Re: Quick release
 

Fishing reel releases tend to lock when under load. Some of them lock very effectively even under a light load. AndyMark Shifters and other dog or meshing shifters are going to exhibit some amount of locking under load as well, simply because more load means more friction on the meshing parts. They probably will still be shiftable, but it's never going to be as easy as when they're unloaded.

Re: Quick release
 

I would use a small pneumatic actuator that came in the kit. We used this on a prototype to hot swap the trailer and it worked great even under tension.

Re: Quick release
 

Could you PM me or provide me with more information as to how this winch system worked? We are very interested in this type of design. Thanks!

Re: Quick release
 

We are thinking of using a winch as well. We are thinking of having a winch to pull some cable back, which loads tension on some surgical tubing. Once tensioned, we plan on releasing a "clutch" that will disengage the winch and release the tension in the surgical tubing, thus kicking the ball.