USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

David M Pickett

Richard K Knutson

Stephen Paul Ebner

John A Sterling

Dana Colegrove

William VonFeldt

Daniel Richard Nashold

Michael George Hanback

Paul Michael Strano

A typical inventive device is self-contained and is designed for adjunctive placement at the unconnected end of a towed body in order to test dynamic motions of the towed body. The inventive device includes an IMU, a computer, wired/wireless communication electronics, a fluid-dynamically shaped member, and a cylindrical housing (which encloses the IMU, the computer, and the communication electronics). The housing is connected to the towed body aft of the towed body, and the shaped member is connected to the housing aft of the housing. Data is acquired that is indicative of the inertial dynamics of the towed body while in motion through a fluidic medium. Differently shaped members can be independently connected to the housing at different times, each influencing in its own way the inertial dynamics of the towed body and yielding its own set of data. Comparisons can thus be drawn between/among differently shaped members.

Inertial dynamics measurement and structural configuration variation for hydrodynamic stability evaluation of a towed body

A vehicle is towed underwater by an air traveling helicopter through a towing cable to induce powered rotation of impellers on the vehicle during its underwater travel at a preselected seawater depth. An electrical generator driven by such impeller supplies electrical energy conditioned to produce a sternwise extending signature simulating magnetic field which is effective to detonate a sea mine in the underwater vicinity toward which the underwater vehicle is being towed.

Electromagnetic sea mine detonation system

A minesweeping system, self-contained within the water vessel sought to be rotected against contact-actuated moored mines, effective against moored mines which are directly in the path of the vessel, featuring a beam-and-float arrangement. A ruddered float is maintained by a control system in virtually forward position with respect to the vessel and is attached at the fore end of a long boom beam, the aft end of which is pivotably attached to the bow of the vessel. A depressor for maintaining submergence of the lower end of the tow wire and the inward ends of the sweepwires is attached at the lower end of the tow wire, the upper end of which is attached to the beam near the float. Port and starboard sweepwires are attached to the tow wire near the depressor, each sweepwire projecting generally horizontally and backwardly obliquely. Diverters attached at the outward ends of the two sweepwires maintain their proper orientation. Cutters are situated along the outward ends of the sweepwires. When a mine mooring cable contacts a sweepwire of the moving vessel, the mine mooring cable is deflected toward the outward end of the sweepwire and severed by a cutter, whereupon the mine rises harmlessly to the surface outside the path of the vessel.

Self-contained system for surface ship protection against moored contact

A paravane includes an elongated fuselage; a wing section of spaced wing bers attached to an intermediate portion of the fuselage; stabilizer fins for maintaining the paravane lined-up with the direction of tow; a depth control flap positioned adjacent the wing section and having a pivot axis extending closely adjacent to the towing point; and depth control means for controlling the position of the control flap. The wing members have a straight leading edge portion, a straight trailing edge portion and a curved intermediate portion wherein the wing members are arranged such that the chord lines extend at oblique angles with the longitudinal axis of the fuselage and such that the resultant hydrodynamic lift force vector acting on the wing section passes through the tow point.

Growing community of inventors

Clarksburg, MD, United States of America

David M Pickett