Patent GB-830537-A (GB)
Title: Releasable connection
IPC: F16C11/06
Filed: 1957-09-25
Abstract: 830,537. Releasing articles from a height. MORROW, E. F. Sept. 25. 1957 [Oct. 4, 1956], No. 30119/57. Class 9(2) [Also in Groups XXV and XXXIII] A releasable connection e.g. for bomb release or jettisonable fuel tanks, comprises a pair of releasable members adapted to be subjected to a force tending to pull the members apart, an eccentric 26 having a periphery that defines a complete circle, the eccentric being rotatably mounted on one of the members on an axis of rotation that is eccentric to the circle, the eccentric having a peripheral high point and a peripheral low point that are co-linear with the axis and with the centre of the circle, the other member having a holding portion 65, the one member having means 11 which together with the eccentric when the latter is in one rotative position, retains the holding member against such pulling force, whereby the members are connected, the holding portion being released thus disconnecting the members when the eccentric is rotated from said position, and releasable means for holding the eccentric in said position, the holding portion when the members are connected and subjected to such a pulling force' exerting a force having a component radial to such and at a location near to but distant from said high point to rotate the eccentric from said position upon release of the releasable means. As shown in Fig. 1 one of the members is formed by a clevis 64 its holding member being a spherical ball end 65. The means 11 is a housing portion of the other member. This member rotatably mounts the eccentric 26 on a spindle 24, the eccentric being mounted on the spindle on needle bearings and having a rim portion 31 which is rotatable relative to the rest of the eccentric on needle bearings 30. The releasable means for holding the eccentric in its ball end locking position comprises a pivoted control arm 50 which has a stop 60 for engaging a bill 64<SP>1</SP> on the eccentric to prevent rotation of the eccentric under the force acting between the two members. The control arm has its stop held in engagement with the bill 64<SP>1</SP> by a spring 57 which is stressed by the ball end and when it is in the housing portion 11. A camming spur 61 is provided on the control arm and when the control arm is moved in a releasing direction by a cable 68 this spur engages a lug 46 on the eccentric to cause the eccentric to rotate in an anti-clockwise direction as shown; the pull on the clevis 64 then causes the eccentic to continue to rotate to release the ball end. When the ball end 65 is not in the housing portion 11 the control arm is held in the release position by a spring 56 which bears on a wall of the housing and which is weaker than the spring 57. The connection is engaged by inserting the ball end into the housing; the ball end then engages the spring 57 and rotates the control arm in an anti-clockwise direction so that when the eccentric is manually rotated also in a clockwise direction to lock the ball end in the housing, the stop 60 eventually snaps under the bill 64<SP>1</SP> to lock the eccentric in position. In a modification the ball end is replaced by a roller and the shape of the housing is correspondingly modified.