US3657752A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Locator devices
Assignee: Proteus Inc
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Filing: 1969-12-29
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Granted: 1972-04-25
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Expires: 1989-12-29
Abstract
Abstract This invention relates to a device useful as an aid in locating submerged equipment and submersibles while at depth or after the equipment has returned to the surface of the ocean. The device comprises a clam-shaped container, made up of a top and bottom cover, an inflatable aerial balloon-kite, embodying a radar reflective material, a kite string and reel, a fixed flotation ring, a triggering valve, a fuel cartridge actuator, a fuel cartridge, a gas cooler-water separator and associated flood valves and release mechanisms. The balloon-kite is releasably attached to the cooler outlet from the gas generator that produces hydrogen gas to inflate the balloon-kite when the device returns to the surface of the sea after being submerged with oceanographic equipment to which it has been attached either by tether or by fixed mounting. The gas generating means, preferably made up of solid chemical fuel, reactive upon contact with water to generate a gas, such as hydrogen gas, is provided within the container. The container is free-flooding and when the gas generating means is activated to expose said chemical compound, such as a hydride of a metal selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, calcium, potassium and aluminum and mixtures thereof, to contact with water, the resulting generated gas releases the top cover from the bottom cover and, being attached to the balloon-kite, inflates the balloon-kite fully and then causes the balloon-kite to detach itself automatically from the generator and fly aloft tethered to the container by means of a kite strong. The passive reflector surface incorporated in the balloon-kite enables the device to be located by surface radar equipment and, thereby, provides a target by means of which the oceanographic equipment has previously been attached can be located from great distances.
Inventors
- 👤 William M Davidson
- 👤 Howard W Cole Jr
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-27 22:51
CPC Classifications
B; B64; B64B; B64B1/00; B64B1/58; B64B1/62; B63; B63B; B63B22/00; B63B22/22; B63B2201/00; B63B2201/12; B63B2201/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
524 words
In combination with a locator device, useful for ocean search and recovery operations, comprising an inflatable aerial balloon target and a chemical gas generator housed in a single container or shell, the combination thereof being capable of storage in the ocean at great depths prior to automatic activation and deployment upon return to the surface of the ocean: (1) an hydraulic, spring-loaded actuator that arms automatically during descent by means of hydrostatic pressure; (2) a surface detector comprised of a hinged float positioned inside of said container such that it provides a righting moment when resurfaced, to insure that said balloon is above the surface, and, further, pivots on said hinges to apply its full buoyancy to operate a trigger valve thereby releasing said actuator to activate said chemical gas generator; (3) an hydraulically activated fuel cartridge, consisting of a flexible container, sealed ventcheck valve and removable sealed closure containing a fuel material that generates, by reaction with water, a gas which is lighter than air; (4) a reactor that controls automatically the rate of gas generation by means of a grate to retain said fuel, thereby permitting the reaction to slow or to stop and restart by the removal of water to a level below said grate and by the use of gas pressure to control the level of water in said reactor; (5) a cooler consisting of a multiple number of concentric, thin-walled cans to provide heat transfer from gas to water, radial passages through said concentric cans to provide circulation of cooling water by thermo-syphon action, and a separator comprised of a deflector plAte and axial passages along the walls of the outermost can to permit collection and return of water to said reactor by means of gravity flow; (6) a baffle, in the form of one of the concentric cans forming a part of said cooler, to control the amount of gas pressure developed; (7) an orifice plate incorporated between the outlet of said cooler and the inlet to said inflatable balloon to further impede the flow of water into said balloon; (8) a closure means, such as a flexible gripping ring, for said container or shell that provides for automatic deployment of said balloon by means of gas pressure developed after activation of said generator; (9) an automatic release mechanism for said balloon consisting of a release string affixed internally to said balloon at one end and at the opposite end to a ball retainer located in the balloon fill nozzle such that internal gas pressure acting upon the surface of the balloon will effect release of said balloon only when it becomes fully inflated; (10) a spring-loaded valve located in the fill nozzle of said balloon that closes automatically upon the release of said balloon from said gas generator, thereby preventing escape of gas from said balloon; (11) a rotating reel for deploying said balloon aloft after release from said gas generator in such manner that said balloon remains tethered in flight to said container, which in turn is tethered to a moored instrument, or other equipment of value, either on the surface of the ocean or submerged.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
524 words
In combination with a locator device, useful for ocean search and recovery operations, comprising an inflatable aerial balloon target and a chemical gas generator housed in a single container or shell, the combination thereof being capable of storage in the ocean at great depths prior to automatic activation and deployment upon return to the surface of the ocean: (1) an hydraulic, spring-loaded actuator that arms automatically during descent by means of hydrostatic pressure; (2) a surface detector comprised of a hinged float positioned inside of said container such that it provides a righting moment when resurfaced, to insure that said balloon is above the surface, and, further, pivots on said hinges to apply its full buoyancy to operate a trigger valve thereby releasing said actuator to activate said chemical gas generator; (3) an hydraulically activated fuel cartridge, consisting of a flexible container, sealed ventcheck valve and removable sealed closure containing a fuel material that generates, by reaction with water, a gas which is lighter than air; (4) a reactor that controls automatically the rate of gas generation by means of a grate to retain said fuel, thereby permitting the reaction to slow or to stop and restart by the removal of water to a level below said grate and by the use of gas pressure to control the level of water in said reactor; (5) a cooler consisting of a multiple number of concentric, thin-walled cans to provide heat transfer