Shockload resistant canopy release

The Canopy Release is for the purpose of connecting the webbings from a canopy or parachute to a harness worn by a person. The device includes a male connector member insertable in a female connector member and a releasable locking device for locking the male member in the female member. The male member is connected to one webbing and it has a prong having a keeper recess in at least one edge and it is inserted into a pocket in the female member; a lock in the female member is moveable into and out of the pocket to interlock with the keeper recess and to release the same; a pin in the lock is journalled in the female member and in a cover plate having a substantially U-shaped slot therein; a manipulating frame is connected to the pin so as to turn the pin when the manipulating frame is turned; a guide extends from the manipulating frame into the U-shaped slot and is resiliently urged into the respective ends of the U-shaped slot thereby to prevent a turning movement of the frame until the guide is moved into the curved middle portion of the U-shaped slot; a manipulating handle is resiliently concealed in the manipulating frame slides the guide out of the respective ends of the U-shaped slot and into the curved portion thereby to permit the turning of the manipulating frame for withdrawing the lock from or turning it into the keeper recess in the prong of the male member.

CL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The positive locking of the releasable strap connectors to prevent 
accidental canopy release is a continuing problem because the safety of 
personnel is involved and accidental release of webbing connected to a 
parachute is usually fatal. Accidental disconnecting of webbing is 
frequently caused by a shock which inadvertently unlocks or releases the 
connectors. Also, accidental striking of a portion of the connector or the 
connector being caught in some other object can cause accidental release. 
The primary object of this invention is to provide releasable webbing 
connectors so locked together that the manipulating parts are positively 
locked against any accidental movement from either the locking or the 
released position, yet can be easily manipulated. 
A further object of the invention is to provide in releasable strap 
connectors a manipulating and locking device which can be operated by one 
finger and which can be easily found without looking at the connectors, 
and which also requires the operator to continuously engage the device 
throughout the releasing operation or throughout the locking operation, 
and which may be inter-locked in canopy release body in either front or 
back position; the device is also adapted to operate in one way lockup. 
A further object of the invention is to provide an adapter in a canopy 
release which is connected by a webbing to the usual canopy release as an 
auxiliary release and which can be positively locked and yet is simple in 
construction with the minimum number of parts, and which has concealed 
operating parts protected against accidental engagement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
A male member body 1 has a cross head 2 with a slot 3 for webbing. The 
prong 4 of the body 1 is flat and it has at least one keeper recess 6 in 
an edge thereof. 
The female connecting member has a base body 7 which has a slot 8 at its 
lower end for engagement by another webbing. In this illustrative 
embodiment there is an additional ear 9 extending from the back of the 
base body 7 which also has a slot 11 therein to accomodate additional 
webbing when required. The base body 7 has a pocket 12 with an opening 13 
at its top so as to accomodate the prong 4 of the male body 1. Adjacent 
the opening 13 of the pocket 12 are opposite shoulders 14 upon which rest 
the lower shoulders 16 of the elongated head 2 of the male connecting 
member when inserted into the pocket 12. In one side 17 of the pocket 12 
is a side recess 18 extending into the body to a depth to accommodate a 
cam-shaped lock 19. A pin 21 extends from each side of the lock 19 and 
through a cover plate 22 secured over the pocket 12. The pin 21 is 
rotatable so that as it is turned in one direction as shown in FIG. 3, the 
lock 19 projects into the adjacent registering keeper recess 6 of the 
prong 4 thereby locking it into connected position. By turning the pin 21 
in a counterclockwise direction to the position shown in FIG. 5, the lock 
19 is rotated out of the keeper recess 6 and into the side recess 18 
thereby releasing the prong 4. 
A hole 23 through the coverplate 22 registers with the pin 21 and the pin 
extends beyond the cover plate 22 and fastened into a hole in mounting 
block 32 of manipulating frame 31. The plate 22 has a double bayonet slot 
24 therein, namely the slot 24 is generally U-shaped with a curved or 
arcuate middle portion 26 centered about the pin 21, and a locking end 
portion 27 at the upper end and another locking end portion 28 at the 
lower end of the middle portion 26. 
