Torpedo floatation device
AssigneePresearch Incorporated
InventorCharles S. Sandler
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A torpedo recovery system including an expandable sleeve surrounding a portion of the torpedo. Upon activation of the recovery system gas is introduced into the sleeve, causing it to expand. The sleeve is clamped firmly at two distinct longitudinal positions along the torpedo and is releasably clamped at a third longitudinal position. When the differential pressure between gas inside of the sleeve and water outside the sleeve reaches a predetermined threshold level, the releasable clamp releases the sleeve allowing it to gradually expand to form a doughnut-shaped floatation collar. The expanding sleeve provides gradually increasing drag to slow the torpedo and then positive buoyancy for lifting it to the water's surface.
Claims8
A recovery system for underwater projectiles comprising:
- a generally cylindrically shaped sleeve having first and second ends for surrounding at least a portion of said projectile;
- first means for clamping said first end of said sleeve circumferentially about said projectile at a first longitudinal position along said projectile so as to form a gas-tight seal between said sleeve and said projectile at said first longitudinal position;
- second means for clamping said second end of said sleeve circumferentially about said projectile at a second longitudinal position along said projectile so as to form a gas-tight seal between said sleeve and said projectile at said second longitudinal position, said sleeve having a length greater than the distance between said first and second longitudinal positions such that it can be layered over itself when being secured at said first and second longitudinal positions;
- third means for clamping a layered portion of said sleeve at a third longitudinal position along said projectile, said third longitudinal position further removed from said first longitudinal position than said second longitudinal position is from said first longitudinal position and along the same direction along which said second longitudinal position is located with respect to said first longitudinal position;
- and
- means for injecting gas into the region bounded by said sleeve and said projectile for inflating said sleeve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.