US1369395A - Parachute - Google Patents

Description

E. R. CALTHROP.

- PARACHUTE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8. I 9l 9.

1,369,395. "Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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v 'INVENTUR'.

E. R. CALTHROP.

PARACHUTE.

' A-PPucmoN FILED SEPT. 8,v I919.

1,369,395. Patented Feb. 22,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

STATES PMENIflOPfFICE;

: EVERARD RIGHAR DI cAr'rnnor, or tonnoiv nnenn nbi Assfcrnon "r0 1&1 3.1 i CAL'IHROPSAERIAL PATENTS LIMITEDFOFLONDQN, ENGLA D. f

rnnncnu'rn To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EVERARD of Middlesex, England, have invented new and useful Improvements Relating to Parachutes, of which the following is aspecification. a g c j r This invention relates to parachutes of the kind adapted to be carried in a container secured to the person of the aviator.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficient device flexible and cushion-like as to its mass and its container more readily stowable and not subject to indentation from rough usage as is the case with metal containers whereby a parachute may be carried byan aviator in such a manner that in an'emergency it will be instantly launched and when used with an aeroplane from either side of the fuselage to support the aviator and permit of an easy andsafe descent to the ground.

According to the present invention the deviceis adaptedto be secured to the personofand carried directly by the -aviator .knapsack fashion for which purpose its resihency and flexibility renders it particularly suitable. A two part casing or container is provided the lower part of' which is secured to the harness worn by the aviator while the upper portion of said casing is attached by an appropriate connection to a suitablepart of the aeroplane. The two part casing or container is constructed of flexible material such. as rubbered fabric which may if desired be reinforced by means of wires or otherwise. The mouth of the upper portion of the container is rendered rigid such as by means of an annular member which may be constituted by a metal tube or the like and the lower part is adapted to overlap said annular member in such a manner as to insure a Weather tight joint. 7

The parachute employed in connectlon with the present invention is substantially 7 Specificationbf Letters Patent. I Application filed SeptemberB, 1919; Serial No. 322,496.-

RICHARD the aviator beingalso shown. I GALTHROP, a subject of the 'Iilll' of Great 7 Britain, residing at London, in the county to, the aviators harness ijwhilezthe upperv portion 2 is adapted for attachment to the aircraft such as bymeans of a :rope 5e11- gaged with the suspension member fi. The edges of the two portions of the container are overlapped when in operative relation to each other to form a weathertight joint as will be well understood by those familiar with the nested type-of parachute to which this invention relates. Located within the mouth of the upper portion 20f the container is an annular member 7 which may be of wood or metal or may be tubular'to .reduce the welght of the device asa Whole and the function of this ring 7 is to maintain the mouth of upper portion2 of the 1 con-- tainer rigid when the". parts are assembled as shown "in Fig. 1. and also to permit the plaited and folded body 1 of the parachute to emerge from the portion 2; of the container without obstructionwhen theload'is.

applied as will hereinafter'be explained.

The ring 7 may be positively secured to the annular edge of the portion 2 of the 7 container butpreferably said portion 2 is constructed to frictionally engage or grip the ring 7 and hold it in position the ring being positively connected to the portion 2 at its apex by a plurality of tapes or the like 2 secured to the suspension member 6.

The parachute body 1 is compactly plaited and folded and arranged within the portion rigging which is composed of tapes arranged in packs two of which latter are indicated at 9. The apex of the body 1 is connected by rupturable connections 10 with the suspension member 6 and the ends of the rigging tapes are positively connected with what may be termed the center fitting 11 to which one end of the suspension or load rope 12 is 2 of the bi-part container together with its 7 here as its construction andoperat-ion are the harnessl y means ofthe loop 123 rovided for that" purpose. The two portions of the container are retained in operative relation by the wire or other rupturable connection 14 attached respectively to the suspension member 6 and the center fitting 11.,

The type of parachute which I'prefer to employ in connection with the herein described launching device is substantially similar to that described in my specification of prior date No. 1,291,762 and it is therefore unnecessary to more than briefly refer to it described in detail in the aforesaid prior specification but it may be mentioned that in employing such type of parachutein 0on nection with the present invention I dispense with the means described in the prior specification for controlling the speed of descent of the'parachute and its load.

I will now proceed to a consideration of the operation of my im roved launching device. to the aviator'as above described and the rope 5 made fast to the aircraft when a descent is to be made the aviator jumps from either side of the cockpit whereupon his weight will be transferred to rope 5 connecting the upper portion 2 of the container to the aircraft.

. When the said rope becomes taut the portion 2. I The rigging tapes 9 will now be extended against the resistance of the break ing pieces 15 which are attached to the ring? and to the toggles 16 whichserve to connect the riggin tapes 9 with the periphery of the parac ute body 1. These breaking pieces form nopart of the present invention per as as they are fully described in my The bi-part contalner being secured aforesaid prior specification, but it will be observed from an inspection of Fig. 2 that they have the effect of abstracting the periphery of the parachute body in a circle thus insuring the entry of air to the interior of said body to make certain its complete expansion. As these several operations are taking place the ring 7 will have fallen until arrested by its supporting tapes 8 and when the breaking pieces 15 are extended to their full length they will snap dissynchronously. as they areof different lengths under the strain exerted upon them by the weight of the load and the rupturable connections 10 at the apex of the parachute body will also snap thereupon the parachute will be free to expand to its full extent to safely support the aviator in his descent to the ground the upper ortion 2 of the container remaining ,suspen ed from the aeroplane.

I claim: 7 p

1. A parachute launching device comprising a bi-part flexible container a parachute nested within said container means for posi-r tively attaching the upper part of said container to the aircraft means for positively attaching the lower part of said container to the person of the aviator a load rope positively secured to the parachute and to the aviator and means for temporarily maintaining rigid the mouth of the upper portion of said container.

2. A parachute launching device comprising abi-part flexible container a parachute nested within said container means for positively attaching the upper part of said con-"- tainer to the aircraft means for positively attaching the lower part of said container to the person of the aviator a load rope posi-' tively secured to the parachute and to'the aviator and an annular member detachably supported within the mouth portion of said container.

EVERARD RICHARD (IALTHROPL ot the upper

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