Parachute Actuator

[Rocket123]

Hello

What is out there to deploy the chute from the steering wheel?

Thanks Rocket 

[Stainless1]

We use a GM door lock actuator.  Fast and simple, but I'm sure it will depend on application.  If possible, be sure to back any electrical involved release with a manual backup... It may even be a rule.

[Dean Los Angeles]

What is out there to deploy the chute from the steering wheel?

It's called an air bag.

[Glen]

Stroud safety has release systems

[Rocket123]

Stainless I am interested in the door lock idea, What does it do actuate the lever or is it the pin? How did you do a manual override?

Thanks Rocket

[saltfever]

Glen had a redundant system on his dragster. He described his system few years ago. Something like an air bottle with actuator backed up with a mechanical release. I hope he sees this and speaks up.

[Stainless Two]

It actuates the pin by pulling it back toward the driver compartment releasing the strap, and there is also a cable attached to the assembly that runs into the drivers compartment.  neither work well when the safety pin and flag is still attached...lol

[Stainless1]

Sum, did you get a picture of our release while you were shooting pics during WOS?  Release systems were discussed in a previous thread, I will look at my pictures to see if I remembered to take one. 
It is quite simple to do with air or electricity, the mechanical back-up becomes the tricky part.

Here are a couple of pictures, hard to see, the the actuator is a rack and pinion, the red rod is the pull wire.

[Rocket123]

Thanks everyone The air actuator just seems to big for me. I was designing one before I started this thread and will be exploring that and the door lock idea. I had seen the air actuator just thought there may be more on the market I am ASSuming that the NHRA boys are using air.

Later Rocket

[Glen]

I don't understand you saying it's to large. On my dragster it was a 1" dia X 4 inch long cylinder with a air bottle about the size of a beer can that was remotely mounted with a 1/8 tube to the control valve mounted on the steering wheel and another flex hose 1/8 dia to the cylinder. Note: the cylinder was mounted inside a tube and a small handle through a slot to manually over ride the air if it failed. It never failed but was tested to assure it would work as designed.

[Sumner]

Sum, did you get a picture of our release while you were shooting pics during WOS? .............

I took lots of "spy" pictures, but you must of deleted them when I wasn't looking  .  Actually I have some, but not as many as I thought I took, but here is one of the release (the only one).  One of these days I'll try and post more as you guys sure have a beautifully built car that has also done very well in the record department.

I'm also posting a picture of Sparky's lakester along with your car in impound that I like a lot,

Sum

[Dynoroom]

I used Co2 this year with the new car. No problems at all but will be looking at a manual back-up for it. No rule yet to require it but a common since move.
As for the NHRA pro stock guys they use a "ejection" system that has a spring launch the chute from the bag not a pilot that pulls it out. See Stroud for that.

[fastesthonda_jim]

You ask about needing something to use "from the steering wheel?"  In the interest of perhaps taking this thread off into a slightly different direction, I'll ask, "Why?  Why from the steering wheel?"  You've got buttons and or switches on your wheel, somewhere between 0 and 6 or 7 of them, and in the middle of a crisis you'll be hanging on and maybe spinning the wheel madly trying to right things, while at the same time trying to remember which button/switch releases the chute. 

On the other hand, if spinning the wheel isn't in your future, you could maybe just use a bicycle hand brake lever mounted on the wheel and facing backwards (actually forwards, towards the front of the car).

If possible, especially with emergency stuff, I like to keep things simple and consistent with lizard level "fight or flight" responses developed over milena of evolution (well at least since I was 15 1/2).  I'm thinking maybe it might be a good idea to activate the chute with the first few inches of travel of the brake pedal.  I mean you don't use the dern things for much of anything except stopping when you've entered your trailer too fast, so they are basically a useless appendage down there in the foot well.  Why not use it for something useful?  Besides then a simple, and relatively foolproof (unless a rear engine/flywheel/transmission explosion destroys the cable) pull cable would accomplish what you need.

Just a thought (I think).

Jim

[Rocket123]

Hello Jim not sure what good "spinning the wheel madly" would do but to each his own. The brake pedal hmmm imagine all the popped chutes around the pits and in staging lol.

Later Rocket

[fastesthonda_jim]

Rocket,

Some cars have low steering ratio and demand a lot of turn to accomplish directional change, pretty well eliminating the chance to grab a steering wheel mounted brake lever, say if one was counter steering into a spin.

And, if I am not mistaken, don't many racers actually back off brake pads and stuff for minimum drag down the course, necessitating two, three, maybe four pumps of the brake pedal to bring pads into contact with disks at the end of a run?

And don't forget, don't most (okay many) chutes have a "Remove Before Flight" banner/safety pin to prevent such premature release "accidents"?

Jim