Device, consisting of tongue of thin aluminum alloy strip, pull tab, slotted steel plate which serves as cutter, and steel buckle, absorbs mechanical energy when its ends are subjected to tensile loading. Device is applicable as auxiliary shock absorbing anchor for automobile and airplane safety belts

Fay, R. J.

Wittrock, E. P.

English

NASA Technical Reports Server

December 1971	 Brief 71-10503 
NASA TECH BRIEF 
NASA Headquarters	
_4V 
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 National Technical Information 
Service, Springfield, Virginia 22151. Requests for individual copies or questions relating to the. Tech Brief program may 
be directed to the Technology. Utilization Office, NASA, Code KT, Washington, D.C. 20546. 
Metal-Shearing Energy Absorber 
A device consisting of a tongue of thin aluminum 
alloy strip, a pull tab, a slotted steel plate which 
serves as a cutter, and a steel buckle (see Fig. 1), 
absorbs mechanical energy when its ends are sub-
jected to tensile loading. As the tensile load is 
applied, the aluminum alloy metal on either side of
curl up, absorbing additional energy, the amount of 
which depends on the width and radius of the curls. 
This version of the device is most effective when the 
shear strip is bent slightly so that the sheared outer 
strips roll up in opposite directions (not illustrated). 
One possible application for the device is an 
Cutter Slot	 U:Shaped Cutter
Aluminum 
Alloy Strip 
S Cutter
	
Sheared Edge 
Sheared Edges
	 Rolling Up 
Aluminum 
Alloy Strip 
Tongue	
Buckle 
Pull Tab 
Figure 1 
the tongue continuously shears away and the inner 
portion of the strip passes through the cutting slot. 
The mechanical energy dissipated depends on the 
material and thickness of the shear strip and on the 
duration of the applied tensile load. 
In a second version of the device (see Fig. 2), the 
cutter is made by machining a central slot in a flat 
steel plate and then bending the plate into a U-shape. 
The action of this device is similar to that of the 
first version, except that the sheared metal edges
Pull Tab 7N 
Cutter Slot
Buckle
 Figure 2 
auxiliary shock-absorbing anchor for safety belts 
in automobiles and airplanes. 
Note: 
No additional documentation is available. Specific 
questions, however, may be directed to: 
Technology Utilization Officer 
NASA Headquarters 
Washington, D.C. 20546 
Reference: B71:10503
(continued overleaf) 
This documefct 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=19710000500 2020-03-17T02:26:23+00:00Z
Patent status: 
Inquiries about obtaining rights for the commercial 
use of this invention may be made to: 
Patent Counsel 
NASA Headquarters 
Code GP 
Washington, D. C. 20546 
Source: R. J. Fay and E. P. Wittrock of 
University of Denver
under grant from
NASA Headquarters 
(HQN- 10638) 
Brief 71-10503	 Category 07


Metal-shearing energy absorber

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