US1838035A - Automatic parachute - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 22, 1 931. ELlA 1,838,035

AUTOMATIC PARACHUTE Patented Dec. 22, 1931 PATENT OFFICE GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA, OF ROME, ITALY, ASSIGNOR T sooIErrA ANONIMA FON- DERIA DEL PIGNONE, 0F FIREN'ZE, ITALY AUTOMATIC PARACHUTE Application filed February 13, 1929, Serial No. 339,659, and in Italy November 13, 1928.

When required to drop bodies supplied with a parachute from great heights for the purpose of causing them to reach a definite terrestrial zone or a limited expanse of water, one is met by the drawback that said bodies which take a considerable length of time in descending, are exposed for a long time to the influence of the wind which is apt to give rise to very extensive deviation such as it is impossible to foresee by means of the instruments that it is actually feasible to accommodate on board steerable airships. In order to withdraw the aforesaid bodies, within the limits of possibility, from the influence of the wind, they must be allowed to remain in the air for as short a time as possible, and this is only attainable by allowing them to accomplish a free descent throughout almost the whole of their course, they being restrained during the last stretch of their fall only, by means of a parachute intended to prevent their suffering a severe shock on touclhing the ground, or on reachingthe sealeve Hitherto existing parachutes may be opened through the release of a suitable check effected either by hand, when a person is engaged in .the descent, or by means of selfacting retarding devices. In the latter case it is known how retarding means, although regulated on board the airplane or dirigible airship before being thrown out is unable to afford any guarantee of accurate functioning at any definite and precise altitude above the earth or the level of the sea. This is so both because it is impossible for the person by whom the throwing is carried out to know the exact altitude above the earth or the sea of the flying apparatus and because it is difficult to cause the release of the parachute to be controlled by recourse being had for instance to barometric pressure owing to the various circumstances whereby the values of the latter are liable to be influenced.

The present invention has therefore for its ob ect to enable a secure opening of a para-v estimation on the part of the crew of the airplanes or dirigible airships. This invention consists essentially in a plummet connected through a small cable to a click device which, on the slackening of the aforesaid cable consequent upon the plummets (preceding the falling body at a distance equal to that determined by the opening of the parachute) reaching the ground or the surface of the Water, brings about, through any means, the opening of the aforesaid parachute. The system intended to be patented is indicated schematically and by examples in the accompanyingdrawings.

In the drawings- Fig. I indicates the falling body as soon as it has left the airship, to wit, at the starting of its Vertical descent;

Fig. II indicates the same body a few moments later i. e. when, due to the previous functioning of some retarding device, the plummet destined to precede the body in falling, becomes detached, beginning to unwind the connecting cable;

Fig. III indicates a further successive stage with the plummet continuing to pay out the connecting cable;

In Fig. IV it will be noted that the plummet has unwound the whole of the cable of a length corresponding to the altitude whereat the parachute is to be opened during the subsequent descent of the falling body; in

Fig. V is indicated the moment when the plummet touches the surface of the earth or of the sea; in said figure it will be seen that the connecting cable is slackened while the sudden absence of the tractive weight upon said cable causes the necessary clicking action in order to the opening of the parachute; 9o

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Fig. VI finally, the falling body is indicated as descending at reduced speed owing to the complete opening of the parachute.

Fig. VII particularly illustrates one of the many modes for the realization of the system of automatic control for the attainment of the required law of gravitation (vi z:the automatic opening of a parachute being brought about at a given established distance from the ground or from the surface of the water).

In Figs. I-VI is indicated a series of the functioning stages.

According to the example shown in the drawings, the body a is illustrated in its horizontal posltlon, as it may be supposed to be situated when it is depending from the airplane or dirigible airship b whence it isto be dropped.

By a, 0 are indicated two suspension bars of any description. which may, by any method. be loosened by the pilot, atwill, in order to effect the release of the falling body. At d the plummet is indicated, prevented from moving bv a key 6 fastened by means of a small cable 7 to the flying machine 6. At the moment when the body is released and is severed from the machine, the key 6 which remains attached to the airship. leaves the plummet free ((1) to detach itself from the falling body.

