WO2003042033A1

WO2003042033A1 - Linking line device

Info

Publication number: WO2003042033A1
Application number: PCT/GB2002/005096
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robin Barrie Hodgson; William Charles Wyatt
Original assignee: Robin Barrie Hodgson; William Charles Wyatt
Priority date: 2001-11-14
Filing date: 2002-11-12
Publication date: 2003-05-22
Also published as: GB0127282D0

Abstract

A rescue device for man-overboard use has a link line connected between a projectile (22) and a hand-held propulsion unit (21). The link line is accumulated in a package (24) provided on the projectile (22). The package (24) is wound around a central passageway (50) within a container (23) which is attached to the propulsion unit (21). The projectile (22) is mounted on the propulsion unit (21) so as to extend through the passageway (50) and an inner end (51) of the line is connected to the projectile (22) within the passageway (50) so that the line package (24) is unravelled from within the passageway (50) when the projectile is propelled from the propulsion unit (21). The propulsion unit (21) has a blank cartridge which, when detonated, supplies pressurised gas via a passage (31) along a barrel (28) into a blind bore (43) in the projectile (22).

Description

LINKING LINE DEVICE

This invention relates to a linking line device to establish a link line

between remote locations, particularly for use in rescuing a person at risk

such as in a man-overboard situation at sea.

In a man-overboard situation rescue procedure may involve

throwing a buoyant body attached to a line to the person in the water

from a nearby vessel. The line would usually be loosely coiled or looped

on the vessel so as to unwind with propulsion of the buoyant body.

With this known procedure considerable effort may be required to

achieve adequate propulsion and the unwinding line tends to exert a drag

effect. There is therefore the problem that it is difficult to throw the

buoyant body accurately over an appreciable distance.

An object of the present invention is to provide a linking line device

with which a line can be propelled easily and conveniently with improved

range and accuracy.

According to one aspect of the invention therefore there is provided

a linking line device to establish a link line between remote locations

comprising a propulsion unit, a projectile cooperable with the unit, and a

line connected therebetween, wherein the propulsion unit incorporates

power means operable to effect powered propulsion of the projectile from

the unit, and the line is provided as an accumulation thereof on the

projectile so as to be withdrawn from said accumulation during said

propulsion. With this arrangement, the powered propulsion can enable

controlled, long range despatch of the projectile, and the accumulation of

the line on the projectile can facilitate smooth, relatively unhindered

payout of the line. Accurate propulsion of the projectile over a long

distance can therefore be achieved.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the propulsion unit has a

barrel communicating with a source of pressurised fluid and the projectile

is slidably engageable with the barrel, whereby the projectile is power

ejected from the barrel when the pressurised fluid is admitted thereto.

The pressurised fluid may be pressurised gas from an explosive

charge which may be provided by a blank cartridge. Thus the unit may

have a chamber to receive a blank cartridge connected to the barrel and a

trigger-operated firing mechanism or other device may be provided to

detonate the charge.

The barrel may be in the form of a shaft which is a close or tight fit

within a blind bore formed in the projectile, and a passageway for the

pressurised fluid extends longitudinally of the shaft with an outlet, e.g. at

a free end of the shaft, through which the pressurised fluid discharges

into the projectile bore. The close or tight fit between the shaft and the

bore may be achieved or facilitated with an O-ring seal or the like.

The propulsion unit is preferably a hand held device and thus for

example may be constructed with an elongate handle and an enlarged

body part for the source of compressed fluid which is mounted at one end of the handle and is connected to the barrel which may project in axial

alignment with the handle.

The propulsion unit may however take any other suitable form.

Instead of using an explosive charge, the power means may comprise a

different source of compressed gas or a different source of propulsion

power such as a spring.

Instead of a shaft, the propulsion unit may have a bore into which a

spigot of the projectile slidably fits, or other modes of interengagement

may be used.

The propulsion unit may be adapted to be mounted on or attached

to a fixed structure alternatively or additionally to being hand held.

With regard to the projectile, this may be of any suitable structure

but preferably comprises an elongate member which conveniently may be

tubular with circular or other cross-section.

The line accumulation may constitute a self-supporting package,

and/or it may be provided on or within or against or otherwise supported

by a supporting structure.

This supporting structure may comprise a former around which the

line is wound, and/or a container within which the line accumulation is

retained, or even a support surface against which the line accumulation

rests.

The line accumulation may be retained accumulated as a

consequence of its mode of accumulation e.g. as a tight-wound package, and/or as a consequence of the aforesaid container and/or by application

thereto of a retaining means which may be a cover, a wrapping film, a

band or tie, and adhesive, or the like.

