Expired UPT patent Collin's lanyard

[WhuffoNoMore 1]

Hello everybody,

I understand that UPT's patent on the Collin's lanyard has expired.

So I was wondering: does that mean that a master rigger is allowed now to modify the RSL of any rig with a Collin's lanyard? Or is that something that only can and may be done by the manufacturer because regulations state that that kind of modification requires (drop)testing of the complete system before it is allowed to use?

 

[JerryBaumchen 1,440]

2 hours ago, WhuffoNoMore said:

Hello everybody,

I understand that UPT's patent on the Collin's lanyard has expired.

So I was wondering: does that mean that a master rigger is allowed now to modify the RSL of any rig with a Collin's lanyard? Or is that something that only can and may be done by the manufacturer because regulations state that that kind of modification requires (drop)testing of the complete system before it is allowed to use?

 

Hi Whuffo,

Exactly what regulations are you referring to?  Please be specific.

Jerry Baumchen

PS)  The lanyard is not part of the TSO-authorization of the Vector.  TSO C23(b) makes no mention of any such item.

[WhuffoNoMore 1]

14 hours ago, JerryBaumchen said:

Hi Whuffo,

Exactly what regulations are you referring to?  Please be specific.

Jerry Baumchen

PS)  The lanyard is not part of the TSO-authorization of the Vector.  TSO C23(b) makes no mention of any such item.

Hi Jerry,

Thanks for your reply. I was referring to TSO indeed.

[Deimian 43]

The Collins lanyard requires a split housing for the riser opposite to the RSL side. You can't do that on the right riser. That's why rigs with the Collins lanyard have the RSL shackle on the right, so the lanyard is attached to the left cutaway cable, and most (all?) other rigs have the shackle on the left.

Retrofitting the lanyard in a rig not designed to have it is not a small thing. I doubt many riggers are actually willing to do it, regardless of TSO violations or similar regulations.

[pchapman 279]

I don't expect riggers to start adding Collins lanyards. I'm wondering if some companies will add Collins lanyards to their MARD rigs.

The rigs with MARDs that didn't have or license the Skyhook have always been without the safety feature of the Collins lanyard.
(Although it also adds complexities that in rare cases add to the danger, the issue of 'back loading causing a partial cutaway if the reserve bag falls out'.)

Not having a Collins lanyard didn't stop companies from marketing their MARDs, or indeed even RSLs in general.

Some might say that riser breakage issues are not a serious problem nowadays with reinforced mini risers and better understanding of packing zero P canopies. Or a company might have an RSL that is less susceptible to activating the reserve in case of riser breakage, by placing the RSL ring lower down on the riser compared to the old days. (E.g. Mirage says in their manual that if using their TRAP MARD, to always use Mirage main risers that are built that way.)

So will they choose to reconfigure their rigs for Collins lanyards (and have the RSL on the appropriate side for that)?  Will be interesting to see where the industry goes with it.
 

Edited March 28, 2021 by pchapman

[JerryBaumchen 1,440]

3 hours ago, pchapman said:

I don't expect riggers to start adding Collins lanyards. I'm wondering if some companies will add Collins lanyards to their MARD rigs.

The rigs with MARDs that didn't have or license the Skyhook have always been without the safety feature of the Collins lanyard.
(Although it also adds complexities that in rare cases add to the danger, the issue of 'back loading causing a partial cutaway if the reserve bag falls out'.)

Not having a Collins lanyard didn't stop companies from marketing their MARDs, or indeed even RSLs in general.

Some might say that riser breakage issues are not a serious problem nowadays with reinforced mini risers and better understanding of packing zero P canopies. Or a company might have an RSL that is less susceptible to activating the reserve in case of riser breakage, by placing the RSL ring lower down on the riser compared to the old days. (E.g. Mirage says in their manual that if using their TRAP MARD, to always use Mirage main risers that are built that way.)

So will they choose to reconfigure their rigs for Collins lanyards (and have the RSL on the appropriate side for that)?  Will be interesting to see where the industry goes with it.
 

Hi Peter,

Re:   Will be interesting to see where the industry goes with it.

Well, that is probably the understatement of the week.  

VSE did use the 'Collins' lanyard when they added their RAX MARD to their rigs.

And, as you say, some others may choose not to.

Also, as stated above, IMO it is quite a lot of work to add the device; might be best to send the rig back to the mfr for the changeover.

Jerry Baumchen

[20kN 93]

On 3/20/2021 at 4:00 AM, WhuffoNoMore said:

Hello everybody,

I understand that UPT's patent on the Collin's lanyard has expired.

So I was wondering: does that mean that a master rigger is allowed now to modify the RSL of any rig with a Collin's lanyard? Or is that something that only can and may be done by the manufacturer because regulations state that that kind of modification requires (drop)testing of the complete system before it is allowed to use?

