US2701697A - Rotating parachute - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 8, 1955 Filed NOV- 14. 1949 E. G. EWING ROTATING PARACHUTE 2 Shets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR.

EQGAR G. EWING ATTORNEY Feb. 8, 1955 E. G. EWING 2,701,697

ROTATING PARACHUTE Filed Nov. 14, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

DGAR G. EWING ATTORNEY ii I ROTATING Edgar G. "Ewing, North =Hnllyyvoou, .Cal'ili, assignor to Radioplane Company, Van Nuys, Califl, a corporation of California A plication Nevemberl t, 1949, vSei-ial'No'. 127,143 1 Claims: c1.:z44.-.--145):-

This invention relates generally to parachutes, and

relates-more -particu:l-arly 'to parachutes which rotate when in operation.

It is an object; of the present .invention'to provide a device of this character that=is highly elficient.

It is another objectof the invention to provide a device of this character which will open slowly, making it suitable for deployment at high velocities.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character.havinguhighdrag characteristics.

Still another. object. "of therinven'ti'on is to provide a device of thischar'acter thathasextremely good directional stabilityandlittlez'or no pendular movement.

A further. objectof theinvention is to provide'a device pf this character, .wherein.the opening shockis relatively A still. further object ofthe invention: to provide a device of this'wcharacter: which-will automatically-spill when it contacts the ground.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this character-having a relatively small packing volume.

Still other objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character .that..is relatively light in Weight, that requires .a minimum. of material, and is relatively inexpensive to manufacture... v

Other objectsand advantages of the invention will appear in the followingpart of. thespe'cificationc Referring to ,the. drawings, which. are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. l is a perspective schematic view of a parachute device embodying the invention;

United States. PatentlQ Figi2 is a top. plan view .ofthesame, showing'the canopy fully extended.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of Fig. 3;

gig. 5 is a top plan view of an alternative arrangement; an

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, the device is shown as having a generally circular canopy which comprises a plurality of generally triangular or sectorshaped panels or gores, indicated generally at 10, of suitable material, such as nylon or the like.

Each panel has a slot opening 11 at one side thereof. While said openings may be of any suitable shape, they are shown as being triangular with the outer end of the base 12 of the slot spaced inwardly from the peripheral edge 13 of the canopy, said canopy having a peripheral skirt or skirt portion comprising skirt portions 14 of the panels and there is a radially extending sail 15 for each panel. The skirt portion 14 of each panel defines the base of the slot 11, and the sail 15 defines one side of the slot, the inner edge 16 of said sail being substantially parallel with the outer edge 17, which is also one edge of the panel. The other side of the slot 11 is defined by the adjacent edge of the adjacent panel. The side edges 17 of each panel extend substantially radially and for some purposes a vent opening 20 may be provided at the center of the canopy (Figs. 1 and 2). The peripheral edge 13 of the canopy is reenforced at 21 and the opposite edge of the skirt, defining the base 12, is reenforced at 22. The side edges 17 of the panel are also reenforced as at 23 and the side edges of the sails defining the sides 16 of the opening 11 are reenforced at 24. The reenforcing strips and the 2,701,697 Patented Fees, 1955 r ce,

various parts of the canopy are/sewed together or otherwise suitably secured-c Suspension lines 30 are provided and,.-.as shownin Figs. 1 and -2, extend along .the .r-adial edges=17 of the panels where they are secured by sewing. or other suitable means, the .lowenen'ds of said lines 30 being secured:.-to a swivel unit31 to which a load 3-2 may be attached. The load 32 may be a missile, suppliesor thelike which are to be dropped to the :ground, or :a person. In'Ithe lattercaseithezharness of .theparachute'r is attached to the swivel 51-.

The parachute may, be'packed in avery'sm'all {package due' to the factthat there are cutout areas 11, whi'eh reduces the amount of material in the;canopy and also results in a reduction in the weight of said canopyi- In operation, as when. the-device is lowering a load, the canopy rotates in the direction indicated by the arrows 33in Figs. .1 and 2'. This rotation iseffected by ithe sails -15, theedges .16 of which. flare outwardly, as at 35 in Figs. 3 and4.'-, thereby causing sa'id sails to assume a blade-like shapeand causing said sailsto function as airfoils. The edges 17 of thew-blades: are heldagainst flaring by the suspensionline s30 which run alongsaid edges 17 and aresuitablysecuredto the canopy.

The rapid. rotation of the: canopy substantially increasesthe 'efficien'cy thereof, and-the 'devicehas asgy-roscopic effect which materially increases: the-directional stability of the device andmateriallyreduces 'or' substantially eliminates pendular movement. thereof.

1 Another advantage-of the invention is thatlit maybe used in connection-with high velocitysmissil'es, to slow down and land s'ame. The parachute will 'open. relatively slowly and the opening shockloads are minimizeddue to the i lattice-like;eflectof theeanopy. ,It' has. also been found-that thereis automatic spillinglor eollapsingfof the canopy as soon as it contacts the ground,- thereby avoiding draggi-ng of the rload at the end of the descent.

Referring to Figs. 5 andfi', the canopyof this arrangemerit-10f .a parachute is alsov of generaily circular shape and comprises a plurality: of generally triangular-1y er sector-shaped panels orvgor'es 1'0. i

The. apices .of the panels-10 are secured. to a circular piece 40 (Fig. 5,) byt-sew-ing or other. suitablemeans and each panel. has a four-sided slot opening-11a; wider a'tthe outer :end'than'at the inn'erfl'encl. 41 the outer end being spaced-inwardly 'fromLthe peripheral edge- 13 .of the-canopy. Eachpanelhasgan outer or skirt Ipo'rtion. 14, ..and the inner side edge 42ithereofii'defines the. outer ,endmf the slot: 112:. .sA-sailwlfilaha'sla side 43 which defines the adjacent longitudinal side of said slot, a side of the slot opposite the sail being defined by the adjacent panel 10.

