System for attachment to and lifting of objects from deep water

Claim 2

Apparatus for use in recovering objects from deep water, said apparatus comprising: a submersible vehicle capable of submerging and maneuvering to a sunken object; a manipulating arm mounted on said vehicle and controllable therefrom; a hoisting buoy releasably mounted on said vehicle; a hoisting cable depending from said hoisting buoy and having a free end; an attachment tool connected to said free end of said cable and actuable from said vehicle to connect said cable to an object; and said manipulating arm being cooperable with said attachment tool to position the latter adjacent an object for attachment thereto.

Claim 3

Apparatus for use in recovering objects from deep water, said apparatus comprising: a submersible vehicle capable of submerging and maneuvering to a sunken object; a manipulating arm mounted on said vehicle and controllable therefrom; a hoisting buoy releasably mounted on said vehicle; a hoisting cable depending from said hoisting buoy and having a free end; an attachment tool connected to said free end of said cable and actuable from said vehicle to connect said cable to an object; and said manipulating arm being cooperable with said attachment tool to position the latter adjacent an object for attachment thereto.

Claim 4

Apparatus for use in recovering objects from deep water, said apparatus comprising: a submersible vehicle capable of submerging and maneuvering to a sunken object; a manipulating arm mounted on said vehicle and controllable therefrom; a hoisting buoy releasably mounted on said vehicle; a hoisting cable depending from said hoisting buoy and having a free end; an attachment tool connected to said free end of said cable and actuable from said vehicle to connect said cable to an object; and said manipulating arm being cooperable with said attachment tool to position the latter adjacent an object for attachment thereto.

Claim 5

Apparatus as defined in claim 1 and wherein said hoisting buoy comprises: a body of buoyant material; a hopper containing expendable ballast for reducing the buoyancy of said buoy to a relatively small positive buoyancy; and discharge means for releasing said ballast.

Claim 6

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 and wherein said discharge means comprises: a door having a closed position for retaining said ballast and movable by said ballast to an open position; a latch for releasably securing said door in said closed position; and means for actuating said latch to permit said door to open in response to predetermined upward movement of said hoisting buoy after connection thereof to an object by said attachment tool.

Claim 7

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 and wherein said discharge means comprises: electromagnetic means for releasably holding said ballast in said hopper.

Claim 8

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 and wherein said attachment tool comprises explosively actuable tongs.

Claim 9

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 and wherein said attachment tool comprises: an attachment pad; a plurality of explosively actuable stud guns mounted on said pad and operable to drive anchoring studs into an object for securing said pad thereto; and eyE means on said pad for connection to said cable.

Claim 10

Apparatus as defined in claim 2 and wherein said attachment tool comprises: tripod means; explosive gun means mounted on said tripod means; a projectile adapted to be fired by said gun means for penetration into an object to be recovered; flexible means connecting said projectile to said tripod means; and said projectile comprising a blade having pivotal connection to said flexible means whereby said blade is rotatable to a toggled position after penetration for securing said tool and cable to said object.

Claim 11

Apparatus for use in recovering objects from deep water, said apparatus comprising: a submersible vehicle capable of submerging and maneuvering to a sunken object; a manipulating arm mounted on said vehicle and controllable therefrom; a messenger buoy releasably mounted on said vehicle and including a messenger line reel; a messenger line wound on said reel and adapted to be paid out upon rising of said messenger buoy; a pendant cable having a hoist cable connection fitting at one end connected to said messenger line and having a free end; an attachment tool connected to said free end of said pendant cable and actuable from said vehicle to connect said pendant cable to an object to be recovered; and said manipulating arm being cooperable with said attachment tool to position the latter with respect to said object for attachment thereto.

Claim 12

Apparatus for use in recovering objects from deep water, said apparatus comprising: a submersible vehicle capable of submerging and maneuvering to a sunken object; a manipulating arm mounted on said vehicle and controllable therefrom; a messenger buoy releasably mounted on said vehicle and including a messenger line reel; a messenger line wound on said reel and adapted to be paid out upon rising of said messenger buoy; a pendant cable having a hoist cable connection fitting at one end connected to said messenger line and having a free end; an attachment tool connected to said free end of said pendant cable and actuable from said vehicle to connect said pendant cable to an object to be recovered; and said manipulating arm being cooperable with said attachment tool to position the latter with respect to said object for attachment thereto.

Claim 13

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 and further comprising a hoist cable having a second connector fitting slideable on said messenger line and cooperable with the first mentioned fitting to connect said hoist cable to said pendant cable.

Claim 14

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 and wherein said attachment tool comprises explosively actuable tongs.

Claim 15

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 and wherein said attachment tool comprises: an attachment pad; a plurality of explosively actuable stud guns mounted on said pad and operable to drive anchoring studs into an object for securing said pad thereto; and eye means on said pad for connection to said cable.

Claim 16

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 and wherein said attachment tool comprises: tripod means; explosive gun means mounted on said tripod means; a projectile adapted to be fired by said gun means for penetration into an object to be recovered; flexible means connecting said projectile to said tripod means; and said projectile comprising a blade having pivotal connection to said flexible means whereby said blade is rotatable to a toggled position after penetration for securing said tool and cable to said object.

Claim 17

Apparatus as defined in claim 12 and wherein: said tripod means comprises first, second and third legs projecting from a junction member; said apparatus further comprising a fourth leg projecting from said junction member and in axial alignment with one of said first, second and third legs.

Claim 18

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 and wherein said messenger buoy comprises: a frame including a pair of spaced vertical end members, a buoyancy member interconnecting the upper portions of said end members, and line guide means disposed between the lower portions of said end members, said buoyancy member serving to maintain said frame oriented in water with said guide means positioned at the bottom thereof; and a messenger line reel mounted between said end members for rotation about a horizontal axis, said reel comprising radially extending rib means for retarding rotation in water.

Claim 19

Apparatus as defined in claim 14 and wherein said reel is formed of a syntactic plastic foam material.

Claim 20

Apparatus as defined in claim 8 and wherein said hoist cable connection fitting comprises: a first connector member including a guide pin portion extending axially of said line; an enlarged portion presenting a conical surface tapering outwardly going away from said pin portion and presenting an annular Shoulder facing away from said pin portion; said apparatus further comprising a hoist cable connection fitting comprising a second connector member cooperable with said first connector member to effect connection of a hoist cable with said pendant cable.