 

Expired or not, I dont see lots of manufacturers rushing to use the Collin's lanyard design. It's not a great design in the first place and it's largely a solution in search of a problem in my opinion. The issue of a single-riser cutaway leading to RSL deployment and subsequent reserve entanglement can very easily be solved by ensuring the RSL-side cutaway cable is noticeably longer than the non-RSL side. In that case, it ensures that the RSL side riser is always last to disconnect. That is some that all manufacturers require anyway, even those without MARDs.

When it comes to basic safety, simpler is almost always better and adding in extra lanyards does not really solve any actual problems, but it can create problems for sure.

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

12 hours ago, 20kN said:

Expired or not, I dont see lots of manufacturers rushing to use the Collin's lanyard design...

I'm going to agree with this.

(Short summary of the patent process follows for those not familiar with it, ignore it if you wish)

 

The patent process protects 'intellectual property'. It gives the patent holder control over manufacture and use of the item.
The patent holder can choose to (or not to) allow others to manufacture and use the design, either for a fee or not (licensing).

Often, people not willing to obtain legal rights to use the device will develop work arounds. Many times those are designs that are fairly close, but not close enough to constitute an 'infringement'. Patent lawyers make a lot of money in this area. 

For the Collin's Lanyard, gear manufacturers found ways to make the gear work safely and correctly without it. 
I don't see anyone taking a 'step back' and adding it on.

[gowlerk 2,249]

1 hour ago, wolfriverjoe said:

For the Collin's Lanyard, gear manufacturers found ways to make the gear work safely and correctly without it. 
I don't see anyone taking a 'step back' and adding it on.

Mostly I agree. There are not currently any examples of incidents that a Collins Lanyard would have prevented that I am aware of. But, and there is a but, tandem main risers still occasionally break. Mostly due to unnoticed ring flip throughs.

[SethInMI 174]

17 hours ago, 20kN said:

The issue of a single-riser cutaway leading to RSL deployment and subsequent reserve entanglement can very easily be solved by ensuring the RSL-side cutaway cable is noticeably longer than the non-RSL side.

IIRC, the collins lanyard was more about riser breakage than poor / incomplete cutaway pulls. I remember back in the day (circa 2008) listening to our S&TA at safety day reminding the free-fliers never to use an RSL because a premature deployment at 170mph could break a riser and then lead to a double mal and death.

The collins lanyard removed that argument against RSLs. 

 

[20kN 93]

2 minutes ago, SethInMI said:

IIRC, the collins lanyard was more about riser breakage than poor / incomplete cutaway pulls. I remember back in the day (circa 2008) listening to our S&TA at safety day reminding the free-fliers never to use an RSL because a premature deployment at 170mph could break a riser and then lead to a double mal and death.

The collins lanyard removed that argument against RSLs. 

 

That issue has also been addressed with the placement of the RSL. When risers fail due to excessive loading they typically fail at the grommet stamp since that process removes about 25% of the material from the riser making it thinner there. Manufacturers started placing the RSL connection below the grommet, basically as low as they can go, so that any failure that does occur likely occurs above the RSL placement.

[Deyan 36]

23 hours ago, 20kN said:

That issue has also been addressed with the placement of the RSL. When risers fail due to excessive loading they typically fail at the grommet stamp since that process removes about 25% of the material from the riser making it thinner there. Manufacturers started placing the RSL connection below the grommet, basically as low as they can go, so that any failure that does occur likely occurs above the RSL placement.

Properly manufactured risers don't fail at the grommet. They fail between the middle and the small ring. Most manufacturers have the RSL ring integrated in the confluence wrap

[sundevil777 102]

4 hours ago, Deyan said:

Properly manufactured risers don't fail at the grommet. They fail between the middle and the small ring. Most manufacturers have the RSL ring integrated in the confluence wrap

What does everyone think of the option of having the Collin’s lanyard or not? If a rig could be made with or without the feature, might we be better off with good RSL ring placement and the simplicity of no Collins lanyard with any of the current MARDs? I understand the choice doesn’t exist, this is hypothetical.

[skydiverek 63]

 

The riser can also also fail 'totally' when the white loops breaks for whatever reason.

Rigs using Collins Lanyard, as far as I am concerned:

SWS Fire
Javelin
Icon
Vector
Infinity

 

.

[Deyan 36]

On 4/2/2021 at 3:14 PM, skydiverek said:

 

The riser can also also fail 'totally' when the white loops breaks for whatever reason.

 

That's correct. However those loops don't fail that easily !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ruUZaTn_4M

 

[cbassmnm 6]

Just to add, in the latest parachutist, April 2021, in the incidents section, a tandem master disconnected and pulled the skyhook rsl shackle apparently to activate the reserve, but the Colin’s lanyard disconnected the other riser, and they spun in.  Just to add to the complexity of the system.