled our engineers to develop a far better understanding of the theory, calculations, design and manufacturing methodology required to produce successful prop shafts with significant weight savings.
TRIKE CHASSIS
I helped Nelson Rodrigues of Future Solutions Ltd develop his trike chassis for strength, weight and fatigue. A beam element based Solidworks FE model was created for initial design and development work and was used to refine the geometry and tube sizes.
PRAM ROCKING DEVICE
James Jones is the inventor of a portable and detachable pram rocking device. Inspired by experiences with his own baby son, he devised, designed and developed a product that has significant benefits over competing technologies. He now holds a British patent on it. The device worked fantastically well and sent his son off to sleep at the flick of a switch! The product development is well under way and it‘ll soon to be brought to market.
TWO WHEEL STEERING
James has a taste for simple lo-tech philosophies that work with the laws of physics and do clever things in simple ways. In his spare time he invented and developed a form of two wheel steering for motorcycles. He was particularly interested in bicycle dynamic theories and how they could be exploited to produce a vehicle with superior manoeuvrability. Although not seen as a practical application in the immediate term, the concept has shown potential benefits and has greatly assisted James in his development work on conventional cycles.