US3132779A - Load carriers for use by parachutists and others - Google Patents

Description

May 12, 1964 'r. E. GRAY 3,132,779

LOAD CARRIERS FOR USE BY PARACHUTISTS AND OTHERS Filed Nov. 1, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

Inventor y 12, 1964 T. E. GRAY 3,132,779

LOAD CARRIERS FOR USE BY PARACHUTISTS AND OTHERS Filed Nov. 1, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5. FIG. 6.

J44 qawd% Inventor ttarneys May 12, 1964 T. E. GRAY 2,77

LOAD CARRIERS FOR usr: BY PARACHUTISTS AND OTHERS Filed Nov. 1, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. /0

INVENTOR. EEf/Vt'f .Z7JN/A/ /aqy EA/EY-S United States Patent 3,132,779 LOAD CARRIERS FOR USE BY PARACHUTISTS AND OTHERS Terence Edwin Gray, Cardifi, Wales, assignor, by mesne assignments, to G. Q. Parachute Company Limited, Woking, Surrey, England Filed Nov. 1, 1961, Ser. No. 149,411 Claims priority, application Great Britain Nov. 7, 1960 Claims. ((Il. 224) This invention relates to load carriers for parachutists and others comprising a multiple-strap or other pack arrangement for holding together a number of articles as a single package or unit and which has means for securing it detachably as an upper portion thereof to a harness or other support worn by the user and releasable strap or tie means for attaching it at a lower portion thereof to the users leg.

The terms upper portion and lower portion are used above and with the following description to mean portions of the carrier which are disposed one above another in relation to the users body when he is, so to speak, wearing the carrier, when the detachable securing means is at about waist level.

According to the invention such a load carrier has a leg strap or tie which is so fastened in use that when the means for securing the carrier detachably at an upper portion thereof are released, the leg strap or tie is automatically released also.

The leg strap or tie may have means for engaging it with a portion of the detachable securing means which is on the carrier or a portion of said means which is on the harness or other support worn by the user, or with both said portions, in such manner as to be held securely thereby except when said portions are separated from one another.

Preferably the means for securing the load carrier at an upper portion thereof to the users harness or other support are utilised to secure detachably one end of the leg strap or tie and the carrier has at a lower portion thereof a loop or eye and also at a lower portion thereof a buckle or other fastening for the leg strap or tie towards its other end, the arrangement being such that in wear the leg strap or tie extends downwardly from the detachable securing means and freely through the loop or eye, around the users leg(s) to the buckle or other fastening and such that by undoing only the detachable securing means the carrier is freed to fall, upper part foremost, from the wearer and in so doing, by virtue of the buckle or other fastening, withdraw the leg strap or tie through the loop or eye on the carrier and clear the users leg(s).

A parachutists load carrier with a leg strap or tie in accordance with one form of the invention is illustrated by the accompanying diagrammatic drawings which are not to scale and of which:

FIGURE 1 shows the carrier without the leg strap, laid out fiat face downwards.

FIGURE 2 shows the leg strap or tie,

FIGURE 3 shows how the leg strap or tie is disposed in use, and

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged detail views showing the fastening of a strap, an attachment plate for the carrier, and a leg strap attachment ring, respectively.

FIGURE 7 is a view in perspective illustrating the carrier when completely packed.

FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 schematically illustrate the sequence of operation of the carrier release as it is disconnected from the harness attachment.

As shown in FIGURE 1 the carrier comprises two pairs of webbing straps 11, 11 and 12, 12 which cross one another at right angles and are secured together by stitching. These straps have D- rings 13, 13 and 14, 14, respectively, for use in conjunction with corresponding retaining pins 15, 15 and 16, 16, respectively, which are attached thereto by cords, for fastening the straps around a load. For such fastening each strap is folded upon itself, at a point remote from its D-ring end, to present a bight which is passed upwardly through the corresponding D-ring and then has the corresponding retaining pin inserted through it at the upper side of the ring, the strap being then pulled tight so that by virtue of the resulting tension in the strap the free-end side of the bight is gripped between the pin and one side of the D-ring as shown in FIGURE 4 where the free end portion of the strap is indicated at 11*.

