USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Robert T Hoffman

Donald J Hackman

Don W Caudy

Roger W Buecher

Herbert L Mummery

John R Myers

Dale G Uhler

The present invention provides an apparatus for launching and recovering a submersible vessel from a ship, and includes a gantry that pivots in an arc extending over and beyond the aft deck of the ship. A lift line passes about a head sheave that pivots from the top of the gantry and threads through a saddle that also pivots from the top of the gantry. The saddle is clamped to the vessel. The lift line is connected to the top of the submersible vessel and passes about a ram tensioner which may be mounted on the deck. After a winch pays out the lift line to lower the vessel into the ocean, the saddle is disconnected from the vessel and the lift line is rethreaded back out of the saddle. A tether provides a communicative link between the ship and the vessel, and may pass about a hanging sheave suspended from the gantry when the vessel is in the ocean. Recovery of the vessel is the reverse of deployment.

Vehicle handling system for submersibles

A controlled gas generator system is provided which has a reaction chamber, he reaction chamber having top and bottom ends. A bed of reactant material is disposed within the chamber intermediate its top and bottom ends. Liquids are located within the chamber, one of the liquids being nonreactive with the reactant. The liquids are dissimilar in specific gravity so that the liquids interface substantially along a cross-sectional plane of the chamber. With this arrangement, gas will be produced when the interfacial plane is vertically disposed on one side of the bed of reactant material, and gas will not be produced when the interfacial plane is vertically disposed on an opposite side of the bed of reactant material. Provision is made for selectively adjusting the vertical position of the interfacial plane above or below the bed of reactant material so that gas can be selectively generated.

Controlled gas generator system

A gas generator is provided which can be selectively switched between reaon and nonreaction modes. The gas generator incudes a reaction chamber which has top and bottom ends. The chamber contains reactive and nonreactive liquids, the nonreactive liquid having a greater specific gravity than the reactive liquid. A solid reactant member is provided. A device is provided for projecting the solid reactant member through the bottom of the chamber, thence through the nonreactive liquid, and thence into the reactive liquid for generating gas. Further, a device is provided for withdrawing the solid reactant member from the reactive liquid into the nonreactive liquid for terminating the generation of gas.

Instantaneous start and stop gas generator

A salvage apparatus which includes a collapsible bag which has a top and a ottom. A relief valve is mounted at the top of the bag for expelling air from the top of the bag, and a relief valve is mounted at the bottom of the bag for expelling water from the bottom of the bag. A fitting is mounted to the bag for introducing gas or water into the bag so that the rates of descent and ascent of the bag can be controlled. A method of recovering a submerged object includes filling the bag with water, attaching the bag to the submerged object, introducing gas into the bag until the object commences to ascend, and venting air from the top of the bag as the bag ascends to control the rate of ascent.

Salvage apparatus and method

The present invention is a controllable gas generator which includes an egated container having a top and a bottom. Two different liquids and pellets are utilized, the pellets being nonreactive with and floatable in a first one of the liquids and reactive with and nonfloatable in a second one of the liquids. The first and second liquids are disposed in the container, the first liquid being denser than the second liquid so that the first and second liquids form an interface. A partition is mounted in the container below the level of the interface for dividing the container into top and bottom compartments. The pellets are disposed in the bottom compartment with the first liquid, and a valve is mounted in the partition for dispensing the pellets. With this arrangement, an opening of the valve will allow pellets to exit therethrough and ascend in the first liquid to the interface where the pellets will react with the second fluid to generate gas.

Controllable gas generator

A submersible load cell for measuring gas buoyancy which includes a shell which has an open bottom so that gas can be introduced to make the shell positively buoyant. A framework may be provided for supporting the shell for vertical movement so that a change in buoyancy results in the shell exerting a corresponding upward force. At least one hydraulic actuator is mounted between the framework and the shell for registering a pressure which corresponds to the degree of upward force or positive buoyancy of the shell. An indicator device can be connected to the hydraulic actuator for indicating the change in buoyancy of the shell as gas is introduced therein.

Growing community of inventors

Kailua, HI, United States of America

Robert T Hoffman