Long life battery operated acoustic underwater buoy release system

Abstract: A battery operated system responds to coded acoustic signals for releasing a buoyed housing from an underwater anchor to carry a retrieval line attached to a retrievable underwater object to the water surface. A novel tethering mechanism is provided for attaching the housing to a line 38 tethered to the anchor and for releasing it in response to the coded acoustic signals. The tethering mechanism operates in two diverse modes. Thus, the housing is released from its tether line thermally by battery power which melts an expandable wax body in a thermal actuator 36 to move an actuating member 37 through a line release stroke. The tether line is attached by a manually actuated latching mechanism 45, 47 provided for retethering the housing by resetting the latching mechanism without draining battery. The exit angle of the line leaving a lower latching compartment outwardly is restricted to prevent substantial changes in line orientation thereby to reduce fouling of the tether line in response to underwater currents. The tether line attaching mechanism comprises in separate embodiments either a set of line clamping cams or a latched set of levers, either of which releases the line in response to thermal movement of an actuating member.

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD: This invention relates to system for acoustically releasing underwater buoys held by a tether line to an anchor in the vicinity of retrievable underwater objects and more particularly it relates to such systems employing thermally actuated release of tether line retaining mechanisms powered by batteries. BACKGROUND ART: Underwater buoy release systems responsive to acoustic signals are known in the prior art as exemplified by U. S. Patents 5,022,013 to W. Dalton, et al., June 4, 1991 and 5,184,328 to A. Dumestre, III, Feb. 2, 1993. The latter patent discloses a system employing a thermally responsive actuator for both releasing and reattaching a tether line attaching a buoyed acoustic system to an object anchored underwater. Thus, upon receipt of a coded acoustic signal, a battery is connected to melt a wax body which expands to force an actuator member over a stroke which serves to detach the buoy from the tether line. There are significant advantages to use of the thermally responsive actuator for release from the tether line, however, this prior art system has the disadvantage of heavy battery drain whenever the buoy is reset for reuse which requires remelting the wax body. Furthermore the line in prior art acoustic release systems does not always respond to the acoustic signal to permit the buoy to rise to the water surface because it may be tethered to the acoustic system in such a manner that the line may become fouled by action of underwater currents and waves. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved thermally responsive acoustic release system that resolves these prior art problems. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION: In an acoustic release system for detaching a buoyed body from its tether to an underwater anchor making a retrievable object such as a hydrophone cable lying on the sea bottom, a release mechanism is provided that is mechanically and manually set to attach the tether line and is thermally released from the line in response to an acoustic signal. Thus the mechanism requires battery power only for the period of time required to release the tether line to thereby produce a long battery life. The release mechanism responds to an actuating member stroke afforded by expansion of melting wax. In one embodiment, the actuating member stroke operates a levered latching mechanism to unlatch a latch member that retains the tether line. In another embodiment, the actuating member stroke pushes the line out of a line clamping mechanism comprising a set of rotatable cams having gripping teeth for grasping the line against axial movement along the line but permitting transverse movement of the line out of the gripping teeth. By mounting the line retaining mechanism in an open ended cylindrical compartment extending from a hermetically sealed acoustic signal responsive body, the tether line may be vertically oriented and confined in a conical region of limited movement restricting the angle of departure of the line within an acute angle, thereby to orient the buoyed body in a fashion not likely to foul the tether line by the action of waves or underwater currents. Other features, objectives and advantages of the invention will be found throughout the following description, claims and accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS: In the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters are used in the various views for similar features to facilitate comparison: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic system diagram of the acoustic release system embodying the invention; Figure 2 is a side view, partly in section, of a housing incorporating a first acoustic response system embodiment of the invention providing a latching lever system for retaining and detaching a tether line to an underwater anchored object; Figure 3 is a side view, partly in section, of a further tether line release mechanism embodiment of the invention providing a set of rotatable cams for grasping and releasing the tether line; Figure 4 is a bottom view of the rotatable cam release mechanism together with a surrounding hood member; and Figure 5 is a side view, partly in section, of a lowermost skirt about the rotatable cams illustrating the line feed path. THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS: Coded acoustic waves 15 are sent from the sonic transmitter 16 carried by the vessel 17 on the surface of the water body 18 for reception at the underwater acoustic system 20 contained in a hermetically sealed housing body. A weighted anchor 21 is positioned on the bottom 22 of the body of water 18. A tether line 25 attached to the anchor 21 is releasably held in a line retention mechanism 26 carried by the acoustic system housing 20. This housing 20 is buoyed at the upper end 28 by a suitable lighter than water float at line 29. This float has sufficient buoyancy to carry the acoustic system housing and an accompanying line attached to an underwater object such as a hydrophone cable (not shown) upwardly to the water surface 30 when the line retention mechanism 26 releases the tether line 25 in response to the coded acoustic signal 15. Normally the buoyed housing 20 is retained near the bottom 22 of the water body 18 to avoid fouling with surface vessels 17, and the like, until it is desirable to retrieve the underwater object, typically a hydrophone cable, that may be retrieved for reuse at some other location. As seen in Figure 2 the acoustic system housing 27 comprises a cylindrical outer shell 30, hermetically sealed at plugs 31, 32 to provide an inner compartment 33 for residence of the acoustic response system 34 with accompanying acoustic transducer for actuating the battery 35 to thermally heat the thermal actuator 36 for a given period of time sufficient to move the actuating rod 37 for releasing the retained line 38. Such acoustic response systems 34 and thermal actuators 36 are well known in the art as exemplified by the Dumestre patent 5,184,328. The thermal actuators are commercially available from Caltherm Corporation located in Bingham Farms, Michigan 48025. The upper open ended compartment 29 with apertures 39 permit attachment of a buoyant device of proper buoyancy for reaching the surface carrying a retrieval line attached to the underwater object to be retrieved. The lower open, ended compartment 40 of cylindrical shape has a length below the plug 32 and a diameter that provides for a limited movement of the downwardly projected line 38 within the conical area 41 so that the line can move only the extent of acute angle α away from the cylinder axis 43. This feature considerably reduced the chances of the line 38 to foul in the presence of waves or water currents. While the housing may be preferably vertically oriented in the water, this recessed open ended compartment permits the latch to operate omnidirectionally, whatever position may be taken in the underwater currents. The thermally actuated unlatching response to a coded acoustic signal causes battery 35 to heat the thermal actuator 36 long enough for the actuating member 37 to move in a downward stroke, thereby pivoting lever arm latch 45 about pivot point 46 enough to overcome the bias of spring 42 and unlatch the pivoted line retention arm 47. Thus the buoyancy of the buoyed housing body permits the retained tether line 38 to escape downwardly from the open mouth 49 of the open ended compartment 40. However, to reduce battery drainage, this mechanism provides for the manual resetting of retention arm 47 about a tether line 38 for reuse of the acoustic system without expending battery energy to reheat the thermal actuating member 36. The prior art system required thermal reheating of the thermal actuating member 36 to reset the mechanism for retaining a further line. The aperture 44 in the shell 30 provides for manually releasing the latch 45 by insertion of a screwdriver or like tool. A further embodiment of the invention is shown in Figures 3 to 5. As seen best from Figure 4, the tether line 38 is passed through the apertures 50 in skirt 51 between the two spring-loaded manually rotatable cams 54, 55 having parallel axes about pivot pins 57, 58. Thus the cams will clamp the line 38 securely between them. Such gripping cam cleats are commercially available from Schaefer Marine in New Bedford, Maine 02745. As may better be seen from Figure 3, the line is inserted between the gripping teeth 60, 61 respectively located on cams 54 and 55 in the direction of arrow 63. The vertically oriented gripping teeth 60, 61 thus prevent pay out of the line axially through the clamped teeth, but afford a degree of lateral movement downwardly in the direction of the axes of the cams 54, 55. Thus the actuator member 37 of thermal actuator 36 in its downward stroke, by overcoming the bias of spring 68, moves the plunger 69 downwardly to dislodge the clamped line 38 from the cam teeth into the path 70 of Figure 5, which permits movement of the skirt 51 along the line 38. This invention therefore improves the state of the art with a long life battery actuated acoustic response system that release buoys held tethered to underwater anchored objects for floating up to the water surface carrying a retrieval line (not shown). The novel mechanism of this invention operating in a new mode to resolve prior art problems of battery consumption and line fouling is thus defined with particularity in the following claims.

