Fxc Corporation

Dennis M Saxton

In a time-delayed device for opening a parachute, a spring-loaded cable is coupled to a cylindrical translational gear for conjoint movement. When the cable is released from a cocked position and spring-driven to a release position at which it opens the parachute, the translational gear is driven past the input gear of a gear train. As it moves, the translational gear engages and rotates the input gear along and through an effective gear engagement length which may be selectively varied by rotating the translational gear with respect to the input gear. An adjustable escapement contacts the gear train output gear and retards rotation of the input gear, and thus retards the rate of movement of both the translational gear and the cable, during engagement between the input gear and the translational gear through the selected effective engagement length. A time delay which varies directly with the effective engagement length selected is thereby interposed between the release of the cable and the opening of the parachute. By adjusting the retarding force of the escapement a range of delay times for a given selected engagement length is available. An aneroid control is employed to preclude movement of the cable toward its release position above a predetermined altitude.

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Santa Ana, CA, United States of America

Dennis M Saxton