GB735499A - Pilot parachute - Google Patents

Abstract

735,499. Parachutes. PIONEER PARACHUTE CO., Inc. March 2, 1954 [March 19, 1953], No. 6100/54. Class 4. A pilot parachute is provided with a compressible spiral ejecting spring which forces the pilot parachute from the pack upon pulling the rip cord, and is characterized by the provision of a temporary locking device for holding the ejecting spring in a compressed condition both before the enclosure of the pilot parachute in the pack and after its enclosure therein. In Fig. 1, the canopy 2 is provided with cords 4 for attachment to the main canopy 8, and the apex of the pilot parachute canopy is provided with a reinforced portion 14 to which the top turn of a spiral spring 10 is secured. The lowest turn thereof is attached to a plate 26, Fig. 3, having swivellingly mounted thereon a cone member 30 having two transverse bores 32, 34. The spiral spring 10 is preferably enclosed in a sock 16, and radial vanes 22 may extend from the sock to the cords 4. When packing, a tube 36 is inserted through a grommet 24 in the apex of the canopy and over the cone 30, so that the cone is not covered by folds in the sock or canopy. The spring is compressed until cone 30 protrudes through grommet 24, and a, pin is then inserted through bore 34 to hold the spring compressed. The main and pilot parachutes are then packed in a pack 42, Fig. 5, and the cone 30 is used as one of the pin and cone fastenings for the edges of the pack flaps 46, 48, one of the pins 52 on the rip cord 54 passing through bore 32. The pin passing through bore 34 may now be removed, by a cord 40, pin 52 keeping the spring compressed. Pulling of the rip cord will release the spring to eject the pilot parachute.