Support for underwater mine anchor-line cutter

A support for an underwater mine anchor-line cutter, the support comprising an elevating fin having top and bottom surfaces and a leading front edge, a channel-shape sweep line retainer above the fin extending along said leading edge and joined to the fin, the open side of said retainer facing the trailing rear edge of the fin for admitting a sweep line to the retainer, a bar extending across the fin at the open side of the retainer, means mounting the bar on the fin for movement toward and away from said retainer, a pair of laterally spaced arms normally extending rearwardly away from said bar with their front ends engaging it to lock it in its forward position closing the open side of the retainer, means pivotally connecting the rear ends of the arms to the fin, spring means between the arms and connected thereto for normally holding them in bar-locking position, the central portion of said spring means being adapted to be pulled rearwardly to swing the front ends of the arms inwardly toward each other out of engagement with said bar, and means for then retracting the bar to open said retainer for admission or release of a sweep line.