Remotely actuated tow line throwing device

A remotely actuated throwing device including,

• a throwing gun including,
• a high pressure chamber located within a low pressure chamber,
• a first member having a predetermined opening pressure interconnecting the two chambers,
• a second member closing off the low pressure chamber and having a predetermined opening pressure lower than the opening pressure of the first member,
• a barrel mounted adjacent to and extending from the second member,
• a projectile located within the barrel,
• a main charge substantially located within the high pressure chamber,
• means coupled to the main charge for igniting the main charge,
• the ignition of the main charge providing for the production of rapid burning forming gas having an increasing pressure within the high pressure chamber until the pressure reaches the predetermined opening pressure for the first member wherein the first member opens to allow the high pressure gas to escape by rapidly expanding into the low pressure chamber until the pressure reaches the predetermined opening pressure for the second member wherein the second member opens to allow the low pressure gas to escape into the barrel to propel the projectile located within the barrel,
• a remote actuator to remotely actate the main charge including,
• a transmitter for transmitting an actuating signal,
• a receiver coupled to the means for igniting the main charge and respective to the transmitted actuating signal for controlling the means to ignite the main charge upon reception of the actuating signal, and
• the high and low pressure chambers both formed as cylinders and wherein the high pressure cylinder extends within the low pressure cylinder through a side portion of the low pressure cylinder.

A remotely actuated line throwing device including,

• a throwing gun including a pressure chamber and a barrel mounted adjacent to and extending from the pressure chamber,
• a projectile located within the barrel, and with the projectile formed by a shaft member having a piston portion located within the barrel;
• means for providing a rapid increase in pressure within the pressure chamber to have the pressure directed against the end of the piston to propel the shaft member,
• a line attached to the projectile to throw the line along with the projectile,
• a remote actuator to remotely actuate the means for providing the rapid increase in pressure including,
• a transmitter for transmitting an actuating a signal,
• a receiver coupled to the means for providing the rapid increase in pressure and responsive to the transmitted actuating signal for controlling the means to provide the rapid increase in pressure upon reception of the actuating signal, and
• a ring positioned around the shaft and located at the end of the barrel and with the line attached to the ring.

A method of remotely actuating a line throwing device including the following steps,

• providing a throwing gun at a remote location and wherein the remote location is an unmanned vessel,
• providing a projectile located within the gun,
• attaching a line to the projectile to throw the line along with the projectile,
• providing a transmitter at a location different than the remote location for transmitting an acutuating signal and wherein the location of the transmitter is a manned vessel,
• providing a receiver coupled to the throwing gun for actuating the throwing gun in response to the transmitted actuating signal,
• controlling the transmitter to transmit the actuating signal,
• receiving the actuating signal by the receiver, and
• actuating the throwing gun in accordance with the received actuating signal to throw the projectile and the line a distance from the throwing gun, and
• maneuvering the manned vessel to pick up the thrown projectile and line.

A throwing device including,

• a throwing gun formed by a high pressure chamber located within a low pressure chamber and with a first frangible diaphragm having a predetermined breaking pressure interconnecting the two chambers and a second frangible diaphragm closing off the low pressure chamber and having a predetermined breaking pressure lower than the breaking pressure of the first diaphragm,
• a barrel mounted adjacent to and extending from the second frangible diaphragm,
• a projectile located within the barrel,
• a main charge substantially located within the high pressure chamber and an ignition charge coupled to the main charge for igniting the main charge upon activation of the ignition charge,
• the ignition of the main charge providing for the production of rapid burning forming gas having an increasing pressure within the high pressure chamber until the pressure reaches the predetermined breaking pressure for the first frangible diaphragm wherein the first diaphragm bursts to allow the high pressure gas to escape by rapidly expanding into the low pressure chamber until the pressure reaches the predetermined breaking pressure for the second frangible diaphragm wherein the second diaphragm bursts to allow the low pressure gas to escape into the barrel to propel the projectile located within the barrel, and
• a line attached to the projectile to throw the line along with the projectile and wherein the projectile is formed by a shaft member having a piston portion located within the barrel and adjacent the second frangible diaphragm to have the low pressue gas directed against the end of the piston to propel the shaft member and additionally including a ring positioned around the shaft and located at the end of the barrel and with the line attached to the ring.

A remotely actuated throwing device including,

• a throwing gun including,
• a high pressure chamber located within a low pressure chamber,
• a first member having a predetermined opening pressure interconnecting the two chambers,
• a second member closing off the low pressure chamber and having a predetermined opening pressure lower than the opening pressure of the first member,
• a barrel mounted adjacent to and extending from the second member,
• a projectile located within the barrel,
• a main charge substantially located within the high pressure chamber,
• means coupled to the main charge for igniting the main charge,
• the ignition of the main charge providing for the production of rapid burning forming gas having an increasing pressure within the high pressure chamber until the pressure reaches the predetermined opening pressure for the first member wherein the first member opens to allow the high pressure gas to escape by rapidly expanding into the low pressure chamber until the pressure reaches the predetermined opening pressure for the second member wherein the second member opens to allow the low pressure gas to escape into the barrel to propel the projectile located within the barrel,
• a remote actuator to remotely actuate the main charge including,
• a transmitter for transmitting an actuating signal, and
• a receiver coupled to the means for igniting the main charge and responsive to the transmitted actuating signal for controlling the means to ignite the main charge upon reception of the actuating signal and
• a line attached to the projectile to throw the line along with the projectile, and wherein the projectile is formed by a shaft member having a piston portion located within the barrel and adjacent the second member to have the low pressure gas directed against the end of the piston to propel the shaft member and additionally including a ring positioned around the shaft and located at the end of the barrel and with the line attached to the ring.