Sparton Corporation

David C Sparks

James W Widenhofer

Christian T Werner

Dave Bruder

Donald R Depew

Luke Belfie

Robert A Houghton

A buoyancy control system is disclosed for maintaining a buoyant vehicle at a controlled depth by jettisoning either a heavy liquid or a light liquid. The control system monitors the depth of the buoyant vehicle and determines the direction and magnitude of vertical velocity. If it exceeds the threshold velocity the system calculates how much fluid to jettison in order to decelerate the vehicle to a target velocity. The positive and negative threshold velocities are programmed for control of the average vertical velocity and for depth maintenance. First and second bladders contain heavy and light liquids, respectively. The bladders are subjected to ambient water pressure and are spring loaded and each is provided with an discharge valve. A pressure sensor monitors the vehicle depth and generates a depth signal. A computer derives a velocity signal from the depth signal and calculates the quantity of liquid which should be jettisoned.

Buoyancy control system

A tapered wiring harness is disclosed for an array of hydrophones with spaced take-out points on the harness at which a signal wire and a ground wire are connected with a hydrophone. The harness comprises a bundle of signal wires, which diminish in number from one end to the other, and it also comprises a ground wire and a strain cord, which extend throughout the length of the harness. The bundle of wires and the strain cord are held in a bundle of substantially circular cross-section by a lacing of thread formed as a sewing machine stitch of the zig zag type. Hairing members of uniform length are secured to the bundle under the lacing at predetermined intervals with the hairing more closely spaced on the larger diameter of the bundle. In another embodiment, the hairing members are spaced uniformly but are of variable length with longer members on the larger diameter of the bundle.

Tapered wiring harness

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Lansing, MI, United States of America

David C Sparks