Patent GB-704332-A (GB)
Title: Improvements relating to ejectable seats for aircraft
Inventor: LOBELLE MARCEL JULES ODILON
IPC: B64D25/10
Filed: 1950-09-06
Abstract: 704,332. Ejection seats for aircraft. M. L. AVIATION CO., Ltd. Nov. 26, 1951 [Sept. 6, 1950], No. 21999/50. Class 4 In an ejection seat for aircraft, the rail assembly comprises a succession of rails mounted one on the other in slidable relationship and includes at least one set of rails intermediate a set of rails fixed to the aircraft and a set of rails fixed to the seat, each set of intermediate rails having associated therewith locking devices arranged initially to lock said intermediate rails to the rails mounted on them, a trip disposed above each locking device and adapted subsequently to unlock said set of intermediate rails, and an energy absorbing device arranged to be brought into operation after each intermediate rail is unlocked to bring said intermediate rail to rest in an extended fixed position for continued guidance of the rails mounted thereon. The seat comprises a seat pan 28 and a back 29, Fig. 1, pivotally inter-connected at X, Fig. 2a, and mounted on seat rails 39, shown in the top plan view in Fig. 3. Each rail 39 carries rollers that engage within an I section extension 34 of an intermediate floating rail 36 formed with flanges 37 to engage rollers 35 mounted on a further rail 26 fast with the aircraft structure. The upper ends of the rails 39 are bridged by a beam 30 to which the ejection gun 27, composed of three extending cylinders, is attached, the lower end of the gun being connected to a beam bridging the lower ends of the rails 26. The rails 36 and 39 are interconnected by a spring loaded catch mechanism that is released by. a trip block 51, Fig. 2a, mounted on the rail 26 when the seat is ejected and the rail 36 is arrested in an extended position by the provision thereon of a serrated plate which makes frictional engagement with a soft metal block on the rail 26. The seat pan 28, which is formed with side panels 54, is pivotally supported at the base by levers 55, Fig. 2b, and at the top by brackets 57, Fig. 2a, which carry pins 58 mounted in arcuate slots 59. The levers 55 are mounted on a torque tube 61 attached to the seat rails 39 and attached to a handle 65 formed with a trigger 66 to release a ratchet locking device 63, 64. The tube 61 carries a further arm 67 connected to a telescopic counterpoising device 68. The back 29 is connected to levers 71 by radius arms 69 whereby the inclination of the back may be adjusted, a release mechanism 73, 74, being provided and actuated through a Bowden cable from a lever on a seat side panel 54. Footrests 33 are mounted on parallel links 79, 81 and are connected to shock absorbers 82. Thigh guards 32 pivoted at 84 to the side panels 54 and urged into an erect position by elastic cables, Fig. 10 (not shown), are retained in an inoperative position by catches released by a Bowden control mechanism associated with the release mechanism for a face blind. Parachute harness connections are provided at 99, Fig. 2b, and 119, Fig. 2a, and releasable connections may be manually operated by a handle 116, Fig. 2b, or automatically by a barometric device (not shown). The blind 141, Fig. 2a, is drawn over the pilot's face by a handle 143 and it is operatively associated with the release mechanism 166 for a pilot parachute 170 for releasing a drogue and with the cartridge firing mechanism for releasing the seat. It may also initiate extraneous operations such as jettisoning the cockpit hood, retraction of the gun sight and locking of the flying controls. The ejection gun comprises three telescopic tubular sections. Specifications 624,143 and 679,063 are referred to.