Patent ID: 8025254

Claim:
An apparatus for releasing a parachute from its payload upon ground impact by the payload, comprising: a pair of sections releasably secured to each other, each section comprising: an intermediate portion having a longitudinally extending axis and a spur receiving opening that extends through the intermediate portion and is transverse to the longitudinally extending axis, a first end portion attached to the intermediate portion and comprising a spur that extends in a generally lateral direction with respect to the longitudinally extending axis, a second end portion attached to the intermediate portion such that the intermediate portion is between the first and second end portions, wherein the spur of one section is disposed in the spur receiving opening of the other section, means for attaching a lanyard to the section, wherein in order to use the apparatus, a lanyard is attached to and between one of the sections and a parachute, and another lanyard is attached to and between the other section and a payload; and components to forcefully release the sections from each other when a payload linked to one of the sections impacts the ground; and a device releasably engaged to both sections to prevent the components from prematurely forcefully releasing the sections from each other, the device being responsive to the opening of a parachute canopy such that when the parachute canopy opens, the device disengages from the sections so that the components will be free to forcefully release the sections from each other upon ground impact by the payload; wherein each section has a threaded bore that extends through the intermediate portion and is transverse to the longitudinally extending axis and has an opening that confronts the other section, and wherein the components comprise: a threaded member screwed into the threaded bore; a contact member movably positioned in the bore; and a spring member interposed between the contact member and the threaded member so that as the threaded member is screwed into the threaded bore, the spring member becomes compressed thereby forcing the contact member to protrude from the opening of the bore and apply a force to the other section.