Floating marine barrage

Claim 2

A floatable marine barrage including an elongate buoyancy chamber, and vent means comprising means defining a succession of orifices in the upper portion of said buoyancy chamber for expelling air from the buoyancy chamber when the vent means is open, a flexible inflatable pipe for closing the orifices when inflated and for opening the orifices when deflated, and means for positioning said pipe adjacent said succession of orifices.

Claim 3

The combination of a marine barrage as set forth in claim 1, with guide mans, and means slidably connecting an end of said barrage to said guide means thus permitting the barrage to slide between an upper, active position and a lower inoperative position.

Claim 4

A floatable marine barrage of adjustable draft comrpising: a single flexible tube having a cross-section in the shape of an inverted tear drop, with an upper buoyancy chamber, ballast means in the lower end of said tube, at least one inlet at one of the ends of said tube for admitting inflation air into the interior of said tube whereby the extent of its immersion may be adjusted, means defining a plurality of orifices in the lower portion of said tube, and bellows means attached to said tube, said bellows means having closed upper portions and open lower ends, each said orifice opening into the upper portion of a respective bellows means to enable the inflation pressure of said buoyancy chamber to be controlled in response to the hydrostatic pressure prevailing at the lower end of said fellows means.

Claim 5

A floatable marine barrage of adjustable draft comrpising: a single flexible tube having a cross-section in the shape of an inverted tear drop, with an upper buoyancy chamber, ballast means in the lower end of said tube, at least one inlet at one of the ends of said tube for admitting inflation air into the interior of said tube whereby the extent of its immersion may be adjusted, means defining a plurality of orifices in the lower portion of said tube, and bellows means attached to said tube, said bellows means having closed upper portions and open lower ends, each said orifice opening into the upper portion of a respective bellows means to enable the inflation pressure of said buoyancy chamber to be controlled in response to the hydrostatic pressure prevailing at the lower end of said fellows means.

Claim 6

A floatable marine barrage of adjustable draft comprising: a single flexible tube having a cross-section in the shape of an inverted tear drop, with an upper buoyancy chamber, ballast means in the lower end of said tube, at least one inlet at one of the ends of said tube for admitting inlation air into the interior of said tube whereby the extent of its immersion may be adjusted, baffle means distributed along the length of said tube and spaced from the top of said buoyancy chamber to define therewith a plurality of passages and further to define compartments to ensure uniformity of immersion and horizontal stability of said tube, said baffle means comprising integration of discrete portions of opposed internal surfaces of said tube, means for evacuating air confined in said buoyancy chamber to enable it to sink, said evacuation means including further means defining a succession of orifices in said passages above said baffle means, and a flexIble hose extending along in said passages whereby inflating and deflating said hose controls closing and opening, respectively, of said orifices.

Claim 7

A floatable marine barrage of adjustable draft comprising: a single flexible tube having a cross-section in the shape of an inverted tear drop, with an upper buoyancy chamber, ballast means in the lower end of said tube, at least one inlet at one of the ends of said tube for admitting inlation air into the interior of said tube whereby the extent of its immersion may be adjusted, baffle means distributed along the length of said tube and spaced from the top of said buoyancy chamber to define therewith a plurality of passages and further to define compartments to ensure uniformity of immersion and horizontal stability of said tube, said baffle means comprising integration of discrete portions of opposed internal surfaces of said tube, means for evacuating air confined in said buoyancy chamber to enable it to sink, said evacuation means including further means defining a succession of orifices in said passages above said baffle means, and a flexIble hose extending along in said passages whereby inflating and deflating said hose controls closing and opening, respectively, of said orifices.

Claim 8

A floatable marine barrage comprising: a flexible tube having a cross-section in the shape of an inverted tear drop and defining at least one buoyancy chamber, ballast means in the lower end of said tube, means for admitting inflation air into the interior of said tube whereby the extent of its immersion may be adjusted, means defining at least one orifice in the lower portion of the wall of said tube, at least one bellows means attached to the wall of the barrage and having a closed upper end and an open lower end, said orifice opening into the upper portion of said bellows means to enable the inflation pressure of the buoyancy chamber to be controlled in response to the hydrostatic pressure prevailing at said open lower end of said bellows means.

Claim 9

A floatable marine barrage comprising: a flexible tube having a cross-section in the shape of an inverted tear drop and defining at least one buoyancy chamber, ballast means in the lower end of said tube, means for admitting inflation air into the interior of said tube whereby the extent of its immersion may be adjusted, means defining at least one orifice in the lower portion of the wall of said tube, at least one bellows means attached to the wall of the barrage and having a closed upper end and an open lower end, said orifice opening into the upper portion of said bellows means to enable the inflation pressure of the buoyancy chamber to be controlled in response to the hydrostatic pressure prevailing at said open lower end of said bellows means.

Claim 10

A floatable marine barrage as set forth in claim 5, and including baffle means distributed along the length of the tube to define inflatable compartments each acting as a buoyancy chamber, means for evacuating air confined in said buoyancy chambers, said evacuation means including further means defining a succession of orifices in that portion of the wall of aid buoyancy chambers remote from the narrow lower end of the connection, said orifices being formed above said baffle means, said baffle means being spaced from the top wall of said buoyancy chambers to define therewith a plurality of passages, and a flexible hose threaded into said passages whereby inflating or deflating said hose effects shutting or opening of the evacuation orifices.

Claim 11

The combination of a marine barrage as set forth in claim 5, with guide means, and means slidable connecting an end of said barrage to said guide means thus permitting the barrage to slide between an upper, active position and a lower inoperative position.