Aerial Delivery System
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsWilliam Worden Cleary, John A. Skorupa, Ty F. Bonnar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure is directed to apparatuses, systems, and methods associated with the aerial delivery of materials in a manner that is inexpensive, accurate, efficient, and effective. More specifically this disclosure teaches deploying an aerial delivery container holding some material from an aircraft and releasing the material from the aerial delivery container, all in a controlled manner, while the aerial delivery container is airborne. With reference to the exemplary embodiments, the apparatuses, systems and methods of the present disclosure are taught within the context of releasing a firefighting suppressant over a fire.
Claims26
An aerial delivery system, comprising:
- a sleeve configured to contain material;
- a stay structure positioned at a first end of the sleeve;
- an end cap positioned at a second end of the sleeve;
- at least one vertical restraint system tie releasably securing the stay structure to the sleeve;
- a vertical restraint system tie severing device which operatively receives and is configured to sever the vertical restraint system tie;
- and,
- at least one deployment strap extending from within the sleeve and attached to the end cap.
An aerial delivery system, comprising:
- a base having a plurality of anchors and positioned adjacent a first end cap;
- a sleeve configured to contain a bladder which receives material, releasably engaged to the first end cap at one end and having restraint apertures located at a second end;
- a second end cap having end cap apertures, positioned at the second end and releasably engaged to the sleeve;
- a vertical restraint insert positioned within the sleeve between the bladder and second end cap;
- at least one vertical restraint tie attached to an anchor, positioned through at least one restraint aperture, and attached to an anchor, to releasably secure the base to the sleeve;
- a vertical restraint severing device which operatively receives and is configured to sever the vertical restraint tie, attached to the second end cap;
- at least one deployment strap attached to the bladder at one end and attached at an opposite end to the second end cap;
- an end cap tie releasably securing the second end cap to the base;
- and,
- an end cap tie cutter which operatively receives and is configured to sever the end cap tie.
A method for aerial delivery of material, comprising:
- transporting in an aircraft an aerial delivery system comprising:
- a sleeve holding material with a stay structure positioned at one end of the sleeve;
- an end cap positioned at a second end of the sleeve;
- at least one vertical restraint tie releasably securing the stay structure and end cap to the sleeve;
- a vertical restraint severing device which operatively receives and is configured to sever the vertical restraint tie;
- and,
- at least one deployment strap extending from the sleeve and attached to the end cap;
- deploying the aerial delivery system from the aircraft while in flight;
- causing the vertical restraint severing device to sever the vertical restraint tie;
- causing the end cap to extend from the sleeve and exert a force on the deployment strap;
- causing the deployment strap to release the material;
- and
- causing the material within the sleeve to discharge from the sleeve.
A method of constructing an aerial delivery system, comprising:
- positioning a container, configured to hold material, adjacent a base having anchors;
- positioning at least one deployment strap, configured to release material from the container;
- releasably securing the container to the base with at least one vertical restraint tie attached to a first anchor, secured to the container, operatively connected to a vertical restraint system tie severing device, and attached to a second anchor;
- placing an end cap on the container;
- attaching the vertical restrain system tie severing device to the end cap;
- and,
- attaching the deployment strap to the end cap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.