US 4,864,961 AGranted

Auxiliary flotation system

OwnerRichard M. Slonskiinventor

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Abstract

Auxiliary flotation apparatus to provide supplemental flotation for a vessel which may be in danger of sinking. The apparatus is a self-contained cannister capable of being connected to a source of pressurized air. To assure stability of the disabled vessel, two or more of the cannisters would preferably be mounted at an outboard end to each side of the hull of the vessel at spaced locations below the water line. Should the need arise, the source of pressurized air can be manually or automatically activated for introduction into the cannister. In response to the pressurized air, a projectile is propelled in a direction away from the vessel and caused to rupture a frangible membrane located substantially flush with the hull of the vessel. The projectile proceeds far beyond the vessel and draws with it an attached inflatable tubular sheath of flexible, air impermeable sheet material. The tubular sheath has a continuous terminal rim distant from the projectile sealingly attached to an inboard end of the cannister. When the projectile has reached its limit of travel, the sheath becomes completely filled with air and expands to its full size as it extends outwardly from the hull, thereby providing buoyancy for the vessel.

Claims17

Dependent claims

Auxiliary flotation apparatus for a vessel comprising:

a tubular housing having a longitudinal axis intended for fitting reception transversely through an opening in the hull of a vessel at a location below the water line thereof extending between an outboard end and an inboard end and including an annular flange thereon at said outboard end for mounting said housing on the vessel and a first annular lip at said inboard end;
a cap member including a second annular lip matingly engageable with said first annular lip for enclosing said inboard end of said housing;
closure means releasably engageable with said outboard end of said housing and including frangible membrane means to normally isolate the interior of said housing from the exterior of the vessel;
a projectile positioned initially within said housing in a retracted condition distant from said closure member and operable to be propelled in an outboard direction to a location distant from the hull of the vessel and, en route, to rupture said membrane means;
an elongated hollow stem integral with said projectile and generally coaxial with the longitudinal axis of said housing when said projectile is in said retracted position;
an inflatable tubular sheath of flexible, air impermeable, sheet material attached to said projectile and having a continuous terminal rim distant from said projectile, said sheath being movable with said projectile between a retracted, deflated, inoperative condition folded within said housing and an inflated, operative condition extending through said closure means to the distant location, said terminal rim being sealingly fixed between said first and second annular lips when said cap member is mounted to said housing;
a source of pressurized air;
an elongated hollow air needle mounted on said cap member and connected to said source of pressurized air, said air needle being coaxial with and extending into said hollow stem when said projectile is in the retracted position;
and
valve means intermediate said source of pressurized air and said air needle operable for selectively directing pressurized air through said air needle and into said hollow stem to propel said projectile to said distant location, said air needle continuing to direct pressurized air into said sheath, thereby causing said sheath to expand to its inflated, operative, condition as it is drawn by said projectile to said distant location;
whereby said sheath in its inflated, operative condition serves as supplemental flotation for the vessel.

8 more elements

Auxiliary flotation apparatus for a vessel comprising:

a tubular housing having a longitudinal axis intended for fitting reception transversely through an opening in the hull of the vessel at a location below the water line thereof and extending between an inboard end and an outboard end;
closure means at said outboard end including frangible membrane means to normally isolate the interior of said housing from the exterior of the vessel;
a projectile positioned initially within said housing in a retracted condition distant from said closure means and operable to be propelled in an outboard direction to a location distant from the hull of the vessel and, en route, to rupture said membrane means;
an inflatable tubular sheath of flexible, air impermeable, sheet material sealingly attached at one end to said projectile and having a continuous terminal rim distant therefrom sealingly fixed to said inboard end of said housing, said one end capable of being drawn with said projectile upon movement thereof from said retracted condition within said housing to an extended condition stretching from said inboard end of said housing, through said closure member, to said projectile at said distant location;
a source of pressurized air;
and
operating means for selectively directing said source to effect movement of said projectile from said retracted condition to said location distant from the hull of the vessel, and for causing said sheath to expand from a collapsed, deflated condition, to an inflated condition as it stretches from said inboard end of said housing, through said closure member, to said projectile at said distant location;
whereby said sheath serves as supplemental flotation for the vessel.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.