US2400471A

US2400471A - Parachute harness

Info

Publication number: US2400471A
Application number: US592977A
Authority: US
Inventors: Clair Milton H St
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1945-05-10
Filing date: 1945-05-10
Publication date: 1946-05-14
Anticipated expiration: 1963-05-14

Description

May 14, 1-946. M. H. ST. .CLAIR 0,

PARACHUTE H ARNES S v Filed May 10, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Mil 5012, H 52. Czz'r ATTO May 14, 1946. M. H. sT. CLAIR I BARACHUTE HARNESS I Filed May l0,' 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR' Wilton fiJzfChr WM? 'I 'ORN YS Patented May 14, 1946 UNITED Sr-Ar as PATENT orrics PABACHU TE HARNESS 'Milton H. St. Clair, Sussex, N. J., assignor to Stanley Switlik, Trenton, N. J.

This invention relates to a parachute body harness.

An object of the invention resides in the Provision of a body harness which-will lie relatively loosely on the body of the user when no considerable pulling force i applied to the risers and which will automatically be tightened on the body of the user under the influence of a pulling force appliedto the risers.

A further object of the'invention resides in so constructing the device that when in use the shoulder straps and lap engaging portion of. the harness will automatically tighten on the user under the influence of pulling force applied to the risers, and wherein the shoulder straps and lap engaging portions will automatically loosen when the pulling force on the risers is relieved.

,A further object of the invention resides in the construction of adevice of the character above set forth wherein adjustments may be made to adapt the harness to bodies of various sizes.

A further object of the invention resides in so constructing the device that the shock of opening will be transmitted to the user over a large area around the lap of the user below the buttocks, and so that the weight of the user will be supported by contact of a portion of the harness with the neither the shock of opening nor the supporing of the weight of the user will be applied to the crotch of the user.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the description of m invention progresses, the invention consists in the combination and arranging of the parts later described herein and recited in the claims. It is to be understood, however,-that I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification except insofar as that limitation is necessitated by the claims, because it will be obvious to one skilled in the art that many details of construction may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of my invention looking from'the front of the harness with the ends of the lap engaging portions folded over toward each other;

Figure 2 is a similar view with the lap engaging portions folded awayfrom each other, the. showing of part of the harness, however, in this view being omitted; 7 4

Figure 3 is a view of the harness in place On a user is in a sitting posture;

Figure 4 is a view of the harness in position on a user when the latte is being suspended during a descent.

I The form of the harness that I have illustrated in the drawing includes risers I to which adapters 2 are secured. The risers at their upper ends pass through the adapters 2' Y and extend slidably shoulderstraps form loops 4 which carry slidable tached. Thev degree of sliding of the shoulder 3 straps 3 through the rings 2, and consequently the tightening of the shoulder straps by pulling force applied to the suspension webs 6, is limited by stops 1 on the shoulder straps.

The risers are extended downwardly to form a swing and include a buttocks engaging portion 8 while the shoulder straps extend downwardly as at 9 and are secured to the buttocks engaging portion 8 of the swing. These

portions

8 and 9 of the swing and the shoulder straps are secured to a relatively Wide web I9 by stitching or other suitable means. IAdapters II are adjustably carried by the risers I near their lower ends. A lap strap I2 is secured adjustably' at its ends I3 and I4 to the'adapters l I. From one of these adapters the lap strap passes slidably through a ring I5 that is carried by a buttocks engaging strap I6, which is secured to the web 10. Thence the lap strap passes slidably through a separable fastenerelement I1 and thence to the web ID, where it is secured at !8 by stitching or other means that runs along the web, which stitching also secures it to the lower ends of the shoulder-straps and the buttocks engaging portion of the swing. At the other end of the web I0 the lap strap I2 extends from the end of the web Iii slidabl through a complemental separable fastener element I9 and thenceto the other adapter I I. Thus the lap strap forms loops at the opposite ends of the weblil.

The complemental separable fastener elements I I1 and I 9 are secured to

web flaps

20 and 2| respectively and the loops I2 are held in place by loosely passing under guide straps 22, which are secured to the web flaps-Miami 2|. A back strap 23 extends between the risers I and is made preferably, although not necessarily, of elastic material Complemental-

breast strap sections

24 and 25 are mounted on the risers between the back strap 23 and the adapters 2, each being provided with a separable fastening element 2-6.

'tighten the shoulder straps. on the user.

When the harness is in place On a' user, as in the position shown in Figure 3, for instance, the separable fastener elements 26 will be engaged to locate the breast strap across the chest of the user, the shoulder straps will pass over the shoulders of the user, and thence downwardly over the back in crossed relation to the lap engaging portion, the separable fastener elements I! and 19 of the lap engaging portion will be engaged and lie over the front of the lap of the user; the.suspension webs of course will extend over the shoulders of the user when a back pack is in use to the pack which may, if desired, be carried by a chair.

When the user is in a sittingposition the shoulder straps and the lap engaging portionswillembrace the body of the user loosely, which adapts tl e harness admirably as a harness for axchair parachute since the user may comfortably wear the harness without experiencing any binding effect.

When, however, the userof theharness jumps, the harness will automatically tighten on his body into the position shown in Figure 4 of the drawings.

