US2531442A

US2531442A - Cross-chest buckle for parachute harness

Info

Publication number: US2531442A
Application number: US56324A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph D Junker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1948-10-25
Filing date: 1948-10-25
Publication date: 1950-11-28
Anticipated expiration: 1967-11-28

Description

Nov. 28, 1950 JUNKER 2,531,442

CROSS-CHEST BUCKLE FOR PARACHUTE HARNESS Filed 001;. 25, 1948 FIG. 3

-/ RALPH 0. JUN/(ER v 254, f%: f,

Patented Nov. 28, 1950 CROSS-CHEST BUCKLE FOR PARACHUTE HARNESS 1 Ralph Di Junker, Ansonia, Conn. Application October 25,'1948,"Serial No. 56,324

(Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) at Claims.

The present invention relates to a buckle for a parachute harness and more particularly to a cross-chest buckle for a parachute harness especially of the seat-service type.

A conventional parachute harness of the seatservice type must be quickly attachable and quickly adjustable and generally comprises a pair of risers to keep the shoulder straps in position, the risers being connected by a cross-chest buckle. It has been found that the use of known crosschest buckles with this type of harness has resulted in injury by gouging to the wearer due to the turning of the buckle at an angle to the body of the wearer when the buckle is stressed. Furthermore, it has been difi'icult to retain the buckles in position without tacking, thus making it virtually impossible to provide for adjustment of the harness at this point.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is the provision of a cross-chest buckle for a parachute harness which reduces to a minimum pressures on the chest of the wearer with nor mal wearing and chute opening impactn Another object is to provide a cross-chest buckle for a parachute harness which remains in position without tacking but is easily adjustable.

A further object is to provide a cross-chest buckle for a parachute. harness which affords maximum protection from accidental shoulder strap dislocation.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent as the disclosure is made in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front elevation illustrating the crosschest buckle and harness in position.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cross-chest buckle connection of Fig. l; and p Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the cross-chest buckle connection.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in Fig. 1 a parachute harness I l comprising front body straps I2, leg straps l 3, and shoule der straps l4, straps It being interconnected by the cross-chest buckle l5.

Buckle l5, shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a. pair of unitary adapters or risers It adapted to be slidably connected to shoulder straps H as shown in Fig. 1. Each riser is preferably made of cast steel and consists of a generally rectangular frame I! having a central longitudinal bar I 8 extending thereacross to form a pair of elongated slots l9. If desired, a metal loop 2|, preferably of cast steel may be secured to frame I! to provide means for attachment of pararaft equipment.

Secured to one riser It, as by means of welding, for example, is a snap hook 22, preferably made of cast steel except for the safety lock and cover thereon. Hook 22 is positioned in a plane substantially parallel to that of riser [6 but slightly thereabove. Secured to the other riser I6 is a ring 23, preferably of cast steel, positioned in a plane substantially perpendicular to that of its riser, substantially all of.ring 23 being positioned above the plane of the riser [6 as shown in Fig. 3.

From this construction it can readily be seen that the buckle will be flat against the chest of the wearer with the risers being adjacent the body, thereby acting as a cushion to take the bulk of the pressure exerted. This arrangement therefore reduces to a minimum the pressure on the chest of the wearer resulting from both normal wearing and from impact due to chute opening. Furthermore, since the risers and buckle lie substantially flat against the chest of the wearer and do not turn at an angle to the body when stressed, substantially all possibility of injury due to gouging has been eliminated.

Various modifications and uses are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only a preferred embodiment thereof has been disclosed.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a parachute harness having a pair of shoulder straps, a cross-chest buckle'comprising a riser slidably mounted on each of said straps, a snap hook secured to one of the risers and positioned in a plane substantially parallel to that of said one riser, and a ring for detachable engagement with said hook secured to the other of the risers, said ring being positioned in a plane substantially perpendicular to that of said other riser.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said hook and said ring are positioned above the planes of said risers.

3. A cross-chest buckle for a parachute harness comprising a pair of substantially aligned risers, a hook integral with one of said risers and positioned in a plane substantially parallel to and above that of said one riser, and a ring integral with the other of said risers and positioned in a plane substantially perpendicular to that of said other riser, said hook being adapted to detachably engage said ring, and the lowest extremity of said ring being positioned above the lower end of said other riser.

4. A detachable buckle comprising a pair of risers, a snap hook integral with one of said risers and positioned in a plane substantially parallel to that of said one riser, and a ring integral with the other of said risers and positioned in a plane substantially perpendicular to that of said other riser, said hook detachably engaging said ring and said hook and said ring being positioned above the planes of said risers, respectively.

RALPH D. JUNKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 26, 1938