Releasing device, powered by a drill motor through an adjustable speed reducer, has a spinning release head with three retractable spring-loaded fingers. The fingers are retracted by manual triggering of a cable at the motor end of the unit

Fife, W. J.

Holway, H. P.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

ISeptember 1970	 Brief 70-10077 
NASA TECH BRIEF
-	 -	 - 
NASA Tech Briefs announce new technology derived from the U.S. space program. They are issued to encourage commercial 
application. Tech Briefs are available on a subscription basis from the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical 
Information, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology Utilization Division, NASA, Code UT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Controlled Release of Free-Falling Test Models 
Release	 - .	 1­ 1	 Trinoer 
be Dropped 
\ ,
Complete Loaded Unit 
The behavior of test models dropped at various 
angles of attack and rates of spin has been examined. 
Hitherto, such models have been spun and tossed by 
hand. 
A novel releasing device (see fig.) is powered by 
a drill motor through an adjustable speed reducer. 
Adjustably mounted on the housing of an extensible 
drive shaft is a bubble level. The extreme end of the 
shaft's housing (:5 12-ft long in four 3-ft lengths in the 
experimental unit) carries the spinning release head 
which has three retractable spring-loaded fingers to 
hold the model until it is dropped. The fingers are 
retracted by a cable' triggered at the motor end of the 
unit. 
With the model to be dropped clamped by the fin-
gers and with the drive shaft extended to the correct 
length the unit is inserted in the tunnel. The desired 
speed of rotation is selected, and the level is moved 
about the housing, to the desired angle of attack, and 
reset. The motor is started and, with the bubble vis-
ibly centered, the model is dropped by manual trig-
gering of the cable. 
Note: 
Requests for further information may be directed 
to:
Technology Utilization Officer 
NASA Pasadena Office 
4800 Oak Grove Drive 
Pasadena, California 91103' 
Reference: TSP70- 10077 
in 
REV
	
(continued overleaf) 
This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National 	 Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the 
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States 	 information contained in this document, or warrants that such use 
Government nor any person acting on behalf of the United States 	 will be free from privately ownedrights.
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19700000073 2020-03-17T00:24:35+00:00Z
Patent status: 
Inquiries about obtaining rights for the commercial 
use of this invention may be made to NASA, Code GP, 
Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Source: H.P. Holway and W.J. Fife of 
Caltech/JPL
under contract to
NASA Pasadena Office 
(NPO-11314) 
Brief 70-10077	 Category 07


Controlled release of free-falling test models

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