Mechanical thruster

Claim 2

In a canister having separably joined container and lid components, a mechanical thruster for positively separating the container and lid components with respect to each other under a controlled time delay, the thruster comprising: (a) a frame secured to one of the components; (b) a mechanical adjustable timing means secured within the frame; (c) a mechanical actuation means releasably secured to the frame and associated with the timing means to actuate the timing means when the actuation means is released; (d) movable spring-actuated strike means secured to the frame and mechanically associated with the timing means, movement of the strike means to be actuated by the timing means at a predetermined time interval after the actuation means has been released; (e) a thruster body secured to the other of the components, the thruster body being normally and releasably secured to the frame against a bias tending to move it away from the frame; (f) lock means associated with the thruster body and movable with respect thereto from locking position in which movement of the thruster body, when in position secured to the frame, away from the frame, is prevented by obstruction of the lock means, to releasing position in which the lock means does not obstruct movement of the thruster body away from the frame and the thruster body is caused to be propelled away from it under a bias exerted on the thruster body; and (g) lock releasing means associated with the lock means to normally hold the lock means in locking position, and positioned with respect to the strike means to receive the impact from it and which, upon receiving the impact from the strike means, is displaced to cause the lock means to dislodge from locking position to releasing position and cause the thruster body to be propelled from the frame.

Claim 3

A mechanical thruster according to claim 1 wherein the strike means and the lock release means are provided with surfaces which are facing when in position, the surfaces being normal to the direction of travel of the strike means and the lock release means.

Claim 4

A mechanical thruster according to claim 1 wherein the thruster body is closed at the one end by means of a cap having cylindrical external surfaces which threadably engage the interior surfaces of that end of the thruster body.

Claim 5

A mechanical thruster according to claim 1 further provided with a pair of clamps, one clamp secured to each of the components to be separated, one of the clamps secured to the thruster body, the other of the clamps secured to the frame.

Claim 6

A mechanical thruster according to claim 1 wherein the mechanical actuation means comprises an arming pin.

Claim 7

In a canister having separably joined container and lid components a mechanical thruster for positively separating the container and lid components with respect to each other under a controlled time delay, the thruster comprising: (a) a frame to be secured to one of the components; (b) a mechanical adjustable timing means secured within the frame; (c) a mechanical actuation means releasbly secured to the frame and associated with the timing means to actuate the timing means when the actuation means is released; (d) movable strike means comprising a spring-actuated plunger linearly movable within a barrel secured to the frame and mechanically associated with the timing means, movement of the plunger to be actuated by the timing means at a predetermined time interval after the actuation means has been released; (e) a cylindrical thruster body closed at one end and open at the other, the inner wall of the thruster body, between the ends thereof, being provided with a circumferential groove, the thruster body being secured to the other of the components, the thruster body being normally seated about the barrel and releasably secured to the frame against a bias tending to move it away from the frame; (f) a cylindrical barrel adapter insertable in the open end of the thruster body so that the outer wall of the barrel adapter and the inner wall of the cylindrical thruster body are flush, the inner wall of the barrel adapter being threaded to engage threads on the outer wall of the barrel, the walls of the barrel adapter being provided with holes therein alignable with the groove of the thruster body when the barrel adapter is in position within the thruster body; (g) lock means comprising ball bearings associated with the thruster body and movable with respect thereto from a locking position in which the groove and holes are aligned and the ball bearings are seated therein to prevent relative axial movement of the thruster body with respect to the barrel adapter, and a releasing position in which the ball bearings do not obstruct movement of the thruster body away from the frame and the thruster body is caused to be propelled away from it under a bias exerted on the thruster body; and (h) lock releasing means comprising a cylindrical locking piston axially slidable within the thruster body and barrel adapter between a first, locking position and a second, releasing position, the locking piston having its cylindrical outer surface contoured with one portion, proximal to the closed end of the thruster body of a diameter which flushly fits within the barrel adapter in the first locking position to hold the ball bearings securely within the groove and holes, and an adjacent portion, proximal to the open end of the thruster body, of lesser diameter such that, when the piston is in the second, releasing position, the adjacent portion is opposite the groove and holes and the ball bearings are free to become unseated, the locking piston being normally in the first, locking position and biased against movement to the second, releasing position, the end of the locking piston remote from the end cap facing the plunger to be acted on by the plunger when the plunger is released, to overcome the bias on the locking piston and drive it to the second, releasing position, whereby the thruster body is propelled from the frame.

Claim 8

In a canister having separably joined container and lid components a mechanical thruster for positively separating the container and lid components with respect to each other under a controlled time delay, the thruster comprising: (a) a frame to be secured to one of the components; (b) a mechanical adjustable timing means secured within the frame; (c) a mechanical actuation means releasbly secured to the frame and associated with the timing means to actuate the timing means when the actuation means is released; (d) movable strike means comprising a spring-actuated plunger linearly movable within a barrel secured to the frame and mechanically associated with the timing means, movement of the plunger to be actuated by the timing means at a predetermined time interval after the actuation means has been released; (e) a cylindrical thruster body closed at one end and open at the other, the inner wall of the thruster body, between the ends thereof, being provided with a circumferential groove, the thruster body being secured to the other of the components, the thruster body being normally seated about the barrel and releasably secured to the frame against a bias tending to move it away from the frame; (f) a cylindrical barrel adapter insertable in the open end of the thruster body so that the outer wall of the barrel adapter and the inner wall of the cylindrical thruster body are flush, the inner wall of the barrel adapter being threaded to engage threads on the outer wall of the barrel, the walls of the barrel adapter being provided with holes therein alignable with the groove of the thruster body when the barrel adapter is in position within the thruster body; (g) lock means comprising ball bearings associated with the thruster body and movable with respect thereto from a locking position in which the groove and holes are aligned and the ball bearings are seated therein to prevent relative axial movement of the thruster body with respect to the barrel adapter, and a releasing position in which the ball bearings do not obstruct movement of the thruster body away from the frame and the thruster body is caused to be propelled away from it under a bias exerted on the thruster body; and (h) lock releasing means comprising a cylindrical locking piston axially slidable within the thruster body and barrel adapter between a first, locking position and a second, releasing position, the locking piston having its cylindrical outer surface contoured with one portion, proximal to the closed end of the thruster body of a diameter which flushly fits within the barrel adapter in the first locking position to hold the ball bearings securely within the groove and holes, and an adjacent portion, proximal to the open end of the thruster body, of lesser diameter such that, when the piston is in the second, releasing position, the adjacent portion is opposite the groove and holes and the ball bearings are free to become unseated, the locking piston being normally in the first, locking position and biased against movement to the second, releasing position, the end of the locking piston remote from the end cap facing the plunger to be acted on by the plunger when the plunger is released, to overcome the bias on the locking piston and drive it to the second, releasing position, whereby the thruster body is propelled from the frame.

Claim 9

A mechanical thruster according to claim 6 provided with a removable safety stop, the safety stop comprising a pin insertable through a hole in the wall of the thruster body so that a portion of that pin is seated immediately behind the end of the locking piston remote from the plunger.

Claim 10

A mechanical thruster according to claim 6 wherein a spring means acting on the closed end of the thruster body and on the end of the locking piston remote from the plunger biases the locking piston in first, locking position.