Patent ID: 6939073

Claim:
A releasable locking assembly adapted for use in rapidly retracting a joining bolt joining two structures together said joining bolt passing through adjacent bolt holes in the two structures with a bolt head against one of the structures and a threaded bolt end protruding from the other structure to be secured by a frangible nut on that side of an interface plane between the two structures, the releasable locking assembly including a bolt retractor mechanism comprising a plunger chamber in the form of a hollow cylinder with a closed end and an open end; a spring in the form of a coil; a plunger in the form of a piston; a plunger bolt having a bolt-head end and an opposite connecting end; and a joining bolt; the coil spring being adapted to fit slidably within the cylindrical plunger chamber; the plunger being adapted to fit slidably within the coil spring; the plunger having a flanged end and an opposite insertion end; coupling means for attaching the insertion end of the plunger to the head end of the plunger bolt, the flanged end of the plunger being adapted to abut and compress the coil spring when the plunger is forced toward the interface plane, and to retract the plunger bolt by forces exerted by the expanding spring; and means coupling the connecting end of the plunger bolt to the joining bolt so that the joining bolt is retracted by the plunger.