Importance

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Abstract

A balloon-inflation and load-lowering device which comprises an inverted cup-shaped member containing one or more side-opening ports operative when covered by the neck of a balloon to cooperate therewith and form a one-way valve effective to trap the lifting gas inside the balloon once the latter is inflated and the inflation pressure released. Spaced-parallel disk-supporting arms journal a shaft mounting a notched disk. A load-letdown device is operative to slowly lower a load to the end of a tether. The invention further comprises the method of deploying a load suspended beneath a balloon which includes the steps of inflating the balloon, removing the pressure from the balloon allowing the expanded neck thereof to collapse and seal the pressurizing gas therein, attaching the ends of a shaft mounting a notched disk for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis between said arms, attaching one end of a load-supporting tether to the shaft wrapping the tether clockwise one or more turns around the shaft on one side of the disk, then passing the tether through the notch and taking one or more turns anti-clockwise around the shaft on the opposite side of the disk, and alternately repeating the aforementioned sequence until the free end of the tether terminates adjacent the disk, and attaching a load to the free end of the tether such that upon release of the load to fall freely it will pull upon the tether and cause the disk to flip-flop back and forth to slowly unwind off the shaft and lower the load.

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First Claim