US3587504A - Handling cage for underwater vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

A CAGE, FOR A BUOYANT VESSEL, ADAPTED TO TRANSPORT THE VESSEL FROM A SHIP TO THE WATER AND FROM THE WATER TO THE SHIP AND WHILE UNDERWATER TO PROTECT AND RESTRAIN THE MOVEMENTS OF THE VESSEL.

Description

United States Patent Inventor App]. No.

Stuart D. Kearney, 11

Potomac, Md.

July 3, 1969 June 28, 1971 The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy HANDLING CAGE FOR UNDERWATER VESSEL 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

us. (I 114/16 1111. c1 B63b 3/13, 863g 8/00 Field 61 Search 114/16,

6/1969 Demarest Primary ExaminerTrygve M. Blix Attorneys- Edgar J. Brower and Thomas 0. Watson, Jr.

ABSTRACT: A cage, for a buoyant vessel, adapted to transport the vessel from a ship to the water and from the water to the ship and while underwater to protect and restrain the movements of the vessel.

PATENTEU JUN28 I971 SHEET 1 BF 2 FIG. 2

PATENTEU JUN28 I9?! SHEET 2 BF 2 FIG.

ATTORNEY HANDLING CAGE FOR UNDERWATER VESSEL GOVERNMENT INTEREST IN THE INVENTION The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to underwater vessels and more particularly to a protective and restraining cage surrounding a buoyant spherical vessel, the cage also serving to transport to vessel to and from the ship.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a buoyant spherical underwater vessel adapted to be attached to an anchor with movement in a vertical direction from the surface to the bottom of the sea and to be capable of a 10,000 foot depth. The vessel needs lifting from the deck of a ship to the water and from the water back to the ship. For this purpose the cage forming the subject of this invention was developed. This cage consists of two circular rings arranged in planes normal to each other and surrounding and retaining the spherical vessel. Its (the cage) weight is not sufficient to overcome the buoyancy of the buoyant vessel and its use is restricted to being a protective device and to serve as a means of lifting the spherical vessel from the water to the ship and vice versa.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cage adapted to enclose a buoyant spherical vessel for lifting the vessel from the ships deck to the water and from the water back to the ship's deck, the cage to be of such metal as not to overcome the inherent buoyancy of the vessel.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cage for a buoyant spherical vessel which, within limits, will restrain the movement of the vessel, serve as a protective barrier against contact of the transparent, buoyant spherical vessel and which will carry releasable weights for overcoming the inherent buoyancy of the vessel.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING from a cable attached to the ship, with releasable weights attached to the bottom of the cage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring particularly to FIG. 1, the buoyant vessel 10, spherical in shape, is shown just after it has been conveyed to the surface of the water by a crane and cable attached to the eye 11 part of the cage 12. The cage 12 is made up of two rings, 13 and- 14 arranged in planes normal to each other and secured to each other at their junctures.

The buoyant spherical vessel 11 is mounted within the cage and spaced therefrom by coil spring spacers 15 which are secured to the cage and abut against pads 16 carried by the inner coil of the spring. Attached to the bottom of the buoyant vessel is a compartment 17 housing oxygen tanks 18, a winch l9 and battery operated motor 21. An anchor 22 attached to a cable 23 which is carried on the winch l9 securely anchors the vessel to the bottom. By operating the winch the observers in the vessel may position themselves at any vertical position between the surface and the sea bottom.

The buoyant vessel which is not part of this invention except as it enters into combination with the cage is part of a Navy Development program and has been successfully tested in the Pacific. It is adapted to be carried on ship board and to be transported to the water where its buoyancy supports it. A weight or anchor holds it to one location and through the use of the winch and battery operated motor the observers within the vessel may raise or lower the spherical vessel. The transporting of the vessel to and from the ship was found to be extremely difficult because of the weight of the vessel and the undesirability of including sufficient structure to support a lifting eye. The cage, built of a metal sufficiently light so as not to overcome the buoyancy of the vessel, serves to enclose and support the vessel during the transportation to and from the ship, while forming no hindrance to the vertical movement by means of the cable.

Referring to FIG. 2 where a slight modification in the use of the cage is shown, a buoyant spherical vessel 31, similar to that shown in FIG. 1 except for the attachment of the winch and anchoring cable, is shown enclosed by a cage 32 similar to that previously discussed. It is formed of similar rings and has the coiled spring spacers to support the buoyant vessel. This cage is however equipped with releasable weights 33 attached to a compartment 34 which contains the releasing mechanism (not shown) for the weights. This releasing mechanism may be of any known type such as solenoids releasing catches, or electrical magnets which may be deenergized. The buoyant vessel may be lifted from the ship as before, but the cable 35 is retained in the eye 36 and movement is controlled by operators on the ship, subject to directions from observers in the vessel, by way of telephone connection within or alongside of the cable 35. The weights are added to overcome the buoyancy of the spherical vessel and to provide a balance between this buoyancy and the weight of the cage plus the weights. Should the cable 35 break, the release of the weights would float the cage and vessel. In the use of the modification, the vertical motion of the vessel has been enchanced by a horizontal motion of the ship and an arclike motion of the crane.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings.

I claim:

1. A cage for a buoyant spherical vessel comprising:

means in the form of a pair of ring members each arranged in a plane normal to the other and surrounding but not directly contacting the spherical vessel for restraining the movement of the vessel when in the water;

an eye member attached at one of the junctures of the ring members, to provide lifting means so that the cage may transport the spherical vessel from a ship to the water and from the water to the ship; and

means positioned between the spherical vessel and the ring members for resiliently spacing the spherical vessel from the cage.

2. A cage according to claim 1 wherein the spacing means comprises a coil spring member.

3. A cage for a buoyant vessel according to claim 1 and including means for overcoming the buoyancy of the buoyant vessel.

4. A cage according to claim 3 wherein the means for overcoming the buoyancy of the spherical vessel comprises releasable weights attached to the cage.

5 The combination of a buoyant spherical vessel with a cage of insufficient weight to overcome the buoyancy of the vessel surrounding said vessel, said cage comprising:

a plurality of rings encircling the vessel and spaced therefrom to permit certain limited free movement of the spherical vessel;

spring means attached to the cage and contacting said vessel to limit the independent movement of the vessel;

an eye structure attached to the cage to provide a lifting means for the cage and enclosed buoyant spherical vessel; and

means carried by the buoyant vessel for overcoming the inherent buoyancy of the vessel.

6. A combination according to claim 5 wherein the means for overcoming the buoyancy is a plurality of releasable weights.

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