Underseas Transport System

Abstract

An underwater transport system comprising buoyant self-propelled vehicles which are secured to an underwater cable track which positively guides the vehicles along their routes and secures the vehicles under the water. A guidance cable is supported by floatation chambers by means of pillars fixedly secured to the underside of the cable. The floatation chambers are anchored to the sea floor. The vehicles are secured to the cable by means of connectors which are constructed in a manner to allow passage of the connector over the pillar support of the cable. The vehicles are provided with visual and electronic signal means for communication with terminal stations and/or which automatically send out emergency signals should the vehicles break away from the cable and rise to the water surface.

Parent Case Text

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 163,955 filed on July 19, 1971, now abandoned.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention:

This invention relates to an underwater transport system designed for the guiding of independently propelled cargo vehicles having positive floatation characteristics which vehicles are secured to a guidance cable suspended below the surface of the water and above the ocean floor by a series of floatation chambers to which the guidance cable is permanently connected. The floatation chambers are anchored to the sea floor. The invention is primarily concerned with a system for transporting cargo under the surface of the water by independently propelled cargo carriers which are positively connected to a guidance cable and which vehicles will rise to the water surface should they break free of the guidance cable.

The invention is particularly concerned with an underseas transport system which is capable of economically and safely transporting petroleum and other cargoes as well as passengers.

At present, great concern exists for the environmental hazards involved in transporting petroleum by large surface tankers which, should they be damaged, constitute an extreme environmental threat should the petroleum leak into the water in significant quantities.

The present invention eliminates these hazards by providing independent carriers having positive floatation characteristics which are propelled under the sea surface and positively guided by way of fixation to an under surface guidance cable thereby eliminating all navigational hazards. In addition, the cargo carriers are of relatively small size when compared with what are now known as "super tankers". Each vehicle is positively connected with the guidance cable and designed so that should it break loose from the guidance cable, it will automatically surface and send out electronic warning signals as well as visual signals.

The underseas transport system described in the present specification thus eliminates or greatly minimizes the major environmental hazards involved in the transportation of petroleum and the like by sea.

2. Prior Art:

The submarine guidance system described in U.S. Pat. No. 694,486 Leps discloses an underwater guidance cable suspended from a series of towers constructed on the surface of a shallow sea bed. Submarines which are guided by such cables are provided with rolling wheels which are guided along the under surface of the cable. The cable serves merely as a guide and does not positively lock the submarine on the cable to assure its positive control. In the Leps system, the up and down directional controls normally required for free-running submarines are also required because of the lack of positive guidance for the manned vehicle. In the system described in this specification, the vehicles may be unmanned and are positively secured to the guiding cable, providing a much greater degree of safety and control.

In addition, since in the present invention, the cable is suspended between floatation chambers anchored to the sea bottom rather than suspended from tower structures, it is much easier to construct Applicant's cable suspension system than that disclosed in the Leps patent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to an economical and reliable underseas transport system which is particularly useful in minimizing the environmental hazards in the transportation of petroleum. The selfpropelled vehicles are positively secured to an underseas guidance cable which is suspended from positive floatation chambers which are anchored to the surface of the sea bed. Each vehicle is provided with floatation chambers which may be controlled so that the vehicle always has sufficient bouyancy to exert a slight upward pull on the cable to which it is secured and which also assures that, should the vehicle break free from the cable, it will rise to the surface. The vehicle is provided with visual and electronic alarm systems which would become activated when the vehicle surfaced. The vehicle also is provided with signal systems for control from shore stations which indicate its position on the cable and control its speed.

The guidance cable is suspended between floatation chambers which are anchored to the sea bed. The cable is secured to the chambers by annular pillars which are welded or otherwise secured to the under surface of the cable. Means are provided on the lower surface of said vehicles for connecting the vehicles to the guidance cable and these connecting means are capable of passing said connecting pillars without disengaging the vehicle from said guidance cable. The connecting means are also designed so that the vehicle is easiy removed from said cable at the terminal point of the cable under the sea surface at shore or intermediate terminals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the underwater transport system of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view partially in section of a representative shore station of the underwater transport system.

FIG. 3 is a side view partially in section of a self-propelled cargo unit for the underwater system of transport.

FIG. 4 is a partial side view of the lower portion of a cargo carrier showing one type of connection for attaching it to the underwater carrier cable.

