Retriever
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorArthur F. Langguth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A retriever is configured to engage a sunken object by a marine mammal. Ar the object has been engaged by a U-shaped retriever having a pair of spring biased fingers, a retrieval line allows the raising of the sunken object to the surface. Only a relatively light pushing force need be exerted by the mammal to override the resistance of the spring biased fingers as they slide about and finally retain the object. High reliability is ensured by the uncomplicated design of the retriever and heavy loads in the neighborhood of several thousand pounds may be raised by a retriever weighing less than five pounds.
Claims6
An apparatus for permitting the retrieval of a sunken object having a known dimension comprising:
- means configured for gripping by a marine mammal;
- means connected to the gripping means for fitting about the sunken object when positioned thereat by the marine mammal;
- means carried on the fitting means for rotating to a position at least partially within the dimensions of the fitting means as the object is being positioned in the fitting means and for rotating to a position extending from the fitting means after the object has been positioned in the fitting means to lock the object therein;
- means carried on the fitting means for reducing the weight of the apparatus;
- and
- means carried on the fitting means for aurally indicating the positioning of the object in the fitting means to the marine mammal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.