Techniques for safely unloading cargo

A mechanical cargo detachment device for unloading a suspended load, held by hoist cables from a helicopter, derrick or crane, comprising an upper Part A and a lower Part B attached to said load by load cables:

• wherein said upper Part A, attached to a hoist cable, being shaped like a doughnut with a central hole and with two or more eyelets equally spaced and mounted on its exterior surface for hoist cable suspension and with said central hole sufficiently large to accommodate said lower Part B, comprising a scissorlike device with holed handles, extending downward and a pair of dulled blades at its upper portion and pivoted with a single pivot pin at said Part B's midsection and criss-crossed;
• with said blades and said handles held apart by said load cables downwardly divergent from said handles, so that the horizontal components of tension in said cables tend to spread apart said scissorlike device, thereby preventing said blades from slipping through said hole in said part A;
• said Part B rests snugly inside said Part A's interior hole;
• said holes through said handles enabling said load cables, supporting said cargo, to be firmly fastened to each of said holes, and other hoist cables from above said device to be fastened to said eyelets of said Part A, so that as long as said device supports said load, said handles and said blades are kept apart by the weight of said load;
• said lower Part B automatically separating from said upper Part A when said load makes contact with a loading platform surface and tension on said hoist cables is relieved.

A structural device for quickly releasing and unloading suspended load, comprising an independent lower part A and an independent upper part B and a locking member C:

• wherein said part A is a toroidal member, with two or more eyelets rigidly attached at equally-spaced points around the periphery thereof, said eyelets being adapted for attachment to an equal number of cables, the other ends of which are attached to appropriately spaced points around the periphery of a cargo load suspended from said toroidal member, a scissorlike part with a single pivot pin projecting through the central hole in said toroidal member, with each half of said scissorlike part comprising a blade and a holed handle about said pivot pin, so that said part, comprises two blades criss-crossing and two handles with holes, said locking member C, comprising removable means, holding and clamping said scissorlike part in open position, with said blades projecting through said central hole, locking said scissorlike part and said toroidal member together in coupling engagement;
• each of said blades having a protrusion at its top inner side to prevent said locking member C from being ejected from its location;
• a cable extending from an overhead crane or helicopter connected to both holes of said scissorlike part;
• removal of said member C, when said load reaches a loading platform and cable tension is released, enabling said parts A and B to be decoupled.