Abstract:
An automatic rescue apparatus for deploying a flotation device. The unit can be mounted vertically on the rail of a vessel or horizontally on the deck. The rescue apparatus has a life ring, a launcher housing containing a radio receiver and a trigger device and incorporating a life ring launching arm, a housing containing a collapsed inflatable marker buoy and a CO 2  inflation assembly, and a portable battery-powered transmitter worn by an individual on a vessel. Ejection and resulting inflation of the marker buoy as well as simultaneous deployment of the life ring are actuated by a radio signal received from the transmitter worn by the overboard person.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to an automatic rescue apparatus for deploying a flotation device in response to a person falling overboard from a vessel. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In man-overboard situations aboard boats and similar vessels, it is essential that a flotation device be provided to the victim in the shortest possible time. Equally if not more important is the placement of a marker in the water as close as possible to the point of entry of the victim. As a vessel can generally be expected to be in motion away from the point of entry, speed in deploying a marker can be a life-or-death matter. In the present invention, the immersion in water of a portable transmitter causes a radio signal to be sent to the vessel, resulting in the instantaneous deployment of rescue devices from the vessel as well as the triggering of an alarm on board. Prior art rescue devices have had disadvantages including: (a) delay in deployment of the flotation device caused by human reaction time; (b) gravity deployment of flotation devices requiring vertical or near-vertical mounting of the device on the vessel; and (c) the requirement that portable transmitters be attached to articles of clothing such as a shirt or jacket, which the individual, especially a recreational boater, may not be wearing at the time he or she falls overboard. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention eliminates delay caused by human reaction time and reduces the time between the man-overboard event and the deployment of rescue devices to a minimum. Because the present invention imparts an ejecting force to the rescue devices and does not rely on gravity for this purpose, the unit can be mounted vertically on the rail of a vessel or horizontally on the deck. The portable transmitter in accordance with the present invention is worn as part of a necklace and need not be attached to any article of clothing. 
     The rescue apparatus in accordance with the invention is composed of a horseshoe-shaped life ring, a launcher housing containing a radio receiver and a trigger device and incorporating a life ring launching arm; a housing containing and acting as a weighted base for a collapsed inflatable marker buoy and a CO 2  inflation assembly; and a portable battery-powered transmitter which is worn by an individual on a vessel. 
     The launcher housing is attached to the rail or deck of the vessel. The marker buoy housing is releasably attached to the launcher housing and in this position also retains the life ring against the launching arm in the stowed position on the launcher housing. The launcher housing contains the radio receiver and a release mechanism for the life ring and marker buoy. Ejection and resulting inflation of the marker buoy as well as simultaneous deloyment of the life ring are actuated by a radio signal received from the transmitter worn by the victim in the water. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, ancillary rescue devices such as lights, whistle, dye marker, and a drogue are contained in the marker buoy housing and are released upon deployment of the marker buoy. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The invention will be described in detail with reference to the following drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing operation of the apparatus. 
     FIG. 2 shows the portable transmitter. 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus in the stowed position with an individual having just entered the water. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the apparatus in the partially deployed state. 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the apparatus in the deployed mode with the marker buoy nearing complete inflation. 
     FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the trigger device in the stowed position. 
     FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the trigger device in the operative mode. 
     FIG. 8 is a front sectional view of the trigger device showing the mechanism for disengaging the release pin. 
     FIG. 9 is a cutaway view of the interior wall of the marker buoy housing showing the means of activating the CO 2  inflation assembly. 
     FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of the marker buoy housing. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The structure of the rescue apparatus will now be described with reference to the drawings. 
     FIG. 5 shows the launcher housing 110 without the life ring 160 and without the marker buoy housing 148. Launcher housing 110 is securely attached to some part of the vessel, for example, a handrail at the stern of the vessel. A launcher arm 150 is pivotably mounted on the launcher housing 110 at pivot point 152. Torsional springs 154 urge the launcher arm 150 into rotation away from the launcher housing. As clearly depicted in FIG. 5, two alignment pins 146, arm 124 and retaining hook 136 all protrude from the launcher housing. In place of the two alignment pins 146, any other functionally equivalent support members could be used. In place of retaining hook 136, any other functionally equivalent latching means could be used. These elements will be described in greater detail in connection with the discussion of FIGS. 6-8. 
