GB748022A - Improvements in or relating to parachute equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

748,022. Parachutes. IRVING AIR CHUTE OF GREAT BRITAIN, Ltd. Feb. 11, 1954 [Feb. 11, 1953; June 26, 1953], Nos. 3865/53 and 17821/53. Class 4. Parachute equipment includes a main parachute for lowering a parachutist to the ground in combination with at least two subsidiary parachutes adapted to open in succession and in series during the free fall of the parachutist, such subsiduary parachutes being designed to exert sufficient drag to prevent or oppose changes in attitude of the parachutist during the free fall but not enough to reduce the rate of fall to such an extent that the interval between the time of a commencement of the jump and the time when the parachutist reaches an atmosphere in which normal breathing is possible is long enough to cause undue discomfort or danger, and wherein each succeeding parachute in the series of parachutes has its apex attached to the shroud lines of the preceding parachute. The equipment is associated with an ejector seat (not shown) and initially the parachute 7 is released by a static line in conjunction with a time-delay device to release the safety harness and then withdraw the parachute 6 which is prevented from opening immediately by a further time-delay device. The parachute 6 releases the shoulder portions of the parachutist's harness and then transfers its load to the main parachute 5 after the operation of a barometrically-controlled release device which ensures that the fall is not delayed until the parachutist reaches an altitude at which normal breathing is possible. Sequential opening of the parachutes may take place without association with an ejector seat. The apices of parachutes 5 and 6 are connected to the rigging lines of parachutes 6 and 7 by lines 8 and 9 respectively. Specification 690,998 is referred to.