RIPCORDS
HARNESS HARDWARE
The ripcord is a manual releasing device used
to allow the container to open. It consists of
locking pins securely attached to a length of
3/32-inch diameter corrosion-resistant steel cable.
The ripcord handles are made of steel tubing in
the shape of a cloverleaf or a trapezoid, and they
are attached by passing the cable through a small
hole drilled in the grip and then swaging a
retaining ball or clamping a small sleeve onto the
loose end of the cable. The pins are swaged in
place and tested to withstand a pull of 300 pounds.
Parachute harness fittings (hardware) are
small metal devices usually made of cadmium or
chrome-plated steel. They are designed to join the
parachute and harness and to afford easy and
rapid adjustment of the harness to the wearer.
The many types of parachute harness fittings
include adapters, snaps, D-rings, V-rings, con-
nector links, and Koch release adapters. Some
of the more common types of these fittings and
their tensile strengths are illustrated in figure
1-10.
Figure 1-10.—Harness hardware (page 1).
1-11
