Hydrostat-actuated parachute release mechanism

Claim 1

A RELEASE MECHANISM RESPONSIVE TO HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE FOR UNCOUPLING A PARACHUTE FROM A AERIAL LAUNCHED MARINE BOMB COMPRISING, A CUP-SHAPED BASE TO BE FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE AFTER END OF A MARINE BOMB, SAID BASE HAVING AT LEAST A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED DETENTS FORMED IN THE INNER PERIPHERAL WALL THEREOF, A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER HAVING A PORTION THEREOF EXTENDING INTO THE CUP-SHAPED MEMBER AND HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY DISPOSED BALL-RECEIVING THROUGH APERTURES FORMED THEREIN FOR ALIGNMENT WITH SAID DETENTS, A PISTON SLIDABLY RECEIVED WITHIN SAID CYLINDER AND HAVING A PISTON ROD FORMED THEREON EXTENDING PARTIALLY INTO SAID BASE FOR ALIGNMENT WITH THE DETENTS AND THE BALL-RECEIVING APERTURES, A PAIR OF BALLS RECEIVED WITHIN SAID APERTURES AND EXTENDING INTO SAID DETENTS AND BEING NORMALLY HELD IN THIS POSITION BY THE END PORTION OF THE PISTON ROD, SAID PISTON ROD HAVING A REDUCED DIAMETER SECTION THEREON TO ENABLE THE BALLS TO MOVE RADIALLY INWARDLY AND OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE DETENTS WHEN SAID REDUCED DIAMETER PORTION IS MOVED INTO ALIGNMENT WITH THE BALL-RECEIVING APERTURES, PISTON RETAINING MEANS RIGIDLY SECURED WITHIN SAID CYLINDER TO HOLD THE PISTON WITHIN THE CYLINDER FOR LIMITED MOVEMENT THEREIN, MEANS RECEIVED WITHIN SAID BASE AND CONTACTING SAID PISTON ROD FOR RESILIENTLY BIASING THE PISTON OUTWARDLY INTO CONTACT WITH THE PISTON RETAINING MEANS, AND MEANS MOUNTED UPON SAID CYLINDER FOR CONNECTION TO THE SHROUD LINES OF A PARACHUTE, WHEREBY THE PARACHUTE IS RIGIDLY COUPLED TO THE BOMB UNTIL THE BOMB REACHES A PREDETERMINED DEPTH BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE WATER AT WHICH THE HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE IS SUFFICIENT TO OVERCOME THE FORCE OF THE BIASING MEANS TO MOVE THE PISTON A DISTANCE SUFFICIENT TO BRING THE REDUCED DIAMETER PORTION OF THE PISTON ROD INTO ALIGNMENT WITH THE BALL-RECEIVING APERTURES TO PERMIT THE BALLS TO MOVE OUT OF CONTACT WITH THE DETENTS TO UNCOUPLE THE CYLINDER FROM THE BASE AND THEREBY RELEASE THE PARACHUTE FROM THE BOMB.