While working for General Dynamics in Ft. Worth, TX, Dr. Knezek packed up his family in 1972 and left Arlington for a 2 1/2 year move to Ohio. In 1975, he obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Ohio State University. Upon his return to Texas, he continued his work at General Dynamics, then Lockheed Martin, a career that would span almost 40 years.
In the early 1980s during the beginning stages of production of the F-16 aircraft, some difficulties with the original engine were encountered. As a result, Dr. Knezek pushed a new type of engine and, along with Air Force personnel, convinced General Electric to join in an effort to develop an alternate engine that would cost millions of dollars. In turn, it would produce an innovative engine to fulfill the F-16 needs and is still being used today.
In 2006, AmeriBand LLC was founded by Dr. Knezek. In 2012, after doing what mechanical engineers do for solving the world’s problems, Dr. Knezek’s focus turned back to new engine designs. What Dr. Knezek discovered was some major problems with current piston engines that he looked into solving. The problems consisted of:
Dr. Knezek conducted research on engine designs employing a wobble plate mechanism for connecting oscillatory motion of pistons to a rotating power shaft, applying for 3 US Patents along the way. He sponsored several senior-level student projects in the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), relating to the AspireCVD engine design. The engine work performed and analyzed with the assistance of the UTA mechanical engineering department led to an early prototype, applications for 3 additional US Patents, and a letter of support from Robert L. Woods, PhD, Professor of Mechanical Engineering University Of Texas Arlington.
The efforts of Dr. Knezek led to the current design of a Continuously Variable Displacement (CVD) engine with an entirely new Piston Control Mechanism, as well as a new Hydraulic Valve Actuation System. Both new features are patented, for a total of 6 US patents awarded over a 4 year period.
A new concept design, a true Continuously (Infinitely) Variable Displacement engine of 3:1 has been patented by Dr. Robert A. Knezek, PhD. A total of six patents related to this engine are assigned to his company, AmeriBand LLC.
Dr. Knezek was a Project Engineer, Senior Engineering Specialist and Program Manager at Lockheed Martin / General Dynamics. He served as project lead for several projects involving advanced propulsion systems during his tenure with Lockheed Martin / General Dynamics, including serving as Chief Engineer for design and integration of the GE F-101 engine into the F-16 fighter jet.
Mike Pastusek, Co-Inventor and Consultant, started his career in college as a manufacturing engineer and tool designer. He went on to be plant manager for Texas Rubber Co and manufacturing engineer at Murry Rubber and Dixel Manufacturing. Mike was also the operations manager for Weatherford International's manufacturing division.
For the last 40+ years, he founded and bought several manufacturing companies which have been built up to over 100,000 square feet of automated machining and manufacturing of complex electrical, oil field, aircraft, automobile, and engine components. Customers include Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Bell Helicopter, Fisher Controls, Cameron Valve, Schlumberger, and Halliburton.
Mike is named with Dr. Knezek on several of the patents involving the Continuously Variable Displacement engine.
