Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64D—EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT
  • B64D23/00—Training of parachutists
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63G—MERRY-GO-ROUNDS; SWINGS; ROCKING-HORSES; CHUTES; SWITCHBACKS; SIMILAR DEVICES FOR PUBLIC AMUSEMENT
  • A63G31/00—Amusement arrangements
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63G—MERRY-GO-ROUNDS; SWINGS; ROCKING-HORSES; CHUTES; SWITCHBACKS; SIMILAR DEVICES FOR PUBLIC AMUSEMENT
  • A63G31/00—Amusement arrangements
  • A63G31/02—Amusement arrangements with moving substructures
  • A63G31/08—Amusement arrangements with moving substructures with looping, hopping, or throwing motions of the substructure
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63G—MERRY-GO-ROUNDS; SWINGS; ROCKING-HORSES; CHUTES; SWITCHBACKS; SIMILAR DEVICES FOR PUBLIC AMUSEMENT
  • A63G31/00—Amusement arrangements
  • A63G2031/005—Skydiving

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a catapult, in particular for launching a paratrooper.
• the war machines of antiquity were driven by springs of horsehair, horn, dry leather, hair, casings.
• the word catapult which means "armor piercer”, designated some of these giant crossbows. Their low power and their little resistance to humidity made them abandon in the Middle Ages for machines composed of a long and strong piece of wood called rod, articulated on a horizontal axis to (for example) a quarter of its length .
• a counterweight is attached or articulated to the short arm of this rod.
• the projectile is contained in a pocket hung on a strong iron point called style, in the extension of the long arm.
• the rotation of the penis under the action of the counterweight causes the pocket to rotate around the style and its detachment at a point on its complex trajectory depends on the ratio of the radii of the arcs of circles described by the style and the projectile and on the ratio of the masses of counterweight and projectile.
• These machines coexisted with artillery until the arrival of the metal ball. They were sometimes used to catapult prisoners on both sides of the ramparts of the besieged citadels, but one must see there more wasted episodes of psychological warfare than the birth of an air sport.
• the ejection seat that catapults the pilot to a safe distance from his shattered plane is a rocket.
• the catapult that launches the planes of an aircraft carrier is driven by a huge steam cylinder.
• the invention aims, above all, to provide a catapult intended to launch from the ground a man or a woman at a sufficient height to allow it to descend by parachute.
• a catapult in particular for launching a paratrooper, is characterized in that it comprises a flexible or articulated cradle containing the paratrooper and connected to the two rapid strands, passing over two pulleys placed high, at least a hoist supporting a counterweight, the paratrooper being catapulted into the air when the catapult is triggered and the counterweight falls.
• the counterweight can be supported by two hoists, the quick strands of the hoists being connected to the cradle.
• the ratio of the hoist (s) may be approximately 10.
• the body of the parachutist may be substantially perpendicular to the direction of movement of the nacelle.
• the quick strands can be kept under tension before the catapult is triggered.
• the cradle can be opened at the end of the stroke by pulling the strands.
• the cradle can be braked at the end of its travel by its aerodynamic resistance.
• the catapult can be stopped by stopping the fall of the counterweight, in particular by coming into contact with the ground.
• the counterweight stroke can be approximately 5 meters.
• the cables used for the production of the rapid strands can be made of material of low linear mass.
• the catapult is characterized in that it comprises a flexible or articulated cradle to contain a load to be projected, in particular a paratrooper, hung on two strands of flexible link, passing over two pulleys placed in height, connected to at least one output of a means with a multiplying coefficient of travel, the input of the multiplying means being controlled by the fall of a counterweight whose mass is chosen large enough so that the acceleration communicated to the load is a multiple of l acceleration of gravity, the load being catapulted into the air when the catapult is triggered and the counterweight falls.
• Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a catapult according to the invention.
• Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a catapult cradle according to the invention.
• Two pulleys A and B are suspended. There is nothing between them, neither cable nor yard. They can be suspended from suitable buildings, such as two twin towers or an ad hoc structure. They can also be suspended from two cranes, as in the illustration, at a height of for example 60 meters, distant from each other by ten meters. Over these pulleys pass the quick strands of a double hoist C, hooked to a third crane.
• This shorter crane placed opposite the two others, supports a counterweight D, weighing between 15 and 30 tonnes, suspended from this double hoist. It should be noted that significantly different values in terms of rolling resistance in the hoists could create an acceleration differential between the two rapid strands and cause a deviation of the shot. Such a deviation could be detrimental from the point of view of the safety of the paratrooper. Using a double hoist can, among other things, significantly reduce this risk.
• This double hoist C is made up of two elements, each comprising two blocks, each consisting of ten or twelve large diameter pulleys, mounted on ball bearings on an axis.
• These strands after having passed over the pulleys A and B, are attached to straps sewn into a flexible cradle E which holds the body of the paratrooper.
• the angle formed with the vertical by the part of the strands extending between the pulleys A, B and the cradle E is small, generally less than 30 °, preferably less than 20 °.
• This cradle consists of a piece of heavy canvas about two meters long, one meter wide. It is stretched in the longitudinal direction by a suitable lathing or a flexible plastic sheet, and filled with elastic foam inside.
• Two attachment points F and G are formed by the union of several straps sewn on the cradle.
• the system is energized before firing and this makes it possible to avoid substantially that the paratrooper is subjected to a shock when the firing is launched.
• the counterweight is suspended from its hoist at a height such that it will touch the ground when the cradle is at the end of the race at the top.
• the static tension on the rapid strands of the hoist, connected to the cradle in F and G is then equal to the mass of the counterweight divided by the reduction ratio of the hoist, the stroke of the counterweight will be equal to that of the cradle divided by the reduction ratio of the hoist.
• Such a system makes it possible to exert constant acceleration on the cradle, unlike, for example, in the case of the use of elastic parts.
• the paratrooper is lying in the cradle, his face facing the sky.
• the prone position adopted for the departure of astronauts eliminates the risk of disorders due to the effects of acceleration on the movement of blood ("black veil" of pilots). Accelerations of this order of magnitude are already undergone by the users of certain funfair attractions and will be bearable by the paratrooper.
• the fact of using a flexible nacelle, which consequently deforms makes it possible to avoid having an excessive acceleration gradient at start-up.
• the cradle carried away by its inertia, risks causing the rapid strands to come out of their housings on the pulleys.
• the catapult according to the invention will be a new aerial sport. It will allow parachuting demonstrations close to the public, learning to BASE jump under new safety conditions, flights in wing suits, BASE departures without a cliff.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Emergency Lowering Means (AREA)
• Preliminary Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=34967634

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

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Family Cites Families (8)

• 2005
  • 2005-03-22 EP EP05742635A patent/EP1730033A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-03-22 WO PCT/FR2005/000686 patent/WO2005097594A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2005-03-22 US US10/594,397 patent/US20080230042A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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