Patent ID: 9745034
Date: 2017-08-29
CPC Classifications: B63B,B63G,B64D

Claim:
1. A method for deploying a payload into a body of water using a deployment vessel, said deployment vessel comprising a hull defining a payload compartment, said hull comprising an upper hull portion, a lower hull portion and a nose portion, wherein said lower hull portion comprises a door, and wherein said nose portion is hingedly connected to said upper hull portion, said method comprising: positioning said payload in said payload compartment of said deployment vessel, said deployment vessel and said payload having a buoyancy, wherein said buoyancy is initially negative; deploying said deployment vessel into said water at a drop zone, wherein said deployment vessel moves horizontally through said water as it submerges vertically downward under a force of gravity; changing said buoyancy to positive after a minimum horizontal distance is established between said drop zone and said deployment vessel, thereby causing said deployment vessel to surface; and after said surfacing of said deployment vessel, opening said door and moving said nose portion relative to said upper hull portion to release said payload from said hull.