System information

The 3-Ring Release System
3 RING HISTORY
The 3-Ring Release System was invented in
1976. It was the first practical release that
allowed parachutists to jettison their main
canopies in one motion by simply pulling a single
handle. Not only is the 3-Ring easier to operate
than previous canopy release systems, it is also
more reliable. Once the main is jettisoned, the
only things left on the harness are two smooth
rings that cannot snag a deploying reserve. Some
other release systems can - and have - interfered
with the deploying reserve.
MODIFYING THE 3-RING
RELEASE
The great reliability of the 3-Ring system results
from the proper functioning of every one of its
individual components. The owner should not
modify the system in any way, nor should he or
she replace genuine 3-Ring parts with others.
These modifications (among others) may cause
the system to not work properly:
• Substituting risers that don’t have Type 2
sheathing for the locking loop. Don’t use risers
that have loops made of Kevlar or solid cord. The
loop should be white and flat.
• Not using a breakaway handle with cable with
the special yellow coating. This Teflon-impregnat-
ed coating is important; other plastic coatings
may cause the cables to bind in the housings or
loops, making it difficult or impossible to jettison
the risers.
• Using a breakaway handle with cables of the
wrong length. The length of the cables is critical
to insure each riser releases in the proper
sequence. There should be a minimum of 5.5” up
to a maximum of 7” of cable past the cable hous-
ing end (start measuring where the cable comes
out of the cable housing end). Mirage Systems
trims to 6” as of Nov. 1, 1998. Replacement han-
dles are available from Mirage Systems or your
authorized dealer.
UNDERSTANDING THE 3-RING
RELEASE SYSTEMS
Knowing how the 3-ring release systems works
will help you assemble and inspect it properly.
Begin by peeling the release handle from he
Velcro pocket on the harness. Peeling, rather
than pulling, makes it easier to separate the han-
dle from the webbing. Look behind the risers near
the harness and observe the movement of the
yellow cable as you pull the handle. When the
cable clears the white loop, release is engaged.
Now slowly pull one of the risers off the harness.
As you pull, you’ll notice that the white loop gets
pulled through the grommet by the action of the
smallest ring. Each ring forms a lever with a ten-
to-one mechanical advantage as it passes
through the other. A force of 1,000 pounds on the
large harness ring exerts a force of only 10
pounds on the white loop. (Opening shock usually
totals about 1,000 pounds or 500 pounds on each
riser.)
Because of the mechanical advantage provided
by the 3-Ring design, only a force of approximate-
ly one pound on the top ring keeps the release
together. That’s why it’s important to keep foreign
matter like bits of grass and sticks out of the
3-Ring assembly. A small stick in the white loop
could prevent a riser from releasing. It is also
important to understand one of the properties of
the nylon components of the system. When nylon
stays in the same position for a long time, it
begins to conform to that position, or take a “set.”
If the 3-Ring release system stays assembled for
too long, the nylon can become so stiff that the
low drag from a malfunction (such as a streamer)
won’t pull the riser off the ring. The 3-Ring release
system must be disassembled, flexed and
inspected every month. Procedures for this are
listed in the 3 ring maintenance section of this
chapter.