Above and below the straps 12, 12 the straps 11, 11 are joined by transverse straps 17, 17 of which the upper is secured by stitching and the lower is looped around and slidable along the straps 11, 11, and the straps 12, 12 are similarly provided with fixed and adjustable transverse straps 18, 18; the free ends of the straps 11, 11 and 12, 12 being thickened, by being folded upon themselves several times and then stitched, to prevent loss of the slidable transverse straps 17 and 18.

Two further lengths of webbing are bent each upon itself to substantially V-shaped and stitched to the overlapping parts of the main straps 11, 11 and 12, 12 so as to provide two strongly secured loops 19 and 20 for the attachment, to whichever of them may be convenient in use, of the usual suspension rope (not shown) by which the carrier is supported from the parachute harness (not shown) some distance below the parachutist during a drop after the carrier has itself been released from its direct attachment to the harness. Also, a tubular fabric pocket 21 with press fasteners 22 is provided for stowage of the suspension rope prior to such detachment of the carrier.

At the upper junctions of the straps 11, 11 and 12, 12 are secured two apertured, keyhole shaped attachment plates 23, 23 for engagement with means on a parachute harness (not shown) for securing them detachably to the harness. One of these attachment plates is shown separately in FIGURE 5 for the sake of clearness.

The leg strap (see FIGURES 2, 3 and 6) is formed from webbing with a main portion 24 and two branches 25, 25 and which have rigid oval metal rings 26, 26 attached to their free ends. Each of the rings 26 is formed with an integral flat tongue 27 (FIGURE 6) which by being sandwiched between the overlapped and stitched webbing at the end of the corresponding branch 25 ensures that the ring extends beyond, and cannot be folded back fiat upon, the end of the branch 25. The rings 26, 26 are of such size and shape that they can pass very loosely and freely over the attachment plates 23, 23 of the carrier.

A loop 28 located at the lower part of the carrier is formed from a piece of fabric which is folded and rolled upon itself to have flat end portions which are stitched to the straps 11, 11 and to the lower strap 12, therebetween, and an intermediate bowed portion which is of substantially circular cross-section and large enough to give easy passage, between it and the strap 12, to the leg strap branches 25, 25 and the rings 26, 26 at the ends thereof. One branch 25 is made sufficiently shorter than the other in order to ensure that in use the one ring 26 will not become engaged with the other and in consequence not pass freely through, or even become jammed or wedged in, the loop 28, which latter, incidentally, is useful as a carrying handle for the loaded carrier. The flat end portions of the fabric of the loop 28 extend each a short distance beyond the corresponding straps 11, 11 and these extensions which are not stitched to the lower strap 12 have secured thereto, respectively, two buckles 29, 29 of conventional friction grip type by means of one or other of which as may be convenient, the main portion 24 of the leg strap is secured detachably to the carrier.

In use (see FIGURE 3), the leg strap having been detached from which ever of the buckles 29, 29 bywhich it may already be'secured to the carrier, and the straps '11, 11 and 12, 12 having been secured around a load (not shown), the rings 26, 26 of the leg strap branches are passed over the attachment plates 23, 23 of the carrier and the latter are engaged with the detachable securing means on the parachutists harness (not shown). The upper end of a suspension rope (not shown) stowed in the pocket 21 is secured in the usual way'to the harness, and the main part24 of the leg strap is passed downwardly through the loop 28, rearwardly between the parachutists legs, around his thigh and forwardly to which ever of the buckles 29, 22 is the more convenient in any particular case and fastened by said buckle to the lower portion of the carrier. In this way the carrier is held down against the parachutist until it is released to fall to the end of the suspension rope. In order to effect such release and fall it is only necessary for the'parachutist to operate the detachable securing means of the parachute harness to release the attachment plates 23, 23, for the leg strap rings 26, 26 can thereupon easily and freely move clear of said plates 23, 23. When such release is effected the carrier will fall, upper part foremost, first outwardly and then downwardly away from the parachutist, the leg strap (remaining attached to the carrier by the buckle 29) pulling on his thigh with no more force than is required to pull the rings 26, 26 clear of the attachment plates 23, 23, and the branches 25, 2'5 and said rings 26, 26 through and clear of the loop 28.

