Free fall escape vehicle and launch

A free fall escape vehicle for use on ships and offshore platforms comprising:

• a. an escape vessel for occupants of the vehicle;
• b. a non-bouyant deceleration structure depending downward from the escape vessel and defining a wedged shape envelope having an impact area for impacting the water that progressively increases from an end remote from the escape vessel to the escape vessel, the deceleration structure having a hollow interior and passage means through the envelope for rapid flooding of the interior while the structure enters the water;
• c. the change of area of the envelope with distance from the end of the envelope remote from the escape vessel being such that the vehicle decelerates from the resistance of water after entrance of the deceleration structure into the water after the vehicle falls from a predetermined free fall height above the water, the deceleration being no more than about 4 g to about 10 g;
• and
• d. the center of curvature of the envelope being such that substantially all of the impact forces on the envelope from impacting the water are directed at or above the center of gravity of the vehicle.

A free fall escape vehicle for use in evacuating ships and off-shore platforms comprising:

• a. an escape vessel for occupants of the vehicle;
• b. a non-buoyant deceleration structure depending downward from the escape vessel, the decleration structure
• (i) defining an envelope of progressively increasing impact area for impacting the water after free fall, the impact area increasing from an end remote from the vessel towards the vessel;
• (ii) including a plurality of stacked and spaced apart members with each member having a surface to impact the water and with spacing between members providing a passage for water to rapidly flood the interior of the deceleration structure, the members extending inwardly toward the center of the deceleration structure to termini spaced from the center so that the central volume of the deceleration structure is open, and
• (iii) having frame means for connecting the members to the escape vessel;
• c. the rate of increase of impact area from an end remote from the vessel towards the vessel being such that from a predetermined free fall height the rate of deceleration of the vehicle is no more than from about 4 g to about 10 g;
• and
• d. the curvature of the members being such that substantially all the impact forces on the envelope from impacting the water are directed at or above the center of gravity of the vehicle.

A free fall escape vehicle for use on ships and off-shore platforms comprising:

• a. an escape vessel for occupants of the vehicle;
• a non-bouyant deceleration structure depending downward from the escape vessel and defining an inverted, bell shaped envelope having an impact area increasing from an end remote from the escape vessel to the escape vessel, the deceleration structure having a hollow interior and passage means through the envelope for rapid flooding of the interior while the structure enters the water;
• c. the change of area of the envelope with distance from the end of the envelope remote from the escape vessel being such that the vehicle decelerates from the resistance of water after entrance of the deceleration structure into the water after the vehicle falls from a predetermined free fall height above the water, the deceleration being no more than about 4 g to about 10 g;
• and
• d. the curvature of the envelope being such that substantially all of the impact forces on the envelope from impacting the water are directed at or above the center of gravity of the vehicle.