The pulling force applied'to the suspension Web 6 will lengthen the loops 4 at the junction between the risers and the shoulder straps and will At the same time it will pull upwardly on the risers and this force will be transmitted to the lap strap which is anchored to the Web .10 but isslidab-le through the rings 15 and the :separable fastener elements I! and 19. The result of this action will be the tightening of the lap engaging portion around the lower part or the legs of .the body of the user. Thus the torso engaging portion of r the harness will be tightened on :the body of the user and the lap engagin portion "will also be tightenedonthe body of the userin-such manner that the shock of opening and'the weight of the suspension will be applied to the outside of the legsof the user below the buttocks.

The adjustment of the .lap strap for a :particular user is made so that when the user'is in a substantially vertical position during descent the la strap will be drawn tightly about the legs of the user and there willbe'some excessof length of the risers at the buttocks engaging portion of the swing, so that the weightof the person will be transmitted to the risers through the lap strap rather than through the buttock engagi'ng portion of the swing. However, if the user leans backwardly, throwing himself into a sitting posture, this excess length of the buttocks engaging portion of the swing will be taken up and this portion of the swing, as well as the lap strap; will take the weight of the user.

The harness is divided fundamentally into two portions, one a torso engaging portion and the other what I have termed a'lap engaging portion, and each is automatically tightened on the body of the user under the influence of a pullingforce applied to the risers by the suspension webs.

The portion 'of the harness which surrounds the two legs of the user 'asa "single unit I- have termed'a lap engaging portion to-distinguish this construction from those conventional leg 'straps each of which 'passes around the leg of a .user at the crotch and consequently applies theshock of Opening and the weight of suspension-to the crotch of .the user as distinguished from the application to the legsofthe' user as a unit below the buttocks, and .so whenI refer to lap engaging portion in the claim 'this distinction-is to be borne in mind, and when I refer to a thigh engaging portion I intend a broader expression of my invention.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a harness which Will lie loosely on the body of a user when no force is applied to the risers, which makes it admirably adapted for. use in connection with a chair parachute pack, but of course does not limit it to such use, and one in which the torso engaging portion of the harness automatically tightens on the body and the lap engaging portion automatically tightens on the body below the buttocks when a pulling force is applied to the risers by the suspension webs. Moreover, when the weight of the user is relieved fromtheharness at the end of a descent, the harness automatically loosens upon the body of the user so 'thatit may be quickly detached by the disengagement of the complemental separable fastener elements of the chest strap and the lap engaging portion.

What I claim is:

l. A parachute harness including combined risers and shoulder straps, a lap embracing portion attached to the .risers, suspension webs attached to the combined risers and shoulder straps, and means operable under the influence of pulling force applied to the suspension webs for tightening the combinedrisers and shoulder straps and the lap embracing portion on the body of the user.

.2. A parachute body harness including risers, adjust-able shoulder straps extending from the risers, adjustable lap embracing loops extending from the risers, complemental separable fasteners for securing the said loops together over the lap of the user, suspension webs, and means operable under the influence of the pulling force on the "suspension Webs for shortening the effective lengths of the shoulder straps and the lap embracing'loops.

3. A parachute body harness including risers, torso-embracing straps extending from the risers, lap embracing loops extending from the risers, complemental separable fasteners for securing said loops over the lap of the user, suspension webs, and means operable-under the influence of the pulling force applied to the suspension Webs for shortening the effective lengths of said loops.

4. A parachute body harness including risers, suspension webs extending therefrom, seat straps, one of said seat straps being connected with the risers at its ends, havingloops therein and having slidable connection with another of said seat straps, and complemental separable fasteners slidably oarried'bysaid loops whereby when pulling "force is applied to the suspension webs the seat straps willbe tightened on the user.

5. .A parachute body harness including risers, suspension webs extending therefrom, seat straps, one of said seat straps being adjustably connected with the risers at its ends, having loops therein, and having slid-able .connection with another of said seat-straps,-and complemental separable fasteners slidably carried by said loops whereby when pulling force is applied to the. suspension Webs the seatstraps will be tightened on the user.

6. A parachute body harness including risers, torso embracing straps extending from the risers, a seat strap, an adapter adjustably carried by each riser, a second seat strap adjust-ably attached at its ends to said adapters, slidably anchored to the first mentioned seat strap and having loops therein, and complemental separable fasteners slidably carried by said loops.

7. A parachute body harness including risers, torso embracing straps extending from the risers,

a buttocks engaging portion, a strap attached to I the risers at its ends, having slidable attachment to the buttocks engaging portion and having loops therein, and'complemental separable fasteners slidably carried by said loops and adapted to secure the loops over the lap of the user.

8. A parachute body harness including risers, torso embracing straps extending from the risers, a buttocks engaging portion, a strap attached adjustabl to the risers at its ends, having slidable attachment to thebuttocks engaging portion and having loops therein, and complemental separable fasteners slidably carried by said loops and adapted to secure the loops over the lap of the user.

9. A parachute body harness including a swing having risers and a buttocks engaging portion, adapters secured adjacent the upper ends of the risers, shoulder straps extending from the risers and slidable through said adapters to form loops adjacent the adapters, suspension webs slidably engaged with said loops, the shoulder straps being extended to and engaged with the buttocks engaging portion of the swing, adapters carried by the risers adjacent their lower ends, a strap attached at its ends to. the last mentioned adapters, rings secured to the buttocks engaging portion of the swing, the last mentioned strap slidably passing through said rings and having fixed relation to said buttocks engaging portion of the swing to form loops, and separable complemental fasteners slidably carried by said loops.

10. A parachute body harness including a swing having risers and a buttocks engaging portion, c

. by said 100135.

MILTON H. ST. CLAIR.