Now that the general operation of the carrier device has been described, a more detailed description will be set forth with reference to FIGURES 7-10.

The present invention relates to means for making a plurality of separate articles or a single article into a parcel which can be attached in the requisite firm Way to a parachutist in preparation for a jump; Once the jump has been accomplished and the parachutists canopy has deployed and inflated fully to support him in his descent, the parachutist will wait until he is about 100 feet above ground level and then he will cause the parcel to be released so as to fall away from him but the parcel will remain connected to him by a lanyard or suspension rope.

The most obvious use of the present invention is the landing by parachute of troops, each man carrying for example, his own supply of ammunition and a small-arms I carbine. The clips of bullets and the carbine would be made into a parcel employing a canvas wrapping sheet and the two pairs of straps ll, 11, 12, 12, which would then be suspended from two quick-release devices on the parachute harness being worn by the parachutist. Such quick release devices 30 (FIGURES 8, 9, are already well-known and could consist for example of the hook connectors which we disclosed in United States'patent specification No. 2,276,628, in the name of J. R. C. Quilter. Once the parcel is suspended from said quick release devices 30, the leg strap 24 is passed from the front to the back between the legs and is then brought around one leg 32 towards the front and fastened to the nearest buckle 29 (see also FIGURE 3). It will be appreciated that before the attachment plates 23 are detachably secured to the quick-release devices 30, the rings 26 must be located in engagement with said plates 23 in the manner indicated in FIGURE 3 and also in FIGURE 7. The leg strap is tightened up by pulling the free end 31 to provide an infinite number of settings thereof.

When the parachutist has dropped away from the aircraft and when his canopy has become fully deployed and is therefore supporting him, all that the parachutist has to do in order to release the parcel is to actuate the hook connectors to allow the parcel (to which the attachment plates 23 are secured) to fall outwardly, initially, away from the parachutists body (see FIGURE 9). Simultaneously with such outward movement of the parcel, the rings 26 also become disengaged from the plates 23 and this immediately results in a slackening of the tension exerted by the strap 24 upon the parachutists thigh. As the descent of parachutist and parcel continues the parcel begins to fall downwardly and outwardly (see FIGURE 10) and it has been found in the course of hundreds of jumps using this equipment that the two limbs 25 of the leg strap fall and/or are pulled downwardly and cleanly through the loop 28 before the parcel has moved very far downwardly relatively to the parachutist (see FIGURE 10). Thus, the parachutist is never in any danger from having his leg trapped in the loop formed by the strap 24 and one of the straps 25 with the result that the load drops freely away from the parachutist to the limit of the suspension rope or lanyard.

It will be appreciated that in the case of a carrier having a leg strap or tie whose releasable attachment is separate or independent of the direct releasable attachment of the upper portion of the carrier to the harness, there is some risk that the separate operation required to release it may be overlooked. Further, if the leg strap or tie is released there is some risk that the carrier may swing upwardly about said direct attachment at its upper part, which is undesirable. If the leg strap or tie is not released at the same time, as, or almost immediately after, the direct attachment is released, the leg strap attachment may become jammed or stiff by the full weight of the carrier then exerted on it and the position of the carrier when supported by the leg strap or tie alone may render in diflicult or even impossible for the parachutist to reach and release it thus involving him in considerable danger when he reaches the ground. Moreover, in the case of a heavily loaded carrier the sudden application of its full weight, swinging about its attachment by the leg strap or tie to the parachutists leg, may inflict serious injury or even break his leg. A carrier and leg strap or tie according to the invention is not only simple to use but is extremely foolproof and safe. 4