     FIG. 3 shows the elements which are coupled to the launcher housing in the ready condition. As will be described below, marker buoy housing 148 is held in place on the launcher housing by the alignment pins 146 and the retaining hook 136. A weather cap 156 is mounted on the marker buoy housing. A tongue 158 (or other functionally equivalent means) is rigidly connected to the weather cap 156 and extends in a generally vertical direction. The life ring 160 is seated on the marker buoy housing 148. The horseshoe shape of the life ring prevents it from falling off the marker buoy housing in a lateral direction, and the tongue 158 prevents the life ring from falling off in the direction away from the launcher housing. Vertical displacement of the life ring is prevented by the latching extension of the launcher arm 150. 
     As best seen in FIG. 5, the life ring 160, the weather cap 156, the marker buoy housing 148, and optionally a drogue 168 are serially connected by line 162. 
     The launcher housing 110 houses the mechanisms shown in FIGS. 6-8. A pair of bearings 120 and 120a are rigidly secured to the launcher housing. A substantially vertical shaft 118 is slidably mounted in these bearings. Any other functionally equivalent actuation means may be substituted for the slidably mounted shaft. In the preferred embodiment shaft 118 is a rod of circular cross section. The substantially horizontal arm 124 is rigidly connected to shaft 118 at a point between the two bearings. For example, arm 124 can be of rectangular cross section, arm 124 being arranged in a corresponding bore of rectangular cross section which passes through shaft 118 in a direction transverse to the shaft axis. The top end of shaft 118 is provided with a part which extends radially beyond the radius of the shaft, thereby forming a flange 119. A spring 122 (or any other functionally equivalent spring means) is arranged between the flange 119 and the upper bearing 120. A second spring (or any other functionally equivalent spring means) 140 is arranged between arm 124 and lower bearing 120a. 
     It is understood that each bearing 120, 120a has a bore in which shaft 118 is slidably seated. In addition, bearing 120a has a slot for receiving the retaining hook 136, which is provided with a detent. The retaining hook 136 is rotatably coupled to bearing 120a by means of pivot pin 142. Retaining hook 136 must extend radially beyond the periphery of the bearing so that it will be able to hook onto the marker buoy housing, as described below, when hook 136 is in its first position, as depicted in FIG. 6. 
     The shaft 118 is forked or bifurcated at its lower end, i.e. has a longitudinal slot which substantially bisects the lower portion of the shaft. Retaining hook 136 extends through this slot. The two forks of the shaft are rigidly coupled by means of pin 144 (see FIG. 8). Shaft 118 additionally has a notch or groove 117 (or any other functionally equivalent latching means) in which release pin 116 (or any other functionally equivalent trigger means) is removably inserted when pin 116 and shaft 118 are in their respective first positions, as shown in FIG. 8. 
     Release pin 116 is connected to one end of a lever 114, which lever is rotatably coupled to bearing 120 by way of pivot pin 115. Lever 114 is connected at point 123 on its other end to lanyard 170 and at point 121 between points 115 and 123 to the armature of a solenoid 112. 
     As best seen in FIG. 9, arm 124 extends through a keyway 126 formed in the rear wall of marker buoy housing 148. A CO 2  inflation assembly 174 is mounted on the rear wall of marker buoy housing 148. A cartridge 132 containing CO 2  gas is coupled to the inflation assembly. In the ready condition, arm 124 rests against a lever 128 of the inflation assembly. The alignment pins 146 of the launcher housing 110 engage corresponding bores formed in the rear wall of the marker buoy housing 148. Finally, the retaining hook 136 extends through a keyway 138 of the marker buoy housing. 
     As shown in FIG. 10, a weight 164 is securely mounted in the bottom portion of the marker buoy housing 148. Weather cap 156 is loosely fitted on the top portion of marker buoy housing 148. The chamber between the weather cap and the weight is occupied by the CO 2  inflation assembly and a deflated folded marker buoy 134, which is coupled to hook 172 on weight 164. A drogue 168 is folded and stacked on top of the folded marker buoy. A light 166 may be secured to the end of the marker buoy 134, as shown in FIG. 5. 
     An electric relay 105 is connected to solenoid 112 (see FIG. 1). The relay is in turn connected to radio receiver 103. Optionally, relay 105 is also connected to a hard-wired switch 107. 
