Hydrostatic release device
AssigneeSimon Cash-Read
InventorsPaul D. Davis, Thomas S. Floate
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The application describes a hydrostatic release device, suitable for releasing life-saving equipment carried on a ship or aircraft when the ship or aircraft sinks or ditches in the sea. A change in ambient pressure is detected by a pressure sensor which opens a liquid-filled chamber and thereby releases a hydrostatic pressure behind a reciprocable member. This reciprocable member then allows release of a release means. The release means can comprise a link prevented from longitudinal movement by an abutment and normally constrained against lateral movement by the reciprocable member. Thus removal of the reciprocable member away from the link enables transverse movement of the link clear of the fixed abutment. Such an arrangement provides a particularly simple and inexpensive release means.
Claims13
A release device comprising a reciprocable member, a chamber containing liquid, a release element, and a pressure sensor, the reciprocable member having at one end thereof a piston head contacting the liquid in the chamber and at the other end a surface bearing against the release element to prevent operation thereof;
- the liquid filled chamber including a normally closed opening;
- the pressure sensor being adapted on detecting a predetermined pressure to open the normally closed opening thereby to release liquid from the liquid-filled chamber, allow movement of the reciprocable member, and allow operation of the release element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.