Elastic detection streamer dead section for a water borne seismic surveying system

Claim 1

A WATERBORNE SEISMIC PROSPECTING SYSTEM FOR SUBAQUEOUS GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURES COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, (1) AN OIL FILLED FLEXIBLE ELONGATED NEUTRALLY BUOYANT DETECTION STREAMER ADAPTED TO BE TOWED BY A VESSEL AT A UNIFORMLY HIGH RATE OF SPEED BENEATH THE SURFACE OF A BODY OF WATER AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF SEISMIC DETECTING DEVICES THEREIN, (2) A LEAD-IN TOW CABLE SECURED TO THE VESSEL FOR TOWING THE STREAMER THROUGH THE WATER, (3) ELASTIC YIELDABLE MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE TRAILING END OF SAID TOW CABLE WITH THE LEADING END OF SAID DETECTION STREAMER FOR PREVENTING VIBRATIONS OF THE TOW CABLE FROM ADVERSELY AFFECTING SAID DETECTING DEVICES WHILE THE STREAMER IS TOWED THROUGH THE WATER AT A UNIFORM HIGH RATE OF SPEED, (4) SAID YIELDABLE MEANS COMPRISING AN ELASTIC OIL FILLED DEAD SECTION STREAMER HAVING A PLURALITY OF PLASTIC STRAIN CABLES COMPOSED OF NYLON EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF, (5) MEANS CONNECTING THE ENDS OF SAID PLASTIC CABLES TO SAID TOW CABLE AND TO SAID DETECTION STREAMER RESPECTIVELY FOR APPLYING A TOWING FORCE TO THE DETECTION STREAMER, (6) AND THE DEAD SECTION STREAMER INCLUDES (A) A PAIR OF PACKING MEMBERS SEALED WITHIN THE END PORTIONS OF THE STREAMER RESPECTIVELY, (B) AND A PLURALITY OF RELATIVELY SHORT LENGTHS OF METALLIC STRAIN CABLES CONNECTED AT THE ENDS OF SAID PLASTIC STRAIN CABLES AND TO SAID TOW CABLE AND DETECTION STREAMER RESPECTIVELY, SAID METALLIC STRAIN CABLES EXTENDING THROUGH SAID PACKING MEMBERS IN OIL TIGHT SEALED RELATION THEREWITH.