     The invention operates as follows: when the individual 102 wearing the transmitter 104 falls into the water (FIG. 3), the transmitter is immersed. The conductivity of the water across the contacts 106 closes the circuit, activating the transmitter. Necklace 108 (FIG. 2), in which the antenna is incorporated, transmits radio signals to the receiver 103 in the launcher housing 110. The necklace can be made of buoyant material to ensure placement of the antenna on the surface of the body of water. The receiver activates an electric relay 105 which energizes electric solenoid 112 (FIG. 8). Solenoid 112 actuates lever 114, which disengages release pin 116 from a notch formed in shaft 118, i.e. moves pin 116 from its first position to its second position. The arrows in FIG. 8 show the directions of movement of the pin of solenoid 112 and the release pin 116 as lever 114 rotates about pivot 115 mounted on bearing 120. Shaft 118, which is mounted in bearings 120 and 120a, travels in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7, propelled by spring 122 in response to disengagement of release pin 116, until it reaches a second position, as shown in FIG. 7. Arm 124, projecting at right angles relative to shaft 118, protrudes through the wall of the launcher housing 110, where it protrudes into keyway 126 of marker buoy housing 148 and rests against lever 128 of the CO 2  inflation assembly 174 (FIGS. 9 and 10). The CO 2  inflation assembly is of the commercially available type and is mounted on an inner wall of the marker buoy housing 148 such that gas released from cartridge 132 will inflate marker buoy 134. Upward movement of shaft 118 from its first position to its second position causes arm 124 to push lever 128 upward, thereby puncturing the gas cartridge and initiating buoy inflation. Shaft 118 is forked in its lower portion (see FIG. 8) and retaining hook 136, which is mounted on shaft bearing 120a, extends between the prongs of the fork and protrudes through the wall of the launcher housing into keyway 138 of the marker buoy housing, where in its first position it hooks on the edge of keyway 138, thereby retaining the marker buoy housing 148 against the launcher housing 110 (see FIG. 10). Spring 140 on the forked end of shaft 118 exerts pressure on the retaining hook 136, keeping it in the first, i.e. locked position. As shaft 118 continues to travel upwardly, the compression of spring 40 by arm 124 is released, thereby allowing retaining hook 136 to pivot on pin 142 when pin 144 contacts and urges retaining hook 136 upward toward its second position. Retaining hook 136 is thus moved into the release position (see FIG. 7). Alignment pins 146 (FIG. 5) protrude from the launcher housing 110 into corresponding holes in marker buoy housing 148, thereby keeping the marker buoy housing stationary until the moment of deployment. After movement of retaining hook 136 to the second, i.e. release position, the marker buoy housing is free to be launched from the launcher housing. In the stowed position, launcher arm 150 is retained behind the marker buoy housing. Torsion springs 152 are mounted on launcher arm 150 at pivot points 154. Launcher arm 150 is now free to pivot away from the launcher housing 110. Marker buoy housing 148 is thereby shown into the water, pushed by the spring-loaded launcher arm. As housing 148 is released, the retaining effect exerted by weather cap 156 and tongue 158 on life ring 160 is released, allowing the life ring to be launched simultaneously. Weather cap 156 is loosely fitted to marker buoy housing 148 and falls away or is pushed off by the inflating and emerging marker buoy. The weather cap is attached to line 162, which links the life ring 160 and the marker buoy 134. Inflation of the float is completed and weight 164, joined to the buoy 134 by coupling 172, causes the marker buoy to assume an upright position in the water. Buoy 134 is fitted with the water-activated light 166, which is lit upon contact with the water. The marker buoy housing may also contain drogue 168 and other small rescue devices which are ejected by the inflating buoy. An audible alarm 169 may also be activated aboard the vessel when the system is deployed. Alternative modes of deployment of this apparatus (see FIG. 1) are by manually pulling on a lanyard 170 which is attached to lever 114 (see FIG. 8), thereby eliminating operation of the radio receiver and the solenoid, or by control of a remote hard-wired switch on the vessel, thereby eliminating operation of the radio transmitter and receiver, but not the solenoid. This system could be easily adapted to launch various forms of personal flotation devices. 
     The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment is presented for illustrative purposes only and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Modifications may be readily effected by one having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope if the inventive concept herein disclosed.