from gas to water, radial passages through said concentric cans to provide circulation of cooling water by thermo-syphon action, and a separator comprised of a deflector plAte and axial passages along the walls of the outermost can to permit collection and return of water to said reactor by means of gravity flow; (6) a baffle, in the form of one of the concentric cans forming a part of said cooler, to control the amount of gas pressure developed; (7) an orifice plate incorporated between the outlet of said cooler and the inlet to said inflatable balloon to further impede the flow of water into said balloon; (8) a closure means, such as a flexible gripping ring, for said container or shell that provides for automatic deployment of said balloon by means of gas pressure developed after activation of said generator; (9) an automatic release mechanism for said balloon consisting of a release string affixed internally to said balloon at one end and at the opposite end to a ball retainer located in the balloon fill nozzle such that internal gas pressure acting upon the surface of the balloon will effect release of said balloon only when it becomes fully inflated; (10) a spring-loaded valve located in the fill nozzle of said balloon that closes automatically upon the release of said balloon from said gas generator, thereby preventing escape of gas from said balloon; (11) a rotating reel for deploying said balloon aloft after release from said gas generator in such manner that said balloon remains tethered in flight to said container, which in turn is tethered to a moored instrument, or other equipment of value, either on the surface of the ocean or submerged.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
159 words
An underwater device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said chemical gas generator produces cool, relatively pure and dry hydrogen gas at a controlled rate by reaction of a chemical compound, such as a hydride of a metal selected from a group consisting of lithium, sodium, calcium, potassium, aluminum and mixtures thereof with water, said reaction producing an hydroxide of the metal and heat as well as hydrogen gas, wherein said heat works in combination with said cooler to draw fresh water into the generator by thermo-syphon action as well as to expel products of the reaction, and further, wherein said fresh water is used both to sustain the fuel reaction and to effect the transfer of heat from said cooler, and further, wherein said cooler also serves to condense moisture from the gas as it passes through a series of baffles formed by a number of concentric cans that readily conduct heat from the gas into the water.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
75 words
An underwater device in accordance with claim 1 wherein both the rate of gas generation and the maximum gas pressure available for balloon inflation is self-regulating according to the difference in pressure head between the baffle located in said cooler and the reaction zone established by said fuel cartridge grate that retains said fuel inside of said reactor, as well as by the size of gas flow passages in said cooler, including its outlet ports.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
74 words
An underwater device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said cooler not only cools said gas but also separates said gas from the water by means of a separator consisting of a deflector plate and water drain passages for the return of water to said reactor by means of gravity flow, aided by the use of an orifice plate located between the outlet port of said cooler and the inlet to said inflatable balloon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
109 words
An underwater device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the volume of gas generated can be closely controlled by closing the outlet port to throttle the gas flow through said outlet port, thereby creating a back-pressure that expels water from said reactor to a level below the reaction zone established by the fuel cartridge grate; and, further, wherein it is possible to stop and restart said generator by completely expelling all of the water from the fuel reaction zone and, later, when said back-pressure is reduced, allowing the water to return to a level where it is once again in contact with said fuel and the reaction thereby resumes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
164 words
An underwater device in accordance with claim 1 wherein said fuel cartridge compRising a solid slug of water-reactive fuel, protected from water by a flexible container body and an hermetically sealed removable closure, an hydraulically actuated diaphragm for removal of said closure, droppable fuel and grate, and sealed said vent check valve serves to equalize external hydrostatic pressure with internal gas pressure by permitting said gas, which may be generated when moisture penetrates the container, to vent while preventing water from entering through said vent check valve; and, further, wherein said solid fuel being supported by an open wire grate that, in turn, is supported by slack fine wires, is free to drop below said fuel container upon removal of said seal closure by means of a small hydraulic pressure differential applied inside of said fuel container, wherein the purpose of dropping said fuel is to insure that the fuel is brought into contact with the water for reliable operation of said gas generator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
89 words
An underwater device in accordance with claim 1 embodying said surface detector operating by means of a change in net buoyancy or a change in the location or direction of applied force resulting from said change in net buoyancy, which change is produced by the movement of said float from sub-surface to surface or, conversely, surface to subsurface orientation, wherein the device is comprised of a mechanically actuated release mechanism, such as a trigger valve, and a float which may consist of either fixed flotation or an inflatable device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
115 words
An underwater device in accordance with claim 1 including said spring loaded actuator comprising mechanical, pneumatic and hydraulic elements wherein the actuator can be armed automatically by means of hydrostatic pressure during descent which acts to compress a spring, said spring being held in compression by differential pressure at any ocean depth for extended periods, and wherein said spring may be released at any depth or upon return to the surface of the water to drive a piston that applies hydraulic pressure for actuation purposes, the release of said spring being accomplished by venting of the low-pressure cavity to ambient pressure after the device has ascended by an amount at least equal to arming depth.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-04-25 | 1975-10-25 | 1976-04-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-04-25 | 1979-10-25 | 1980-04-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-04-25 | 1983-10-25 | 1984-04-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |