Apparatus for simultaneously disreefing a centrally reefed clustered parachute system

Patent · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:866627

Johnson, Donald W ^[1]

---

1. Albuquerque, NM

A single multi-line cutter is connected to each of a cluster of parachutes by a separate short tether line that holds the parachutes, initially reefed by closed loop reefing lines, close to one another. The closed loop reefing lines and tether lines, one from each parachute, are disposed within the cutter to be simultaneously cut by its actuation when a central line attached between the payload and the cutter is stretched upon deployment of the cluster. A pyrotechnic or electronic time delay may be included in the cutter to delay the actual simultaneous cutting of all lines until the clustered parachutes attain a measure of stability prior to being disreefed. A second set of reefing lines and second tether lines may be provided for each parachute, to enable a two-stage, separately timed, step-by-step disreefing.

• Research Organization: AT & T CORP
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4752050
• OSTI ID: 866627
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/244/
actuation
apparatus
attached
attain
central
centrally
close
closed
closed loop
cluster
clustered
connected
cut
cutter
cutting
delay
deployment
disposed
disreefed
disreefing
electronic
enable
holds
included
initially
line
lines
loop
measure
multi-line
parachute
parachutes
payload
prior
provided
pyrotechnic
reefed
reefing
separate
separately
set
simultaneous
simultaneously
simultaneously cut
single
stability
step-by-step
stretched
tether
time
time delay
timed
two-stage