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US 3,953,905 AGranted
Stabilized, towable spar buoy
AssigneeWestern Geophysical Company of America
InventorJohn Lloyd Paitson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spar buoy is dynamically stabilized by providing a streamlined, V-shaped wing just above the center of gravity of the spar. The wing has a dihedral sufficient to stabilize the spar in three axes while under tow. The buoy may be equipped with a radio transmitter and a flasher beacon for tracking by an automatic direction finder.
Claims9
A buoy adapted to be towed over the surface of a body of water comprising in combination:
- a spar, a streamlined, V-shaped wing means having a predetermined positive dihedral being coupled to and extending laterally from said spar, said wing means being positioned on said spar such that its apex is submerged in the body of water to dynamically stabilize said buoy in the pitch, roll and yaw axes while said buoy is under tow, and bridle means coupled to said spar and wing means for adjusting the angle of attack of said wing means with respect to the water surface.
A buoy adapted to be towed over the surface of a body of water comprising:
- a hollow spar having upper and lower ends and a center of gravity;
- a buoyant, streamlined wing having a positive dihedral angle and a horizontal wingspan, said wing being detachably secured to said spar, the vertical axis of said spar being disposed centrally with respect to the horizontal wingspan of said wing, forward of the center of drag of said wing, and perpendicularly with respect to the horizontal axes of said wing;
- and
- a ballast weight secured to the lower end of said spar, the mass and buoyancy of said spar, wing, and ballast being so disposed that the only stable orientation of the buoy at rest in the water is one in which the spar is substantially vertical with the upper end extending above the water surface.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.