Parachute Dropping Mechanism for Science Classes and STEAM Nights

thingiverse

###Background I created this for a family STEAM night at my school. One of the stations was parachute creation from the NASA JPL classroom activity: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/parachute-design/. I wanted a way to drop parachutes in our gym without needing to climb a ladder and didn't find anything that looked like it would work. I did some research and decided to copy some of the ideas behind a 3-ring release: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3-ring_release_system. Although mine is very different, the basic idea of having a small force release a larger one is similar. On the night of, I was able to drop 100+ parachutes with very little issues! ###Assembly Print both parts and clean them up so they move freely. Use a straightened paper clip as the pin that holds both pieces together so they pivot easily. Make loops on both ends of the pivot and tie one end of the paracord/550 cord to it. Loop the other end around your pulley, back to the dropper, through the two holes at the top, and tie the end onto the binder clip you will attach to the back. Take a small paper clip and bend it into the shape you see in the photos as the release toggle. Insert the toggle into the top two holes on the side and adjust the shape so it can move up and down easily and won't fall out. Straighten another paper clip and attach it to the arm and into the hole below the release toggle. Cut it so when the arm is pushed all the way in, the toggle is free to move down the whole way. Loop a rubber band through the hole on the side opposite the toggle. Attach a large binder clip to the back of the dropper. This will give it some weight and let you tie paracord/550 cord to the back to pull it back down. ###Usage Pull the arm forward so the paper clip below the release toggle blocks it in the "up" position. Place the parachute on the bottom of the body. Pull the rubber band around the parachute and hook it over the toggle. Pull the dropper up with the paracord/550 cord until it runs into the pulley at the top and the parachute is released! I also used the Block and Tackle design by GeoffB to suspend this from the ceiling: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:981307. Link to the Onshape file: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/77792c2948ef930b79d37102/w/c5e7452eaf94afc8a47a1a40/e/a3ac4f6b648690be97c604a3