Altitude release mechanism

Patent · 01 January 1977

OSTI ID:862952

Kulhanek, Frank C ^[1]

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1. Hinsdale, IL

An altitude release mechanism for releasing a radiosonde or other measuring instrument from a balloon carrying it up into the atmosphere includes a bottle partially filled with water, a tube sealed into the bottle having one end submerged in the water in the bottle and the free end extending above the top of the bottle and a strip of water-disintegrable paper held within the free end of the tube linking the balloon to the remainder of the package. As the balloon ascends, the lowered atmospheric air pressure causes the air in the bottle to expand, forcing the water in the bottle up the tubing to wet and disintegrate the paper, releasing the package from the balloon.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States Energy (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4056000
• OSTI ID: 862952
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/73/116/
air
air pressure
altitude
altitude release
ascends
atmosphere
atmospheric
atmospheric air
balloon
bottle
carrying
causes
disintegrate
expand
extending
filled
forcing
free
held
instrument
linking
lowered
measuring
measuring instrument
mechanism
package
paper
partially
partially filled
pressure
radiosonde
release
release mechanism
releasing
remainder
sealed
strip
submerged
top
tube
tube sealed
tubing
water
water-disintegrable
wet