Altitude release mechanism
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
InventorFrank C. Kulhanek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An altitude release mechanism for releasing a radiosonde or other measuring instrument from a balloon carrying it up into the atmosphere includes a bottle partially filled with water, a tube sealed into the bottle having one end submerged in the water in the bottle and the free end extending above the top of the bottle and a strip of water-disintegrable paper held within the free end of the tube linking the balloon to the remainder of the package. As the balloon ascends, the lowered atmospheric air pressure causes the air in the bottle to expand, forcing the water in the bottle up the tubing to wet and disintegrate the paper, releasing the package from the balloon.
Claims2
An altitude release mechanism for releasing an instrument from a balloon at a predetermined altitude whereupon the instrument is lowered to the ground by parachute comprising a plastic bottle provided with a cap, said bottle being partially filled with water, a plastic tube sealed in the cap with one end submerged in the water and the other end extending above the top of the cap, said instrument and parachute being connected to the bottle and means for connecting the balloon to the bottle including a strip of water-disintegrable paper held within the open free end of the plastic tube whereby expanding air in the bottle due to decreased atmospheric air pressure as the balloon rises forces the water up the tube to reach and dissolve the water-disintegrable paper, thereby severing the link between the plastic bottle and balloon, permitting the instrument to fall to earth,
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.