Aeronautics and astronautics – Safety lowering devices – Parachutes
Patent
1987-02-11
1988-08-23
Barefoot, Galen
Aeronautics and astronautics
Safety lowering devices
Parachutes
B64D 1738
Patent
active
047655712
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed as an apparatus adapted to automatically free the parachutist of his weapon sheath, or any other equipment, or material which he may carry, in the course of the jump and particularly after completion of the opening of the parachute.
Presently, the sheath which contains the equipment of the parachutist, for example, his weapon, or any other material, is released, but remains connected to the parachutist by a connection, e.g., a cord, cable or the like, several meters long, such that damage to the equipment upon arrival on the ground is minimized. To this end, the parachutist pulls on a handle which extracts two pins from two fastening loops of the sheath which couple the sheath to suspension straps. Consequently, the sheath is separated from the parachutist. Inasmuch as this operation must happen very rapidly, but only after the opening of the parachute, time is often a problem particularly low altitude jumps.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To overcome this disadvantage, relates an automatic mechanical apparatus of the present invention has been development which includes a container placed within the equipment to be released and from which protrude two cables within sheaths for connection two pin controls retaining the loops of the equipment in the suspension straps carried by the parachutist.
The apparatus is adapted to exert a simultaneous pulling on the two cables with a sufficient delay to cause the extraction of the pins thereby liberating the equipment sheath, after the opening and stabilization of the parachute.
To this end, the container contains a plunger which is maneuverable through inertia due to the deceleration caused by the opening of the parachute, to activate a spring motor having a decelerator whose slow rotation causes the delayed unlatching of a detent spring causing the oscillation of a return lever to liberate the cables of the equipment sheath.
To prevent inadvertant activation of the apparatus, the apparatus is provided with two safeties which successively block the plunger.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The details of this apparatus as well as its operation will be better understood by the description which follows referring to the annexed drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the principle of the automatic release apparatus of the invention.
FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 illustrate the container which contains the apparatus, respectively: from the front, FIG. 2; in profile, FIG. 3; from the bottom, FIG. 4; and from the top, FIG. 5.
FIG. 6 schematically shows from the front and, on an increased scale, the double safety system for activating the motor. FIG. 6A shows the second latching position of the system.
FIG. 7 shows from the front and, on a magnified scale, the motor and its decelerator.
FIG. 8 is a profile view.
FIGS. 9 and 10 are detailed views of the motor, respectively: in elevation, FIG. 9; and in profile cross-section, FIG. 10.
FIG. 11 is a front view of the start-stop control system of the apparatus on the same scale as in the preceding figures.
FIG. 12 is an elevational view on a scale identical to the cable pulling system.
FIGS. 13 and 14 illustrate the detail of the cable heads, respectively: in elevation, FIG. 13; and profile FIG. 14.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the drawings, numeral 1 designates the container shown as a housing composed of two attachable portions. Protruding from the housing are two cables 3 encased in two sheaths 2. The cables have free ends each of which is provided a head 4 (FIGS. 13 and 14) in the form of a guide for a slide 5 provided with a tongue 6. The slide 5 is rendered may be integral with the end of cable 3 and is pressed into the latching position by a spring 7, a position in which the tongue 6 passes in front of a ring 8 which forms the anterior portion of the head 4.
The other end of cables 3 penetrates into container 1, where it connects with a lever 9 in a manner so as to be capable of being released by means of an abutment 10. In the posit
REFERENCES:
patent: 2414023 (1947-01-01), Cooper
patent: 2840328 (1958-06-01), Moran
patent: 3122392 (1964-02-01), Benditt et al.
patent: 3437295 (1969-04-01), Istel et al.
patent: 3466081 (1969-09-01), Femia
patent: 3468502 (1969-09-01), Kinney
Barefoot Galen
Societe Amatec
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