Buoy

Claim 2

A buoy, comprising in combination: support means adapted for floating in a predetermined environmental medium; aperture means, having a predetermined diametrical configuration, extending through said support means along a given vertical axis thereof; elongated housing means, having an outside diameter that is less than the smallest diameter of said aperture means, extending through the aforesaid aperture means of said support means in such manner that relative tilt may occur therebetween, with the extremities of said elongated housing means extending out of the upper and lower ends of said support means, respectively, and with the lower extremity of said elongated housing means having a mass that is greater than that of the upper extremity thereof; means connected to said support means and releasably connected to the aforesaid elongated housing means for effecting relative two-degree of freedom disposition therebetween; and manually operable latch means connected between said 2* of freedom effecting means and said elongated housing means for the connection and disconnection thereof in response to the latching and unlatching thereof.

Claim 3

The device of claim 1 wherein said support means is a platform capable of floating on water.

Claim 4

The device of claim 1 wherein said support means is a balloon filled with a lighter than air gas for floating on the air of the atmosphere.

Claim 5

The device of claim 1, wherein said elongated housing means comprises: a mast extending above said support means and having a predetermined mass; a flange attached to the lower end of said mast adapted for being connected and disconnected to and from the aforesaid 2* of freedom effecting means; a watertight compartment connected to the bottom of said flange adapted for containing a utilization apparatus, said watertight compartment extending below said support means in a pendulum-like manner and having a mass that is greater than the mass of the aforesaid mast.

Claim 6

The device of claim 1 wherein said means connected to said support means and releasably connected to the aforesaid elongated housing means for effecting relative 2* of freedom dispositions therebetween comprises: an outer gimbal ring attached to said support means; an intermediate gimbal ring located within said outer gimbal ring and connected thereto for rotation about a predetermined axis thereof; an inner gimbal ring, adapted for being releasably connected to said elongated housing means, located wiThin said intermediate gimbal ring and connected thereto for rotation about an axis that is normal to the aforesaid predetermined axis of said outer gimbal ring.

Claim 7

The invention of claim 1 further characterized by means connected to said support means for the anchoring thereof at substantially a predetermined location in said predetermined environmental medium.

Claim 8

The device of claim 1, wherein said support means adapted for floating in a predetermined environmental medium comprises: a water buoyant plastic foam having closed cells containing confined air bubbles; a fiberglass protective layer attached to the outer surface of said water buoyant plastic foam; and a pair of retainer rings respectively attached to said support means around the aforesaid axis and at the extremities of the aforesaid aperture means.

Claim 9

The invention according to claim 7 further characterized by: a trio of holes located equidistant around said pair of retainer rings and extending therethrough and through said fiberglass protective layer, said water buoyant plastic foam, and the aforesaid 2* of freedom effecting means; a trio of stud bolts, each of which has threaded extremities, inserted in said trio of holes, respectively; a pair of nuts screwed on the threaded extremities of each of said trio of stud bolts for the securing thereof in said trio of holes, respectively; at least one lifting eye screwed on a threaded end of at least one of said stud bolts for the removal and deployment of said support means from and into said predetermined environmental medium; and at least one mooring eye screwed on a threaded end of at least one of said stud bolts adapted for being connected to a mooring means.

Claim 10

The device of claim 1, wherein said latch means comprises: a groove disposed in said 2* of freedom effecting means; a first shaft mounted within said elongated housing means; a lever arm mounted for rotation on said first shaft; a second shaft connected to said lever arm; a hole in the wall of said elongated housing means; a latch bolt slidably mounted in said hole, adapted for being inserted in said groove, and connected to said second shaft for rotation thereon; a spring connected between the wall of said elongated housing means and said lever arm for effectively urging said latch bolt toward said groove; a line connected to said lever arm in such manner as to cause rotation thereof about said first shaft when pulled, so as to thereby effect the removal of said latch bolt from said groove; and eye means connected to said line for effecting a connection therebetween and a predetermined pulling means.

Claim 11

The invention of claim 1 further characterized by a utilization apparatus connected to said elongated housing means.

Claim 12

The device of claim 10, wherein said utilization apparatus comprises a light.

Claim 13

The device of claim 10, wherein said utilization apparatus comprises: a transducer for broadcasting and receiving predetermined energy; and a transceiver connected to said transducer.

Claim 14

The device of claim 10, wherein said utilization apparatus comprises oceanographic instrumentation.

Claim 15

The device of claim 10, wherein said utilization apparatus comprises a radar reflector.

Claim 16

The device of claim 10, wherein said utilization apparatus comprises a transponder.

Claim 17

The device of claim 10 wherein said utilization apparatus comprises a telemetering system.

Claim 18

A buoy, comprising in combination: a support means, having a configured plastic foam with closed cells containing confined air bubbles and a fiberglass protective layer attached to the outer surface of said plastic foam, adapted for floating in an aqueous medium; aperture means, having a predetermined diametrical configuration, extending through said plastic foam and the fiberglass protective layer attached thereto in such manner as to be disposed along a given verticAl axis of said support means; elongated housing means, having an outside diameter that is less than the smallest dimension of said aperture means, extending through said aperture means in such manner that relative tilt may occur therebetween, with the extremities of said elongated housing means extending out of the opposite ends of said aperture means, respectively, and with the lower extremity of said elongated housing means having a mass that is greater than that of the upper extremity thereof; means connected to said support means and releasably connected to the aforesaid elongated housing means for effecting relative 2* of freedom disposition therebetween; a pair of retainer rings respectively attached to the plastic foam and fiberglass protective layer of said support means and around the peripheries of the extremities of the aforesaid aperture means; a trio of holes located equidistant around said pair of retainer rings and extending therethrough and through said fiberglass protective layer, said plastic foam, and the aforesaid 2* of freedom effecting means; a trio of stud bolts, each of which has threaded extremities, inserted in said trio of holes, respectively; a pair of nuts screwed on the threaded extremities of each of said trio of stud bolts for the securing thereof in said trio of holes, respectively; at least one lifting eye screwed on a threaded end of at least one of said stud bolts for the removal and deployment of said support means from and into the aforesaid aqueous medium; and at least one mooring eye screwed on a threaded end of at least one of said stud bolts adapted for being connected to a mooring means.