The line accumulation may be provided with a protective cover e.g.

a waterproof cover which may be formed by the said container or

retaining means or which may be separate or additional thereto.

The line accumulation may be supported directly or indirectly on or

against the projectile or may be spaced therefrom and/or may be

supported directly or indirectly on or against the propulsion unit, whereby

the projectile and/or the propulsion unit may form all or part of the said

supporting structure. In any case the line accumulation is provided on the

projectile such that at least a part, and preferably a major part (or all) of

the accumulation extends alongside the projectile, and preferably is such

that the line accumulation and the projectile are arranged to be mounted

together as a unit, or as adjacent or adjoining components, on a separate

said propulsion unit preferably such as to project partially or substantially

wholly from a common end or side thereof.

With regard to the mode of accumulation of the line, in one

embodiment accumulation of the line is achieved by looping backwards

and forwards longitudinally of the intended propulsion axis of the

projectile i.e. longitudinally of the projectile where this is an elongate

member.

In a further embodiment accumulation is achieved by winding around an axis, e.g. so as to form a package in the form of a ball or

cylinder or the like, preferably with an axial passageway.

Preferably the line is connected to the projectile as aforesaid at an

inner end portion of the line drawn from within the said passageway.

Preferably also, the projectile extends through the axial

passageway.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the line accumulation

extends at least partially around the propulsion axis (i.e. the projectile

axis) and is accumulated in at least one and preferably a plurality of

layers.

Preferably the accumulation extends wholly around the propulsion

axis and the line is looped or wound in continuous spiral progression

around the axis to define a multi-layer generally torroidal construction.

Most preferably the line accumulation is contained within a space in

a container as aforesaid which space is defined between the container

which forms an outer structure, and the projectile which forms an inner

structure.

Thus, the arrangement may be such that the container extends

around the line accumulation and has a forwards end with an opening for

the said propulsion of the projectile and a rearwards end with an opening

for the said cooperation between the projectile and the propulsion unit.

The container may be cylindrical and may be detachably

engageable at its rearward end with the propulsion unit. The line may be connected at an ^"outer end portion to the said

container.

The projectile may be structured in any suitable manner and may

incorporate any suitable auxiliary devices in accordance with the intended

use. Thus, where it is to be used for rescue at sea, the projectile may be

buoyant by virtue of low density materials applied thereto or air spaces

structurally incorporated therein. Also the projectile may carry a flare or

smoke generator or light or marker or transmitter or other rescue aid.

In one embodiment the projectile contains an ignitable composition.

In this case, preferably an electrically operated igniter device is provided

in said composition and the projectile has a contact arrangement which

temporarily operativeiy connects the igniter device to an electrical power

source separate to or on the projectile on propulsion thereof. The

electrical power source may be mounted on the propulsion unit

In a preferred embodiment buoyancy is incorporated to bias the

floatation of the projectile in a predetermined disposition e.g. with the

axis of the projectile upright and one end portion of the projectile

prominently above water level at sea. This end portion may comprise an

enlarged head and may be at the leading end of the projectile.

The invention is not restricted to use for rescue at sea. The

invention may also apply to rescue in other situations, or for other

purposes where a link line is to be established not associated with rescue.

The line may be formed from any suitable material appropriate to the intended use. Preferably, for rescue at sea, a fine light weight high

strength line is used.

The invention will now be described further by way of example

only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional representation of one form of a

linking device according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of an enlarged detail of the

device of Figure 1 ; and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic sectional representation of an alternative

form of the device of the invention.

Referring to Figure 1 , a linking device for use in rescue of a

man-overboard at sea, comprises a hand held launcher 1 , and a

projectile 2 containing an accumulated rescue line 3.

The projectile 2 comprises a solid elongate cylindrical body 4

attached at one end to an integral enlarged mushroom head 5 which may

be domed or cylindrical or of any other suitable shape.

At the other end of the body 4 there is a flat radially extending end

wall 6.

A bore 7 of circular cross-section extends axially into the body 4

from the centre of the end wall 6, such bore 7 having a blind inner end 8.

The body 4 and head 5 are formed from a suitable strong water¬

proof buoyant material such as a rigid closed-cell foam plastics material.

This material may have a smooth continuous outer surface 9 which may be defined by an integral plastics skin or -an attached separate skin or

sleeve or the like.

The bore 7 has a lining 10 which is a strong, rigid material such as

metal, which may be defined by an inserted metal tube. This material

may be formed at the end wall 6, e.g. by outward deformation as shown,

to facilitate secure anchorage of the bore lining 10 relative to the body 4.

