Method and apparatus for controlling depth of submergence of an underwater vehicle

Claim 2

A submergible vehicle for underwater work characterized by an ability to accurately and controllably descend and ascend comprising a first component in the form of a submergible main housing enclosing human life sustaining quarters which are in open pressure communication with the surrounding body of water through an open human entrance port located in the bottom of the housing, said first component having a variable buoyancy, a separately mobile dependently supported second component in the form of a submergible depth control body of a predetermined underwater weight acting as a ballast sufficient to submerge said first component when the buoyancy thereof is altered to a low level, said second component containing as ballast at least a portion of the support material necessary to support the main housing, cable means extending through an open cable entrance passage located in the bottom of the housing for attaching said first and second components for precisely varying the vertical distance between the first and second components when said first component has a preselected but lesser buoyancy relative to the underwater weight of the second component to accurately control the depth of the living quarters, and conduit means for connecting said second component to the first component to transport therebetween as desired, said support material when the main housing rests upon the bottom of tHe body of water.

Claim 3

A submergible vehicle for underwater work characterized by an ability to accurately and controllably descend and ascend comprising a first component in the form of a submergible main housing enclosing human life sustaining quarters in open pressure communication with the surrounding body of water, a separately mobile dependently supported second component in the form of a submergible depth control body of a predetermined underwater weight and containing at least a portion of the support material necessary to support the main housing, means attaching said first and second components for precisely varying the vertical distance between the first and second components when said first component has a preselected but lesser buoyancy relative to the underwater weight of the second component to accurately control the depth of the living quarters, and means connecting said second component to the first component to transport therebetween, as desired, said support material when the main housing rests upon the bottom of the water, said means for varying the vertical distance including cabling means interconnecting the first and second components and wherein the vehicle further comprises means for sensing the tension in the cabling means, means for altering the buoyancy of the first component, whereby the buoyancy of the first component can be accurately related to the underwater weight of the second component by sensing the tension in the cabling means for controlling the underwater descent of the first component.

Claim 4

A submergible vehicle for underwater work characterized by an ability to accurately and controllably descend and ascend comprising a first component in the form of a submergible main housing enclosing human life sustaining quarters in open pressure communication with the surrounding body of water, a separately mobile dependently supported second component in the form of a submergible depth control body of a predetermined underwater weight and containing at least a portion of the support material necessary to support the main housing, means attaching said first and second components for precisely varying the vertical distance between the first and second components when said first component has a preselected but lesser buoyancy relative to the underwater weight of the second component to accurately control the depth of the living quarters, and means connecting said second component to the first component to transport therebetween, as desired, said support material when the main housing rests upon the bottom of the water, said means for varying the vertical distance including cabling means interconnecting the first and second components and wherein the vehicle further comprises means for sensing the tension in the cabling means, means for altering the buoyancy of the first component, whereby the buoyancy of the first component can be accurately related to the underwater weight of the second component by sensing the tension in the cabling means for controlling the underwater descent of the first component.

Claim 5

The submergible vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein the second component includes a floodable sealed chamber for retaining a supply of fresh water to support the housing.

Claim 6

The submergible vehicle as claimed in claim 3 wherein the second component further includes a compartment sized to retain batteries for support of the housing.

Claim 7

The submergible vehicle as claimed in claim 1 and further including means mounted on top of the first component for establishing limits on the depth of submergence of the main housing.

Claim 8

The submergible vehicle as claimed in claim 5 wherein said housing depth limiting means includes buoyant lifting bodies and cables interconnecting the buoyant lifting bodies to the housing.

Claim 9

The submergible vehicle as claimed in claim 2 wherein the tension sensing means includes a spring scale operatively interposed between the cabling means and the housing.

Claim 12

The method of controlling the depth of submergence of a housing in a body of water as claimed in claim 8 and further including the steps of weighting the body to a predetermined negative buoyancy, and reducing the buoyancy of the housing to a level below the underwater weight of the body.

Claim 15

The method of controlling the ascent and descent of a housing in a body of water as cLaimed in claim 10 further including the step of sensing the tension in the retractable cable while at different depths of the housing relative to the body, thereby to monitor the housing buoyancy during ascent or descent.

Claim 16

The method of controlling the ascent and descent of a housing in a body of water as claimed in claim 10 wherein after descent, said body changes its buoyancy, and wherein said suspending step comprises, prior to ascending, suspending said body having changed buoyancy.

Claim 17

A submergible vehicle for underwater work characterized by an ability to accurately and controllably descend and ascend comprising a first component in the form of a submergible main housing enclosing human life sustaining quarters in open pressure communication with the surrounding body of water, a separately mobile dependently supported second component in the form of a submergible depth control body of a predetermined underwater weight, means attaching said first and second components for precisely varying the vertical distance between the first and second components when said first component has a preselected but lesser buoyancy relative to the underwater weight of the second component to accurately control the depth of the living quarters, and means for sensing the tension in said attaching means, whereby the difference between the buoyancy of the first component and the underwater weight of the second component can be monitored for controlled ascent and descent of the pressure communicating first component.

Claim 18

A submergible vehicle for underwater work characterized by an ability to accurately and controllably descend and ascend comprising a first component in the form of a submergible main housing enclosing human life sustaining quarters in open pressure communication with the surrounding body of water, a separately mobile dependently supported second component in the form of a submergible depth control body of a predetermined underwater weight, means attaching said first and second components for precisely varying the vertical distance between the first and second components when said first component has a preselected but lesser buoyancy relative to the underwater weight of the second component to accurately control the depth of the living quarters, and means for sensing the tension in said attaching means, whereby the difference between the buoyancy of the first component and the underwater weight of the second component can be monitored for controlled ascent and descent of the pressure communicating first component.

Claim 19

A submergible vehicle for underwater work as claimed in claim 13 further comprising means for altering the buoyancy of the first component to adjust the difference between the buoyancy of the first component and the underwater weight of the second component to a predetermined level.

Claim 20

A submergible vehicle for underwater work as claimed in claim 13 further comprising means for altering the buoyancy of the second component when the main housing rests on the bottom of the body of water.

Claim 21

A submergible vehicle for underwater work as claimed in claim 13 wherein the tension sensing means includes a spring scale operatively interposed between the cabling means and the housing.