# US 11,897,594 B1 · Aerostat anchoring, deployment, extended duration and recovery apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,897,594 B1 - Document ID: US11897594B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 17/129,826 - Filed: 2020-12-21 - Granted: 2024-02-13 - Earliest claimed: 2013-06-12 - Applicants: Alfred Marcum - Inventors: Alfred Marcum - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897594B1 ## CPC - B64B 1/66: Mooring attachments - B64B 1/50: Captive balloons - B64B 1/58: Arrangements or construction of gas-bags; Filling arrangements - B64F 5/40: Maintaining or repairing aircraft - B64B: LIGHTER-THAN AIR AIRCRAFT - B64F: GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract A tethered aerostat with a ground based deployment, extended duration and recovery system to accommodate a weather vaning deployed aerostat while maintaining a supply of a lift gas by having a rotatable tether pipe and a hollow tether. Included is a rotatable tether pipe device assembly with rotor and stator components disposed in an air tight housing assembly to provide a ground based gas maintenance system. An aerostat deployment buoyancy control maintenance and combined recovery platform is provided. The tethered aerostat systems and method increase deployment duration and allow more systems to be controlled and maintained on the ground without interrupting aerostat operational capabilities. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An aerostat anchoring device comprising: (a) an air tight anchoring vessel housing (3) having a removable and sealable top end (90) and a sealable bottom end (17); (b) a stator (25) having an opening therethrough with a first end connected to the sealable bottom end of the air tight anchoring vessel and a second end of the stator connected to a stator plate (27); (c) a rotor (75) having an opening therethrough with a first end rotatably and sealably connected to the removable and sealable top end of the air tight anchoring vessel and a second end of the rotor terminating in a rotor plate (77) in slidable contact with the stator plate; and (d) a plurality of connector posts disposed on the rotor plate for mating with a plurality of connector posts disposed on the stator plate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 1 further comprising a bearing shelf disposed in the sealable top end of the air tight anchoring vessel housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 1 further comprising bearings disposed between the stator plate and the removable and sealable top end. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 3 wherein the bearings are a lower bearing and an upper bearing disposed in the removable and sealable top end of the air tight anchoring vessel housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 4 wherein the upper bearing and lower bearing are thrust bearings. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 5 wherein the upper and lower bearings are tapered roller bearings. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 4 further comprising a bearing tray disposed in the removable and sealable top end of the air tight anchoring vessel housing. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 7 wherein the bearing tray has an air port. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 4 further comprising a drive gear disposed between the lower bearing and upper bearing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 9 further comprising an assembly coupler connected to the drive gear. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 1 further comprising a fiber clamping device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 11 wherein the fiber clamping device is a toothed clamping device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 12 wherein the fiber clamping device is a pair of toothed clamping plates. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 1 further comprising a detachable chimney. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 14 wherein the detachable chimney includes a radial resistant bearing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 14 wherein the detachable chimney has a gas port and a gas chamber. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 1 further comprising a weather boot disposed over the air tight anchoring vessel housing. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 1 further comprising an I hub connected to the sealable bottom end of the air tight anchoring vessel. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 18 where the I hub includes an access port and gauges and an access for viewing gas gauges. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 18 wherein the I hub includes a gas tank replenishment attachment flange. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 1 wherein the air tight anchoring vessel housing has a sealable access door. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 21 wherein the sealable access door is transparent. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 22 wherein the sealable bottom end of the air tight anchoring vessel has a plurality of input and output cable ports for electrical cables and communications cables. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The aerostat anchoring device of claim 23 wherein the stator and rotor have radial access openings for connecting the input and output cables to the plurality of connector posts disposed on the rotor plate and on the stator plate. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The aerostat device of claim 24 wherein the removable and sealable top end with the rotor and rotor plate is removable as a unit from the air tight anchoring vessel housing. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The aerostat device of claim 1 further comprising a tether pipe to connect a tether to the removable and sealable top end of the air tight anchoring vessel housing. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The aerostat device of claim 26 wherein the tether pipe, tether and removeable and sealable top and rotor are removeable as a unit. ### Claim 28 An aerostat anchoring and increased aerostat deployment device comprising: (a) an air tight anchoring vessel housing having a removable and sealable top end and a sealable bottom end; (b) a stator disposed in the air tight anchoring vessel having an opening therethrough with a first end connected to the sealable bottom end of the air tight anchoring vessel and the second end connected to a stator connector, (c) a rotor disposed in the air tight anchoring vessel having an opening therethrough with a first end rotatably and sealably connected to the removable and sealable top end of the air tight anchoring vessel and as a second end of the rotor terminating in a rotor connector in slidable contact with the stator connector; (d) a tetherable aerostat and an earth-based aerostat lift gas replenishment tank; (e) a detachable connection assembly connectable to the rotor in the air tight anchoring vessel housing; (f) a hollow tether securable at one end to the detachable connection assembly and at the other end to the tetherable aerostat; and (g) a spool disposed between the stator and the earth-based aerostat lift gas replenishment tank. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The aerostat anchoring and increased aerostat deployment device of claim 28 further comprising a capture bracket on the tether spool. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The aerostat anchoring and increased aerostat deployment device of claim 28 further comprising an aerostat boom. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) The tethered aerostat anchoring and increased aerostat deployment device of claim 28 further comprising a trailer. ### Claim 32 (depends on 28) The aerostat anchoring and increased aerostat deployment device of claim 28 further comprising a bearing shelf disposed in the sealable top end of the airtight anchoring vessel. ### Claim 33 (depends on 28) The anchoring and increased aerostat deployment device of claim 28 further comprising bearings disposed between the stator and the removable and sealable top end. ### Claim 34 (depends on 28) The anchoring and increased aerostat deployment device of claim 28 further comprising a bearing tray disposed in the removable and sealable top end. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The anchoring and increased aerostat deployment device of claim 34 wherein the bearing tray has an air port. ### Claim 36 (depends on 28) The anchoring and increased aerostat deployment device of claim 28 further comprising a gear drive. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The anchoring and increased aerostat deployment device of claim 36 further comprising an assembly coupler connected to the gear drive.