Remotely operated release device
OwnerJerry R. Tillmaninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A remotely operated bull rope release comprises a support, a releasable member having a spherical head and a remotely controlled release mechanism for releasing the end of the releasable member for separation from the support. The release mechanism includes a pair of gripping members pivotally mounted on the support on laterally opposite sides of the spherical head for displacement toward and away from the head and having spherical surfaces for capturing the head therebetween to hold the releasable member on the support. A latched, spring biased drive shaft is actuated to displace the gripping members in response to a control signal to release the head and to propel the releasable member away from the support.
Claims31
In a remotely operated release device comprising a support having an axis, a releasable member having an end, a release mechanism on said support having holding and released positions with respect to said end of said releasable member, a remote control signal transmitter, and means including a control signal receiver on said support for shifting said release mechanism from said holding to said released position in response to a control signal received from said transmitter, the improvement comprising:
- said release mechanism including a pair of gripping members mounted on said support on laterally opposite sides of said axis for displacement toward and away from said end of said releasable member between first and second positions with respect thereto, said gripping members in said holding and released positions of said release mechanism being respectively in said first and said second positions with respect to said end, each of said gripping members being mounted on said support for pivotal displacement about a corresponding pivot axis and having a finger displaceable toward and away from said end of said releasable member in response to displacement of the gripping member in opposite directions about its pivot axis, said release mechanism including means for pivoting said gripping members in said opposite directions, said means for pivoting said gripping members including a pair of links each having first and second ends, said first ends being pivotally connected to a different one of said gripping members between the pivot axis and finger thereof, a pin pivotally interconnecting said second ends together at a link axis transverse to and intersecting said axis of said support, means for displacing said pin in axially opposite directions with respect to said axis of said support, said means for displacing said pin in axially opposite directions including a shaft having a shaft end adjacent said end of said releasable member, said shaft being displaceable in axially opposite directions relative to said support, and said pin being attached to said shaft for displacement therewith.
In a remotely operated release device comprising a support having an axis, a releasable member having an end, a release mechanism on said support having holding and released positions with respect to said end of said releasable member, a remote control signal transmitter, and means including a control signal receiver on said support for shifting said release mechanism from said holding to said released position in response to a control signal received from said transmitter, the improvement comprising:
- said release mechanism including a pair of gripping members mounted on said support on laterally opposite sides of said axis for pivotal displacement about a corresponding gripping member axis and having fingers for displacement toward and away from said end of said releasable member between first and second positions with respect thereto, said fingers in said holding and released positions of said release mechanism being respectively in said first and second positions with respect to said end, a shaft coaxial with said axis and having a shaft end adjacent said end of said releasable member, said shaft being displaceable in axially opposite directions relative to said support between retracted and extended positions respectively corresponding to said holding and released positions of said release mechanism, means interconnecting said gripping members and said shaft for displacement of said shaft from said retracted position to said extended position to displace said gripping members from said first to said second position with respect to said end of said releasable member, and holding means for releasably holding said shaft in said retracted position.
The improvement according to claimed 30, wherein said shaft end has a spherical recess corresponding in contour to the spherical end of said releasable member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.