US3757721A — Underwater craft for transporting divers

Claim 1

Independent Claim 299 words

An underwater craft for transporting one or more divers underwater, comprising, in combination, a hull having upper and lower parts as well as inner and outer surfaces, a screw for propulsion of said hull, an electric motor for driving said screw through a propeller shaft, having a motor circuit, a storage battery with a plurality of cells for supplying electric power to said motor, including a power-source circuit and a system for controlling the supply of power; a handlebar secured to the exterior of said hull for grasping by at least one diver; a trimming device for diverting water flow past said hull, thereby to trim said hull in pitch to overcome unbalance due to the weight of the diver bearing on said hull; a propeller-shaft bearing for minimizing leakage of outside water into said hull; a device for reducing condensation of moisture in said hull; a device for protecting electrical parts from the moisture and from gases; a device for detecting and indicating water in said hull; a device for discharging battery gases out of said hull; devices for preventing infiltration of the battery gases to and into said electrical parts; a device for preventing leakage of battery electrolyte to parts surrounding said battery; and a device for preventing excess current or overcurrent in said motor; in which said motor is a waterproof printed-coil motor of small dimension in the axial direction; said hull is provided with vertical and tail fins and a ring or cowling disposed around said screw and fixed to said tail fins, and said trimming device includes a horizontal trimming hydroplane hinged at its leading edge to said ring to be pivotable about a horizontal hinge axis, and a mechanism for adjustably setting the angle of attack or trim relative to the screw axis.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 299 words

