Helo recovery system tongs

Claim 2

A marine salvage system for recovery of an object floating on the surface of a body of water comprising: a pair of pivoted tong members shaped to conform to the contours of the floating object; spring means effectively connected between the individual tong members comprising said tong pair for resiliently biasing said tongs in a closed or object gripping configuration; overCenter linkage means effectively connected between the individual tong members for lockably securing said tong means in a closed or gripping position; and latch means connected between the individual tong members so as to hold said tong members in an open position against the biasing force of said spring means for selectively releasing said individual tong members and permitting them to close about said floating object under the influence of said spring means and lock thereabout under the influence of said overcenter linkage means, whereby said floating object may be lifted from the water by said tongs.

Claim 3

A marine salvage system according to claim 1 further including: fixed extension means rigidly attached to one tong member to extend downwardly and outwardly in relation to the opening of said tong pair for providing a rigid member to assist placing the tongs over the floating object and in positioning the tongs during unloading; pivoted extension means attached to the same tong member as said fixed extension means in such a manner as to pivot in relation thereto and positioned on the opposite side of said tong for cooperation with said fixed extension in guiding said tongs into engagement with said floating object; notch means in said pivoted extension means shaped for retention of one end of said spring means in a compressed condition in one position thereof and release of said spring means in another position thereof; resilient biasing means connected between said pivoted extension means and said tong member to which it is attached for resiliently biasing said pivoted extension means toward said tong member so as to position said notch means to hold said spring means in a compressed condition.

Claim 4

A marine salvage system according to claim 2 in which said resilient biasing means exerts a force which is large in respect to the mass of the tong assembly but is small in relation to the mass of said tong assembly together with the object to be gripped thereby.

Claim 5

A marine salvage system system according to claim 3 further including caster means attached to the outermost end of the aforesaid pivoted extension means for cooperating with said fixed extension means when said assembly is lowered onto a fixed surface so as to move said pivoted extension means outwardly and thereby release the aforesaid spring means from the aforesaid notch means.

Claim 6

A marine salvage system according to claim 2 further comprising extension arm means retractably mounted on said fixed and pivoted extension means and extending downward and divergently outward therefrom for assisting said fixed and pivoted extension means in guiding the aforesaid tong members into engagement with the object to be grasped thereby.

Claim 7

A marine salvage system according to claim 5 further including: pivoted carried means mounted on said fixed and pivoted extension means and configured so as to receive said extension arm means for pivotal retraction of said extension arms; retraction spring means connected between said pivoted carrier means and said extension means for biasing said pivoted carrier means into a retracted position; and carrier latch means effectively connected to said extension means and engaging said pivoted carrier means for locking said pivoted carrier means and said extension arm means carried thereby in a downward position.

Claim 8

A marine salvage system according to claim 6 in which said carrier latch means includes: plunger means engaging detent means in said pivoted carrier means for locking said pivoted carrier against the retraction bias of said retraction spring means; plunger spring means effectively connected between the aforesaid pivoted and fixed extension means for biasing said plunger to a position where it is withdrawn from the detent is said pivoted carrier means; and sensing means connected between said plunger means and a moving part which is actuated by the aforesaid latch means for permitting said plunger means to Move in response to said plunger spring means, whereby said pivoted carrier means and the extension arms carried thereby are retracted upon release of the aforesaid tong means by the aforesaid latch means.

Claim 9

A marine salvage system according to claim 7 in which said sensing means includes: paddle means pivotally mounted on the aforesaid pivoted extension means and in contact with the aforesaid overcenter linkage means for sensing movement of said overcenter linkage means; and roller means mounted on said plunger means to rollingly engage said paddle means for holding said plunger in engagement with said pivoted carrier in one position of the aforesaid overcenter linkage and for releasing said plunger in another position of said overcenter linkage.

Claim 10

A marine salvage system according to claim 7 in which said sensing means includes roller means mounted on said plunger and rollingly engaging one of the aforesaid tong members for holding said plunger in contact with said pivoted carrier in the position of said tong member corresponding to the open condition and for releasing said plunger in the position corresponding to the closed or clamped position.

Claim 11

Recovery tongs for use in an aerial recovery system for retrieving an object floating on the ocean and dropping the object on a deck comprising: a pair of pivoted, arcuate tongs for gripping an object, one tong being stationary and the other tong being movable between open, cocked, and closed, grip positions; an overcenter lever assembly mounted between the tongs for locking the movable tong in the closed, grip position; a latch for locking the movable tong in the open cocked position, and a trigger extending within the tongs and actuable by pressure of the object for leasing the latch so that the tongs will close to grip the object; a pair of spaced apart extensions, one fixed to one arcuate end of the stationary tong and one pivotally mounted on the other arcuate end of the stationary tong, the pivoted extension having a wheel mounted at its bottom end so that the pivoted extension will roll on a deck so as to pivot from an inward position to an outward position; the pivoted extension having a shaped notch therein, and the overcenter level assembly having a pin engageable within said shaped notch and being engaged with the pivoted arms are in their inward position for retaining the movable tong in a closed position, being disengaged when the pivoted arms are forced to an outward position so as to release the movable tong to an open position; a pair of extension arms; a spring-biased, pivoted carrier mounted on each of said pair of extensions and each receiving and retaining one of said pair of extension arms, each spring-biased, pivoted carrier being pivotable between a down position where the extension arms guide the object to the tongs and up position, each pivoted carrier having a depression therein; a spring plunger mounted adjacent each pivoted carrier and lockable within the depression of a respective pivoted carrier for cocking the pivoted carrier and extension arm retained therein in a down position; sensing means connected to said spring plungers and sensing the movement of said pivoted arcuate tongs for moving said spring plunger from said depressions, whereby said extension arms will move from the down position to a retracted position when the object is gripped by said pair of pivoted arcuate tong means.

Claim 12

Recovery tongs for use in an aerial recovery system for retrieving an object floating on the ocean and dropping the object on a deck comprising: a pair of pivoted, arcuate tongs for gripping an object, one tong being stationary and the other tong being movable between open, cocked, and closed, grip positions; an overcenter lever assembly mounted between the tongs for locking the movable tong in the closed, grip position; a latch for locking the movable tong in the open cocked position, and a trigger extending within the tongs and actuable by pressure of the object for leasing the latch so that the tongs will close to grip the object; a pair of spaced apart extensions, one fixed to one arcuate end of the stationary tong and one pivotally mounted on the other arcuate end of the stationary tong, the pivoted extension having a wheel mounted at its bottom end so that the pivoted extension will roll on a deck so as to pivot from an inward position to an outward position; the pivoted extension having a shaped notch therein, and the overcenter level assembly having a pin engageable within said shaped notch and being engaged with the pivoted arms are in their inward position for retaining the movable tong in a closed position, being disengaged when the pivoted arms are forced to an outward position so as to release the movable tong to an open position; a pair of extension arms; a spring-biased, pivoted carrier mounted on each of said pair of extensions and each receiving and retaining one of said pair of extension arms, each spring-biased, pivoted carrier being pivotable between a down position where the extension arms guide the object to the tongs and up position, each pivoted carrier having a depression therein; a spring plunger mounted adjacent each pivoted carrier and lockable within the depression of a respective pivoted carrier for cocking the pivoted carrier and extension arm retained therein in a down position; sensing means connected to said spring plungers and sensing the movement of said pivoted arcuate tongs for moving said spring plunger from said depressions, whereby said extension arms will move from the down position to a retracted position when the object is gripped by said pair of pivoted arcuate tong means.