The buoyancy of the body 4 and the weight of the bore lining 10

(and or of any further weighted material applied in the vicinity of the end

wall 6 are such that in sea water the projectile 2 will float upright (i.e.

with the axis of the body 4 vertical) with at least the mushroom head 5

wholly above the surface of the water.

As shown a long length of light weight strong line 3 is accumulated

around the outer surface 9 of the body 4 by looping forwards and

backwards longitudinally of the body 4 around its periphery. This is

continued spirally in multiple passes around the body 4 to build up a

toroid of multiple superimposed layers.

Conveniently there may be 1 2 layers of fine light weight high

strength line.

The layers may be held in position during build up in any suitable

manner e.g. by application of temporary removable bands around the end

regions of the body 4 by use of interleaved thin sheets or otherwise. The

looped line 3 may be laid-out on a flat surface and then rolled around the

body or may be formed in situ. The line 3 is fixed to the body 4 of the projectile 2.

The other end 12 of the line 3 projects freely from the body 4

adjacent the end wall 6.

After formation of the looped line accumulation, this is held captive

on the body 4 by application of a cylindrical cover 13 which fits closely

around the body. A space is defined between the cover 13 and the

body 4 as a consequence of the larger diameter of the cover 13.

Moreover, the cover 13 is fixed in position only at the end adjacent the

mushroom head 5 whereby an annular opening 14 is defined at the

opposite end. The space is small enough to hold the looped line 3 captive

but is large enough not to compress tightly the looped line 3.

The launcher 1 comprises a central chamber structure 15 with an

elongate handle 16 projecting at one side, and a shaft 17 projecting at the

opposite side. The handle 1 6 and shaft 17 are axially aligned.

The shaft 17 has a narrow passageway 18 running along its length

communicating between the chamber 15 and an outlet adjacent the free

end 19 of the shaft 17.

The shaft 17 has one or more o-ring seals 20 around its periphery

and is dimensioned so that the shaft 17 is a tight, sliding fit within the

bore 7 of the projectile 2.

The chamber 15 is dimensioned to receive a conventional blank

cartridge through a closeable breach arrangement (not shown).

There is a trigger mechanism (not shown) operable to initiate detonation of a cartridge in the chamber.

In use, the projectile 2 is pushed on to the shaft 17 so that this is

wholly inserted into the bore 7 and the end wall 6 is adjacent to or

contacts the chamber structure 15. The end of the shaft 17 is close to

the blind end 8 of the bore 7.

The free end 12 of the line is tethered to the launcher 1 , or to an

adjacent fixed structure, e.g. by tying.

A cartridge is inserted into the chamber, the projectile 2 is pointed

in the direction of the man overboard and the trigger mechanism is

operated to detonate the cartridge.

This admits compressed gas through the passageway 18 in the

shaft 17 to the blind bore 7.

The projectile 2 is thereby ejected from the shaft 17 and travels at

speed towards the man overboard.

As the projectile travels through the air the line 3 is smoothly

withdrawn from the projectile 2 through the annular opening 14.

The line 3 may be drawn from the radially innermost layer of the

looped line 3. The arrangement is preferably such that the line 3 runs out

freely without any hindrance equivalent as far as possible to free flight of

the projectile 2 without any trailing line.

At the end of its travel the projectile 2 falls into the sea and floats

in upright disposition. The mushroom head 5 may be brightly coloured or

may incorporate an electrical light or water-activated flare or smoke generator or the like so that it can be readily^'seen in the water.

With this arrangement the line 3 can be propelled over a

considerable distance with great accuracy. Moreover, the projectile 2 can

be stored conveniently and prepared for use quickly and easily.

Figure 3 shows an alternative embodiment which comprises a

hand held launcher 21 , a projectile 22, and a container 23, enclosing an

accumulated rescue line 24.

The launcher 21 is generally similar to that of the embodiment of

Figures 1 -3 and comprises a drum-shaped body 25 with a circular front

face 26 and a rearwardly projecting elongate handle 27 aligned with the

body axis. A barrel 28 projects axially from the front face 26.

The body 25 contains a chamber 29 for a blank cartridge and a

trigger-operated firing mechanism 30 projects from the handle 27.

The barrel 28 is in the form of a shaft along which runs a

passageway 31 from the end of the shaft adjacent the body 25 to a side

outlet 32 adjacent the opposite end.

An O-ring seal 33 is mounted around the shaft near to its forward

free end.