An underwater craft for transporting one or more divers underwater, comprising, in combination, a hull having upper and lower parts as well as inner and outer surfaces, a screw for propulsion of said hull, an electric motor for driving said screw through a propeller shaft, having a motor circuit, a storage battery with a plurality of cells for supplying electric power to said motor, including a power-source circuit and a system for controlling the supply of power; a handlebar secured to the exterior of said hull for grasping by at least one diver; a trimming device for diverting water flow past said hull, thereby to trim said hull in pitch to overcome unbalance due to the weight of the diver bearing on said hull; a propeller-shaft bearing for minimizing leakage of outside water into said hull; a device for reducing condensation of moisture in said hull; a device for protecting electrical parts from the moisture and from gases; a device for detecting and indicating water in said hull; a device for discharging battery gases out of said hull; devices for preventing infiltration of the battery gases to and into said electrical parts; a device for preventing leakage of battery electrolyte to parts surrounding said battery; and a device for preventing excess current or overcurrent in said motor; in which said motor is a waterproof printed-coil motor of small dimension in the axial direction; said hull is provided with vertical and tail fins and a ring or cowling disposed around said screw and fixed to said tail fins, and said trimming device includes a horizontal trimming hydroplane hinged at its leading edge to said ring to be pivotable about a horizontal hinge axis, and a mechanism for adjustably setting the angle of attack or trim relative to the screw axis.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 137 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 1, in which said propeller-shaft bearing includes a cylindrical bearing housing formed integrally with said hull at the stern extremity thereof and disposed coaxially about said propeller shaft, two spaced-apart sealing rings of X-shaped cross section disposed around and in contact with said shaft and contained within said housing, a spacer ring of channel cross section with flanges directed inward toward said shaft, said spacer ring being interposed between said sealing rings and disposed coaxially around said shaft with an annular space therebetween, adapted to receive a grease-like lubricant, a lubricant-less ring disposed coaxially about said shaft aft of the aftmost one of said sealing rings, and a cap ring secured to the aft extremity of said hull and disposed around said shaft to hold said lubricant-less ring in place.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 97 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 1, in which said device for reducing condensation includes, essentially, at least one plate of a metal capable of transmitting and releasing heat rapidly from the interior of said hull to the outside water, said at least one plate constituting a part of said outer surface of the hull and thereby directly contacting the outside water during operation or being disposed in contact with said inner surface of the hull at a part thereof where said outer surface of the hull is in contact with the outside water during operation.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 149 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 1, in which said device for discharging battery gases includes a gas discharge manifold for collecting the gases from said battery cells, an accumulating tank adapted to contain an absorbent material and receiving the gas thus collected to remove the moisture therefrom, an elastic inflatable container for temporary retention of the gas thus rid of moisture, a gas exhaust pipe connected at one end to said container, a gas exhaust outlet provided through said upper part of the hull to the outside thereof and connected to the other end of said exhaust pipe, and a detachable, watertight cover for the outer side of said exhaust outlet, said cover being adapted to cover also and simultaneously an electrical receptacle provided on said outside of the hull for insertion thereinto of prongs of a plug of an external conductor cord for recharging said battery.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 162 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 1, in which said device for discharging battery gases includes partition walls dividing the interior of said battery into said cells thereof and having through holes at the upper parts thereof to permit the battery gases to collect in said upper part of at least one cell, a discharge fitting installed in an upper wall of said one cell for conducting the battery gases out of said battery, a gas exhaust pipe connected at one end to said fitting, a gas exhaust outlet provided through said upper part of the hull to the outside thereof and connected to the other end of said gas exhaust outlet, and a detachable, watertight cover for the outer side of said exhaust outlet, said cover being adapted to cover also and simultaneously an electrical receptacle provided on said outside of the hull for insertion thereinto of prongs of a plug of an external conductor cord for recharging said battery.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 141 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 5, in which said fitting includes a gas discharge plug screwed at its lower part into a tapped hole in said upper wall of the one cell and extending upward from said upper wall, said plug having a gas discharge hole formed therethrough, a swivel fitting fitted rotatably around said plug and having a passage communicating at one end with said discharge hole and extending at the other end to an opening at the outer extremity of an outlet tube for connection to said exhaust pipe, a cap nut screwed onto the upper part of said plug to hold said swivel fitting down against said upper wall of the one cell, and annular packings interposed respectively between said cap nut and said swivel fitting, as well as between the latter and said upper wall.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 116 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 1, in which said battery is installed in a battery compartment separated from a power distribution compartment by at least one bulkhead, and the electric power is conducted from said battery to said distribution compartment by way of a sealed terminal box and a cable passed through said at least one bulkhead, said cable including a plurality of insulated conductor wires in substantially parallel, spaced-apart disposition, an outer cable cover encompassing said wires and spaced apart therefrom, and a filler of a material resistant to acids and alkalis, and of a consistency of soft mud, filling the spaces between said cover and said wires, and between said wires themselves.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 177 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 7, in which said terminal box includes a hollow cylinder having ends closed in a gas-tight manner respectively by first and second end walls, said second end wall being secured to said at least one bulkhead, partly defining said battery compartment, a through hole being formed through said second end wall and said bulkhead for insertion therethrough and into said cylinder of one end of said cable, a plurality of terminal structures inserted through holes in said first end wall to project into the hollow interior of said cylinder and connected respectively at the parts thereof thus inserted to the ends of said conductor wires of the cable thus inserted into said cylinder, the outer parts of said terminal structures being adapted to be connected to respective lead wires to electrodes of said battery, packings interposed between said terminal structures and said first end wall to prevent infiltration of gases and moisture into the interior of said cylinder, and a packing interposed between said cable and said second end wall.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 21 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 8, in which said cylinder is formed integrally with said at least one bulkhead.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 149 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 1, in which said device for preventing leakage includes a screw plug fitting having threaded upper and lower parts, the latter being screwed into a tapped through hole in an upper wall of each of said battery cells, said plug fitting having an upper shank part, a through passage hole from the bottom surface of said lower part to an outlet port in a side flank of said shank part, and a flange adjacent said lower part, an elastic tube fitted firmly around said shank part over said outlet port and operative to permit only the battery gases to escape through said outlet port and to prevent leakage of the battery electrolyte out of said cells, a packing Interposed between said flange and said upper walls of said cells, and a cap nut screwed onto said upper part of the plug fitting.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 76 words

The underwater craft as claimed in claim 10, in which parts of said device for preventing leakage, above said cells, are surrounded by a mass of an absorbent, fibrous material enclosed within a cover structure fastened in a sealed manner to an upper peripheral part of said battery, whereby any electrolyte which has leaked out of said upper part of the battery is absorbed by said fibrous material and prevented from reaching parts surrounding said battery.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 223 words

