Retaining and release assembly

Claim 1

An apparatus for retaining and releasing a body which has an annular recess near one end thereof comprising: piston means; one end of the piston means having a cavity for receiving said one end of the body and its recess; the piston means having a plurality of openings into said cavity; a plurality of reciprocable elements slidably disposed within said openings for retaining the body when the elements are depressed into said recess and for releasing the body when moved away from said recess; cylinder means disposed about said piston means and slidable between first and second positions relative to the piston means for retaining the elements depressed in the body recess when the cylinder means is in the first position and freeing the elements from the body recess when the cylinder means is in the second position; support means having a bore; an exterior portion of the cylinder means being slidably and sealably disposed in said bore; spring means biasing the cylinder means to said first position; and means for applying a fluid pressure to the cylinder means which includes a passageway in the piston which extends from the outer end of the piston to the bottom of said bore for moving the cylinder means from said first position to said second position; whereby upon application of said fluid pressure the body is released.

Claim 2

An apparatus for retaining and releasing a body which has an annular recess near one end thereof comprising: piston means; one end of the piston means having a cavity for receiving said one end of the body and its recess; the piston means having a plurality of openings into said cavity; a plurality of reciprocable elements slidably disposed within said openings for retaining the body when the elements are depressed into said recess and for releasing the body when moved away from said recess; cylinder means disposed about said piston means and slidable between first and second positions relative to the piston means for retaining the elements depressed in the body recess when the cylinder means is in the first position and freeing the elements from the body recess when the cylinder means is in the second position; support means having a bore; an exterior portion of the cylinder means being slidably and sealably disposed in said bore; spring means biasing the cylinder means to said first position; and means for applying a fluid pressure to the cylinder means which includes a passageway in the piston which extends from the outer end of the piston to the bottom of said bore for moving the cylinder means from said first position to said second position; whereby upon application of said fluid pressure the body is released.

Claim 7

An apparatus for retaining and releasing a torpedo of the type having an annular recess near its tail end comprising: stationary piston means having large and small exterior diameter portions; the large diameter portion of the piston means having a central cavity for receiving the tail end of the torpedo including said recess; pins slidably extending radially through the large diameter portion of the piston means into said cavity and adapted to engage the torpedo within said recess so as to retain the tail end of the torpedo within said recess; cylinder means slidably mounted about the large diameter portion of the piston means and adapted at a forward portion to engage said pins and depress them in engagement with the torpedo within said recess; said cylinder means having an interior annular recess rearwardly of its forward end for allowing the pins to retract and free the torpedo; said cylinder means having a rear exterior portion with a reduced exterior diAmeter; a stationary fitting sealably mounted about the reduced diameter portion of the piston means and slidably mounted about the reduced diameter portion of the cylinder means; said piston means having a passageway adapted to communicate a pressure source with the rear end of the cylinder; and semi-arcuate spring clips releasably recessed within the cylinder and the fitting, whereby, upon applying pressure through the piston means passageway, the cylinder moves forward against the spring force of the clips to allow the pins to move into the annular recess of the cylinder means to release the torpedo.

Claim 8

An apparatus for retaining and releasing a torpedo of the type having an annular recess near its tail end comprising: stationary piston means having large and small exterior diameter portions; the large diameter portion of the piston means having a central cavity for receiving the tail end of the torpedo including said recess; pins slidably extending radially through the large diameter portion of the piston means into said cavity and adapted to engage the torpedo within said recess so as to retain the tail end of the torpedo within said recess; cylinder means slidably mounted about the large diameter portion of the piston means and adapted at a forward portion to engage said pins and depress them in engagement with the torpedo within said recess; said cylinder means having an interior annular recess rearwardly of its forward end for allowing the pins to retract and free the torpedo; said cylinder means having a rear exterior portion with a reduced exterior diAmeter; a stationary fitting sealably mounted about the reduced diameter portion of the piston means and slidably mounted about the reduced diameter portion of the cylinder means; said piston means having a passageway adapted to communicate a pressure source with the rear end of the cylinder; and semi-arcuate spring clips releasably recessed within the cylinder and the fitting, whereby, upon applying pressure through the piston means passageway, the cylinder moves forward against the spring force of the clips to allow the pins to move into the annular recess of the cylinder means to release the torpedo.