Gas operated automatic canopy release
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The herein invention is an improvement in the type of strap connectors for canopy release shown in Gaylord U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,964,138, 3,330,014, and 3,183,568 in each of which a roll bar is used to interlock with one or more prongs inserted in the female connector member. The use of gas operated pistons for releasing interlocked elements is known, as in Gaylord U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,813, but in most of the existing canopy releases using a roll-bar, manual operation is required. For instance a locking lever has to be turned manually so as to allow the lifting of another lever connected to the roll bar to turn the roll bar to an unlocking position. In other forms complex mechanisms are provided for transmitting turning force to a roll bar. 
     The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of simple structure which is capable of an automatic gas actuated mode of operation for such canopy release without interfering with the usual manual operation for such release. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic releasing device which engages the roll bar directly yet permits the manual operation of the bar for engagement and disengagement with the prong inserted in a female connector member. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 shows a side view of the female connector member of the canopy release partly in section to indicate the engagement between the roll bar and the recess in the prong. 
     FIG. 2 is a rear view of the female connector member showing the location of the gas operated releasing devices. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the female member taken substantially on lines 3--3 of FIG. 2 showing the releasing device in withdrawn position. 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the lines 3--3 of FIG. 2 showing the releasing device after it operated and turned the roll bar. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the female connector member 1 has a pocket 2 into which the prong 3 of the male connector member 4 extends. Both the male and the female member have suitable pins 5 for the usual engagement by the respective straps. 
     The prong 3 has a recess 6 on one side thereof and has a suitable guide 7 in a groove 8 in the pocket 2 to position the prong 3 so that the prong recess 6 faces toward a transverse roll bar 9 in the female member. The roll bar 9 has a cut away portion 11 at an area opposite to the prong 3 so that when the roll bar 9 is rolled into a disengaging position, the shoulder 12 of the cutaway portion 11 is withdrawn from the prong recess 6 permitting the withdrawal of the prong 3 from the pocket 2. When the roll bar 9 is turned into the interlocking position shown in FIG. 1 then the portion of the roll bar 9 adjacent the shoulder 12 projects into the prong recess 6 and interlocks the connector members. 
     The improvement is illustrated in a form where the male connector member has two prongs. A mounting plate 13 on the back of the female member, as shown in FIG. 2, supports a pair of spaced cylinders 14 which latter are spaced each adjacent to the respective pockets 2 into which the prongs 3 are inserted. Each cylinder 14 has a piston 15 aligned with a track 16, which latter is substantially tangential to the roll bar 9. A portion of the roll bar 9 periphery projects slightly in the adjacent track 16 and is partly flattened to form a guide 17 for the piston and a shoulder 18. The piston 15 abuts against the shoulder 18, as shown in FIG. 3. A shear pin 19 projects into the track 16 ahead of the piston 15 and restrains the piston 15 in inoperative position. A suitable conduit 21 leads to one of the cylinders 14 from a source of a pressure medium such as gas under pressure, and another conduit 22 connects the cylinders 14 so as to assure simultaneous action of the pistons 15 on the roll bar 9. 
     In operation the connector members could be separated from one another manually in the usual manner as described in the aforementioned patents, without any interference by the gas operated releasing means. In case of emergency a pressure medium is admitted in any suitable manner through the conduit 21 into the cylinders 14 and causes the pistons 15 to shear the pins 19 and to press on the shoulders 18, thereby turning the roll bar 9 from the position shown in FIG. 3 into the position shown in FIG. 4 and thereby withdrawing the roll bar 9 from the prongs 3 and releasing the latter.