Back to results
US 4,279,392 AGranted
Adjustable time-delayed apparatus for opening a parachute
AssigneeFXC Corporation
InventorDennis M. Saxton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeFXC Corporation
InventorDennis M. Saxton
Estimating the term…
In a time-delayed device for opening a parachute, a spring-loaded cable is coupled to a cylindrical translational gear for conjoint movement. When the cable is released from a cocked position and spring-driven to a release position at which it opens the parachute, the translational gear is driven past the input gear of a gear train. As it moves, the translational gear engages and rotates the input gear along and through an effective gear engagement length which may be selectively varied by rotating the translational gear with respect to the input gear. An adjustable escapement contacts the gear train output gear and retards rotation of the input gear, and thus retards the rate of movement of both the translational gear and the cable, during engagement between the input gear and the translational gear through the selected effective engagement length. A time delay which varies directly with the effective engagement length selected is thereby interposed between the release of the cable and the opening of the parachute. By adjusting the retarding force of the escapement a range of delay times for a given selected engagement length is available. An aneroid control is employed to preclude movement of the cable toward its release position above a predetermined altitude.
A parachute opener comprising:
A time-delayed parachute opener comprising:
An apparatus for opening a parachute, said apparatus comprising:
An apparatus for opening a parachute, said apparatus comprising:
An adjustable time-delayed mechanism for opening a parachute, said mechanism comprising:
An adjustable time-delayed mechanism for opening a parachute, said mechanism comprising:
In a parachute deployment device having a spring actuated parachute opening member of which movement to a parachute opening position is delayed by a rack connected to the opening member by gearing, an improved and adjustable rack comprising:
In a mechanical time delay device for automatically opening a parachute, said device having a rack coupled to spring-driven parachute opening means for conjoint movement in a first direction toward a position at which said parachute is opened by said opening means and past retarding means which, during said conjoint movement, engage said rack along the length thereof and retard its motion, thereby retarding motion of said opening means and creating said time delay, the improvement wherein said rack has an effective engagement length that varies transversely of said direction, said improvement further comprising means for shifting said rack transversely of said direction to selectively vary said effective engagement length, thereby selectively varying the time of engagement between said retarding means and rack during said conjoint movement.
In a mechanical time delay device for automatically opening a parachute, said device having a rack coupled to spring-driven parachute opening means for conjoint movement toward a position at which said parachute is opened by said opening means and past retarding means which, during said conjoint movement, engage said rack along the length thereof and retard its motion, thereby retarding motion of said opening means and creating said time delay, the improvement wherein said rack has an effective engagement length that varies laterally of the rack, said improvement further comprising means for shifting said rack to selectively vary said effective engagement length, thereby selectively varying the time of engagement between said retarding means and rack during said conjoint movement, said rack being cylindrical and said effective engagement length varying circumferentially around said rack.
In a mechanical time delay device for automatically opening a parachute, said device having a rack coupled to spring-driven parachute opening means for conjoint movement toward a position at which said parachute is opened by said opening means and past retarding means which, during said conjoint movement, engage said rack along the length thereof and retard its motion, thereby retarding motion of said opening means and creating said time delay, the improvement wherein said rack has an effective engagement length that varies laterally of the rack, said improvement further comprising means for shifting said rack to selectively vary said effective engagement length, thereby selectively varying the time of engagement between said retarding means and rack during said conjoint movement, and means for adjusting said retarding means to vary the time of engagement between said retarding means and a selected effective engagement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.