Claims: An acoustic release system for attaching a buoyed body to and detaching the buoyed body from a tether line anchored by an underwater anchor, characterized by: a tether release mechanism provided with means for mechanically and manually attaching the buoyed body to the tether line independent from battery power (54, 55; 45, 47), a battery (35), heater means for thermally releasing the body from the tether line (36), and battery operated tether release means operable in response to a coded acoustic signals (34) to actuate said heater means from the battery for releasing a tethered line, whereby the tether line is manually attached to the buoyed body without battery drain. The release system of Claim 1 further characterized by an open mouthed cylindrical housing (30) disposed about a tethered line (38) retained by said means for attaching the buoyed body to the tether line and providing a downwardly directed conical line exit port (41, 49) limiting the departure angle and movement of the line to an acute angle to reduce fouling in the presence of underwater currents. The release system to Claim 1 further characterized by a tether release mechanism comprising a pair of pivoted levers (45, 47) forming a latch for retaining the tether line in the buoyed body, and an unlatching mechanism operable by said battery operated release means (37) for moving a said lever to unlatch the tether line. The release system of Claim 3 further characterized by spring biasing means compressible by movement of said unlatching mechanism in a direction responding to actuation of said heater. The release system of Claim 1 further characterized by a tether release mechanism comprising a pair of rotatable cams (54, 55) for clamping the tether line (38) in the buoyed body, and a mechanism operable by said battery operated release means (68) for pushing the tether line (38) out of the rotatable cams (54, 55). The release system of Claim 5 further characterized by gripping teeth (60, 61) on the rotatable cams (54, 55) for grasping the line (38) therebetween to prevent axial movement of the line and permitting transverse movement of the line out of the gripping teeth (60, 61). The release system of Claim 5 further characterized by an open ended cylindrical buoyed body (51) having two aligned apertures (50) through the cylindrical body to engage the rotatable cams (54, 55). The release system of Claim 1 further characterized by a cylindrically shaped buoyed body (27) with an open ended compartment axially oriented at one end including a latch to receive and attach a tether line to the buoy, said body having a passageway (44) through a cylindrical wall for entry of a tool for releasing the latch without application of battery power.

Inventors: OLIVIER ANDRE W, RAU BRIAN G, OLIVIER, ANDRE W., RAU, BRIAN G., Olivier, André W.
Applicants: LAITRAM CORP, THE LAITRAM CORPORATION
Application year: 1995
Main classification: B63B22
IPC codes: B63B22, G10K11