As soon as the body assumes the vertical position. the plummet which presents a degree of penetration and a density (specific weight) exceeding that of the body a tends to become detached, preceding the latter in falling. The detachment is not instantaneous, but occurs under restraint inasmuch, for instance, as a tail-piece g fixed to the plummet is required to drive the piston h within a retarding cylinder filled with oil or with any other liquid '5 that shall oppose a certain resistance to the stroke of the said cylinder i.

The plummet remains conjoined to the falling body by means of a rope 7c wound round a drum Z, passing over a pulley m and having a pre-established length k. The tension exerted upon the cable keeps down the ferrule '11- in spite of the action of a calibred spring 0 tending to drive it upwards. This is brought about by the spring being given a reaction that is less than the resultant of the strain which holds the cable 7: taut. Thus the body approaches the surface of the earth or the water-level, preceded at a distance k by the plummet. A soon as the. latter touches the ground or the surface of the sea, the ferrule 11. is driven upwards by the spring 0 owing to the sudden slackening of the cable. Such slackening and subsequent action of the spring 0 causes the ferrule to release the balls 2 from the groove of the shaft '1'. As soon as the balls p are released, the shaft 1' and the parachute are driven upwards by a spring 3 and the parachute thus enters upon its functions.

In order to prevent the possibility of the ferrule n sliding upwards under the action of the spring 0 and releasing the balls p at the wrong time when the plummet d is at the commencement of the descent of the falling body or during the period when the small connecting cable has not been unwound (during which period reduced tension is being exerted on the cable 7; the ferrule itself is fitted with a bar or appendix t. This ap endix is firmly held fast by an axis u w ich turns together with the drum Z. This axis is screw-threaded and screwed into the aperture of the said appendix t. As the drum turns, this axis u gradually re-enters the drum, so that after a certain number of preestablished turns (this number of tu ns is assigned in such manner as to free the appendix t after such a degree of tension has been ensured upon the cable as to be capable of overcoming the reaction of the spring 0) the appendix t is freed and the ferrule n enabled t9 function unrestrictedly.

This arrangement has a purely demonstrative value, the several mechanisms thereby involved being variable in any manner and precisely so as regards the mode of connecting the plummet to the body, the type of retarding device and the mode of application thereof, the manner of turning the tension of the cable to account with pulleys or gearings of any description, the mechanism requisite for releasing the parachute at the moment when the plummet no longer brings its share of weight to bear upon the connecting cable, the device for the prevention of the untimely detent action of the parachute, etc.

Furthermore the body a may be provided with other devices adapted to free it from the plummet and from the parachute, after its immersion in the water, for instance, or after having reached the surface of the latter.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. Parachute releasing means comprising a parachute container, a plummet in one end of the container releasable therefrom, means to retard the relase of the plummet from the container, a cord attached to the plummet, means to wind up the cord, a parachute and means to release the parachute from the container, said parachute releasing means being controlled by the cord, and the said release retarding means including a member ofthe plummet having an inclined cam face and also including a member carried by the container, and yieldable means to press said member against said inclined face.

2. Apparatus of the class described, comprising means to prevent an untimely release of the parachute, which means includes an ejecting spring for the parachute, a retaining rod for the parachute, a slidable member controlling a catch which holds said rod, a releasing spring acting against the slidable member, a pulley carried by said slidable member, whereon is wound the cord carr ing the plummet, a drum from which said cord is paid out during the descent of the plummet, a connecting pin carried by the drum and engaging the slidable member thus preventing any displacement of same, said connecting pin being withdrawn from the slidable member when a predetermined length of the cord has unwound from the drum, thus leaving the releasing spring free to act and to allow the ejection of the parachute.

' GIOVANNI EMANUELE ELIA.

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