On the front face 26 of the body 25 there are two diametrically

opposed projecting electrical terminals 34 close to the shaft 28. These

are connected, via a safety switch 35, to a battery 36 mounted on the

body 25.

The front face 26 also has three projecting key members 37 at equally spaced positions around a circle centred on the axis of the shaft

28 beyond the terminals 34.

The projectile 22 comprises an elongate rigid tubular body having a

forward compartment 38 terminating at its forward end with a perforated

end part 39 covered with an enlarged soft permeable cap 40. This

forward compartment is filled with an ignitable smoke-producing

composition 41 .

The projectile 22 also has a rearward section 42 with an axial blind

bore 43 with an outwardly tapered opening 44 at its rearward end.

Alongside this blind bore 43 at the rearward end are two recesses

45 containing electrical contacts 46. An electrical igniter 55 is located

within the smoke-producing composition and is connected to these

contacts 46.

The shaft 28 of the launcher 21 is a tight fit within the blind bore

43 as shown in the drawing. With the shaft 28 fully inserted into the

bore 43, the terminals 34 extend within the recesses 45 and are located

with contacts 34a on the free ends of the terminals 34 forwardly of the

contacts 46 and generally longitudinally aligned therewith.

The container 23 comprises a cylindrical drum which is open at a

forward end and is closed with an end wall 47 at its rearward end.

This end wall 47 has a central circular opening 48 and beyond this

opening three keyhole slots 49 equally spaced around a circle centred on

the axis of the container 23. Within the container 23 there is a generally self supporting package

24 of the accumulated rescue line.

The package 24 is generally a cylindrical or ball-shaped or torroidal

structure with a central through passageway 50.

The line is wound so as to extend around the axis of the

passageway 50 in multiple layers from an inner end portion 51 of the line

within the passageway 50, to an outer end portion 52 of the line at the

outer periphery of the package at one end thereof.

The multiple layers each comprise multiple spiral or helical turns

generally at a common angle to a plane perpendicular to the axis of the

passageway 50. The turns in each layer run transversely to the turns of

the next adjacent layer e.g. with a differential angle therebetween.

The winding is such that the package 24 can be readily unravelled

by drawing the line from within the passageway 50.

The package 24 is generally self supporting and has an outer

diameter generally equal to the inner diameter of the container 23. Thus,

the package 24 is frictionally retained within the container 23 and, as well

as being self supporting, is also supported by the container 23.

The passageway 50 is of larger diameter than the opening 48 in

the end wall 47, and of the projectile 22.

The outer end portion 52 of the line is fixed to the container 23 as

indicated at 53.

In use, the container 23 with the line accumulation 24 is mounted on the front face of the launcher 21 by engaging the key projections 37

on the launcher 21 with the keyhole slots 49 in the container end wall

47, and then twisting the container 23 about its axis to lock the container

23 and the launcher 21 together. An additional releasable latch or spring

or the like may be provided to hold the container 23 and the launcher 21

securely locked together.

In this position, the shaft 28 and the terminals 34 project through

the central opening 48 in the end wall 47 into the passageway 50 in the

line package.

The inner end portion 51 of the line is extracted from the

passageway 50 and is attached to the bottom end of the projectile 22 at

54.

The projectile 22 is then inserted through the open end of the

container 23 into the passageway 50, with the lower section directed

towards the launcher, until the blind bore 43 fully engages the shaft 28.

The diameter of the passageway 50 is slightly larger than the diameter of

the projectile 22 whereby the projectile 22 is an easy fit within the

passageway 50. In this position, the lower end of the projectile 22 abuts

the front face 26 of the launcher 21 , the terminals 34 project into the

recesses 45 such that the terminal contacts 34a are forwardly of the

projectile contacts 46, and the perforated forward end portion 39 of the

projectile 22 projects slightly beyond the open end of the container 23.

To launch the projectile 22, a blank cartridge is inserted into the chamber 29, the switch 35 is switched on, and the cartridge is detonated

with the trigger mechanism 30 after release of a safety catch (not

shown).

This causes the projectile 22 to be expelled from the launcher 21

and, as this happens, the contacts 34a on the terminals 34 engage the

contacts 46 in the projectile 22 momentarily to cause a current to flow to

the igniter 55 so as to cause the smoke-producing composition 41 to

ignite and produce smoke which escapes through the perforated front end

portion 39 of the projectile 22.

As the projectile 22 travels from the launcher 21 the line is drawn

smoothly from within the passageway 50 in the package 24, whilst the

container 23 and the package 24 remain on the launcher 21 , until the

package 24 has wholly unravelled. The line is then anchored relative to

the launcher 21 via the connection of line to the container 23 and the

connection of the container 23 to the launcher 21 .