Claim 19

A buoy, comprising in combination: a support means, having a configured plastic foam with closed cells containing confined air bubbles and a fiberglass protective layer attached to the outer surface of said plastic foam, adapted for floating in an aqueous medium; aperture means, having a predetermined diametrical configuration, extending through said plastic foam and the fiberglass protective layer attached thereto in such manner as to be disposed along a given verticAl axis of said support means; elongated housing means, having an outside diameter that is less than the smallest dimension of said aperture means, extending through said aperture means in such manner that relative tilt may occur therebetween, with the extremities of said elongated housing means extending out of the opposite ends of said aperture means, respectively, and with the lower extremity of said elongated housing means having a mass that is greater than that of the upper extremity thereof; means connected to said support means and releasably connected to the aforesaid elongated housing means for effecting relative 2* of freedom disposition therebetween; a pair of retainer rings respectively attached to the plastic foam and fiberglass protective layer of said support means and around the peripheries of the extremities of the aforesaid aperture means; a trio of holes located equidistant around said pair of retainer rings and extending therethrough and through said fiberglass protective layer, said plastic foam, and the aforesaid 2* of freedom effecting means; a trio of stud bolts, each of which has threaded extremities, inserted in said trio of holes, respectively; a pair of nuts screwed on the threaded extremities of each of said trio of stud bolts for the securing thereof in said trio of holes, respectively; at least one lifting eye screwed on a threaded end of at least one of said stud bolts for the removal and deployment of said support means from and into the aforesaid aqueous medium; and at least one mooring eye screwed on a threaded end of at least one of said stud bolts adapted for being connected to a mooring means.

Claim 20

The device of claim 17, wherein said support means comprises an assembly of a pair of complementary parts, each of which include said configured plastic foam and the aforesaid protective layer attached to the outer surface thereof.

Claim 21

A buoy, comprising in combination: support means adapted for floating in a predetermined environmental medium; aperture means, having a predetermined diametrical configuration, extending through said support means along a given vertical axis thereof; elongated housing means, having an outside diameter that is less than the smallest diameter of said aperture means, extending through the aforesaid aperture means of said support means in such manner that relative tilt may occur therebetween, with the extremities of said elongated housing means extending out of the upper and lower ends of said support means, respectively, and with the lower extremity of said elongated housing means having a mass that is greater than that of the upper extremity thereof; means connected to said support means and releasably connected to the aforesaid elongated housing means for effecting relative 2* of freedom disposition therebetween; a groove disposed in said 2* of freedom effecting means; a first shaft mounted within said elongated housing means; a lever arm mounted for rotation on said first shaft; a second shaft connected to said lever arm; a hole in the wall of said elongated housing means; a latch bolt slidably mounted in said hole, adapted for being inserted in said groove, and connected to said second shaft for rotation thereon; a spring connected between the wall of said elongated housing means and said lever arm for effectively urging said latch bolt toward said groove; a line connected to said lever arm in such manner as to cause rotation thereof about said first shaft when pulled, so as to thereby effect the removal of said latch bolt from said groove; eye means connected to said line for effecting a connection therebetween and a predetermined pulling means; and means connected to said support means for the anchoring thereof at substantially a predetermined location with respect to the aforesaid predetermined environmental medium.

Claim 22

A buoy, comprising in combination: support means adapted for floating in a predetermined environmental medium; aperture means, having a predetermined diametrical configuration, extending through said support means along a given vertical axis thereof; elongated housing means, having an outside diameter that is less than the smallest diameter of said aperture means, extending through the aforesaid aperture means of said support means in such manner that relative tilt may occur therebetween, with the extremities of said elongated housing means extending out of the upper and lower ends of said support means, respectively, and with the lower extremity of said elongated housing means having a mass that is greater than that of the upper extremity thereof; means connected to said support means and releasably connected to the aforesaid elongated housing means for effecting relative 2* of freedom disposition therebetween; a groove disposed in said 2* of freedom effecting means; a first shaft mounted within said elongated housing means; a lever arm mounted for rotation on said first shaft; a second shaft connected to said lever arm; a hole in the wall of said elongated housing means; a latch bolt slidably mounted in said hole, adapted for being inserted in said groove, and connected to said second shaft for rotation thereon; a spring connected between the wall of said elongated housing means and said lever arm for effectively urging said latch bolt toward said groove; a line connected to said lever arm in such manner as to cause rotation thereof about said first shaft when pulled, so as to thereby effect the removal of said latch bolt from said groove; eye means connected to said line for effecting a connection therebetween and a predetermined pulling means; and means connected to said support means for the anchoring thereof at substantially a predetermined location with respect to the aforesaid predetermined environmental medium.