The underwater craft as claimed in claim 1, in which said device for preventing leakage includes, with respect to each of said battery cells: a screw plug cylinder having threaded upper and lower plug parts, the latter being screwed into a tapped through hole in an upper wall of said cells, said plug cylinder having a supplementary reservoir chamber open at its lower part to the interior of said cells and having a substantial volume for accommodating excess electrolyte which may rise thereinto, said plug cylinder further having a vertical gas discharge tube disposed above said chamber and having a through passage hole from said chamber to an outlet port in the side of said discharge tube and an annular chamber formed between said discharge tube and a cylindrical outer wall of said plug cylinder, and separated from said reservoir chamber; a mass of an absorbent, fibrous material filling said annular chamber; an elastic tube fitted firmly around said discharge tube over said outlet port and operative to permit only the battery gases to escape and to suppress leakage of the battery electrolyte; a lid having a plurality of vent holes therethrough and secured to said upper plug part of the plug cylinder to close said annular chamber; and a packing interposed between said plug cylinder and said upper walls of the cells.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 180 words

The underwater craft as claimed in claim 1, in which the interior of said battery is divided into said cells by partition walls having through holes at least two levels thereof for continual equalization of pressures and electrolyte levels within said cells, and in which said device for preventing leakage includes, with respect to at least one of said cells: a gases discharge cylinder having an upper part and a lower threaded part, the latter being screwed into a tapped through hole in an upper wall of said one cell, said cylinder further having a gas discharge tube having a through passage hole from the bottom of said lower threaded part to an outlet port in the side of said discharge tube, an annular chamber formed between said discharge tube and cylindrical walls of said cylinder; an absorbent, fibrous material filling said annular chamber; a cap nut having vent holes and being screwed onto said upper part of the cylinder to cover said annular chamber; and a packing interposed between said cylinder and said upper wall of the one cell.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 160 words

The underwater craft as claimed in claim 1, in which said motor includes a main frame for mounting of said motor; a cover having the shape of a shallow pan and secured in a water-tight manner to said frame to form an enclosed and sealed interior; a bearing support secured to the outer central part of said cover and having a central part projecting slightly into said interior through a hole in said cover; coaxial bearings supported respectively by said frame and said support; a rotor shaft rotatably supported in said bearings and supporting coaxially a rotor disk secured perpendicularly to said shaft; an annular yoke made of iron and secured to said frame to confront a peripheral region of said disk on one side thereof; an annular permanent magnet secured to said cover to confront said peripheral region on the other side thereof; brushes contacting said disk; and elastic members urging said brushes into continual contact with said disk.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 56 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 1, in which excess current in said motor is prevented by an overcurrent controller including a device for changing over the connection of said batteries in accordance with the motor current, and an over-current tripping device which cuts out said batteries when the motor current exceeds a predetermined value.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 77 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 1, in which said controlling system includes a device for changing over the connection of said batteries, and a device for tripping said power-source circuit, wherein said changing-over device includes a voltage-drop detector inserted in said motor circuit, an electromagnetic relay connected to said detector, and a switching device operated by said relay to change over said connection from series to parallel when the motor current exceeds a predetermined value.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 103 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 1, in which said device for detecting water includes two switch electrodes supported in spaced-apart, vertical disposition with downwardly directed tips at a predetermined height above the bottom of said hull, an electric power source with two output terminals, and an indicating lamp connected between one of said terminals and one of said electrodes, the other terminal being connected to the other electrode, electrical contact being established between said tips of the electrodes when water in said bottom of the hull rises to the predetermined height to fill the space therein, whereby said lamp is lit.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 129 words

The underwater craft as defined in claim 1, in which said device for detecting water includes first and second conductor plates supported horizontally in mutually parallel and spaced-apart disposition near the bottom of said hull at a specific height thereabove, said plates being electrically insulated from each other and from other parts, an electric power source with two output terminals, a buzzer, and a pilot lamp, one of said terminals being connected to said second plate, and said buzzer and said lamp being connected in series between the other terminal and said first plate, electrical contact being established between said plates when water in said bottom of the hull rises to the specific height to fill the space therein, whereby said buzzer is sounded and said lamp is lit.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1976-09-10	1977-03-12	1977-09-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1980-09-10	1981-03-12	1981-09-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1984-09-10	1985-03-12	1985-09-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Underwater craft for transporting divers

Abstract

Inventors

Bibliographic Details

Claims Analysis

References Cited (Backward Citations)

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Assigned Categories & Tags

Assign Category Tag