Parachute release systems

[azgearhed]

Is there a slick way of electrically connecting the steering wheel with the chassis while still allowing the steering wheel to be quickly & completely removed?
Karl

I'm going to try to find a momentary switch with a small CAN connector on it to use on the steering wheel, with the lock ring so it can be quickly disconnected - most of the time we put the wheel on the dash though. Don't know if a launcher would improve our current setup-several videos we have at Elmo show the chute blossoming pretty quickly after release.

[azgearhed]

Here is a connector I found to give an idea

[4-barrel Mike]

Something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/QuickCar-50-190-NASCAR-Steering-Wheel-Kill-Switch-/261352485521?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd9d27291&vxp=mtr perhaps?

Mike

[azgearhed]

Something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/QuickCar-50-190-NASCAR-Steering-Wheel-Kill-Switch-/261352485521?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cd9d27291&vxp=mtr perhaps?

Mike

Yeah-that would work-but for my application I would rather have the coil cord stay around the column and just have the switch on the wheel. Thanks for the link- Tim

[manta22]

Is there a slick way of electrically connecting the steering wheel with the chassis while still allowing the steering wheel to be quickly & completely removed?
Karl

Yes, Karl, there is-- I used this method in my street rod that had a removable steering wheel. It was for a horn button on the steering wheel but the same idea could be used for a chute or kill switch.

I used a 1.4" phone jack in the center of the steering column and a phone plug in the center of the steering wheel. It pulls out when the steering wheel is released. The advantage of using a phone plug is that it does not matter how the steering wheel is oriented-- it works any way the steering wheel is put back on.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[entropy]

Is there a slick way of electrically connecting the steering wheel with the chassis while still allowing the steering wheel to be quickly & completely removed?
Karl

Yes, Karl, there is-- I used this method in my street rod that had a removable steering wheel. It was for a horn button on the steering wheel but the same idea could be used for a chute or kill switch.

I used a 1.4" phone jack in the center of the steering column and a phone plug in the center of the steering wheel. It pulls out when the steering wheel is released. The advantage of using a phone plug is that it does not matter how the steering wheel is oriented-- it works any way the steering wheel is put back on.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Neil,
what a great idea!  do you have a pic?
Thanks,
Karl

[Glen]

Steering wheel chute release systems are not new, I ran one on my Top Fuel car in the late 60s - & 70s. It was air operated with a manual over ride., used a one qt. air bottle, a bimba air cyl and a bimba air switch, never had a failure.

[manta22]

Is there a slick way of electrically connecting the steering wheel with the chassis while still allowing the steering wheel to be quickly & completely removed?
Karl

Yes, Karl, there is-- I used this method in my street rod that had a removable steering wheel. It was for a horn button on the steering wheel but the same idea could be used for a chute or kill switch.

I used a 1.4" phone jack in the center of the steering column and a phone plug in the center of the steering wheel. It pulls out when the steering wheel is released. The advantage of using a phone plug is that it does not matter how the steering wheel is oriented-- it works any way the steering wheel is put back on.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

Neil,
what a great idea!  do you have a pic?
Thanks,
Karl

I wish I did.

My steering column is a 3/4" DOM steel tube; I used an appropriate sized washer and brazed a retaining nut for the phone jack on the backside before brazing it on to the end of the column. I soldered a wire to the jack terminal (the one that connects to the plug tip) fed it through the hole in the washer and out through a small hole drilled through the side of the column-- forward of the upper bearing or column support. A turn or two around the column allows the column to rotate without pulling on the wire. Make sure that hole is deburred inside & out or it will eventually cut through the insulation. A piece of shrink tubing is helpful to reinforce the wire insulation. Now the quick- release fitting can be fastened to the top of the column. The phone jack is then threaded into the washer & retaining nut. It should be in the exact center of the column.

I made a thin plate to fit between the quick- release and the rear of the steering wheel. I had drilled a hole for the threaded barrel of the phone plug in that plate and used a retaining nut, reinforced with epoxy, and installed the plug. It, too should be in the exact center of the steering wheel mounting hole. The plug & jack should mate when the steering wheel is mounted. The tip connection to the plug then can connect to one terminal of a steering wheel- mounted switch; the other switch terminal then goes to the body of the steering wheel.

This way the switch makes contact from the wire through the steering column to ground (only when the steering wheel is installed, of course). If you need to use two wires instead of one wire & ground, you'll need to insulate both the jack & plug bodies with something like a nylon washer, etc. Make sure your phone jack is not the type that makes contact between its tip & body when the plug is removed... otherwise you'll pop the chute when you pull the steering wheel off! 

I hope this is not too confusing.


Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Sumner]

Also, does a launcher help in getting the chute out quicker?
http://www.stroudsafety.com/DragChutes.html

We are using one on Hooley's car now and so far like it. 



When you wind that spring in you make sure and stay out of the way.



It does launch the chute as seen above when they wanted to see it deploy during inspection,

Sum

[Stainless1]

Az, Karl our steering moves about 90 degrees off center both directions, we have an old telephone coil cord like the one in the picture with a computer d connector with a quick disconnect.  
When the axle broke at 220 Johnboy felt the car start to come around, hit the button and a half a second later the car was straight ahead of the chute and then it slid and stopped just about the access road between the courses.

[Jack Gifford]

Neil- thanks for sharing the phone plug/jack idea. Seems like a person could even use a stereo plug to cater to a pair of functions with steering wheel mounting.
And- thanks to all for putting the at-hand chute release onto my must-do list.

[entropy]

Az, Karl our steering moves about 90 degrees off center both directions, we have an old telephone coil cord like the one in the picture with a computer d connector with a quick disconnect.  
When the axle broke at 220 Johnboy felt the car start to come around, hit the button and a half a second later the car was straight ahead of the chute and then it slid and stopped just about the access road between the courses.

Thanks Stainless!
BTW: how does it feel to be the "kid" (at 63) in this discussion? (i'm 66)
I am very appreciative on the experience weighing in on this topic!

Neil,
thanks for taking the time to explain how yr plug in arrangement is built

[Buickguy3]

  Who sells a good coiled cable that can handle a little current?
    Doug 

[bbarn]

This is pretty close to the ones we use. There is one for controlling the flap angle (it has a potentiometer built in) and the spare we can use for the chute system. While we don't need to log data or know the position of the actuator for chute release, it is nice to use the same in both locations. That way we have a spare mounted in the car at all times.

http://www.pololu.com/product/2304

Are you concerned about the speed...

a maximum speed of 0.5 in/s

... using that for the chute deploy?  I'd want something a lot faster, but maybe I misunderstood and you are only using it for the flaps??

Sum

Not if you only have to move .100 to trip the release mech. It also helps to mount the actuator close to the center of rotation for of the chute release handle as the "gearing change" makes it even faster.

[jdincau]

  Who sells a good coiled cable that can handle a little current?
   

http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/Lighting-Electrical/Replacement-Cords?searchterm=replacement+cords&navid=4287922629#navid=4287922629+4288122483&searchterm=replacement+cords&sortby=price