FIG. 5 is a view taken along line V--V of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is an end view partially in section of the cable connector of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an enlargement showing the contours of the rollers 60 of FIG. 6.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The above invention can be illustrated by the following description of certain preferred embodiments with reference being made to the accompanying drawing.

The operation of the underwater transport system of the present invention is illustrated generally in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the system under the surface of the sea and suspended above the bottom of the sea. The cargo carriers 10 are independently propelled by interior machinery driving propellers 11 on each vehicle. Optionally, vehicle 10 may be connected serially to a number of non-propelled vehicles 10a to form in effect an underwater train. Each of the vehicles is positively connected to the suspended cable 20 by a fastening arrangement 30 which will be described in greater detail below. The cable 20 is suspended between a series of bouyant floatation tanks 24 which are secured to the cable by pillars or straps 26 which are welded to the underside of the cable. The floatation tanks 24 are anchored to the bottom of the sea by multiple mooring lines 21.

In FIG. 2, there is illustrated a series of vehicles 10 approaching a short station 41. The units 10 in the station illustrated enter an underwater tunnel 40 and proceed to the termination 42 of the tunnel 40 at the bottom of the vertical shaft 43 which communicates with the tunnel 40 and the surface of the ground. The end of the cable 20 within the terminal 41 is secured by welding to the pillar 45 at the base of the vertical shaft 43. The pillar 45 is similar in structure to the pillar 26 of the floatation tanks 24. As the vehicle approaches the pillar 45, it is first secured by a hoist 44 for raising to the surface or transporting to another communicating tunnel within the station 41 for mounting on another cable if it is to be transferred to another route. Optionally, since the containers have positive floatation characteristics, they may be permitted to rise to the surface of the tunnel 43 automatically as they come off the cable at the pillar 45. Also the bulkhead 48 indicated in FIG. 2 may be closed and the water pumped out of the shaft 43 by apparatus not illustrated in order to effect repairs to the vehicle 10 at the base of the tunnel 40 should this be required.

A cargo container 10 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. It is understood that the size and overall shape of the vehicle may vary within wide design limits but essentially comprises a floatation chamber 12 which is large enough to provide positive floatation to the fully loaded vehicle. Known means may be utilized for varying the degree of floatation if desired.

Cargo holds or passenger sections 13 are also provided together with known propulsion machinery shown in section 14 for vehicles 10 which are self-propelled, for example, by propeller 11.

It is also envisioned that, in addition to propeller 11 or in lieu thereof, the apparatus 30 which secures the vehicle 10 to the cable 20 may be utilized to propel the vehicle 10 along the track 20.

As mentioned, the vehicle 10 is designed to have a positive bouyancy in order that, should it break away from its securement to cable 20, it will automatically rise to the water surface. Shown schematically on the top of vehicle 10 is a radio transmitter 71 for transmitting signals to locate the vehicle 10 should it break away from the cable and rise to the water surface and/or for receiving control signals to the vehicle for controlling its speed and indicating its position on the cable 20 and electronically transmitting its location to the shore station 41. A light beacon 72 is also indicated for providing additional means of locating the vehicle when it rises to the surface of the water should it break away from the cable 20.

The apparatus 30 for securing the vehicle 10 to the cable 20 shown generally in FIG. 3 is illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 6 and 7. The apparatus 30 comprises a pair of girder members 50 which extend downwardly from the base of the vehicle 10 and support the ends of axle 54 of the large upper wheel 52 as well as fixedly securing the pair of tendon-like members 56 and 58 which extend downwardly and then curve inwardly to horizontal arms 62 at the ends of which rollers 60 are rotatably secured. The girders 50 are held in place on the axle 54 by known securing means such as nuts indicated at 59.

As best seen in FIG. 6, the large wheel 52 rolls along the top of the cable 20 and the vehicle 10 is held firmly to the cable by the coaction of the roller 52 and the pair of rollers 60 which rotate along the under surface of the cable 20. The tendon-like members 56 and 58 are flexibly designed so that they will permit the rollers 60 to spread apart when the rollers come in contact with the pillar 26 which connects the floatation chamber 24 with the under surface of the cable 20 to which it is welded.