I claims 1. In a device for making a package of articles for connection to a parachute harness worn by airflight personnel, in combination two pairs of straps, the straps of each pair being spaced apart from and laid substantially parallel to one another, one of said pairs of straps extend ing in a direction normal to that in which the other extends; means secured to a pair of adjacent ends of the straps of each pair of straps to permit each pair of straps to be secured about said articles; a loop secured to a strap of one ofv said pairs in the region between the points of intersection of said strap with the straps of the other of said pairs of straps; a pair of fastening devices located adjacent said points of intersection; an attachment device secured to each of the straps between which said secured loop extends, said attachment devices being secured to said strap which is laid parallel to the strap which carries said loop; a leg strap, said leg strap being bifurcated at one end; an annulus secured to the free end of each limb of the bifurcation for engagement with one of said attachment devices; said attachment devices being inherently adapted for releasable attachment to said parachute harnessand said leg strap being securable about a leg of said airfllght personnel by that end of said. leg strap which is remote from said bifurcation being held by one of said pair of fastening devices.

2. In a device for connection of a package of articles to a parachute harness worn by airflight personnel, in combination a first strap and a second strap secured to one another to form a leg strap; said first strap being of a length far greater than that of said second strap and said second strap being secured to said first strap at a point such that one of the adjacent free portions of the first and second straps is shorter than the other; an annulus 5 6 carried by each of the free ends of said free portions; a device including a plate portion so made as to define an pair of attachment devices, a fastening device and a loop aperture engageable by a quick-release device secured to carried by and secured to said package; said loop being said parachute harness. of such size as to permit the passage freely therethrough of said free portions of said first and second straps and 5 R f mt s Cited in the file of this patent the associated annuli; each annulus being of such size as to permit the extension therethrough of a part of an at UNITED STATES PATENTS tachment device; said fastening device being so made as 9 1 Smith et y 18, 1961 to permit that end of said first strap which is remote from the annulus to be firmly engaged thereby in an in- 10 FOREIGN PATENTS finite number of settings; said part of each attachment 1,200,230 France June 29, 1959

Claims (1)

1. IN A DEVICE FOR MAKING A PACKAGE OF ARTICLES FOR CONNECTION TO A PARACHUTE HARNESS WORN BY AIRFLIGHT PERSONNEL, IN COMBINATION TWO PAIRS OF STRAPS, THE STRAPS OF EACH PAIR BEING SPACED APART FROM AND LAID SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO ONE ANOTHER, ONE OF SAID PAIRS OF STRAPS EXTENDING IN A DIRECTION NORMAL TO THAT IN WHICH THE OTHER EXTENDS; MEANS SECURED TO A PAIR OF ADJACENT ENDS OF THE STRAPS OF EACH PAIR OF STRAPS TO PERMIT EACH PAIR OF STRAPS TO BE SECURED ABOUT SAID ARTICLES; A LOOP SECURED TO A STRAP OF ONE OF SAID PAIRS IN THE REGION BETWEEN THE POINTS OF INTERSECTION OF SAID STRAP WITH THE STRAPS OF THE OTHER SAID PAIRS OF STRAPS; A PAIR OF FASTENING DEVICES LOCATED ADJACENT SAID POINTS OF INTERSECTION; AN ATTACHMENT DEVICE SECURED TO EACH OF THE STRAPS BETWEEN WHICH SAID SECURED LOOP EXTENDS, SAID ATTACHMENT DEVICES BEING SECURED TO SAID STRAP WHICH IS LAID PARALLEL TO THE STRAP WHICH CARRIES SAID LOOP; A LEG STRAP, SAID LEG STRAP BEING BIFURCATED AT ONE END; AN ANNULUS SECURED TO THE FREE END OF EACH LIMB

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