The projectile 22 is constructed to float and can be readily seen in

the water due to the smoke production.

The line may also be floatable and in any case will be relatively taut

in the water between the projectile 22 and the launcher 21 and can

therefore be readily intercepted by a person in the water.

The line package 24 within the container 23 and the projectile 22

are closely associated prior to use as described above. However, the

projectile 22 and the line package 24 within the container 23 are independent parts. This means that the laυncher 21 can be used with a

dummy projectile 22, without any line package 24 and container 23, for

practice purposes.

It is of course to be understood that the invention is not intended

to be restricted to the details of the above embodiment which are

described by way of example only.

Claims

1 . A linking line device to establish a link line between remote

locations comprising a propulsion unit (1 , 21 ), a projectile (2, 22)

cooperable with the unit, and a line (12, 51 , 52) connected

therebetween, wherein the propulsion unit incorporates power

means (15, 29, 30) operable to effect powered propulsion of the

projectile from the unit, and the line is provided as an accumulation

(3, 24) thereof on the projectile so as to be withdrawn from said

accumulation during said propulsion.

2. A device according to claim 1 characterised in that the propulsion

unit has a barrel (17, 28) with which the projectile is slidably

engageable, and the power means (15, 29, 30) comprises means

operable to admit pressurised fluid from a source thereof to the

barrel.

3. A device according to claim 2 characterised in that the source of

pressurised fluid is an explosive charge of a blank cartridge, and the

power means (15, 29, 30) comprises a chamber for the cartridge

and a firing mechanism for detonating the charge.

4. A device according to claim 2 or 3 characterised in that the barrel

(17, 28) comprises a shaft which is a tight fit within a blind bore

(7, 43) of the projectile, and a passageway (18, 31 ) for the

pressurised fluid extends along the shaft to an outlet (32) for

discharge of the pressurised fluid into the projectile bore.

5. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 characterised in

that the projectile (2, 22) comprises an elongate member.

6. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 characterised in

that the line accumulation (3, 24) constitutes a self-supporting

package.

7. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 characterised in

that the line accumulation (3, 24) is supported by a supporting

structure (4, 13, 23).

8. A device according to claim 7 characterised in that the supporting

structure comprises a former (4) around which the line is wound.

9. A device according to claim. 7 or 8 characterised in that the

supporting structure comprises a container (23) within which the

line accumulation is retained.

10. A device according to any one of claims 7 to 9 characterised in

that the supporting structure comprises the projectile (2)

1 1 . A device according to any one of claims 7 to 10 characterised in

that the supporting structure comprises the propulsion unit (5, 21 ).

12. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 1 1 characterised in

that the accumulation (3) of the line comprises looping of the line

backwards and forwards longitudinally of the intended propulsion

axis of the projectile.

13. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 1 1 characterised in

that the accumulation (24) of the line comprises winding around an axis.

14. A device according to claim 13 characterised in that the

accumulation has an axial passageway (50).

15. A device according to claim 14 characterised in that the line is

connected to the projectile as aforesaid at an inner end portion (51 )

of the line drawn from within the said passageway (50).

16. A device according to claim 14 or 15 characterised in that the

projectile (22) extends through the axial passageway (50) .

17. A device according to claim 1 6 when dependent on claim 7

characterised in that the container (23) extends around the line

accumulation (24) and has a forwards end with an opening for the

said propulsion of the projectile (22) and a rearwards end (47) with

an opening (48) for the said cooperation between the projectile (22)

and the propulsion unit (21 ).

18. A device according to claim 17 characterised in that the container

(23) is cylindrical.

19. A device according to claim 17 or 18 characterised in that the

container (23) is detachably engageable at its rearward end with

the propulsion unit (21 ).

20. A device according to claim 19 characterised in that the line is

connected at an outer end portion (52) to the said container (23).

21 . A device according to any one of claims 1 to 20 characterised in

that the projectile (22) contains an ignitable composition (41 ).

22. A device according to claim 21 characterised in that an electrically

operated igniter device (55) is provided in said composition (41 )

and the projectile has a contact arrangement (45) which

temporarily operativeiy connects the igniter device (55) to an

electrical power source (36) separate to the projectile (22) on

propulsion thereof.

23. A device according to claim 22 characterised in that the electrical

power source (36) is mounted on the propulsion unit (21 ).

24. A device according to any one of claims 1 to 23 which is a hand

held device.