USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Roger W Buecher

Robert T Hoffman

James H Dombrowski

Herbert L Mummery

Isao R Yumori

A system which limits the intensity of a snap load imposed in a tether or cable, used, for example, in the recovery of an object at sea, includes a floating plate for connection to the cable and a support housing for connection to the object being recovered. The system also includes an actuatable mechanism extending between and connected to the plate and housing. The actuatable mechanism is movable from an initial position toward a deflected position in response to the introduction of a snap load in the cable caused by the occurrence of the sudden removal of a slack condition in the cable. The system further includes a hydraulic or other fluid arrangement coupled to the actuatable mechanism for generating a shock load within the mechanism in response to the introduction of the snap load in the cable which permits movement of the mechanism toward the deflected position while limiting the tensile load imposed on the cable to a known value that the cable can withstand and reducing the separation velocity toward zero. The system also includes a restoring mechanism operable for causing extension of the actuatable mechanism from the deflected position back to the initial position in response upon reintroduction of another slack condition in the cable.

System for limiting snap load intensity

A salvage apparatus is provided which includes a bellows type drum contai. The container includes a flexible skirt which is generally tubular with top and bottom ends. The container further includes a pair of rigid plates, one of the plates being sealably mounted to the top of the skirt and the other plate being sealably being mounted to the bottom of the skirt. It is important that the lateral area of each plate substantially encompass the lateral expanded area of the respective skirt end. A plurality of controllable valves are provided for selectively opening and closing the passage of fluid. One of these valves is located in the bottom plate for selectively allowing the passage of water into or out of the container and another valve is located through the container for selectively introducing pressurized air into the container. A relief valve is also located through the container for relieving air from the container when the inside and outside differential pressure has exceeded a predetermined level.

Collapsible salvage drum and method

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.

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Kaneohe, HI, United States of America

Roger W Buecher