Aeronautics and astronautics – Safety lowering devices – Parachutes
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-13
2001-10-16
Jordan, Charles T. (Department: 3644)
Aeronautics and astronautics
Safety lowering devices
Parachutes
C244S137300, C244S15100A, C244S147000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06302359
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to the air delivery of material. It is more particularly concerned with a new and improved apparatus and method for the air delivery of material for dispersion over a large but controlled ground area.
The dropping of supplies from an aircraft in flight to the ground below is well known. Generally, the supplies are either dropped individually and allowed to free fall to the ground or packed in a a container for controlled delivery of the container to the ground via a parachute. Both of these methods present problems. Materials and supplies which are air dropped individually will be spread over a large and almost impossible to control ground area. Thus, there is little likelihood that the majority of supplies or materials will arrive where needed. Materials and supplies packed in containers and dropped for controlled descent by a parachute have a somewhat better chance of being placed in a desired location. However, in a military situation, the centralized location of the materials within the container puts personnel at risk when they attempt to retrieve those materials. Further, in hilly or mountainous terrain the packaging of all of the materials within a single container may make placement of the container at any desired location an all or nothing situation. Naturally, for materials delivered by either method, the greater the altitude of the aircraft dropping the materials, the less certain will be the final ground location of the materials. This is of special concern in military operations where aircraft must fly at high altitudes to avoid enemy ground fire.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention in a preferred form is a free fall distribution device for incorporation into a container or similar device which holds a plurality of individual materials. The free fall distribution device comprises a tubular housing having spaced first and second end portions with respective first and second ends. A radially inwardly projecting circumferential channel or shoulder is formed in the housing adjacent the first end portion. A plurality of slots longitudinally extend from the first end toward the second end of the housing.
A flange is mounted to the first end portion substantially perpendicular to the length of the housing. Preferably, the flange is permanently fixed to the housing. The flange includes a plurality of radially (with respect to the housing) extending slots, which are interrelated with respective slots on the housing. Each interrelated housing and respective flange slot forms a single passage. A base plate is mounted to the second end portion.
A plurality of flexible or semi-flexible slings have a first end disposed within the housing toward the second end portion and an opposing second end extending radially from the housing. A parachute canopy is attached by shroud lines to the sling first ends. The parachute canopy is foldable to fit within the housing.
A cap is engageable substantially within the housing first end portion. When engaged, an actuation end of the cap faces outwardly of the housing first end portion and a locking end is located within the housing between the shoulder and housing second end. The cap locking end includes a plurality of pawls movable between radially extended and retracted positions. An actuation device is mounted to the cap and is accessible for manual manipulation from the actuation end. The actuation device cooperates with the pawls to selectively maintain the pawls in either the radially projected or radially retracted positions. A backing plate defining an aperture is positionable over the folded parachute canopy within the housing and a spring is compressible within the housing between the engaged actuation device and backing plate. A lanyard attaches the actuation device to the spring, backing plate and parachute canopy.
When assembled, the sling first ends are positioned adjacent the housing second end and the slings extend along the housing inner wall into the housing slots and flange slots, with the sling second ends extending radially therefrom. The parachute canopy is folded so that it is nested within the housing, above the base plate and between the slings. The free end of the parachute canopy is located toward the housing first end. The backing plate is located over the canopy free end. The cap is engaged with the housing so that the locking end is within the housing first end portion. A shoulder on the cap prevents the actuation end from movement into the housing. When the cap is engaged within the housing the pawls at the locking end project radially outwardly to engage the housing shoulder. Engagement of the pawls with the housing shoulder prevents movement of the locking end out of the housing. The cap shoulder and pawls combine to selectively fix the cap to the housing. The spring is compressed between the cap locking end and the backing plate. The lanyard is attached to the cap locking end, preferably extends through the interior of the spring and backing plate aperture and is attached at its opposing end to the parachute canopy.
The assembled free fall distribution device is incorporated within a container holding a material such as, for instance, a plurality of meal packets. For a cardboard container, a circular hole may be cut in the container and the free fall distribution device second end inserted therein. The flange functions to prevent the free fall distribution device from falling within the container. The radially extending slings are attached to lines. The lines may be laced throughout the container or may be connected to container attachment devices.
After assembly of the free fall distribution device and incorporation into a container, the actuation device is set. If the actuation device is a timer, it may be set for a predetermined time delay after actuation. The assembly is loaded into an aircraft and flown to a desired location. The container is ejected from the aircraft in-flight which activates the actuation device and initiates timer countdown. As the timer counts down, the container is in free fall toward the ground. At the predetermined time, which is related to a desired height, the timer times out; the pawls move to the radially retracted position and out of engagement with the housing shoulder; and the cap is ejected from the housing by the force of the compressed spring. Due to the free length of the spring, most of the spring also exits the housing. The momentum of the cap and spring and the force of the slip stream on the cap and spring exerts a tension force on the parachute canopy via the lanyard, which draws the canopy from the housing. As the canopy enters the slip stream, it will deploy.
Deployment of the parachute canopy functions to impose sudden tension force through the shrouds and slings to the cords attached to the slings. If the cords are laced to the container, the force imposed will be sufficient to destroy the container. If the cords are attached to container holding devices, the force imposed will be sufficient to open the container. In either situation, the individual materials enclosed within the opened container are freed at a predetermined height and free fall to the ground. Control of the canopy deployment height and thereby control of individual material separation, by way of actuation device setting, allows control of the ground dispersion of the individual materials.
An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for controlled ground dispersion of materials dropped from an aircraft.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for controlled ground dispersion of materials dropped from an aircraft which is more controllable in adverse terrain than conventional methods.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2317256 (1943-04-01), De Kurowski
patent: 2353440 (1944-07-01), Bresee
patent: 2687263 (1954-08-01), Frieder et al.
patent: 2778587 (1957-01-01), Moran
patent: 2875918 (1959-03-01), Baumier
patent: 3038407 (1962-06-01), Robertson et al.
patent: 3396924 (1968-0
Grenga Todd
Heflin Mark
Alix Yale & Ristas, LLP
Capewell Components Company Limited Partnership
Dinh Tien
Jordan Charles T.
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