Position interlock system for submarine masts and closure
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsPaul S. Catano, Malvyn C. McDonald
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A submarine's mast and its protective closure are prevented from inadvertly damaging each other while deploying or retrieving the mast and while securing the closure. Interconnected logic circuitry electronically prevents an improper actuation sequence so that the mast and closure do not collide. Mechanical linkages and fail-safes susceptible to corrosion and damage are eliminated thereby permitting more reliable operation from circuitry safely stowed inside the submarine.
Claims6
In a system for electronically protecting a submarine mast and its protective closure from collision an improvement therefor is provided comprising:
- first means for selectively producing signals indicative of a mast-up and a mast-down condition;
- second means for selectively producing signals indicative of an closure-open and a closure-closed position;
- means for providing control signals to selectively raise and lower the mast and open and secure the closure;
- means coupled to the first and second selectively producing signal means and the providing means for only initiating discrete actuation signals to lower and to raise the mast and to open and to secure the closure only when discrete combinations of the mast-up and mast-down condition signals and the closure-open and closure-closed signals are received thereby to ensure said protecting of the submarine mast and its protective closure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.