Connector for small diameter towed sonar array

Claim 1

A coupling assembly for joining two sections of a small diameter towed sonar array wherein each section includes a sheath of flexible tubing material enclosing hydrophones and associated interconnected electronic equipment and an axially extending strength member in the form of a multistrand rope of synthetic fiber in an enclosed environment of positively buoyant dielectric fluid; said assembly comprising, in each section to be joined, a cylindrical coupling member having a set of inboard internal threads, a set of outboard external threads and a plurality of internal shoulders, a collar having a tapered internal surface positioned internally of said coupling member, a pair of mating semicylindrical clamp members having tapered surfaces adjoining the tapered internal surface of said collar, said clamp members as assembled including an axial bore therethrough receiving said rope, a plurality of passageways parallel to said bore and an outboard conical bore, means threadedly engaged with said internal threads for forcing said collar axially outwardly and clamping said clamp members tightly around said rope, a header member of insulating material abutting against one of said internal shoulders and sealed to the inside surface of said coupling member and a plurality of electrically conducting pins extending through said header member, a connector member internally of and positioned at the outboard end of said coupling member comprising a wafer of insulating material having a plurality of concentric conductor tracks; conductor means connecting said tracks with said conducting pins, and an internally threaded collar having left-hand threads near one end and right-hand threads near the other end threadedly engaged with the external threads of said coupling members of sections to be joined such that as said collar is turned in one direction said coupling members are pulled together forcing said concentric conductor tracks together.