Self-propelled vehicle for destroying ground mines
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorJulius Hagemann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
1. Apparatus for destroying a ground mine lying proud on the ocean floor prising a self-propelled dirigible underwater vehicle carrying an explosive charge and having a catacoustic system for steering said vehicle in the azimuthal direction of a sound reflecting object, diving control surfaces carried by said vehicle, means for developing a control signal representative of the departure of the vehicle from a selected distance above the ocean floor, means responsive to said control signal for operating said diving control surfaces, and means responsive to a certain change in magnitude of said control signal within a selected time interval for releasing said explosive charge.
Claims6
Apparatus for destroying a ground mine lying proud on the ocean floor comprising a self-propelled dirigible underwater vehicle carrying an explosive charge and having a catacoustic system for steering said vehicle in the azimuthal direction of a sound reflecting object, diving control surfaces carried by said vehicle, means for developing a control signal representative of the departure of the vehicle from a selected distance above the ocean floor, means responsive to said control signal for operating said diving control surfaces, and means responsive to a certain change in magnitude of said control signal within a selected time interval for releasing said explosive charge.
In a self-propelled demolition unit for the destruction of a ground mine lying on the ocean floor and adapted to seek and run at a constant height above the ocean floor, a sonic depth sounder for deriving a control voltage proportional in magnitude to the height above the bottom, a demolition charge, means for releasing said charge, and circuit means responsive to a change in the magnitude of said control voltage corresponding to a certain decrease in height above the bottom occurring at least at a preselected rate for actuating said releasing means.
In a system for the detection and destruction of ground mines using ship towed components to scan an area of the ocean floor and shipboard means presenting a display characteristic of the topography of the area scanned, a derigible vehicle adapted when energized to seek out and destroy a mine, a conductor cable releasably secured to said vehicle for towing said vehicle aft of said scanning components, means under the remote control of a shipboard operator for guiding said vehicle to the point over a target decided to be minelike, means under the control of said operator for releasing said vehicle from said cable, and means operative upon such release for energizing said vehicle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.