A manipulating frame 31 has a mounting block 32 thereof suitably fastened 
on the pin 21 so that when the manipulating frame 31 is turned the pin 21 
turns with it and accordingly turns the lock 19 either into or out of the 
pocket 12. 
The top edge of the manipulating frame 31 is formed into an enlarged hub 33 
which has a passage 34 therethrough. The middle portion of the hub 33 is 
cut away to form a recess 36 which is in registry with the slot 24. A 
shaft 37 extends through the passage 34 and through an end 38 of the hub 
33 and is slidable and rotatable therein. On the shaft 37 is a head 39 of 
a guide 41. The guide 41 is so spaced from the hole in block 32 that when 
the mounting block 32 is mounted on the pin 21 the guide 41 projects into 
the slot 24. A longitudinal slot 42 through the bottom of the recess 36 
permits linear sliding of the guide 41 in the slot 24 for shifting into 
the ends 27 or 28 of the double bayonet slot 24. A tongue and tension 
spring 43 in an enlarged cylinder 44 on the end of the shaft 37 normally 
urges the shaft 37 away from the hub end 38. A cap 45 fits into the outer 
end of the cylinder 44 and anchors the adjacent end of the spring 43. 
A manipulating handle 46 is concealed in a cavity of the manipulating frame 
31. The handle 46 is in the form of a ring. Bearing lugs 47 extend from 
the top of the manipulating handle 46 and are secured to the shaft 37 by a 
pin 48. The spring 43 also turns the shaft 37 and thereby keeps the handle 
46 in the cavity of the manipulating frame 31. The bearing lugs 47 
straddle the head 39 of the guide 41, so that when the manipulating handle 
46 is pulled out of the cavity then it can be pulled to the left viewing 
FIG. 3, namely so as to shift the shaft 37 and move the guide 41 from the 
end of the respective slot ends 27 or 28 thereby to bring the guide 41 
into registry with the curved portion 26 and allow the rotating of the 
handle 46 and the manipulating frame 31 in the respective directions for 
moving the lock 19 into locking or unlocking positions respectively. 
The assembled device is shown in interlocking position in FIG. 3. In order 
to release this adapter, the operator pulls the handle ring 46 out of the 
cavity 47 and pulls it so as to slide the guide 41 to the curved portion 
26 of the double bayonet slot 24. Then by exerting a turning force on the 
handle 46 in a contra-clockwise direction viewing FIG. 3 the entire frame 
31 is turned while the guide 41 rides in the curved slot portion 26 from 
the top bayonet slot 27 downwardly thereby turning the pin 21 and the lock 
19 also in a contra-clockwise direction so that by the time the guide 41 
reaches the lower bayonet slot 28 the lock is completely withdrawn from 
the keeper recess 6 of the prong 4 and into the side recess 18 thereby 
disconnecting and releasing the connectors. Then by releasing the handle 
ring 46, the spring 43 returns the shaft 37 to its initial position 
thereby moves the guide 41 to the end of the lower bayonet slot 28 and 
locks the manipulating frame 31 in the connector releasing attitude. The 
handle ring 46 is returned to its initial position into the cavity 47 by 
the shaft 37 to which it is secured by a pin 48. 
For interlocking the male and female members, the handle ring 46 is again 
pulled out of the cavity and pulled to shift the shaft 38 and thereby 
slide the guide 41 out of the lower bayonet slot 28 and into registry with 
the curved slot portion 26. Then by further turning the handle 46 in a 
clockwise direction viewing FIG. 5, the manipulating frame 31 is turned 
clockwise while the guide 41 travels to the upper bayonet slot 27 and the 
lock 19 is turned into projecting position interlocking with the adjacent 
keeper recess 6. Then the handle 46 is released, the spring 43 returns the 
shaft 37 to the initial position locking the guide 41 into the top bayonet 
slot 27, and the handle 46 snaps into the cavity 47 as heretofore 
described, and the connectors are positively interlocked.