The side edges of the panel 10 extend substantially radially and the side edges 43 of the sails are also on a radius so that the inner ends of said sails are narrower than the outer ends. Thus it will be apparent that the sails and the slots may be varied in shape without departing from the essence of the invention.

The peripheral edge of the canopy is reenforced by strips of suitable fabric material or the like, said strips being indicated at 45, and the radial side edges of the panels 10 are also similarly reenforced, as at 46.

The panel edges 41, 42 and 43 are also reenforced by strips 47, all of the various strips above mentioned being sewed to the panels or otherwise suitably secured.

In the arrangement of Fig. 5, the suspension lines 30a do not extend to the central part of the canopy as in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 4, but have their end portions 30b secured to the sides of the panels along the outer end portions of said sides, the reenforcements 46 serving as extensions of said lines so that the sails 1511 will take on an airfoil shape when the device is in operation, as is the case of the sails 15 of the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

The shape of the sails 15a under these conditions is shown in Fig. 6 and differs somewhat from the shape of the sails 15 (Fig. 3) under operating conditions, but with either sail arrangement the object and advantages of the invention will be attained.

I claim: 3

1. A parachute device, comprising: a canopy'of gefiz erally circular shape and comprising a plurality of generally triangular shaped panels secured together along adjacent edges, said canopy having a vent opening in the center, each of said panels comprising a skirt portion at the outer end thereof and a generally radially extending sail intermediate the ends and along one side of the panel, the sails of the canopy being annularly spaced apart and facing in the same peripheral direction; a plurality of suspension lines depending from the canopy and including portions extending along the edges of the panels whereat the sails are disposed, and secured in position; and a swivel unit secured to the lower ends of the suspension lines.

2. In a parachute device: a generally circular canopy having a peripheral skirt from which extend inwardly a plurality of generally radial sails, said sails being substantially uniformly arranged and spaced apart and being relatively narrow along a dimension parallel to the air fiow and of small curve or bow in cross-section; and a plurality of holding means for corresponding edges of said sails, said means including at least a portion of respective suspension lines.

-3. In a parachute device: a generally circular canopy having a peripheral skirt of substantial width from which extend a plurality of generally radial sails, said sails being substantially uniformly arranged and being relatively narrow and facing in the same direction and having substantially the same pitch; a plurality of suspension lines, a .portion of each suspension line extending along at least a portion of one edge of the respective sails and secured thereto; and a swivel device secured to the lower ends of said suspension lines.

4. A canopy for a parachute device, comprising: fabric material of generally circular shape, having a peripheral skirt portion, said canopy having openings therein to provide a plurality of relatively narrow, elongated, generally radially extending sails annularly spaced apart, one edge of each of said sails being adapted to balloon outwardly, said openings being wider at their outer ends and said edges of said sails being at the corresponding sides thereof.

5. A parachute device, comprising: a generally circular canopy formed of a plurality of generally triangular shaped panels marginally secured together, each of said panels having a generally triangularly shaped opening therein of substantially fixed area with the base at the outer end and spaced inwardly a substantial distance from the outer edge of the panel in substantially parallel relationship so that the canopy has a distinct, relatively wide peripheral skirt portion of relatively uniform width, the respective portions of said panels along one side of the respective openings and substantially contiguous therewith fortning elongated generally radial sails facing in the same peripheral direction and uniformly spaced apart,

said sails being relatively narrow along a dimension parallel to the air flow and of small curve in crosssection giving said sails a low angle of attack; and a plurality of suspension lines depending from the canopy and including portions extending along the edges of the panels Whereat the sails are disposed.

6. A parachute device, comprising: a generally circular canopy formed of a plurality of generally triangular shaped panels marginally secured together, said canopy having a vent opening in the center, each of said panels having a generally triangularly shaped opening therein of substantially fixed area with the base at the outer end and spaced inwardly a substantial distance from the outer edge of the panel in substantially parallel relationship so that the canopy has a distinct, relatively wide peripheral skirt portion of relatively uniform width, the respective portions of said panels along one side of the respective openings and substantially contiguous therewith forming elongated generally radial sails facing in the same peripheral direction and uniformly spaced apart, said sails being relatively narrow along a dimension parallel to the air flow and of small curve in cross-section giving said sails a low angle of attack; a plurality of suspension lines depending from the canopy and including portions extending along the edges of the panels whereat the sails are disposed, and secured in position; and a 1swivel unit secured to the lower ends of the suspension mes.

7. A canopy for a parachute device, comprising: fabric material of generally circular shape having a plurality of annularly spaced openings of substantially constant area, the outer ends of said openings being substantially wider than the inner ends and spaced inwardly a substantial distance from the peripheral edge of the fabric material and generally parallel therewith thereby providing a relatively wide skirt; and a plurality of generally radially extending annularly spaced sails between said openings.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 966,143 Van Wie Aug. 2, 1910 1,112,110 Bissell Sept. 29, 1914 2,151,349 Fromme Mar. 21, 1939 2,365,230 Volf Dec. 19, 1944 2,384,416 Derry Sept. 4, 1945 2,469,573 Quilter May 10, 1949 2,559,804 Smith July 10, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 680,483 Germany Aug. 30, 1939 702,971 France Feb. 2, 1931

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