Undersea release apparatus

An undersea release apparatus for releasing a connecting link from an underwater device subjected to high levels of hydrostatic pressures, said apparatus comprising:

• a container for said underwater device having containing walls;
• latching means on said container for latching the connecting link to the device, defining a latched condition, and for unlatching the connecting link to be free of the device, defining an unlatched condition;
• driving means coupled to said latching means for setting said latching means to its unlatched condition, said driving means comprising a rotatable shaft, having top and bottom ends, journalled in and passing through a wall of said container, said shaft coupled at its top end to, and actuating, said latching means;
• and
• a thrust bearing arrangement mounted internally of said container and beneath said wall and providing thrust bearing support for said bottom end of said shaft for reducing the axial friction on said shaft under high levels of hydrostatic pressures in deep water environments.

An undersea release apparatus for positively releasing a connecting link from an underwater device, said apparatus comprising:

• latching means on said device for latching the connecting link to the device, defining a latched condition, and for unlatching the connecting link to be free of the device, defining an unlatched condition;
• driving means coupled to said latching means for positively urging said latching means to its unlatched condition;
• detecting means for detecting if said latching means has been positively driven to its unlatched condition;
• reversing means responsive to said detecting means detecting that said latching means has not been driven to its unlatched condition for reversely driving said driving means to urge said latching means back toward its latched condition;
• and
• means for cyclically urging said latching means toward its unlatched and latched conditions.