As best shown in FIG. 7, the rollers 60 are designed with the surface 64 curved to conform to the curvature of the underside of the cable 20 and the surface is cammed as shown at 66 and the interior of the roller 68 curves as shown so as to force the tendons 56 and 58 apart as the rollers 60 come in contact with the circular pillars 26. At least two sets of the rollers 60 are provided as shown in FIG. 3 so that at least one set is always riding under the cable 20 to assure attachment of the vehicle 10 to the cable 20.

The rollers 60 are mounted on the bearings at the ends of the horizontal arms 62 of the tendon members 56 and 58. The pair of wheels 60 are spaced apart slightly underneath the center of the cable 20. As the rollers 60 come in contact with the annular pillar 26, they and the tendons 56 and 58 are spread apart, and as soon as the pillar 26 is passed, immediately spring back so as to return the rollers 60 to close proximity to each other as shown in FIG. 6.

If desired, in lieu of or in addition to the propeller 11 propulsion means, the roller 52 may be provided with a frictional surface for engagement with the cable 20 and driving means for the roller 52 provided from the vehicle 10.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, floatation chamber 24 is provided with securing rings 23 welded to the corners thereof for securing a line or chain 21 comprised of links 22. Lines 21 are anchored to the sea floor. Alternate means for securing the vehicle 10 to the cable 20 are shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 wherein a fastener body 70 is secured to the bottom of the vehicle 10 by welding, bolting or other conventional means. The fastener body 70 has a longitudinal tunnel 76 formed therein and provided with a plurality of ball bearing rings 80 which engage the surface of the cable 20 as best shown in FIG. 5. The opening 82 in the lower portion 78 of the tunnel 76 is slightly wider than the diameter of the securing pillars 26, so that the pillars 26 are free to pass through the opening 82 while maintaining the vehicle 10 in positive engagement with the cable 20.

The present invention provides a safe and efficient means for the underwater transport of cargoes and/or passengers by way of self-propelled vehicles that are positively secured to a cable which is suspended above the bottom of the water body by way of positive floatation chambers which are anchored to the bottom surface of the sea. The floatation chambers support pillars which are permanently secured to the underside of the guidance cable 20. The present invention is particularly suited for the safe and efficient underwater transport of petroleum and other products which constitute a potential environmental hazard.

While the invention has been explained by a detailed description of certain specific embodiments, it is understood that various modifications and substitutions can be made in any of them within the scope of the appended claims which are intended also to include equivalents of such embodiments.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An underwater transport system comprising independently propelled vehicles having positive floatation characteristics, a guidance cable suspended above the surface of the sea bottom and below the water surface thereof by a series of floatation chambers to which the guidance cable is permanently secured, said floatation chambers being anchored to the sea floor, securing means for positively connecting said vehicles to said guidance cable in rolling engagement therewith, said guidance cable serving as a guide for said vehicles and to restrain said vehicles from any upward motion from the cable, an annular pillar connecting the lower surface of said guidance cable with said floatation chambers, said securing means engageable with the upper and lower surfaces of said cable for connecting said vehicles to said cable and capable of passing said pillars without disengaging said vehicle from said guidance cable.

2. An underwater transport system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a rotatable wheel secured below said vehicle in a manner to rotate in contact with the top surface of said cable and plural pairs of tendon members extending on either side of said securing means below said cable and carrying bevelled rollers which rotate on horizontal axes under said guidance cable and are normally in rolling contact with the lower surface of said cable and are spaced slightly apart from each other along said horizontal axes under said guidance cable, said rollers bevelled on the inward surfaces thereof such that when they come in contact with the annular pillar connecting said floatation tanks to said guidance cable, they are spread apart so as to pass around said pillar, said tendon members being flexible so as to spread apart and then return said rollers together after passing said pillar.

3. An underwater transport system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said vehicles are provided with electronic and visual signal means.

4. An underwater transport system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said guidance cable terminates underwater at a shore station in a horizontal tunnel at the intersection of a vertical shaftway, the end of said cable being connected to the base of said tunnel by an annular pillar secured to the bottom of said guidance cable.

5. An underwater transport system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said securing means comprises a fastener body having a longitudinal tunnel therein, said tunnel having a diameter slightly larger than the external diameter of said guidance cable and surrounding said guidance cable so as to secure said vehicle to said cable, said tunnel having a longitudinal opening at the base thereof having a width smaller than the diameter of said guidance cable but larger than the diameter of said pillars thereby permitting said vehicle to move along said cable and pass said support pillar.

6. An underwater transport system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said tunnel is lined with a plurality of ball beaing units.